Softwr

Beauty · head to head

SalonBiz vs Square

SalonBiz logo

SalonBiz

Beauty

Complete salon and spa management suite

From
$160/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

E-Commerce

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: SalonBiz pricing is per location: $160 per month for Basic, $265 for Essential and $370 for Premium; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: SalonBiz covers Appointment scheduling, Square covers Payment processing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SalonBiz and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where SalonBiz and Square differ
AttributeSalonBizSquare
Starting price$160/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, WindowsPOS (Mobile app), Web
CategoryBeautyE-Commerce
Founded20052009

Identical on both: 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 SalonBiz

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Inventory management
  • Client database
  • Staff management
  • Marketing automation
  • Business reporting
  • Stripe
  • Facebook

Only in Square

  • Payment processing
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix
  • PCI DSS
  • EMV compliant

Both cover

  • Point of sale
  • QuickBooks
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

SalonBiz

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

Square

  • Accept payments with all-in-one POS applicationnot SalonBiz
  • Online ordering and basic website creationnot SalonBiz
  • Invoicing and appointment bookingnot SalonBiz
  • Staff scheduling and loyalty programmesnot SalonBiz

Where each one falls short

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

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

Square

  • Plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • Processing fees differ by tier but exact rates not detailed
  • Free plan pricing mentioned but specific features for Plus unclear
  • Text marketing charged at 3¢ per message after first 500 included

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Square

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Accept payments with all-in-one POS app
    • Online site builder (ordering profiles, basic websites, online stores, booking sites)
    • Item library and inventory tracking
  • Plus$null/mo
    • All Free plan features
    • Advanced POS features for food, retail, and appointments
    • Lower processing fees on card transactions

Which should you pick?

Choose SalonBiz if

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

Choose Square if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on POS (Mobile app), Web.
  • You also want invoicing.
Square review

Questions people ask

Is SalonBiz or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. SalonBiz starts at $160/month and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SalonBiz or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $160/month for SalonBiz and Free for Square.
Does SalonBiz or Square run on more platforms?
SalonBiz runs on Web, Windows. Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web.
Can I use Square for free?
Yes. Square has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SalonBiz starts at $160/month.
What is SalonBiz best used for?
SalonBiz is most often used for salon appointment booking and point of sale priced per location, integrated card payments through salonbiz payments, beauty school and institute management with student records. Of those, salon appointment booking and point of sale priced per location and integrated card payments through salonbiz payments are not what Square is typically brought in for.
What can SalonBiz do that Square cannot?
SalonBiz covers Appointment scheduling, Inventory management, Client database, Staff management. Square covers Payment processing, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Both handle Point of sale, QuickBooks, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Square: Does Square offer a free plan?

Yes, Square's free plan includes an all-in-one POS app, online site builder, item library and inventory tracking, invoicing, appointment scheduling, staff calendars, and checking and savings account access. No subscription fees are charged.

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
Square: What does Square Plus add compared to the free plan?

Square Plus adds advanced POS features for food and retail, lower processing fees on card transactions, custom loyalty programs, unlimited email marketing campaigns, text messaging, and staff scheduling and attendance tracking.

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
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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