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Phorest vs Zen Planner

Phorest logo

Phorest

Software

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zen Planner logo

Zen Planner

Software

Member management for fitness businesses

From
$99/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; Zen Planner limited staff app features compared to desktop version
  • They diverge on capability: Phorest covers Appointment booking, Zen Planner covers Member management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Phorest and Zen Planner actually diverge.

Attributes where Phorest and Zen Planner differ
AttributePhorestZen Planner
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20032006

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 Zen Planner

  • Member management
  • Automated billing
  • Class scheduling
  • Workout tracking
  • Marketing tools
  • SugarWOD
  • Wodify
  • Ios support

Both cover

  • Mailchimp
  • Stripe
  • Web support

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 Zen Planner
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot Zen Planner

Zen Planner

  • Workout trackingnot Phorest
  • Nutrition managementnot Phorest
  • Health monitoringnot Phorest
  • Fitness coachingnot Phorest
  • Wellness improvementnot 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

Zen Planner

  • Limited staff app features compared to desktop version
  • System crashes and occasional bugs reported by users
  • Integration difficulties with certain third-party platforms
  • Customers report continued charges after completed cancellation

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

Zen Planner

$99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Zen Planner review.

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 Zen Planner if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated billing.
Zen Planner review

Questions people ask

Is Phorest or Zen Planner better?
Neither clearly leads. Phorest starts at $99/month and Zen Planner at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Phorest or Zen Planner?
Phorest starts at $99/month and Zen Planner at $99/month.
Does Phorest or Zen Planner run on more platforms?
Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Zen Planner runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Zen Planner is typically brought in for.
What can Phorest do that Zen Planner cannot?
Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation. Zen Planner covers Member management, Automated billing, Class scheduling, Workout tracking. Both handle Mailchimp, Stripe, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zen Planner: Does Zen Planner have a free tier?

No, Zen Planner does not offer a free tier. Pricing starts at $99 per month with no free trial mentioned in their standard offerings.

Source
Zen Planner: Can Zen Planner integrate with ClassPass?

Yes. ClassPass seamlessly integrates with Zen Planner, allowing gyms to sync their schedule and avoid overbooking when offering ClassPass to members.

Source
Zen Planner: Does Zen Planner work with SugarWOD?

Yes. Zen Planner integrates with SugarWOD, making it a popular choice for CrossFit gym owners who want to manage both WOD tracking and gym operations in one system.

Source
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