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Beauty & Salon · head to head

Salonist vs Square

Salonist logo

Salonist

Beauty & Salon

Complete salon software from India

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

E-commerce & Retail

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Salonist free plan limited to 50 appointments per month; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Salonist covers Appointment booking, Square covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Salonist and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Salonist and Square differ
AttributeSalonistSquare
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidPOS (Mobile app), Web
CategoryBeauty & SalonE-commerce & Retail
Founded20172009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Salonist

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

Only in Square

  • Payment processing
  • Point of sale
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • QuickBooks
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Salonist

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

Square

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

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

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

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

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square 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 Square if

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

Questions people ask

Is Salonist or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Salonist starts at Free and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Salonist or Square?
Salonist starts at Free and Square at Free.
Does Salonist or Square run on more platforms?
Salonist runs on Web, Ios, Android. Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web.
Can I use Salonist for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Square is typically brought in for.
What can Salonist do that Square cannot?
Salonist covers Appointment booking, Billing & invoicing, Inventory management, Loyalty programs. Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

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
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
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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