Beauty & Salon · head to head
Phorest vs Shortcuts Software
The short version
- They diverge on capability: Phorest covers Reputation management, Shortcuts Software covers Inventory management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Phorest and Shortcuts Software actually diverge.
| Attribute | Phorest | Shortcuts Software |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/month | $89/month |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Api | Web, Windows, Ios, Android, Api |
| Founded | 2003 | 1990 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Beauty & Salon).
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
- Reputation management
- Staff management
- Inventory tracking
- Business reports
- Google My Business
- Stripe
- SumUp
- Shopify
Only in Shortcuts Software
- Inventory management
- Staff rostering
- Loyalty programs
- Business analytics
- Xero
- MYOB
- Google Analytics
- Tyro
Both cover
- Appointment booking
- Client management
- Point of sale
- Marketing automation
- Mailchimp
- GDPR compliant
- PCI DSS
- SSL encryption
- Cloud deployment
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 Shortcuts Software
- Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot Shortcuts Software
Shortcuts Software
- Salon operationsnot Phorest
- Inventory controlnot Phorest
- Client loyaltynot Phorest
- Marketing campaignsnot Phorest
- Business intelligencenot 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
Shortcuts Software
Nothing recorded yet. See the Shortcuts Software review.
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
Shortcuts Software
$89/month- Essential$89/month
- Appointment booking
- Client management
- Basic POS
- Professional$159/month
- Everything in Essential
- Online booking
- Marketing tools
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Everything in Professional
- Multi-location
- Advanced analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Phorest if
- You need reputation management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want staff management.
Choose Shortcuts Software if
- You need inventory management.
- You work on Web, Windows, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want staff rostering.
Questions people ask
- Is Phorest or Shortcuts Software better?
- Neither clearly leads. Phorest starts at $99/month and Shortcuts Software at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Phorest or Shortcuts Software?
- Phorest starts at $99/month and Shortcuts Software at $89/month.
- Does Phorest or Shortcuts Software run on more platforms?
- Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Shortcuts Software runs on Web, Windows, Ios, Android, Api.
- 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 Shortcuts Software is typically brought in for.
- What can Phorest do that Shortcuts Software cannot?
- Phorest covers Reputation management, Staff management, Inventory tracking, Business reports. Shortcuts Software covers Inventory management, Staff rostering, Loyalty programs, Business analytics. Both handle Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation.
Related pages
More on Shortcuts Software
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