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Beauty & Salon · head to head

Kitomba vs Square Appointments

Kitomba logo

Kitomba

Beauty & Salon

Salon software from New Zealand

From
79/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Scheduling & Booking

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square Appointments has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Kitomba covers Appointment booking, Square Appointments covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kitomba and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Kitomba and Square Appointments differ
AttributeKitombaSquare Appointments
Starting price79/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
CategoryBeauty & SalonScheduling & Booking
Founded20012009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • Marketing tools
  • Business analytics
  • Mobile apps
  • Xero
  • MYOB
  • Tyro

Only in Square Appointments

  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app
  • Square POS
  • Instagram
  • Google My Business

Both cover

  • Point of sale
  • Client management
  • Online booking
  • Google Calendar
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web 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 Square Appointments
  • Salon point of sale and stock managementnot Square Appointments
  • Client marketing and reporting for hair and beauty businessesnot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Kitomba
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Kitomba
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

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

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

Which should you pick?

Choose Kitomba if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want stock management.
Kitomba review

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want automated reminders.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Kitomba or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Kitomba starts at 79/month and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kitomba or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at 79/month for Kitomba and Free for Square Appointments.
Does Kitomba or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Square Appointments for free?
Yes. Square Appointments has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kitomba starts at 79/month.
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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Kitomba do that Square Appointments cannot?
Kitomba covers Appointment booking, Stock management, Marketing tools, Business analytics. Square Appointments covers Payment processing, Automated reminders, Instagram booking, Google booking. Both handle Point of sale, Client management, Online booking, Google Calendar.
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