Softwr

Beauty · head to head

Salonist vs Zolmi

Salonist logo

Salonist

Beauty

Complete salon software from India

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zolmi logo

Zolmi

Beauty

Cloud salon booking and management software with two flat plans

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Salonist free plan limited to 50 appointments per month; Zolmi additional staff members cost $3 to $5 each per month depending on plan, on top of the base $20 or $30 monthly fee, as of August 2026
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Salonist and Zolmi actually diverge.

Attributes where Salonist and Zolmi differ
AttributeSalonistZolmi
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Beauty).

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 Zolmi

Nothing recorded that Salonist does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Salonist

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

Zolmi

  • Managing hair salons with online booking and appointment remindersnot Salonist
  • Operating nail salons with staff scheduling and client managementnot Salonist
  • Running spa and medi-spa businesses with service inventorynot Salonist
  • Managing massage therapy practices with client records and billingnot Salonist
  • Operating tattoo shops with appointment management and product trackingnot 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

Zolmi

  • Additional staff members cost $3 to $5 each per month depending on plan, on top of the base $20 or $30 monthly fee, as of August 2026
  • Stock management, reporting and the website builder are locked to the PRO plan at $30 per month, as of August 2026

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

Zolmi

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic salon management
  • START$20/month
    • Online calendar
    • Appointment reminders
    • Online booking
  • PRO$30/month
    • All START features plus
    • Business reporting
    • Stock management

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 Zolmi if

  • You want to start without paying.
Zolmi review

Questions people ask

Is Salonist or Zolmi better?
Neither clearly leads. Salonist starts at Free and Zolmi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Salonist or Zolmi?
Salonist starts at Free and Zolmi at Free.
Does Salonist or Zolmi run on more platforms?
Salonist runs on Web, Ios, Android. Zolmi runs on 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 Zolmi is typically brought in for.
What can Salonist do that Zolmi cannot?
Salonist covers Appointment booking, Billing & invoicing, Inventory management, Loyalty programs.

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
Zolmi: Can I cancel Zolmi anytime or am I locked into a contract?

You can downgrade and cancel Zolmi plans at any time with no setup costs or contract required. Annual billing saves up to 30% compared to monthly.

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
Zolmi: Does Zolmi require a credit card to start the free plan?

No, Zolmi's free tier is available with no credit card required. You can upgrade to paid plans whenever you need advanced features.

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
Zolmi: How is customer support handled for Zolmi?

Zolmi offers customer support available 7 days a week. Your data is automatically backed up via Dropbox or Google Drive.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Salonist

More on Zolmi

Keep looking

Other head to heads