DaySmart Salon vs Salonist

DaySmart Salon is salon management software for scheduling, payments, reminders, reporting, and related business work. It is intended for hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, skin clinics, independent stylists, and suite renters, and supports multiple locations. Clients can book through a salon website, Instagram, Facebook, or a Google Business listing; bookings can require salon approval. Automated text and email reminders, two-way text confirmations, cancellations, rescheduling, and upfront deposits help manage appointments. The built-in payment processing accepts card, contactless, and mobile payments, with funds deposited the next business day. Staff tools include commission calculations, performance tracking, digital time clocks, and per-staff reporting. The mobile app lets users add, book, and check out clients, and a desktop version is available. Basic costs $29 a month and includes one user, online booking, appointment confirmations, social booking, payment processing, and online deposits. There is no free plan, though a 14-day trial is listed. QuickBooks Online connection requires a separate subscription and is limited to eligible US customers on Deluxe, Premier, or Platinum.

Salonist is cloud-based salon management software covering bookings, point of sale, inventory, staff, marketing and memberships. It works on web and mobile without installation. Clients can book at any time through a website, Instagram or the Salonist app, with automatic reminders and options for recurring or package bookings. Its integrated POS supports card, contactless and Stripe terminal payments, bulk checkout, payment reports and stock updates. The service targets businesses ranging from hair salons, massage centers and spas to barbershops, nail salons, aesthetic skin clinics and pet groomers. Salonist lists more than 40 integrations, including Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, Clover, QuickBooks and Authorize.Net. The free Market Place Listing plan includes 50 appointments per month. Essential costs $59.00 per month, Advance costs $109.00 per month and Expert costs $179.00 per month. Expert includes a custom-branded client app published under the salon's name. A 15% commission applies once to the first visit from a new client discovered through its marketplace; returning-client and direct bookings do not incur that fee.