Phorest vs Salonist

Phorest is management software for salons, spas and clinics, bringing scheduling, client records, payments, marketing and reporting together. Its appointment calendar gathers bookings from phone, website, social media and branded apps, and includes a waiting list. Cloud-based client records can hold notes, treatment history, service prices and durations. Marketing tools cover SMS and email campaigns, automated reminders, rebooking prompts and review requests; booking pages, group booking and payment collection are also listed. The integrations directory includes Shopify, Xero, QuickBooks, Aveda, Vish, mya, SalonScale, SalonCentric, Colourstart and Aesthetic Nurse Software. Phorest says its AWS infrastructure encrypts data in transit, in use and at rest, and that it is GDPR-compliant and HIPAA-certified. PhorestPay is powered by Stripe, and the company says it does not directly store payment information. Plans include tailored setup, data import and training. It runs on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, web and API. Pricing is on request; there is no free plan or trial, though Phorest offers a product demo.

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.