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Beauty · head to head

DaySmart Salon vs Merlua

DaySmart Salon logo

DaySmart Salon

Beauty

Intelligent salon and spa business platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Merlua logo

Merlua

Beauty

Booking software built for beauty salons

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DaySmart Salon the $29 per month Basic plan includes only 1 user and excludes resource management, packages, memberships, payroll and digital forms; Merlua plan prices are not published. The pricing page renders its comparison table client side and no amounts are visible on it as of September 2026, so the cost of Standard or Premium is not knowable before signup.
  • They diverge on capability: DaySmart Salon covers Online booking, Merlua covers Guest online booking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DaySmart Salon and Merlua actually diverge.

Attributes where DaySmart Salon and Merlua differ
AttributeDaySmart SalonMerlua
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, WordPress
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Beauty).

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 DaySmart Salon

  • Online booking
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Client management
  • Marketing automation
  • Business analytics

Only in Merlua

  • Guest online booking
  • Services and staff
  • Calendar and availability
  • Deposits and payments
  • Email and SMS reminders
  • Branded booking page
  • Staff and client apps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DaySmart Salon

  • Appointment booking and staff scheduling for hair and beauty salonsnot Merlua
  • Salon point of sale with packages and membershipsnot Merlua
  • Commission based stylist payroll and expense trackingnot Merlua
  • Client reminders and marketing by text and emailnot Merlua

Merlua

  • Taking salon bookings without forcing client accountsnot DaySmart Salon
  • Cutting no-shows with deposits and remindersnot DaySmart Salon
  • Coordinating several staff members' availabilitynot DaySmart Salon
  • Running a branded booking page from an existing websitenot DaySmart Salon
  • Giving staff their schedule and earnings on their phonenot DaySmart Salon

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DaySmart Salon

  • The $29 per month Basic plan includes only 1 user and excludes resource management, packages, memberships, payroll and digital forms
  • Extra users cost $9 per month each on Deluxe, Deluxe Growth and Premium
  • Messaging is metered per plan: 500 texts and 1,000 emails per month on Basic, 1,000 texts and 5,000 emails on Deluxe, 5,000 texts and 20,000 emails at the top tier
  • Text marketing, two way texting, reputation management and the website builder are paid add ons whose prices are not published
  • Expense tracking, advanced payroll, commission tracking, sliding scale commissions and overtime rules are limited to Premium Growth
  • Premium Growth is custom priced with no published rate

Merlua

  • Plan prices are not published. The pricing page renders its comparison table client side and no amounts are visible on it as of September 2026, so the cost of Standard or Premium is not knowable before signup.
  • Stripe is the only payment processor named, so a salon banking elsewhere has no alternative route.
  • Built for beauty specifically. A clinic, a gym or a barber chain wanting inventory, POS or memberships will find those absent.
  • The integration list is short next to established salon platforms: Stripe, WordPress and SMS, with no accounting, marketing or POS connections listed.
  • A new vendor with no independent review coverage, so the reliability claims rest on the vendor's own material.

Pricing, plan by plan

DaySmart Salon

Free
  • Basic$29/month
    • 1 user
    • Online booking
    • Appointment confirmations
  • Deluxe$69/month
    • 3 users
    • Basic features plus: gift cards
    • Digital forms
  • Deluxe Growth$149/month
    • Deluxe features plus: text marketing
    • Two-way texting
    • Reputation management
  • Premium$199/month
    • 6 users
    • QuickBooks integration
    • 2500 text messages/month

Merlua

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core scheduling with no time limit
    • Basic booking management
  • Standard and Premium$undefined/month
    • 14-day full-feature trial, no card required
    • No Merlua booking transaction fees
    • Monthly or annual billing, switchable at any time

Which should you pick?

Choose DaySmart Salon if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want appointment scheduling.
DaySmart Salon review

Choose Merlua if

  • You need guest online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, WordPress.
  • You also want services and staff.
Merlua review

Questions people ask

Is DaySmart Salon or Merlua better?
Neither clearly leads. DaySmart Salon starts at Free and Merlua at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DaySmart Salon or Merlua?
DaySmart Salon starts at Free and Merlua at Free.
Does DaySmart Salon or Merlua run on more platforms?
DaySmart Salon runs on Web, Ios, Android. Merlua runs on Web, iOS, Android, WordPress.
Can I use DaySmart Salon for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DaySmart Salon best used for?
DaySmart Salon is most often used for appointment booking and staff scheduling for hair and beauty salons, salon point of sale with packages and memberships, commission based stylist payroll and expense tracking, client reminders and marketing by text and email. Of those, appointment booking and staff scheduling for hair and beauty salons and salon point of sale with packages and memberships are not what Merlua is typically brought in for.
What can DaySmart Salon do that Merlua cannot?
DaySmart Salon covers Online booking, Appointment scheduling, Point of sale, Inventory management. Merlua covers Guest online booking, Services and staff, Calendar and availability, Deposits and payments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DaySmart Salon: How much does DaySmart Salon cost?

DaySmart Salon pricing starts at $29/month for the Basic tier, $69/month for Deluxe, $149/month for Deluxe Growth, $199/month for Premium, and custom pricing for Premium Growth with unlimited users.

Source
Merlua: Is there a free plan?

Yes. Merlua states it offers "a robust free tier with core scheduling capabilities so you can manage basic bookings without a time limit", separate from the paid trial.

Source
DaySmart Salon: How many users does each DaySmart plan support?

Basic tier supports 1 user. Deluxe and Deluxe Growth support 3 users. Premium supports 6 users. Premium Growth offers unlimited users but requires contacting sales for custom pricing.

Source
Merlua: How does the free trial work?

Fourteen days of full access to all premium features with no credit card required upfront. At the end you either pick a plan or continue on the free tier.

Source
DaySmart Salon: What are the messaging limits on DaySmart plans?

Basic tier includes 500 text messages and 1000 email messages per month. Premium tier increases to 2500 text messages and 10000 email messages. Premium Growth tier provides 5000 text messages and 20000 email messages with unlimited users.

Source
Merlua: Does Merlua charge booking transaction fees?

No hidden booking transaction fees on the Standard or premium tiers. Standard payment processing fees from your gateway, such as Stripe, still apply.

Source
Merlua: Do clients need an account to book?

No. Clients complete bookings as guests without creating a password or a permanent account.

Source
Merlua: What happens if I cancel?

Premium features stay active until the end of the current billing period, and plans can be upgraded, downgraded or switched between monthly and annual at any time from billing settings.

Source
Merlua: What can I install it on?

A web dashboard, mobile apps for staff and clients, a WordPress plugin, and an embeddable booking widget for any site.

Source
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