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Beauty · head to head

Phorest vs Salon Iris

Phorest logo

Phorest

Beauty

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salon Iris logo

Salon Iris

Beauty

Complete salon & spa management

From
$29/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; Salon Iris saloniris.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to daysmart.com/salon/pricing; the product is sold as DaySmart Salon
  • They diverge on capability: Phorest covers Appointment booking, Salon Iris covers Appointment scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Phorest and Salon Iris actually diverge.

Attributes where Phorest and Salon Iris differ
AttributePhorestSalon Iris
Starting price$99/month$29/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Windows, Ios, Android
Founded20031999

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

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
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports
  • Instagram
  • Google My Business

Only in Salon Iris

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Inventory management
  • Marketing tools
  • Payroll reports
  • Online booking
  • Mobile access
  • QuickBooks
  • Constant Contact

Both cover

  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Mailchimp
  • Facebook
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Phorest

  • Salon and clinic management softwarenot Salon Iris
  • Medical spa operations and schedulingnot Salon Iris
  • Beauty and wellness business softwarenot Salon Iris

Salon Iris

  • Salon appointment scheduling and client recordsnot Phorest
  • Salon point of sale and inventorynot Phorest
  • Stylist payroll and commission trackingnot 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

Salon Iris

  • saloniris.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to daysmart.com/salon/pricing; the product is sold as DaySmart Salon
  • The $29 per month entry plan includes only 1 user and excludes resource management, packages, memberships, payroll and digital forms
  • Additional users cost $9 per month each
  • Text and email volumes are capped per plan, starting at 500 texts and 1,000 emails per month
  • Text marketing, two way texting, reputation management and the website builder are separately priced add ons

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

Salon Iris

$29/month
  • Basic$29/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client database
    • Basic POS
  • Deluxe$59/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Online booking
    • Marketing tools
  • Premier$109/month
    • Everything in Deluxe
    • Advanced reports
    • Multi-location

Which should you pick?

Choose Phorest if

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

Choose Salon Iris if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Ios, Android.
  • You also want inventory management.
Salon Iris review

Questions people ask

Is Phorest or Salon Iris better?
Neither clearly leads. Phorest starts at $99/month and Salon Iris at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Phorest or Salon Iris?
Phorest starts at $99/month and Salon Iris at $29/month.
Does Phorest or Salon Iris run on more platforms?
Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Salon Iris runs on Web, Windows, Ios, Android.
What is Phorest best used for?
Phorest is most often used for salon and clinic management software, medical spa operations and scheduling, beauty and wellness business software. Of those, salon and clinic management software and medical spa operations and scheduling are not what Salon Iris is typically brought in for.
What can Phorest do that Salon Iris cannot?
Phorest covers Appointment booking, Marketing automation, Reputation management, Staff management. Salon Iris covers Appointment scheduling, Inventory management, Marketing tools, Payroll reports. Both handle Client management, Point of sale, Mailchimp, Facebook.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Phorest: How do I find out Phorest pricing for my salon?

All plans require a custom quote. Click 'Request a quote' or 'Book a demo' on the Phorest pricing page to receive pricing tailored to your business needs.

Source
Salon Iris: How much does DaySmart Salon cost?

DaySmart Salon (formerly Salon Iris) does not publish specific pricing on its website. Customers must either start a free trial or contact the sales team at +1 (800) 527-7600 to receive pricing information.

Source
Phorest: What SMS charges apply to each plan?

Core Aesthetics: 8.2 cents/SMS; Elevate/Elite Aesthetics: 7 cents/SMS; Starter/Grow/Ultimate: 500 free SMS/month.

Source
Salon Iris: Does DaySmart Salon offer a free trial?

Yes, DaySmart Salon offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. Start the trial at https://app.daysmart.com or link to their pricing page to sign up.

Source
Phorest: Is there a minimum staff requirement?

Yes, Phorest recommends 3+ staff members to use the software.

Source
Salon Iris: How can I get DaySmart Salon pricing?

To obtain pricing information, either start the 14-day free trial or contact sales at +1 (800) 527-7600 (Monday-Friday, 9 AM to 8 PM ET). Sales email is available through their contact form.

Source
Phorest: What is included in Phorest plans?

All plans include: unlimited devices, unlimited staff, software for life with future upgrades, migration services, and unlimited training.

Source
Salon Iris: Does DaySmart Salon have a pricing calculator?

Yes, DaySmart Salon offers an ROI calculator tool to help determine the potential value and return on investment. Calculate the value using their calculator available on the sales page.

Source
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