Is Merlua or Milano better?

Neither clearly leads. Merlua starts at Free and Milano at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Merlua or Milano?

Merlua has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Merlua and $69/month for Milano.

Does Merlua or Milano run on more platforms?

Merlua runs on Web, iOS, Android, WordPress. Milano runs on Web, Ios, Android.

Can I use Merlua for free?

Yes. Merlua has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Milano starts at $69/month.

What is Merlua best used for?

Merlua is most often used for taking salon bookings without forcing client accounts, cutting no-shows with deposits and reminders, coordinating several staff members' availability, running a branded booking page from an existing website. Of those, taking salon bookings without forcing client accounts and cutting no-shows with deposits and reminders are not what Milano is typically brought in for.

What can Merlua do that Milano cannot?

Merlua covers Guest online booking, Services and staff, Calendar and availability, Deposits and payments. Milano covers Appointment scheduling, Client profiles, Styling notes, Photo gallery.

Beauty · head to head

Merlua vs Milano

Merlua

Beauty

Booking software built for beauty salons

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Milano

Beauty

Hair salon and beauty studio management software

From: $69/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Merlua has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
They diverge on capability: Merlua covers Guest online booking, Milano covers Appointment scheduling.
Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Merlua and Milano actually diverge.

Attributes where Merlua and Milano differ
Attribute	Merlua	Milano
Starting price	Free	$69/month
Pricing model	freemium	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, WordPress	Web, Ios, Android
Founded	Unknown	2014

Identical on both: 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 Merlua

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

Only in Milano

Appointment scheduling
Client profiles
Styling notes
Photo gallery
Point of sale
Inventory management
Staff scheduling
Instagram

What people use each for

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

Merlua

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

Milano

Salon managementnot Merlua
Styling notesnot Merlua

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Milano

Nothing recorded yet. See the Milano review.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Milano

$69/month

Essentials$69/month
- Scheduling
- Client profiles
- Styling notes
Professional$139/month
- Everything in Essentials
- POS
- Inventory

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Milano if

You need appointment scheduling.
You work on Web, Ios, Android.
You also want client profiles.

Milano review

Questions people ask

Is Merlua or Milano better?: Neither clearly leads. Merlua starts at Free and Milano at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Merlua or Milano?: Merlua has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Merlua and $69/month for Milano.
Does Merlua or Milano run on more platforms?: Merlua runs on Web, iOS, Android, WordPress. Milano runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Merlua for free?: Yes. Merlua has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Milano starts at $69/month.
What is Merlua best used for?: Merlua is most often used for taking salon bookings without forcing client accounts, cutting no-shows with deposits and reminders, coordinating several staff members' availability, running a branded booking page from an existing website. Of those, taking salon bookings without forcing client accounts and cutting no-shows with deposits and reminders are not what Milano is typically brought in for.
What can Merlua do that Milano cannot?: Merlua covers Guest online booking, Services and staff, Calendar and availability, Deposits and payments. Milano covers Appointment scheduling, Client profiles, Styling notes, Photo gallery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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

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

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

Merlua vs Milano

Merlua

Milano

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Merlua

Only in Milano

What people use each for

Merlua

Milano

Where each one falls short

Merlua

Milano

Pricing, plan by plan

Merlua

Milano

Which should you pick?

Choose Merlua if

Choose Milano if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Merlua

More on Milano

Keep looking

Other head to heads