Beauty & Salon · head to head
Shortcuts vs Treatwell
The short version
- 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); Treatwell treatwell charges 35 percent commission on the first booking from a client introduced through its marketplace, and the rate is subject to location
- They diverge on capability: Shortcuts covers Analytics dashboard, Treatwell covers Customer reviews.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Shortcuts and Treatwell actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (transaction), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Beauty & Salon).
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
- Analytics dashboard
- Reviews management
- Stripe
- PCI DSS
Only in Treatwell
- Customer reviews
- Analytics
- GDPR compliant
- German language support
- French language support
- Spanish language support
Both cover
- Online booking platform
- Business profile
- Appointment management
- Payment processing
- Mobile app
- SSL encryption
- 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 Treatwell
- Multi-vendor bookingnot Treatwell
Treatwell
- Listing a salon on the Treatwell consumer booking marketplacenot Shortcuts
- Free salon calendar, POS and client records for freelancers and small teamsnot Shortcuts
- Taking online prepaid bookings with daily payoutsnot 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)
Treatwell
- Treatwell charges 35 percent commission on the first booking from a client introduced through its marketplace, and the rate is subject to location
- Online prepayments carry an additional 2.5 percent processing fee plus VAT
- All commissions and fees are subject to VAT on top of the quoted percentages
- The commercial model depends on marketplace introductions: there is no commission on direct or social media bookings, so the software is free only where the salon brings its own clients
Pricing, plan by plan
Shortcuts
Free- FreeFree
- Online booking
- Business profile
- 20% commission
- Premium$99/month
- Everything in Free
- 10% commission
- Advanced analytics
Treatwell
Free- FreeFree
- Online booking
- Business profile
- 25% commission
- Premium$49/month
- Everything in Free
- 15% commission
- Advanced analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Shortcuts if
- You need analytics dashboard.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want reviews management.
Choose Treatwell if
- You need customer reviews.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want analytics.
Questions people ask
- Is Shortcuts or Treatwell better?
- Neither clearly leads. Shortcuts starts at Free and Treatwell at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Shortcuts or Treatwell?
- Shortcuts starts at Free and Treatwell at Free.
- Does Shortcuts or Treatwell 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?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Treatwell is typically brought in for.
- What can Shortcuts do that Treatwell cannot?
- Shortcuts covers Analytics dashboard, Reviews management, Stripe, PCI DSS. Treatwell covers Customer reviews, Analytics, GDPR compliant, German language support. Both handle Online booking platform, Business profile, Appointment management, Payment processing.