Shore

Shore is a booking and retail operations platform for appointment-led service businesses and shops. It is strongest for businesses that want scheduling and an iPad-based register under one roof. Choose it for that combined workflow; compare the renewal prices carefully before committing to an annual plan.

Overview

Customers can book through a business website, Google, Instagram, or Facebook, while staff get an online calendar, customer management, automatic reminders, and business statistics. Group booking and payment collection broaden its scheduling scope, but calendar sync is one-way, a limitation for businesses that need changes to travel both ways between calendars.

Shore also covers in-person sales: its POS app turns an iPad into a register that can connect to a card reader and receipt printer. Inventory tools and a DATEV interface support retail and accounting workflows. DATEV MeinFiskal is available only to businesses based in Germany.

Key features

Appointments and marketing

Booking includes an online calendar, booking through a website, Google, and Instagram, customer management, automatic reminders, and Google Calendar integration. The comparison caps this plan at five employees, so it is best suited to smaller teams. Booking + Marketing removes that cap with unlimited employees and adds employee management, email marketing, Google reviews, birthday reminders, and PayPal integration. That makes the higher tier more practical for larger teams or businesses that want outreach tools alongside scheduling.

Point of sale

POS combines iPad register software, common payment options, inventory control, customer management, and a DATEV interface. POS+ adds a customer display app, tips, inventory management, and pre-accounting. The DATEV connection can help German businesses transfer POS data to a tax advisor, but its geographic restriction makes it less useful elsewhere.

Security and support

Shore says browser-to-server transmissions use 256-bit SSL encryption, and that its ISO-certified servers and databases are located in Germany, with daily backups and redundant storage at different sites. It offers personal support and a hotline, including help with registration, setup, and data imports—useful for businesses moving customer records into the system.

Pricing

Shore has no free plan. Each plan has a 14-day trial that requires no payment information and ends automatically. The annual prices below are followed by higher monthly rates after the first 12 months, so the renewal cost is central to comparing the plans.

PlanAnnual priceAfter first 12 monthsBest fitBooking€49.90 a year€49.90 per monthSmaller appointment teams needing core scheduling and customer tools; limited to five employees.Booking + Marketing€69.90 a year€69.90 per monthBusinesses needing unlimited employees, marketing, reviews, and PayPal integration.POS€49.90 a year€49.90 per monthRetailers needing iPad sales, inventory control, and accounting transfer tools.POS+€69.90 a year€69.90 per monthPOS users who need a customer display, tips, inventory management, and pre-accounting.All-in-One€119.90 a year€119.90 per monthBusinesses wanting all Booking + Marketing and POS+ features together.The entry plans leave out the richer marketing or POS+ additions, while All-in-One avoids choosing between the two product lines. The annual figures are dramatically lower than the post-introductory monthly rates; budget against the latter if you expect to keep Shore beyond the first year.

Platforms

Shore runs in a browser on Mac and Windows computers and has iOS and Android apps. The POS register is specifically an iPad app, which matters for shops that do not already use compatible hardware.

Who it's for

Shore is aimed at service providers and retailers, with particular relevance to hair, beauty, health, wellness, and retail businesses. It suits operators who want customer booking and in-person sales to coexist, especially those who can use the German DATEV connection. A business needing two-way calendar synchronization or a free ongoing plan should consider other options.

Pros and cons

Broad operating scope: Booking, customer and employee tools, payments, and iPad POS can cover both appointments and shop-floor sales.

Several booking channels: Customers can book through a website, Google, Instagram, or Facebook, reducing reliance on a single route.

Meaningful team cap difference: Booking is limited to five employees, while Booking + Marketing supports unlimited employees.

One-way calendar sync: Businesses requiring two-way updates may find the calendar workflow insufficient.

Renewal jump: The much higher monthly rates after the first 12 months make the annual entry prices an incomplete picture of ongoing cost.

Regional accounting constraint: DATEV MeinFiskal is restricted to Germany-based businesses.

Alternatives

For a no-cost starting point, Salonist has a free Marketplace Listing plan with 50 appointments per month, online booking, and calendar and scheduling tools. Salonized starts at €21 a month for Appointments, a lower stated starting price than Shore’s post-first-year monthly rates; its plan also has extra-employee and extra-location charges.

DaySmart Salon has a Basic plan at $29 a month with one user, online booking, appointment confirmations, and Instagram and Facebook booking. Insight Salon Software starts at $25 a month for a single employee on Solo Edition (Insight Cloud), with a $50 a month Partner Edition also offered.

Orbis Salon offers a Lite plan at £4.99 a month, but its limits include one staff member, one location, and 30 bookings per month, plus a 50p booking service fee per booking. Vagaro is another paid option with a $30 a month One Location plan.

GlossGenius starts at $28 a month for Standard, which includes a custom booking website, unlimited client notifications, email and text marketing, and inventory and retail tools. Kitomba is another salon-focused alternative, with Lite and Grow plans.

Browse our Salon Software, Salon Marketing Software, and Appointment Scheduling Software lists to compare more options.

Verdict

Shore is a strong fit for appointment-led businesses and retailers that want booking, customer management, and iPad point of sale in one system. Its breadth is the clearest reason to choose it; the one-way calendar sync and steep post-first-year monthly rates are the main reasons to look elsewhere or scrutinize the renewal cost before signing up.