Softwr

Beauty · head to head

Phorest vs SalonBiz

Phorest logo

Phorest

Beauty

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SalonBiz logo

SalonBiz

Beauty

Complete salon and spa management suite

From
$160/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; SalonBiz pricing is per location: $160 per month for Basic, $265 for Essential and $370 for Premium
  • They diverge on capability: Phorest covers Appointment booking, SalonBiz covers Appointment scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Phorest and SalonBiz actually diverge.

Attributes where Phorest and SalonBiz differ
AttributePhorestSalonBiz
Starting price$99/month$160/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Windows
Founded20032005

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
  • Reputation management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports
  • Mailchimp
  • Instagram
  • Google My Business

Only in SalonBiz

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Inventory management
  • Client database
  • Business reporting
  • QuickBooks
  • Google
  • Desktop deployment
  • Windows support

Both cover

  • Point of sale
  • Marketing automation
  • Staff management
  • Facebook
  • Stripe
  • 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 SalonBiz
  • Medical spa operations and schedulingnot SalonBiz
  • Beauty and wellness business softwarenot SalonBiz

SalonBiz

  • Salon appointment booking and point of sale priced per locationnot Phorest
  • Integrated card payments through SalonBiz Paymentsnot Phorest
  • Beauty school and institute management with student recordsnot 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

SalonBiz

  • Pricing is per location: $160 per month for Basic, $265 for Essential and $370 for Premium
  • Each tier caps service professionals at 5, 12 and 20 respectively, with extra staff sold in blocks of 10 at $55 per month
  • Not using SalonBiz Payments raises the monthly fee by $25 to $45 depending on tier
  • School and institute plans are capped at 100 students on Essential and 200 on Premium, with extra students at $15 per month per 25
  • Enterprise and multi location pricing is quote only with no published rate

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

SalonBiz

$160/month
  • Basic (Salon)$160/month
    • Full platform included
  • Essential (Salon)$265/month
    • Full platform included
  • Premium (Salon)$370/month
    • Full platform included
  • Essential (School/Institute)$315/month
    • Full platform included

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 SalonBiz if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want inventory management.
SalonBiz review

Questions people ask

Is Phorest or SalonBiz better?
Neither clearly leads. Phorest starts at $99/month and SalonBiz at $160/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Phorest or SalonBiz?
Phorest starts at $99/month and SalonBiz at $160/month.
Does Phorest or SalonBiz run on more platforms?
Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. SalonBiz runs on Web, Windows.
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 SalonBiz is typically brought in for.
What can Phorest do that SalonBiz cannot?
Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Reputation management, Inventory tracking. SalonBiz covers Appointment scheduling, Inventory management, Client database, Business reporting. Both handle Point of sale, Marketing automation, Staff management, Facebook.

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
SalonBiz: How much does SalonBiz cost?

SalonBiz salon pricing ranges from $160/month (Basic with 5 professionals) to $370/month (Premium with 20 professionals). School and institute pricing ranges from $315/month (Essential with 100 students) to $420/month (Premium with 200 students). Pricing is billed per location.

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
SalonBiz: Does SalonBiz charge per location?

Yes, SalonBiz pricing is per location. If managing multiple locations, the selected plan price applies to each location individually.

Source
Phorest: Is there a minimum staff requirement?

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

Source
SalonBiz: What is the difference between SalonBiz plans?

SalonBiz salon plans differentiate by number of service professionals: Basic (5), Essential (12), and Premium (20). All plans include the full platform. Overage charges apply at $55/month per 10-person addition beyond the plan capacity.

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
SalonBiz: Is there a long-term contract requirement for SalonBiz?

No, SalonBiz requires no long-term contract. Customers can cancel before their next billing date with no penalties or fees.

Source
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