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Software · head to head

Salonist vs Shopkeep

Salonist logo

Salonist

Software

Complete salon software from India

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

Software

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Salonist has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Salonist free plan limited to 50 appointments per month; Shopkeep unreliable inventory control across multiple locations
  • They diverge on capability: Salonist covers Appointment booking, Shopkeep covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Salonist and Shopkeep actually diverge.

Attributes where Salonist and Shopkeep differ
AttributeSalonistShopkeep
Starting priceFree$49/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidiPad, Web
Founded20172008

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Salonist

  • Appointment booking
  • Billing & invoicing
  • Loyalty programs
  • Staff management
  • GST compliance
  • Marketing automation
  • Business analytics
  • Razorpay

Only in Shopkeep

  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Employee management
  • Mobile POS
  • Reporting

Both cover

  • Inventory management

What people use each for

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

Salonist

  • Indian salon managementnot Shopkeep
  • GST billingnot Shopkeep
  • Customer loyaltynot Shopkeep
  • Inventory controlnot Shopkeep

Shopkeep

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shopkeep review.

Where each one falls short

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

Salonist

  • Free plan limited to 50 appointments per month
  • Pricing listed in AED (UAE currency) with regional variations
  • Offline capabilities not clearly documented for mobile app
  • Advanced AI features (AI Automation Marketing) only on Expert plan

Shopkeep

  • Unreliable inventory control across multiple locations
  • Cloud-dependent with no offline transaction processing capability
  • Dropped Bluetooth connections cause lost sales and payment processing failures

Pricing, plan by plan

Salonist

Free
  • Marketplace ListingFree
    • 50 appointments/month
    • Online booking
    • Staff scheduling
  • Essential$2900/year
    • Point of Sale
    • Sales reports
    • Customer history
  • Advance$4180/year
    • All Essential features
    • Customer surveys and loyalty
    • Gift cards and campaigns
  • Expert$6580/year
    • All Advance features
    • Multi-branch management
    • Dedicated account manager

Shopkeep

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Shopkeep review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Salonist if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want billing & invoicing.
Salonist review

Choose Shopkeep if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on iPad, Web.
  • You also want payment processing.
Shopkeep review

Questions people ask

Is Salonist or Shopkeep better?
Neither clearly leads. Salonist starts at Free and Shopkeep at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Salonist or Shopkeep?
Salonist has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Salonist and $49/month for Shopkeep.
Does Salonist or Shopkeep run on more platforms?
Salonist runs on Web, Ios, Android. Shopkeep runs on iPad, Web.
Can I use Salonist for free?
Yes. Salonist has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shopkeep starts at $49/month.
What is Salonist best used for?
Salonist is most often used for indian salon management, gst billing, customer loyalty, inventory control. Of those, indian salon management and gst billing are not what Shopkeep is typically brought in for.
What can Salonist do that Shopkeep cannot?
Salonist covers Appointment booking, Billing & invoicing, Loyalty programs, Staff management. Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Payment processing, Customer profiles, Sales analytics. Both handle Inventory management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Salonist: Does Salonist offer a free plan?

Salonist offers a free Marketplace Listing plan with 50 appointments/month, online booking, staff scheduling, and marketplace access. Unlimited staff are included on every plan.

Source
Shopkeep: How much does Shopkeep cost?

Shopkeep by Lightspeed pricing varies by plan. Customers must request quotes for current pricing, which has shifted since the Lightspeed acquisition.

Source
Salonist: What features are included in the Essential plan?

Essential ($2,900 AED/year or approximately $59/month) includes Point of Sale, sales reports, customer history, coupon management, retail product and expense tracking, automated reminders, memberships, e-wallet, and staff commission tracking.

Source
Shopkeep: What hardware does Shopkeep require?

Shopkeep operates on iPad tablets, cloud-based systems, and traditional cash register setups, requiring third-party hardware integration.

Source
Salonist: Does Salonist support multiple locations?

Multi-branch management is available on the Expert plan ($6,580 AED/year) with centralized reporting and a dedicated account manager.

Source
Salonist: What payment gateways does Salonist support?

Salonist integrates with multiple payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, and other regional providers. The Advance plan and above include multiple payment integration options.

Source
Salonist: Does Salonist have a mobile app?

Yes, Salonist offers mobile apps for iOS and Android allowing clients to browse services, check prices, view customer reviews, and book appointments.

Source
Salonist: What is included in the Advance plan?

Advance ($4,180 AED/year or approximately $109/month) adds customer survey management, loyalty rewards, gift cards, SMS/email campaigns, inventory management, lead management system, and advanced onboarding to Essential features.

Source
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