Beauty · head to head
Salon Ultimate vs Square Appointments

Square Appointments
Scheduling
Free scheduling for beauty businesses
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Salon Ultimate no per-seat pricing model, only per-location billing; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
- They diverge on capability: Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Square Appointments covers Client management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Salon Ultimate and Square Appointments actually diverge.
| Attribute | Salon Ultimate | Square Appointments |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $69/month | On request |
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Category | Beauty | Scheduling |
| Founded | 2008 | 2009 |
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
- Inventory management
- Staff scheduling
- Reporting & analytics
- Email marketing
- Stripe
- Square
Only in Square Appointments
- Client management
- Payment processing
- Automated reminders
- Instagram booking
- Google booking
- Mobile app
- Square POS
- Google Calendar
Both cover
- Point of sale
- Online booking
- QuickBooks
- 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 Ultimate
- Appointment managementnot Square Appointments
- Client retentionnot Square Appointments
- Inventory controlnot Square Appointments
- Business reportingnot Square Appointments
Square Appointments
- Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Salon Ultimate
- Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Salon Ultimate
- Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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
Square Appointments
- The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
- Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
- Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
- Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
- Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one
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$199/month
- Multi-location management
Square Appointments
On request- Solo Professional Plan$null/transaction
- Processing fees apply
- For solo professionals taking payments and managing schedules
- Top appointments features
- Plus Plan$null/transaction
- Processing fees apply
- Free trial available
- For growing teams needing more advanced tools
- Premium Plan$null/transaction
- Processing fees apply
- Free trial available
- For large salons with complex staff management
- Square Pro$null/month
- Custom pricing for businesses processing over $250,000 annually
- Hardware discounts
- Onboarding support
Which should you pick?
Choose Salon Ultimate if
- You need appointment scheduling.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want client database.
Choose Square Appointments if
- You need client management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want payment processing.
Questions people ask
- Is Salon Ultimate or Square Appointments better?
- Neither clearly leads. Salon Ultimate starts at $69/month and Square Appointments at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Salon Ultimate or Square Appointments?
- Salon Ultimate starts at $69/month and Square Appointments at On request.
- Does Salon Ultimate or Square Appointments 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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
- What can Salon Ultimate do that Square Appointments cannot?
- Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Inventory management, Staff scheduling. Square Appointments covers Client management, Payment processing, Automated reminders, Instagram booking. Both handle Point of sale, Online booking, QuickBooks, PCI DSS.
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.
SourceSquare Appointments: How much do Square Appointments plans cost?
Square Appointments pricing is based on processing fees rather than monthly subscription fees. Specific percentages are not listed online. The Solo Professional, Plus, and Premium plans all charge processing fees on transactions. For businesses processing over $250,000 annually, Square Pro offers custom pricing including hardware discounts, onboarding support, and account management.
SourceSalon 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.
SourceSquare Appointments: Is there a free trial for Square Appointments?
Yes, the Plus and Premium plans offer free trials for an unspecified number of days. The Solo Professional plan does not appear to offer a trial period.
SourceSalon 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.
SourceSquare Appointments: What features does the Premium plan add compared to Plus?
The Premium plan includes all Plus features plus Future Bookings Report for tracking upcoming appointments, Service Cost Tracking to monitor service profitability, and Resource Management for scheduling equipment and facilities across multiple staff members.
SourceSalon 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Salon Ultimate
More on Square Appointments
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