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Beauty · head to head

Salon Ultimate vs Sawyer

Salon Ultimate logo

Salon Ultimate

Beauty

Complete salon management made simple

From
$69/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sawyer logo

Sawyer

Scheduling

Class and camp booking software for children activity businesses, with a marketplace that takes up to 30 percent

From
$189/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Salon Ultimate no per-seat pricing model, only per-location billing; Sawyer the Launch plan looks free but forces a marketplace listing at 30 percent commission, so a single high-value camp booking through the marketplace can cost more than a year of the Grow subscription would have.
  • They diverge on capability: Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Sawyer covers Class and camp registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Salon Ultimate and Sawyer differ
AttributeSalon UltimateSawyer
Starting price$69/month$189/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer business per month, plus marketplace commission
CategoryBeautyScheduling
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Salon Ultimate

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

Only in Sawyer

  • Class and camp registration
  • Memberships and class packs
  • Consumer marketplace
  • Auto-billing
  • Waivers and e-signature
  • Multi-location

What people use each for

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

Salon Ultimate

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

Sawyer

  • A new kids activity studio with no mailing list that wants the marketplace to fill its first termsnot Salon Ultimate
  • An established music school moving off spreadsheets that will run Sawyer as software only and never list on the marketplacenot Salon Ultimate
  • A gym selling memberships, class packs and birthday parties that needs all three billed from one systemnot Salon Ultimate
  • A provider running summer camps alongside term-time classes who wants a single parent account for bothnot Salon Ultimate

Where each one falls short

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

Salon Ultimate

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

Sawyer

  • The Launch plan looks free but forces a marketplace listing at 30 percent commission, so a single high-value camp booking through the marketplace can cost more than a year of the Grow subscription would have.
  • Marketplace commission applies to the order value, not the margin, so low-margin providers can lose money on a marketplace booking.
  • Payment processing fees are charged separately by Stripe on top of the subscription and any commission, which the plan comparison does not surface clearly.
  • The step from Grow to Scale doubles the monthly cost for account management and integrations rather than for capability most providers need, making the middle tier the only sensible choice for many.
  • It is built for consumer activity businesses, so providers who invoice schools, councils or corporate clients will find the billing model a poor fit.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Sawyer

$189/month
  • Launch$undefined/month
    • No monthly subscription fee
    • 3 percent per transaction
    • Marketplace listing required, 30 percent commission on marketplace orders
  • Grow$189/month
    • 189 USD per month billed annually, 219 monthly
    • Marketplace listing optional, 20 percent commission if used
    • Advanced scheduling, waitlists, free trials
  • Scale$379/month
    • 379 USD per month billed annually, 399 monthly
    • Marketplace listing optional, 15 percent commission if used
    • Dedicated account manager and registration launch support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing for large multi-site operators

Which should you pick?

Choose Salon Ultimate if

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

Choose Sawyer if

  • You need class and camp registration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want memberships and class packs.
Sawyer review

Questions people ask

Is Salon Ultimate or Sawyer better?
Neither clearly leads. Salon Ultimate starts at $69/month and Sawyer at $189/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Salon Ultimate or Sawyer?
Salon Ultimate starts at $69/month and Sawyer at $189/month.
Does Salon Ultimate or Sawyer run on more platforms?
Salon Ultimate runs on Web, Ios, Android. Sawyer runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Sawyer is typically brought in for.
What can Salon Ultimate do that Sawyer cannot?
Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Point of sale, Inventory management. Sawyer covers Class and camp registration, Memberships and class packs, Consumer marketplace, Auto-billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Sawyer: Is the Launch plan really free?

No. It has no monthly fee but charges 3 percent per transaction and requires a marketplace listing that takes 30 percent of marketplace orders.

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
Sawyer: Can I use Sawyer without the marketplace?

Yes, on Grow and Scale the listing is optional. On Launch it is required.

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
Sawyer: What does the marketplace commission apply to?

The full order value of bookings originating on hisawyer.com, not to bookings from your own website.

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
Sawyer: Is there a contract?

Monthly plans are month to month with 30 days notice; annual billing saves roughly 5 to 14 percent depending on tier.

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