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Scheduling · head to head

Picktime vs Salon Ultimate

Picktime logo

Picktime

Scheduling

Appointment, class and resource booking with an unusually capable free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salon Ultimate logo

Salon Ultimate

Beauty

Complete salon management made simple

From
$69/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Picktime has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Picktime the Pro plan is cheaper per user than Starter because it is sold in a ten user block, so a business with four or five staff pays more per head than a business with ten and has no tier that fits it well.; Salon Ultimate no per-seat pricing model, only per-location billing
  • They diverge on capability: Picktime covers Free tier with three staff, Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Picktime and Salon Ultimate actually diverge.

Attributes where Picktime and Salon Ultimate differ
AttributePicktimeSalon Ultimate
Starting priceFree$69/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
Free tierYesNo
CategorySchedulingBeauty
FoundedUnknown2008

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Picktime

  • Free tier with three staff
  • Resource booking
  • Class and course booking
  • SMS reminders
  • Two way calendar sync
  • Payments
  • Multilingual booking pages
  • Booking approval

Only in Salon Ultimate

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Client database
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Online booking
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Email marketing

What people use each for

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

Picktime

  • A public library booking study rooms and equipment where there is no budget for scheduling software at allnot Salon Ultimate
  • A two person tutoring business that needs a booking page, reminders and card payment for under ten dollars a monthnot Salon Ultimate
  • A community centre running classes with capacity limits and a waitlist across two venuesnot Salon Ultimate
  • A small salon that wants staff and chair availability booked together rather than assuming every stylist has a stationnot Salon Ultimate

Salon Ultimate

  • Appointment managementnot Picktime
  • Client retentionnot Picktime
  • Inventory controlnot Picktime
  • Business reportingnot Picktime

Where each one falls short

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

Picktime

  • The Pro plan is cheaper per user than Starter because it is sold in a ten user block, so a business with four or five staff pays more per head than a business with ten and has no tier that fits it well.
  • SMS is only on paid plans and the free tier is email only, so the no cost option loses the single feature that most reduces no shows.
  • Reporting is limited to basic booking counts and revenue totals, so any business that wants utilisation by resource, staff productivity or cohort retention will be exporting data and analysing it elsewhere.
  • Integrations beyond calendar, payments and Zapier are sparse, with no native connection to mainstream CRM or practice management systems, meaning customer data lives in a second silo that someone reconciles manually.
  • Support is email only with no phone or guaranteed response time, which is acceptable at three dollars a user but a genuine risk if the booking page goes down on a trading day.

Salon Ultimate

  • No per-seat pricing model, only per-location billing
  • Pricing applies per salon location, not per user

Pricing, plan by plan

Picktime

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Three staff members
    • Two locations and three resources
    • Unlimited appointments
  • Starter$3/month
    • Per user, billed annually
    • Three staff and two locations
    • SMS notifications and reminders
  • Pro$2.25/month
    • Per user, billed annually, minimum ten users
    • Unlimited locations
    • Customisable emails

Salon Ultimate

$69/month
  • BookedBy on Clover$69/month
    • Software and hardware included
  • Single Store$159/month
    • Advanced features for single location
  • Multi-Store$199/month
    • Multi-location management

Which should you pick?

Choose Picktime if

  • You need free tier with three staff.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want resource booking.
Picktime review

Choose Salon Ultimate if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client database.
Salon Ultimate review

Questions people ask

Is Picktime or Salon Ultimate better?
Neither clearly leads. Picktime starts at Free and Salon Ultimate at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Picktime or Salon Ultimate?
Picktime has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Picktime and $69/month for Salon Ultimate.
Does Picktime or Salon Ultimate run on more platforms?
Picktime runs on Web, iOS, Android. Salon Ultimate runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Picktime for free?
Yes. Picktime has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salon Ultimate starts at $69/month.
What is Picktime best used for?
Picktime is most often used for a public library booking study rooms and equipment where there is no budget for scheduling software at all, a two person tutoring business that needs a booking page, reminders and card payment for under ten dollars a month, a community centre running classes with capacity limits and a waitlist across two venues, a small salon that wants staff and chair availability booked together rather than assuming every stylist has a station. Of those, a public library booking study rooms and equipment where there is no budget for scheduling software at all and a two person tutoring business that needs a booking page, reminders and card payment for under ten dollars a month are not what Salon Ultimate is typically brought in for.
What can Picktime do that Salon Ultimate cannot?
Picktime covers Free tier with three staff, Resource booking, Class and course booking, SMS reminders. Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Point of sale, Inventory management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Picktime: Is the free plan actually usable long term?

Yes. It allows three staff, two locations and unlimited appointments permanently. The main limits are no SMS and PayPal only for payments.

Salon Ultimate: How much does SalonUltimate cost?

SalonUltimate offers three subscription tiers billed monthly per location: BookedBy on Clover at $69/month, Single Store at $159/month for individual salons, and Multi-Store at $199/month for businesses managing multiple locations.

Source
Picktime: Can it book rooms and equipment?

Yes. Resources are first class objects and can be booked alongside or independently of staff.

Salon Ultimate: What features are included in all SalonUltimate plans?

All SalonUltimate plans include online booking, check-in and check-out capabilities, employee scheduling, customer management, service and pricing administration, inventory tracking, standard reporting, email and SMS marketing, unlimited support and training.

Source
Picktime: Why does Pro cost less per user than Starter?

Pro is priced for a block of ten users. Below that headcount the per user rate on Starter is what you pay.

Salon Ultimate: Is there a free trial for SalonUltimate?

No free trial period is mentioned on SalonUltimate's pricing page. Demos are available by contacting sales at [email protected] or calling +1 (855) 466-9332.

Source
Picktime: Does it take card payments?

Stripe and Square on paid plans; the free plan supports PayPal only.

Salon Ultimate: What is the difference between BookedBy on Clover and SalonUltimate Single Store plans?

BookedBy on Clover at $69/month includes software and hardware shipped to your business. SalonUltimate Single Store at $159/month is designed for individual salon locations seeking advanced features with no hardware included.

Source
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