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Beauty & Salon · head to head

SalonBiz vs Square for Retail

SalonBiz logo

SalonBiz

Beauty & Salon

Complete salon and spa management suite

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square for Retail logo

Square for Retail

E-commerce & Retail

Integrated point of sale and retail management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square for Retail 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 for Retail limited customer support with primarily email and online forums, slow response times for urgent issues
  • They diverge on capability: SalonBiz covers Appointment scheduling, Square for Retail covers Contactless payments.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SalonBiz and Square for Retail actually diverge.

Attributes where SalonBiz and Square for Retail differ
AttributeSalonBizSquare for Retail
Starting price$89/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, WindowsiOS, API
CategoryBeauty & SalonE-commerce & Retail
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
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Client database
  • Staff management
  • Marketing automation
  • Business reporting
  • QuickBooks

Only in Square for Retail

  • Contactless payments
  • Inventory tracking
  • Employee management
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Receipt printing
  • Integration with Square Online
  • Reporting tools

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 for Retail
  • Integrated card payments through SalonBiz Paymentsnot Square for Retail
  • Beauty school and institute management with student recordsnot Square for Retail

Square for Retail

No use cases recorded yet. See the Square for Retail review.

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 for Retail

  • Limited customer support with primarily email and online forums, slow response times for urgent issues
  • Internet connectivity required for normal operations; weak signal impacts transaction processing and experience
  • Restricted to Square's payment processing with higher transaction fees compared to some competitors
  • Limited to iOS devices and Square's proprietary hardware, excluding Android or third-party devices
  • Limited advanced retail capabilities and deeper third-party integrations compared to enterprise POS systems

Pricing, plan by plan

SalonBiz

$89/month
  • Standard$89/month
    • Scheduling
    • POS
    • Client database
  • Premium$179/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Inventory
    • Staff management

Square for Retail

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Payment processing at 2.6% + 15 cents
    • Basic inventory management
    • Invoicing
  • Plus$49/month
    • In-person: 2.5% + 15 cents
    • Online: 2.9% + 30 cents
    • Product exchanges
  • Premium$149/month
    • In-person: 2.4% + 15 cents
    • Online: 2.9% + 30 cents
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose SalonBiz if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want point of sale.
SalonBiz review

Choose Square for Retail if

  • You need contactless payments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, API.
  • You also want inventory tracking.
Square for Retail review

Questions people ask

Is SalonBiz or Square for Retail better?
Neither clearly leads. SalonBiz starts at $89/month and Square for Retail at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SalonBiz or Square for Retail?
Square for Retail has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $89/month for SalonBiz and Free for Square for Retail.
Does SalonBiz or Square for Retail run on more platforms?
SalonBiz runs on Web, Windows. Square for Retail runs on iOS, API.
Can I use Square for Retail for free?
Yes. Square for Retail has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SalonBiz starts at $89/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 for Retail is typically brought in for.
What can SalonBiz do that Square for Retail cannot?
SalonBiz covers Appointment scheduling, Point of sale, Inventory management, Client database. Square for Retail covers Contactless payments, Inventory tracking, Employee management, Customer profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Square for Retail: Does Square for Retail have a free tier?

Yes, Square for Retail's free tier includes payment processing at 2.6% plus 15 cents per transaction, basic inventory, invoicing, online shop, and booking tools with no monthly subscription fee.

Source
Square for Retail: What are the transaction fees across Square's pricing tiers?

Free tier: 2.6% + 15 cents. Plus tier ($49/month): 2.5% + 15 cents in-person, 2.9% + 30 cents online. Premium tier ($149/month): 2.4% + 15 cents in-person, 2.9% + 30 cents online.

Source
Square for Retail: What devices can run Square for Retail?

Square for Retail runs on iOS devices (iPad and iPhone) using Square's proprietary hardware or compatible mobile devices, and requires integration with Square's payment processing.

Source
Square for Retail: Can I use Square for Retail offline?

Square for Retail depends on an internet connection for optimal functionality. Offline functionality is limited, and high-traffic operations may require recharging or connection verification.

Source
Square for Retail: Does Square for Retail support third-party integrations?

Yes, Square offers integrations through its App Marketplace and provides APIs for custom development including payments, inventory, orders, customers, loyalty, and webhooks.

Source
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Related pages

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