Software · head to head
Shortcuts vs Salon Ultimate
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); Salon Ultimate multi-location businesses pay per location ($199 per location per month) rather than a flat enterprise rate, and the vendor charges $0.03 per additional SMS message on top of subscription plans, per its own pricing page.
- They diverge on capability: Shortcuts covers Online booking platform, Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Shortcuts and Salon Ultimate actually diverge.
| Attribute | Shortcuts | Salon Ultimate |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $29/month |
| Pricing model | transaction | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2010 | 2008 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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
Only in Salon Ultimate
- Appointment scheduling
- Client database
- Point of sale
- Inventory management
- Staff scheduling
- Online booking
- Reporting & analytics
- Email marketing
Both cover
- Stripe
- SSL encryption
- PCI DSS
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- English language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Shortcuts
- Client acquisitionnot Salon Ultimate
- Multi-vendor bookingnot Salon Ultimate
Salon Ultimate
- Appointment managementnot Shortcuts
- Client retentionnot Shortcuts
- Inventory controlnot Shortcuts
- Business reportingnot 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)
Salon Ultimate
- Multi-location businesses pay per location ($199 per location per month) rather than a flat enterprise rate, and the vendor charges $0.03 per additional SMS message on top of subscription plans, per its own pricing page.
Pricing, plan by plan
Shortcuts
Free- FreeFree
- Online booking
- Business profile
- 20% commission
- Premium$99/month
- Everything in Free
- 10% commission
- Advanced analytics
Salon Ultimate
$29/month- Basic$29/month
- Appointment scheduling
- Client management
- Basic reporting
- Professional$59/month
- All Basic features
- Online booking
- POS system
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.
Choose Salon Ultimate if
- You need appointment scheduling.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want client database.
Questions people ask
- Is Shortcuts or Salon Ultimate better?
- Neither clearly leads. Shortcuts starts at Free and Salon Ultimate at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Shortcuts or Salon Ultimate?
- Shortcuts has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Shortcuts and $29/month for Salon Ultimate.
- Does Shortcuts or Salon Ultimate run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Shortcuts for free?
- Yes. Shortcuts has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salon Ultimate starts at $29/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 Salon Ultimate is typically brought in for.
- What can Shortcuts do that Salon Ultimate cannot?
- Shortcuts covers Online booking platform, Business profile, Appointment management, Payment processing. Salon Ultimate covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Point of sale, Inventory management. Both handle Stripe, SSL encryption, PCI DSS, Cloud deployment.
Related pages
More on Salon Ultimate
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