Best Salon Software for Small Business: 2026 Prices
We priced 7 salon booking apps for a 3-chair salon: monthly fee, per-staff charges, commissions and reminders. See the most affordable setup.
Salon Operations & Content, Blyssbook
Disclosure: Blyssbook makes one of the tools on this list. We have tried to be fair: every competitor price below comes from that vendor's public pricing page, checked on 13 October 2026, and the list is sorted by monthly cost, not by preference.
Short answer: on 13 October 2026 the cheapest tool with online booking, a POS and appointment reminders for a 3-stylist salon was Square Appointments Free: $0 a month, paid for through Square's card fees. Setmore Free also costs $0 but is a booking calendar only, with email reminders and no POS. The lowest-priced paid plan with reminders was Blyssbook Professional at $21 a month flat, with WhatsApp and email reminders included. Booksy, Vagaro and GlossGenius cost more once you add a second and third stylist or need their bigger plans.
The cheapest headline price is not always the cheapest salon. Per-staff fees, marketplace commissions and paid message bundles change the total, so we priced every tool for the same small salon and listed the catch next to each one.
- Cheapest overall if you already take cards with Square: Square Appointments Free.
- Lowest flat subscription with WhatsApp reminders for a small team: Blyssbook Professional, $21 a month.
- Best if most new clients find you on a booking marketplace: Booksy or Fresha, as long as you budget for their new-client fees.
- Best if you want text (SMS) credits included in the price: Setmore Pro (500 SMS credits a month). Blyssbook sends text reminders too, through your own Twilio or Telnyx account.
How we picked and priced the tools
We priced one defined salon: 3 stylists, about 250 bookings a month, one location, in the US. We counted the monthly subscription, extra charges per staff member, marketplace or new-client commissions, and whether reminders are included or cost extra. Card processing fees are listed separately because they depend on how much you take.
How we compared: we read each vendor's public pricing page on 13 October 2026 (Square's on 12 October) and saved notes with the exact wording. We don't hold paid accounts with these competitors, so anything behind a login or a sales call is marked "not verified". Blyssbook figures come from our own plan settings on the same day. Spotted something out of date? Email contact@blyssbook.com and we will correct it.
We left out tools whose pricing page did not load for us. Timely's page returned no plan details on 13 October 2026, so it is not in the table.
What does salon software cost a 3-chair salon each month?
For our 3-stylist salon, monthly software costs ran from $0 (Square Free, Setmore Free) to about $70 (Booksy with two extra users), before card fees. Blyssbook Professional came to $21. Fresha's Team plan, on its US pricing, comes to $44.85 (3 x $14.95) before its new-client fee and message charges.
| Tool (plan) | Base price | Extra staff | New-client or marketplace fees | Reminders | Total for 3 staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Appointments (Free) | $0 | No employee limit on calendars | None listed | Appointment reminders listed in Free | $0 + card fees (2.6% + 15¢ in person) |
| Setmore (Free) | $0 | Up to 4 users free | None listed | Email reminders on Free (one per appointment); SMS is a Pro feature | $0 |
| Blyssbook (Professional) | $21 | Included, up to 15 staff | None | WhatsApp and email reminders included; texts through your own Twilio or Telnyx | $21 |
| GlossGenius (Standard or Gold) | $28 (Standard) / $56 (Gold) | Gold covers up to 9 staff; Standard's limit not stated | None listed | Client notifications included | $28 to $56 + 2.6% card fee |
| Vagaro | $30 ($23.99 for the first 6 months) | $10 per extra calendar license | None listed; free marketplace listing | Not stated on the page | About $50 (our reading) |
| Booksy | $29.99 + tax | $20 per extra user | Boost: 30% of a new client's first visit, max $100, only if you turn it on | 2,000 SMS marketing messages included | $69.99 + tax |
| Fresha (Team) | $14.95 per team member (US pricing, Oct 2026) | Charged per bookable team member | One-time fee on new marketplace clients (amount not stated) | 20 free messages per member, then pay as you go | $44.85 + new-client fee and message charges |
Sources, all checked 13 October 2026 unless noted: squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing (12 October); setmore.com/pricing; blyssbook.com/pricing; glossgenius.com/pricing; vagaro.com/pro/pricing; biz.booksy.com/en-us/pricing; fresha.com/pricing. Fresha's US prices ($19.95 for one person, $14.95 per team member) were checked on its US pricing page in October 2026. Vagaro's page gives the $10 license fee in its FAQ but does not print a 3-calendar total, so $30 + 2 x $10 is our reading. Setmore's Pro price appears with conflicting figures on its own page, so we only used its Free plan.
The shortlist, cheapest first
Square Appointments
- Price: Free plan $0; Plus $49 a month per location; Premium $149 a month per location.
- Card fees: 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ online on Free.
- Source: squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing, checked 12 October 2026.
Square suits a salon that already uses Square for payments. The Free plan is described as being for solo professionals, but the page also says there is no employee limit on staff calendars. The catch is that Square earns its money on card processing, so a busy salon pays through fees rather than a subscription, and the bigger features sit on Plus at $49 per location.
Setmore
- Price: Free for up to 4 users; Pro is priced per user.
- Reminders: the Free plan sends one email reminder per appointment; SMS reminders and 500 SMS credits a month are Pro features.
- Source: setmore.com/pricing, checked 13 October 2026.
Setmore is a general appointment scheduler used by many kinds of businesses, not only salons. For a salon that only needs an online booking page with email reminders, the free plan is hard to beat. You will still need a separate way to take payments and track sales, and text reminders mean moving to Pro.
Blyssbook
- Price: Starter $11, Professional $21, Enterprise $49 a month. No commission on bookings. 14-day free trial, no card needed.
- Which plan for our 3-chair salon: Professional. Starter allows up to 5 staff but caps at 200 bookings a month, and WhatsApp reminders start on Professional.
- The catch: no gift cards, text reminders need your own Twilio or Telnyx account, and the AI voice receptionist is Enterprise only. Online card payments run through your own Stripe account.
Blyssbook is built around WhatsApp. On Professional, confirmations and the 24-hour and 2-hour reminders go out on WhatsApp from your salon's own number, and an AI WhatsApp assistant can answer clients and take bookings. Every plan includes the booking page, the calendar, client records and a POS that takes split payments and tips. It is a good fit where clients already message salons on WhatsApp. Clients who don't use WhatsApp can get email or text reminders instead.
GlossGenius
- Price: Standard $28 a month ($24 billed yearly); Gold $56 ($48 yearly) for up to 9 staff; Platinum $168 for teams of 10 or more.
- Card fees: a flat 2.6%.
- Source: glossgenius.com/pricing, checked 13 October 2026.
GlossGenius is built for US stylists who want payments, booking and a good-looking client page in one app. Its pricing page doesn't state a staff limit for Standard, so a 3-stylist salon should confirm whether it needs Gold before signing up. Card processing is built in at 2.6%, which is simple to understand but adds up as revenue grows.
Vagaro
- Price: $30 a month for one calendar, shown at $23.99 for the first 6 months; each added calendar license is $10.
- Marketplace: free listing on the Vagaro Marketplace; 30-day free trial.
- Source: vagaro.com/pro/pricing, checked 13 October 2026.
Vagaro is a full salon and spa platform with its own consumer marketplace. Pricing grows with the number of bookable calendars, so a 3-stylist salon pays roughly $50 a month by our reading of the page. Message and add-on pricing isn't shown on the main pricing page, so ask about it during the trial.
Booksy
- Price: $29.99 a month plus tax; $20 a month for each extra user.
- Boost (optional): a one-time 30% fee on a Boost client's first visit, up to $100. Booksy says it charges no commission when Boost is off.
- Includes 2,000 free SMS marketing messages a month; 14-day trial. Source: biz.booksy.com/en-us/pricing, checked 13 October 2026.
Booksy works well for barbers and stylists who want new clients from its consumer app. The per-user fee is the main cost driver for a team: three users come to $69.99 a month before tax. Boost can pay for itself if it fills empty chairs, but each new client it brings costs up to $100 on their first visit.
Fresha
- Price: an Independent plan (one bookable member) and a Team plan charged per bookable team member. US pricing page, Oct 2026: $19.95 a month for one person, $14.95 per team member a month. Other countries see prices in local currency.
- Marketplace: a one-time fee on brand-new clients who find you through the Fresha marketplace; the page does not state the amount. No fee on returning clients.
- Messages: 20 free per member each month, then pay as you go. Source: fresha.com/pricing, checked 13 October 2026.
Fresha's big strength is its marketplace, which brings in new clients in many cities. It is no longer free: the US pricing page lists $19.95 a month for one person or $14.95 per team member, plus the new-client fee and paid messages above the free allowance. Check the price in your currency on its site before comparing.
What is the most affordable salon software?
The most affordable salon software is a $0 plan: Square Appointments Free if you take cards through Square (it includes booking, a POS and reminders), or Setmore Free if you only need a booking calendar. If you want a flat monthly price that doesn't depend on one card processor, Blyssbook Professional at $21 was the lowest-priced paid plan with reminders that we found for a 3-stylist salon.
The difference matters as you grow. Per-user pricing (Booksy, Fresha Team, Setmore Pro) rises with each hire. Flat pricing (Blyssbook, GlossGenius within its staff limit) stays the same until you outgrow the plan. Card fees grow with revenue whichever tool you choose, so compare the processing rate as well as the subscription.
Is free salon software good enough for a small business?
Free salon software is good enough when you mainly need an online booking page and can take payments elsewhere. It falls short when you need text or WhatsApp reminders, staff commissions or client marketing, which free plans usually leave out or charge for.
- Square Free: free software, paid through card processing fees.
- Setmore Free: free scheduling for up to 4 users, no SMS reminders.
- Fresha: now a paid subscription, with a fee on new marketplace clients.
- Blyssbook: not free; a 14-day trial, then from $11 a month (WhatsApp reminders start on Professional).
A useful test: count your no-shows last month and multiply by your average ticket. If reminders would save even one appointment a month, a paid plan that includes them usually covers its own cost.
What does a small salon actually need on day one?
On day one a small salon needs six things: a booking link clients can use at any hour, automatic reminders, client notes, a simple POS, a daily sales report and a calendar for each stylist. Everything else can wait until the basics run smoothly.
- 1An online booking link you can put on Instagram, Google and WhatsApp.
- 2Automatic reminders by text or WhatsApp, so no-shows drop without anyone making calls.
- 3Client records with visit history, formulas and allergy notes.
- 4A POS that records cash, card and split payments and tips.
- 5A daily and monthly sales report you can read in a minute.
- 6A calendar per stylist with working hours, breaks and time off.
How do you set up Blyssbook in an afternoon?
The basics fit in an afternoon: add services and prices, add staff and their hours, connect WhatsApp, switch on reminders and share the booking link. These are the menu paths in the dashboard today.
- 1Salon Setup > Services & Prices: add each service with its duration and price.
- 2Salon Setup > Staff: add your stylists, their working hours and which services they do.
- 3Salon Setup > WhatsApp & Channels: connect your salon's WhatsApp number.
- 4AI & Automation > Automations: switch on the booking confirmation and the 24-hour and 2-hour reminders (Professional plan and above).
- 5Settings > Notifications: switch on email reminders, and text reminders once your Twilio or Telnyx account is connected.
- 6Salon Setup > Website & Booking Page: copy your booking link and add it to Instagram, Google and your WhatsApp profile.
Who should not pick Blyssbook?
Blyssbook is the wrong choice if you sell gift cards, want text credits included in the price, or depend on a big consumer marketplace for new clients. In those cases Booksy, GlossGenius, Vagaro or Fresha will serve you better.
- You want text credits bundled into the price: Blyssbook sends texts through your own Twilio or Telnyx account, and they bill you for the texts.
- You sell gift cards: Blyssbook doesn't have them yet.
- You want a marketplace feeding you new clients every week: Booksy, Fresha and Vagaro run established consumer booking apps.
- You need card processing built in: Blyssbook records card payments at the POS, and online card payments need your own Stripe account.
FAQ
What is the most affordable salon software?
On 13 October 2026, Square Appointments Free cost $0 a month and included booking, a POS and reminders; Square earns its money from card fees. Setmore Free also costs $0 but has no POS. The lowest-priced paid plan with reminders we found for a 3-stylist salon was Blyssbook Professional at $21 a month, with WhatsApp and email reminders included.
What is the best salon software for a small salon?
It depends on where your clients come from. If most book through a marketplace, Booksy or Fresha make sense. If you already use Square, Square Appointments is simplest. If your clients message you on WhatsApp and you want a flat monthly price, Blyssbook fits.
Is there free salon software for small businesses?
Yes. Square Appointments has a Free plan and Setmore has a free plan for up to 4 users. Square makes its money from card fees, and Setmore Free sends email reminders but not SMS. Fresha now charges a monthly subscription.
Do I pay commission on new clients with salon booking apps?
Sometimes. Booksy charges a one-time fee on new clients only if you turn on Boost (30% of the first visit, up to $100). Fresha charges a one-time fee on brand-new marketplace clients. Blyssbook, Square, Setmore and GlossGenius list no commission on bookings.
Which salon software is best for one stylist?
A solo stylist can usually start on a free or entry plan: Square Free, Setmore Free or Blyssbook Starter at $11 a month. Our guide to software for solo stylists compares the Starter and Professional plans in detail.
What should a small salon look for in software?
Look at the total monthly cost for your team size, how reminders are sent and what they cost, whether new-client fees apply, the card processing rate, and how long setup takes. Then run a real week of bookings on the free trial before you commit.
How this guide was made: written by Sam Rahman from Blyssbook setups and product testing. Blyssbook plan facts checked against our live plan settings on 13 October 2026. Competitor facts are from each vendor's public pricing page on 13 October 2026 (Square on 12 October), listed in the sources above.
One-to-one comparisons: Blyssbook vs Booksy, Blyssbook vs Fresha, Blyssbook vs Vagaro, Blyssbook vs GlossGenius.
Written by Sam Rahman, Salon Operations & Content at Blyssbook. Last updated 23 October 2026.