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Software · head to head

Phorest vs Revel Systems

Phorest logo

Phorest

Software

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Revel Systems logo

Revel Systems

Software

Cloud-based iPad POS for enterprise

From
$99/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request; Revel Systems requires 3-year contract with high early termination fees making it difficult to cancel
  • They diverge on capability: Phorest covers Appointment booking, Revel Systems covers iPad POS.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Phorest and Revel Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where Phorest and Revel Systems differ
AttributePhorestRevel Systems
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiiPad, Web
Founded20032010

Identical on both: starting price ($99/month), free tier (No), 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 Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports

Only in Revel Systems

  • iPad POS
  • Inventory management
  • CRM
  • Employee management
  • Delivery management
  • Multi-location management
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

What people use each for

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

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot Revel Systems
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot Revel Systems

Revel Systems

  • Point of Salenot Phorest
  • Order Managementnot Phorest
  • Inventory Controlnot Phorest
  • Staff Schedulingnot Phorest

Where each one falls short

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

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite only

Revel Systems

  • Requires 3-year contract with high early termination fees making it difficult to cancel
  • System crashes and glitches frequently, especially at high transaction volumes
  • Mandatory payment processing through Revel's Advantage processor with external processors heavily penalized
  • Customer support quality is poor with Level 1 support described as ineffective
  • Expensive upfront costs and numerous hidden fees for add-on features

Pricing, plan by plan

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

Revel Systems

$99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Revel Systems review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Phorest if

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

Choose Revel Systems if

  • You need ipad pos.
  • You work on iPad, Web.
  • You also want inventory management.

Questions people ask

Is Phorest or Revel Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. Phorest starts at $99/month and Revel Systems at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Phorest or Revel Systems?
Phorest starts at $99/month and Revel Systems at $99/month.
Does Phorest or Revel Systems run on more platforms?
Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Revel Systems runs on iPad, Web.
What is Phorest best used for?
Phorest is most often used for salon and spa appointment booking with client records, marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businesses. Of those, salon and spa appointment booking with client records and marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businesses are not what Revel Systems is typically brought in for.
What can Phorest do that Revel Systems cannot?
Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation. Revel Systems covers iPad POS, Inventory management, CRM, Employee management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Revel Systems: What does Revel Systems cost?

Revel pricing starts around $99 per month per terminal with a minimum 3-year contract requirement. Customers also pay for additional features like reporting, workforce management, integrations, and Advantage payment processing which is typically mandatory.

Source
Revel Systems: How long does implementation take?

Revel implementation typically takes 2-4 weeks, including hardware setup, menu configuration, staff training, and system integration.

Source
Revel Systems: What integrations does Revel support?

Revel integrates with multiple payment processors through Stripe and Square connectors, plus accounting, payroll, and ecommerce solutions. Payment gateways vary by region.

Source
Revel Systems: What are Revel's contract terms?

Revel requires a minimum 3-year contract with high early termination fees. Use of Revel's Advantage payment processing is typically mandatory, and using outside processors is heavily penalized or not allowed.

Source

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