Softwr

Beauty · head to head

Phorest vs Salon Ultimate

Phorest logo

Phorest

Beauty

Salon software that grows your business

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

Salon Ultimate

Beauty

Complete salon management made simple

From
$69/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 Ultimate no per-seat pricing model, only per-location billing
  • They diverge on capability: Phorest covers Appointment booking, Salon Ultimate 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 Ultimate actually diverge.

Attributes where Phorest and Salon Ultimate differ
AttributePhorestSalon Ultimate
Starting price$99/month$69/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20032008

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
  • Client management
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports
  • Facebook

Only in Salon Ultimate

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Client database
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Online booking
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Email marketing
  • QuickBooks

Both cover

  • Point of sale
  • Mailchimp
  • Stripe
  • 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 Ultimate
  • Medical spa operations and schedulingnot Salon Ultimate
  • Beauty and wellness business softwarenot Salon Ultimate

Salon Ultimate

  • Appointment managementnot Phorest
  • Client retentionnot Phorest
  • Inventory controlnot Phorest
  • Business reportingnot 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 Ultimate

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

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 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 Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.
Phorest 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 Phorest or Salon Ultimate better?
Neither clearly leads. Phorest starts at $99/month and Salon Ultimate at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Phorest or Salon Ultimate?
Phorest starts at $99/month and Salon Ultimate at $69/month.
Does Phorest or Salon Ultimate run on more platforms?
Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Salon Ultimate runs on Web, 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 Ultimate is typically brought in for.
What can Phorest do that Salon Ultimate cannot?
Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Marketing automation, Reputation management. Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Inventory management, Staff scheduling. Both handle Point of sale, Mailchimp, Stripe, PCI DSS.

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 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
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 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
Phorest: Is there a minimum staff requirement?

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

Source
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
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 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
Share

Related pages

More on Phorest

More on Salon Ultimate

Keep looking

Other head to heads