Is Merlua or Salonized better?

Neither clearly leads. Merlua starts at Free and Salonized at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Merlua or Salonized?

Merlua has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Merlua and $30/month for Salonized.

Does Merlua or Salonized run on more platforms?

Merlua runs on Web, iOS, Android, WordPress. Salonized runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.

Can I use Merlua for free?

Yes. Merlua has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salonized starts at $30/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 Salonized is typically brought in for.

What can Merlua do that Salonized cannot?

Merlua covers Guest online booking, Services and staff, Calendar and availability, Deposits and payments. Salonized covers Appointment booking, Client management, Staff scheduling, Point of sale.

Beauty · head to head

Merlua vs Salonized

Merlua

Beauty

Booking software built for beauty salons

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Salonized

Beauty

Cloud-based salon management and POS system

From: $30/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Merlua has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: 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.; Salonized the pricing page lists no monthly plan price and no per plan feature breakdown; visitors are directed to start a trial to see plan details
They diverge on capability: Merlua covers Guest online booking, Salonized covers Appointment booking.
Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Merlua and Salonized actually diverge.

Attributes where Merlua and Salonized differ
Attribute	Merlua	Salonized
Starting price	Free	$30/month
Pricing model	freemium	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, WordPress	Web, Ios, Android, Api
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 Salonized

Appointment booking
Client management
Staff scheduling
Point of sale
Inventory management
SMS notifications
Payment processing
Financial reporting

What people use each for

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

Merlua

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

Salonized

Online appointment booking and calendar management for hair and beauty salonsnot Merlua
Taking in salon card payments through Salonized Pay terminalsnot Merlua
Sending appointment reminders to clients by SMSnot Merlua
Listing salon availability on the Treatwell marketplacenot 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.

Salonized

The pricing page lists no monthly plan price and no per plan feature breakdown; visitors are directed to start a trial to see plan details
SMS messages are a paid add on starting at EUR 0.11 each and cost EUR 0.15 each in the 50 to 999 credit band
Salonized Pay requires a payment terminal starting at EUR 199 plus a 1.0 percent transaction fee
Bookings taken through the Treatwell integration carry a 35 percent commission on new Treatwell bookings plus a 2 percent transaction fee on prepaid online bookings
The free trial runs 14 days

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

Salonized

$30/month

Basic$30/month
- Appointment scheduling
- Client management
- Basic reporting
Professional$55/month
- Everything in Basic
- Point of sale
- Inventory management
Premium$95/month
- Everything in Professional
- Advanced analytics
- Multi-location support

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 Salonized if

You need appointment booking.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
You also want client management.

Salonized review

Questions people ask

Is Merlua or Salonized better?: Neither clearly leads. Merlua starts at Free and Salonized at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Merlua or Salonized?: Merlua has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Merlua and $30/month for Salonized.
Does Merlua or Salonized run on more platforms?: Merlua runs on Web, iOS, Android, WordPress. Salonized runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Merlua for free?: Yes. Merlua has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salonized starts at $30/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 Salonized is typically brought in for.
What can Merlua do that Salonized cannot?: Merlua covers Guest online booking, Services and staff, Calendar and availability, Deposits and payments. Salonized covers Appointment booking, Client management, Staff scheduling, Point of sale.

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

Salonized: How much does Salonized cost?

Salonized does not publish specific plan names or monthly pricing on its website. Customers must sign up for a free trial to learn about pricing or contact Salonized directly through their help center.

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

Salonized: Does Salonized offer a free trial?

Yes, Salonized offers a 14-day free trial of the Pro plan with no credit card required. Sign up for free at https://app.salonized.com/en/signup.

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

Salonized: What add-on costs does Salonized charge?

Salonized charges add-on fees: Treatwell Marketplace at 35% commission on new bookings plus 2% transaction fee on prepaid bookings, payment terminal at 199 EUR, and SMS at 0.11 EUR per SMS (volume pricing available starting at 50 credits).

Source

Merlua: Do clients need an account to book?

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

Source

Salonized: Are there setup fees or cancellation fees for Salonized?

No, Salonized has no setup fees and no cancellation fees. Customers can cancel anytime with no long-term contracts required. Monthly subscription is available.

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 Salonized

Merlua

Salonized

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Merlua

Only in Salonized

What people use each for

Merlua

Salonized

Where each one falls short

Merlua

Salonized

Pricing, plan by plan

Merlua

Salonized

Which should you pick?

Choose Merlua if

Choose Salonized if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Merlua

More on Salonized

Keep looking

Other head to heads