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Software · head to head

Shortcuts vs Phorest

S

Shortcuts

Software

Multi-vendor salon and spa booking platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phorest logo

Phorest

Software

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Shortcuts has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Shortcuts shortcuts (salon and spa management software) is sold via phone inquiry rather than published pricing, and its own marketing frames it as the only solution built for chain or franchise businesses specifically rather than for independent single-location salons (archived homepage, 14 September 2012); Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • They diverge on capability: Shortcuts covers Online booking platform, Phorest covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shortcuts and Phorest actually diverge.

Attributes where Shortcuts and Phorest differ
AttributeShortcutsPhorest
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20102003

Identical on both: 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 Shortcuts

  • Online booking platform
  • Business profile
  • Appointment management
  • Payment processing
  • Mobile app
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Reviews management
  • Google

Only in Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports

Both cover

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Stripe
  • SSL encryption
  • PCI DSS
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Shortcuts

  • Client acquisitionnot Phorest
  • Multi-vendor bookingnot Phorest

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot Shortcuts
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot Shortcuts

Where each one falls short

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

Shortcuts

  • Shortcuts (salon and spa management software) is sold via phone inquiry rather than published pricing, and its own marketing frames it as the only solution built for chain or franchise businesses specifically rather than for independent single-location salons (archived homepage, 14 September 2012)

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Shortcuts

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Online booking
    • Business profile
    • 20% commission
  • Premium$99/month
    • Everything in Free
    • 10% commission
    • Advanced analytics

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Shortcuts if

  • You need online booking platform.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want business profile.
Shortcuts review

Choose Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.
Phorest review

Questions people ask

Is Shortcuts or Phorest better?
Neither clearly leads. Shortcuts starts at Free and Phorest at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shortcuts or Phorest?
Shortcuts has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Shortcuts and $99/month for Phorest.
Does Shortcuts or Phorest run on more platforms?
Shortcuts runs on Web, Ios, Android. Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Shortcuts for free?
Yes. Shortcuts has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Phorest starts at $99/month.
What is Shortcuts best used for?
Shortcuts is most often used for client acquisition, multi-vendor booking. Of those, client acquisition and multi-vendor booking are not what Phorest is typically brought in for.
What can Shortcuts do that Phorest cannot?
Shortcuts covers Online booking platform, Business profile, Appointment management, Payment processing. Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation. Both handle Facebook, Instagram, Stripe, SSL encryption.
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