Software · head to head
Salon Ultimate vs Shortcuts
The short version
- Only Shortcuts has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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.; Shortcuts shortcuts (salon and spa management software) is sold via phone inquiry rather than published pricing, and its own marketing frames it as the only solution built for chain or franchise businesses specifically rather than for independent single-location salons (archived homepage, 14 September 2012)
- They diverge on capability: Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Shortcuts covers Online booking platform.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Salon Ultimate and Shortcuts actually diverge.
| Attribute | Salon Ultimate | Shortcuts |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | transaction |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2008 | 2010 |
Identical on both: 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
- Staff scheduling
- Online booking
- Reporting & analytics
- Email marketing
Only in Shortcuts
- Online booking platform
- Business profile
- Appointment management
- Payment processing
- Mobile app
- Analytics dashboard
- Reviews management
Both cover
- Stripe
- PCI DSS
- SSL encryption
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- English language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Salon Ultimate
- Appointment managementnot Shortcuts
- Client retentionnot Shortcuts
- Inventory controlnot Shortcuts
- Business reportingnot Shortcuts
Shortcuts
- Client acquisitionnot Salon Ultimate
- Multi-vendor bookingnot 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.
Shortcuts
- Shortcuts (salon and spa management software) is sold via phone inquiry rather than published pricing, and its own marketing frames it as the only solution built for chain or franchise businesses specifically rather than for independent single-location salons (archived homepage, 14 September 2012)
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
Shortcuts
Free- FreeFree
- Online booking
- Business profile
- 20% commission
- Premium$99/month
- Everything in Free
- 10% commission
- Advanced analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Salon Ultimate if
- You need appointment scheduling.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want client database.
Choose Shortcuts if
- You need online booking platform.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want business profile.
Questions people ask
- Is Salon Ultimate or Shortcuts better?
- Neither clearly leads. Salon Ultimate starts at $29/month and Shortcuts at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Salon Ultimate or Shortcuts?
- Shortcuts has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Salon Ultimate and Free for Shortcuts.
- Does Salon Ultimate or Shortcuts run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Shortcuts for free?
- Yes. Shortcuts has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salon Ultimate starts at $29/month.
- 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 Shortcuts is typically brought in for.
- What can Salon Ultimate do that Shortcuts cannot?
- Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Point of sale, Inventory management. Shortcuts covers Online booking platform, Business profile, Appointment management, Payment processing. Both handle Stripe, PCI DSS, SSL encryption, Cloud deployment.
Related pages
More on Salon Ultimate
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