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Phorest vs Squarespace Commerce

Phorest logo

Phorest

Software

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Squarespace Commerce logo

Squarespace Commerce

Software

All-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform

From
$14/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Squarespace Commerce the entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • They diverge on capability: Phorest covers Appointment booking, Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Phorest and Squarespace Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Phorest and Squarespace Commerce differ
AttributePhorestSquarespace Commerce
Starting price$99/month$14/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2003).

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 Squarespace Commerce

  • Website builder
  • Ecommerce platform
  • Mobile optimization
  • Email marketing
  • Analytics
  • Domain registration
  • SSL certificate
  • Customer accounts

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 Squarespace Commerce
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot Squarespace Commerce

Squarespace Commerce

  • Running a store on a hosted website builder with managed hostingnot Phorest
  • Selling products, services and memberships from one sitenot 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

Squarespace Commerce

  • The entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • Digital content and membership sales carry their own fee, up to 7% on the lowest tier
  • The entry plan is limited to 2 contributors
  • Reaching a 0% transaction fee requires moving up from the entry plan

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

Squarespace Commerce

$14/month
  • Personal$14/month
    • Website builder
    • Free domain
    • Analytics
  • Business$23/month
    • All Personal features
    • Ecommerce functionality
    • Inventory management

Which should you pick?

Choose Phorest if

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

Choose Squarespace Commerce if

  • You need website builder.
  • You also want ecommerce platform.
Squarespace Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Phorest or Squarespace Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Phorest starts at $99/month and Squarespace Commerce at $14/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Phorest or Squarespace Commerce?
Phorest starts at $99/month and Squarespace Commerce at $14/month.
Does Phorest or Squarespace Commerce run on more platforms?
Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Squarespace Commerce runs on 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 Squarespace Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Phorest do that Squarespace Commerce cannot?
Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation. Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Ecommerce platform, Mobile optimization, Email marketing.
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