Overview

SalonApp is salon-management software for operators who want booking, client records, payments, and staff operations under one roof. It is a strong fit for independent stylists and growing salons that value those connected tools, especially an AI receptionist; its free tier is too limited for sustained use by a busy salon.

For med spas, it covers front-of-house work, not clinical recordkeeping: those records belong in an EMR.

Key features

Booking and client context

A drag-and-drop calendar sits alongside online booking, automated reminders, and no-show protection. Client profiles can hold color formulas, allergies, photos, preferences, and visit history, making SalonApp more useful for service continuity than a calendar alone. That breadth is of little help if the business quickly outgrows the free plan's 20 appointments per month and 15-client limit.

AI receptionist and payments

The AI receptionist answers calls 24/7 in 16 languages and can book, cancel, or reschedule against the live calendar. Its paid options are divided by monthly AI-handled minutes: 500 on Solo, 1,500 on Starter, and 5,000 on Pro. Starter adds message-taking and smart transfers; Pro adds priority phone routing. Those tiers suit salons with different call volumes, but minute quotas should guide the choice.

The point of sale supports tap, chip, swipe, and online payments, with Square and Stripe integrations. QuickBooks and Xero synchronization supports bookkeeping. Intake forms, signatures, and photos are encrypted at rest; the maker says a BAA is available for HIPAA-applicable accounts. It also says data is protected with SSL encryption and row-level security, with daily backups on Supabase infrastructure.

Staff, marketing, and back office

Marketing tools include email and SMS campaigns, audience segments, A/B tests, referrals, automated flows, and review requests. Staff tools include US and Canadian payroll, commissions, a time clock, and booth-rental support. The product also supports tip calculation, contractor payments, tax filing, payroll reports, and direct deposit. These functions make it a broader operations choice than a booking-only tool, though access depends on selecting the right plan.

Pricing

The Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and caps usage at 15 clients, 20 appointments per month, and one staff member. It can suit a solo stylist testing the workflow, but the low client and appointment limits make it a poor long-term option once business picks up.

Starter costs 39.00 USD per month, billed monthly, for up to five staff members, unlimited clients and appointments, POS and payments, basic reports, and email support. It is the entry point for a small team needing core salon operations; it gives up the marketing, loyalty, commission tracking, payroll management, advanced reports and AI, and phone and chat support included in Professional.

Professional costs 79.00 USD per month, billed monthly, and supports up to 15 staff members. Its marketing and loyalty tools, commission tracking, payroll management, advanced reports and AI, and phone and chat support make it the more complete fit for a larger team that needs back-office features.

Enterprise costs 149.00 USD per month, billed monthly, and adds unlimited staff, multi-location support, online booking, data export and backup, a dedicated account manager, and custom integrations. It is the clearest fit for operators managing multiple locations or needing those enterprise services.

AI Receptionist Solo costs 39.00 USD per month for 500 AI-handled minutes and booking, cancellation, and rescheduling in 16 languages, with email support. AI Receptionist Starter costs 79.00 USD per month for 1,500 minutes, Solo features, message-taking and smart transfers, and priority email support. AI Receptionist Pro costs 149.00 USD per month for 5,000 minutes, Starter features, priority phone routing, and a dedicated success manager. These are separate receptionist tiers, so choose by expected call volume and the additional handling each level offers.

Every paid plan includes a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required to start.

Platforms

SalonApp runs on Android, iOS, and the web, giving salon teams mobile and browser access.

Who it's for

Independent stylists and boutique salons can use it to consolidate booking, payment, and client-history work; the free plan is only practical at very low volume. Spas and wellness businesses can draw on its scheduling and staff functions. Multi-location operators have a dedicated Enterprise tier. Med spas should keep clinical records in an EMR and use SalonApp only for front-of-house operations.

Pros and cons

Useful client profiles: Color formulas, allergies, photos, preferences, and visit history keep service context alongside scheduling.
Broad operating coverage: Payments, marketing, payroll, bookkeeping integrations, and staff tools can reduce the need to split routine salon work across separate systems.
Receptionist tiers scale by minutes: Three quotas and added call-handling features give salons options, but require matching plan cost to call volume.
Free tier has tight caps: Fifteen clients, 20 appointments per month, and one staff member limit its usefulness beyond a small solo operation.
Not for clinical records: Med spas need an EMR for that part of their workflow.

Alternatives

Choose Gratsio if your priority is a free plan with listings, product listings, store products, and blog posts rather than SalonApp's salon operations suite.

Spa/Salon Manager is another option for salon and spa management.

Salonist may suit a salon that wants a free listing plan with up to 50 appointments per month, online booking, and calendar and scheduling tools.

DaySmart Salon is an alternative with a paid Basic plan at 29.00 USD per month for one user.

Insight Salon Software offers a paid Solo Edition at 25.00 USD per month for a single employee.

GlossGenius may suit a reader seeking a paid Standard plan at 28.00 USD per month with a custom booking website and email and text marketing.

SalonWings is another salon-software option.

For a med spa seeking a dedicated alternative, consider DaySmart Med Spa, whose Basic plan is 29.00 USD per month for one user and includes scheduling, online booking, reminders, payments, and reports.

For narrower requirements, compare salon payroll software, salon commission management software, salon membership software, and salon marketing software.

Verdict

SalonApp is best for salons that want appointment management, detailed client profiles, payments, and staff operations in one system, with an AI receptionist as a distinguishing option. Choose it when that breadth is worth the plan cost and, for AI, the monthly minute quota. Look elsewhere if the free caps would constrain your workload or if you need clinical records for a med spa.

	SalonApp	Santurg
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$39/mo	$99/mo
Platforms	Android, iOS, Web	Android, iOS, Web
Free plan	Yes	No
Paid from	39 /mo	99 /mo
Commission tracking	Yes	Yes
Tip calculation	Yes	Yes
Contractor payments	Yes
Tax filing	Yes
Payroll reports	Yes	Yes
Direct deposit	Yes

SalonApp vs Santurg

SalonApp

Santurg