Beauty & Salon · head to head
Squire vs Salonist
The short version
- Only Salonist has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Squire booking fees of $1-3 per appointment add significant cost beyond subscription, increasing total cost of ownership; Salonist free plan limited to 50 appointments per month
- They diverge on capability: Squire covers Online booking, Salonist covers Appointment booking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Squire and Salonist actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Squire
- Online booking
- Walk-in queue
- Point of sale
- Team management
- Instant payouts
- Client app
- Marketing tools
Only in Salonist
- Appointment booking
- Billing & invoicing
- Inventory management
- Loyalty programs
- Staff management
- GST compliance
- Marketing automation
- Razorpay
Both cover
- Business analytics
- 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.
Squire
- Barbershop managementnot Salonist
- Walk-in handlingnot Salonist
- Team payrollnot Salonist
- Client bookingnot Salonist
Salonist
- Indian salon managementnot Squire
- GST billingnot Squire
- Customer loyaltynot Squire
- Inventory controlnot Squire
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Squire
- Booking fees of $1-3 per appointment add significant cost beyond subscription, increasing total cost of ownership
- Limited to barbershops and beauty salons; not suitable for other service industries
- Walk-in and waitlist features only available on higher-tier plans, limiting functionality for drop-in appointments
- POS system tightly integrated; cannot use with alternative payment processors or systems
- Customer data locked into Squire platform with limited export options
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Squire
$30/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Squire review.
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Squire if
- You need online booking.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want walk-in queue.
Choose Salonist if
- You need appointment booking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want billing & invoicing.
Questions people ask
- Is Squire or Salonist better?
- Neither clearly leads. Squire starts at $30/month and Salonist at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Squire or Salonist?
- Salonist has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $30/month for Squire and Free for Salonist.
- Does Squire or Salonist run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Salonist for free?
- Yes. Salonist has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Squire starts at $30/month.
- What is Squire best used for?
- Squire is most often used for barbershop management, walk-in handling, team payroll, client booking. Of those, barbershop management and walk-in handling are not what Salonist is typically brought in for.
- What can Squire do that Salonist cannot?
- Squire covers Online booking, Walk-in queue, Point of sale, Team management. Salonist covers Appointment booking, Billing & invoicing, Inventory management, Loyalty programs. Both handle Business analytics, SSL encryption, Cloud deployment, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Squire: What are Squire's pricing tiers?
Squire offers Pro plans starting at $30/month for independent barbers, Pro-Complete at $100/month for full shops, Executive tiers at $100-150/month, and Titan at $250/month. All include scheduling, POS, and customer management features.
SourceSalonist: 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.
SourceSquire: Does Squire charge booking fees?
Yes, Squire charges customers $1-3 per booking for online scheduling, in addition to the monthly subscription cost. This is a key cost factor beyond the base subscription.
SourceSalonist: 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.
SourceSquire: What integrations does Squire support?
Squire integrates with Square, QuickBooks, Google Calendar, and Stripe. It also offers an API for custom integrations and works with Zapier to connect to hundreds of other applications.
SourceSalonist: 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.
SourceSquire: What core features does Squire provide?
Squire includes online appointment scheduling, integrated POS system, customer relationship management, loyalty reward programs, promo codes, and automated text reminders.
SourceSalonist: 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.
SourceSquire: Does Squire support walk-in customers?
Yes, Squire supports walk-in booking through its waitlist feature, which is available on all plans except the basic Pro tier.
SourceSalonist: 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.
SourceSquire: Who founded Squire and how is it backed?
Squire was founded by Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant in 2016. The company raised $162M in funding as of February 2026 and achieved a $750M valuation in 2021.
SourceSalonist: 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