Software · head to head
Kitomba vs Salon Ultimate
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Kitomba no plan price is published; pricing depends on package, features and staff count and is only given after a demo and a discovery call with a Kitomba consultant; Salon Ultimate multi-location businesses pay per location ($199 per location per month) rather than a flat enterprise rate, and the vendor charges $0.03 per additional SMS message on top of subscription plans, per its own pricing page.
- They diverge on capability: Kitomba covers Appointment booking, Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Kitomba and Salon Ultimate actually diverge.
| Attribute | Kitomba | Salon Ultimate |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | 79/month | $29/month |
| Founded | 2001 | 2008 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Kitomba
- Appointment booking
- Stock management
- Client management
- Marketing tools
- Business analytics
- Mobile apps
- Xero
- MYOB
Only in Salon Ultimate
- Appointment scheduling
- Client database
- Inventory management
- Staff scheduling
- Reporting & analytics
- Email marketing
- QuickBooks
- Stripe
Both cover
- Point of sale
- Online booking
- PCI DSS
- SSL encryption
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- English language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Kitomba
- Salon and spa appointment booking with staff rosteringnot Salon Ultimate
- Salon point of sale and stock managementnot Salon Ultimate
- Client marketing and reporting for hair and beauty businessesnot Salon Ultimate
Salon Ultimate
- Appointment managementnot Kitomba
- Client retentionnot Kitomba
- Inventory controlnot Kitomba
- Business reportingnot Kitomba
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Kitomba
- No plan price is published; pricing depends on package, features and staff count and is only given after a demo and a discovery call with a Kitomba consultant
- Advertised per user pricing is based on 3 staff, so the quoted figure does not apply at other headcounts
- Xero, Mailchimp, REACH.ai, Salon Pay and Vish integrations all carry separate charges outside the software fee
- Data migration and live education carry additional charges
- Kitomba Pay EFTPOS terminal rental is available in Australia only
Salon Ultimate
- Multi-location businesses pay per location ($199 per location per month) rather than a flat enterprise rate, and the vendor charges $0.03 per additional SMS message on top of subscription plans, per its own pricing page.
Pricing, plan by plan
Kitomba
79/month- Starter$79/month
- Appointment booking
- Client management
- Basic reporting
- Business$149/month
- All Starter features
- POS system
- Stock management
Salon Ultimate
$29/month- Basic$29/month
- Appointment scheduling
- Client management
- Basic reporting
- Professional$59/month
- All Basic features
- Online booking
- POS system
Which should you pick?
Choose Kitomba if
- You need appointment booking.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want stock management.
Choose Salon Ultimate if
- You need appointment scheduling.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want client database.
Questions people ask
- Is Kitomba or Salon Ultimate better?
- Neither clearly leads. Kitomba starts at 79/month and Salon Ultimate at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Kitomba or Salon Ultimate?
- Kitomba starts at 79/month and Salon Ultimate at $29/month.
- Does Kitomba or Salon Ultimate run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Kitomba best used for?
- Kitomba is most often used for salon and spa appointment booking with staff rostering, salon point of sale and stock management, client marketing and reporting for hair and beauty businesses. Of those, salon and spa appointment booking with staff rostering and salon point of sale and stock management are not what Salon Ultimate is typically brought in for.
- What can Kitomba do that Salon Ultimate cannot?
- Kitomba covers Appointment booking, Stock management, Client management, Marketing tools. Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Inventory management, Staff scheduling. Both handle Point of sale, Online booking, PCI DSS, SSL encryption.