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Software · head to head

Oyster vs Zenoti

Oyster logo

Oyster

Software

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zenoti logo

Zenoti

Software

Enterprise spa and salon software

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Oyster has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing; Zenoti zenoti publishes no prices: the pricing page names plans by business type but gives no rate, no per location fee and no minimum, and routes every enquiry to a quote or demo
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Zenoti covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Zenoti actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Zenoti differ
AttributeOysterZenoti
Starting priceFree$200/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20202010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Oyster

  • Global Employment
  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

Only in Zenoti

  • Appointment booking
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Marketing automation
  • Employee management
  • Membership management
  • Gift cards
  • Business intelligence

Both cover

  • QuickBooks

What people use each for

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

Oyster

  • Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot Zenoti
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Zenoti
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Zenoti

Zenoti

  • Running multi location spa, salon and medspa chains on one platformnot Oyster
  • Centralising appointment booking, point of sale and inventory across sitesnot Oyster
  • Managing memberships, packages and customer marketing for large operatorsnot Oyster

Where each one falls short

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

Oyster

  • Employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • A refundable deposit is required before an EOR engagement starts
  • Contractor management is free for 30 days then $29 per contractor per month
  • HR advisory through People Partner Services is billed at $300 per hour on top of the subscription
  • A currency conversion fee applies when you pay Oyster in a currency other than the contract currency
  • Payments are accepted only by direct debit or wire in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD

Zenoti

  • Zenoti publishes no prices: the pricing page names plans by business type but gives no rate, no per location fee and no minimum, and routes every enquiry to a quote or demo
  • Multi location pricing is described as customised to the customer's footprint, so two buyers of the same size are not guaranteed the same rate
  • Communication costs such as messaging are billed on consumption on top of the plan
  • Functionality is extended through paid add ons rather than being included in a single plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

Free
  • Contractor$29/month
    • Contractor Payments
    • Compliant Contracts
    • Invoicing
  • Employee$599/month
    • Global Employment
    • Payroll
    • Benefits

Zenoti

$200/month
  • Essential$200/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Professional$350/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Marketing automation
    • Inventory management
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Multi-location
    • Custom integrations

Which should you pick?

Choose Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Oyster review

Choose Zenoti if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want point of sale.
Zenoti review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Zenoti better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Zenoti at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Zenoti?
Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Oyster and $200/month for Zenoti.
Does Oyster or Zenoti run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Zenoti runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Oyster for free?
Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zenoti starts at $200/month.
What is Oyster best used for?
Oyster is most often used for hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entity, onboarding and paying international contractors, getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teams. Of those, hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entity and onboarding and paying international contractors are not what Zenoti is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Zenoti cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Zenoti covers Appointment booking, Point of sale, Inventory management, Marketing automation. Both handle QuickBooks.
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