salonMonster vs Shore

salonMonster handles salon booking, payments, client records and reporting through web, mobile apps, hosted booking pages and APIs. Clients can book online around the clock, while salons control eligible services and clients, lead times, cancellations and approvals. Client records can store colour and service history, no-shows, communication history and work photos. Plans include email and SMS appointment reminders and confirmations, plus bulk email marketing. Operational tools cover inventory counts, backbar tracking, automatic reordering and point-of-sale tracking. The integrated payment system works with salonMonster accounts, has no monthly processing fee and lists Stripe-powered processing; the company says it is PCI compliant. Records for clients, bookings, sales, services, products and staff can be exported to CSV at no charge. salonMonster offers free client migration and says it can import colour formulas and appointment history. Pricing starts at $30 a month, with $15/mo per additional staff member; 7+ staff is $120/mo. A 14-day trial is listed, and beauty students and schools can request free education accounts.

Shore combines appointment booking, customer and staff management, payments, and point-of-sale tools for service businesses and retailers. Customers can book through a business website, Google, Instagram, or Facebook, while staff can use an online calendar, customer records, automatic reminders, and business statistics. Group booking and payment collection are also listed. For in-person sales, its POS app turns an iPad into a register that can connect to a card reader and receipt printer; POS features include inventory control, with a DATEV interface for transferring sales data to a tax advisor. Shore runs in a browser and has iOS and Android apps. It lists a Google Calendar integration in Booking and PayPal in Booking + Marketing. Plans include Booking, Booking + Marketing, POS, POS+, and All-in-One. Pricing starts at €49.90/mo (annual), and there is no free plan. The 14-day trial requires no payment information and ends automatically. Shore says its servers and databases are located in Germany, with daily backups and redundant storage.