Software · head to head
Salon Iris vs StyleSeat
The short version
- Only StyleSeat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Salon Iris saloniris.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to daysmart.com/salon/pricing; the product is sold as DaySmart Salon; StyleSeat introductory price of $19/month for the first 3 months rises to a standard $35/month afterward, per StyleSeat's own pricing page.
- They diverge on capability: Salon Iris covers Appointment scheduling, StyleSeat covers Professional profiles.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Salon Iris and StyleSeat actually diverge.
| Attribute | Salon Iris | StyleSeat |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | transaction |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, Ios, Android | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 1999 | 2011 |
Identical on both: 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 Salon Iris
- Appointment scheduling
- Point of sale
- Inventory management
- Payroll reports
- Mobile access
- QuickBooks
- Constant Contact
- Mailchimp
Only in StyleSeat
- Professional profiles
- Payment processing
- Reviews & ratings
- Mobile app
- Calendar management
- Apple Calendar
- Stripe
Both cover
- Client management
- Marketing tools
- Online booking
- Google Calendar
- PayPal
- PCI DSS
- SSL encryption
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Salon Iris
- Salon appointment scheduling and client recordsnot StyleSeat
- Salon point of sale and inventorynot StyleSeat
- Stylist payroll and commission trackingnot StyleSeat
StyleSeat
- Client acquisitionnot Salon Iris
- Online bookingnot Salon Iris
- Personal brandingnot Salon Iris
- Payment collectionnot Salon Iris
- Client retentionnot Salon Iris
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
StyleSeat
- Introductory price of $19/month for the first 3 months rises to a standard $35/month afterward, per StyleSeat's own pricing page.
Pricing, plan by plan
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
StyleSeat
Free- FreeFree
- Online booking
- Client management
- Professional profile
- Pro$35/month
- Everything in Free
- Smart pricing
- No-show protection
Which should you pick?
Choose Salon Iris if
- You need appointment scheduling.
- You work on Web, Windows, Ios, Android.
- You also want point of sale.
Choose StyleSeat if
- You need professional profiles.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want payment processing.
Questions people ask
- Is Salon Iris or StyleSeat better?
- Neither clearly leads. Salon Iris starts at $29/month and StyleSeat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Salon Iris or StyleSeat?
- StyleSeat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Salon Iris and Free for StyleSeat.
- Does Salon Iris or StyleSeat run on more platforms?
- Salon Iris runs on Web, Windows, Ios, Android. StyleSeat runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use StyleSeat for free?
- Yes. StyleSeat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salon Iris starts at $29/month.
- What is Salon Iris best used for?
- Salon Iris is most often used for salon appointment scheduling and client records, salon point of sale and inventory, stylist payroll and commission tracking. Of those, salon appointment scheduling and client records and salon point of sale and inventory are not what StyleSeat is typically brought in for.
- What can Salon Iris do that StyleSeat cannot?
- Salon Iris covers Appointment scheduling, Point of sale, Inventory management, Payroll reports. StyleSeat covers Professional profiles, Payment processing, Reviews & ratings, Mobile app. Both handle Client management, Marketing tools, Online booking, Google Calendar.