Software · head to head
Salon Ultimate vs SalonRunner
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Salon Ultimate multi-location businesses pay per location ($199 per location per month) rather than a flat enterprise rate, and the vendor charges $0.03 per additional SMS message on top of subscription plans, per its own pricing page.; SalonRunner salonRunner is the underlying platform behind the flagship Rosy Salon Software brand, offered white-label through a VAR program (Internet Archive capture, 29 December 2021); no pricing figures were published
- They diverge on capability: Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, SalonRunner covers Client management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Salon Ultimate and SalonRunner actually diverge.
| Attribute | Salon Ultimate | SalonRunner |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | $19/month |
| Founded | 2008 | 2012 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Ultimate
- Appointment scheduling
- Client database
- Point of sale
- Inventory management
- Reporting & analytics
- Email marketing
- QuickBooks
- Mailchimp
Only in SalonRunner
- Client management
- POS system
- Commission tracking
- Mobile apps
- SMS reminders
- Marketing campaigns
- Google Calendar
Both cover
- Staff scheduling
- Online booking
- Stripe
- Square
- SSL encryption
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- English language support
- Spanish language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Salon Ultimate
- Appointment managementnot SalonRunner
- Client retentionnot SalonRunner
- Inventory controlnot SalonRunner
- Business reportingnot SalonRunner
SalonRunner
- Mobile salon managementnot Salon Ultimate
- Client bookingnot Salon Ultimate
- Staff coordinationnot Salon Ultimate
- Payment processingnot Salon Ultimate
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Salon Ultimate
- Multi-location businesses pay per location ($199 per location per month) rather than a flat enterprise rate, and the vendor charges $0.03 per additional SMS message on top of subscription plans, per its own pricing page.
SalonRunner
- SalonRunner is the underlying platform behind the flagship Rosy Salon Software brand, offered white-label through a VAR program (Internet Archive capture, 29 December 2021); no pricing figures were published
Pricing, plan by plan
Salon Ultimate
$29/month- Basic$29/month
- Appointment scheduling
- Client management
- Basic reporting
- Professional$59/month
- All Basic features
- Online booking
- POS system
SalonRunner
$19/month- Solo$19/month
- 1 user
- Online booking
- Client management
- Team$49/month
- Up to 5 users
- All Solo features
- Staff scheduling
Which should you pick?
Choose Salon Ultimate if
- You need appointment scheduling.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want client database.
Choose SalonRunner if
- You need client management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want pos system.
Questions people ask
- Is Salon Ultimate or SalonRunner better?
- Neither clearly leads. Salon Ultimate starts at $29/month and SalonRunner at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Salon Ultimate or SalonRunner?
- Salon Ultimate starts at $29/month and SalonRunner at $19/month.
- Does Salon Ultimate or SalonRunner run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Salon Ultimate best used for?
- Salon Ultimate is most often used for appointment management, client retention, inventory control, business reporting. Of those, appointment management and client retention are not what SalonRunner is typically brought in for.
- What can Salon Ultimate do that SalonRunner cannot?
- Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Point of sale, Inventory management. SalonRunner covers Client management, POS system, Commission tracking, Mobile apps. Both handle Staff scheduling, Online booking, Stripe, Square.