8 Best salon booking software: free & paid

If you're a salon owner or beauty professional, let’s be honest: the hardest part of your day often isn't the service itself, it's the endless admin that comes with it. You’re spending hours on the phone, chasing emails, and dealing with staff schedule chaos when you would rather be with clients.

We hear you, and we’re here to help you find a solution. You deserve a free salon booking software that works as hard as you do, or at least one with a scalable pricing plan.

It’s time to streamline your scheduling, improve your client experience, and reduce your admin stress. Let's explore the top salon booking platforms and cover how you can select the one that works best for you and your clients.

The best salon appointment scheduling software at a glance

To help you quickly compare the leading salon appointment software, here is a side-by-side view of each of their key features and pricing.

Now you have an overview of what is on the market right now, let's look more in-depth at each of the leading salon appointment software to help you make the right decision for your business.

The best salon booking software in 2025

Did you know that personal care businesses lose an average of one day per week to admin? If this struggle sounds familiar, you are not alone. Scheduling is time-consuming.

An excellent appointment scheduling platform is one of the most cost-effective ways to upgrade and help you get that time (and revenue) back.

To help you find the best time-saving solution for your salon, we've broken down the market's most popular free scheduling software for salons. Let’s dive in.

Koalendar

Koalendar is a free forever, clean, simple scheduling tool that is excellent for one-on-one appointments and works seamlessly with connected calendars.

Pros

• Get started in minutes: Offers a simple, no-code scheduling tool that can be set up in minutes.
• Take booking anytime: Overcome the inability to accept bookings after hours with anytime client self-scheduling.
• Manage everything in one place: Koalendar accommodates all appointment types, including hair salon services, hair consultations, makeup workshops, content shoots, and more.
• Customize your scheduling: Set customizable service durations for any appointment.
• Stay organized effortlessly: You can embed Koalendar’s booking links on Instagram, your website, and Google Business Profiles easily.

Cons

• Limited advanced features in free: The free forever plan does not offer the advanced features, like integrated payments and advanced analytics, that a large salon may need.

Summary: Koalendar is the best salon appointment scheduling software for beauty professionals who are just getting started and want a clean, simple, free, all-in-one solution. You can try our free forever plan with no setup cost and no commitment today.

Setmore

Setmore offers a straightforward scheduling platform, designed for businesses, with a free plan that supports up to four user accounts.

Pros:

• Handle a small team on the free plan: The free plan allows up to four staff accounts and a maximum of 200 appointments.
• Prevent double-bookings and capture leads instantly: Offers seamless integration with calendars (Google/Outlook) and social media (Facebook/Instagram).
• Launch your scheduling page without a learning curve: Easy-to-use and intuitive interface for quick setup.

Cons:

• Cannot fully automate customer follow-up: Advanced features like SMS reminders and recurring appointments require a paid plan.
• Requires separate systems for physical operations: Lacks the POS and inventory features of software created specifically for salon users.
• Growth is limited on the free plan: Unlimited appointments are only available to Pro subscribers.

Summary: It is a good entry-level choice for small teams on a budget who need multi-user calendar management features but don't require full-scale salon management functionality.

Square Appointments

Square Appointments is a scheduling and payment solution for individuals and small businesses. It offers a subscription plan at no cost for all staff at a single location, but each payment through the software comes with a processing charge.

Pros:

• Manage your business from anywhere: The free plan includes a mobile app, so you can monitor your bookings wherever you are.
• Create a unified business system: Seamlessly integrates with all other Square products, which is ideal if you already use them for payment processing or hardware.
• Capture appointments 24/7: Allows clients to book via a dedicated booking page with custom reminders and unlimited bookings.

Cons:

• Increases cost for every transaction: All payments, both online and in-person, come with a processing rate, ranging from 1.75% to 6%.
• Expensive for multi-location businesses: The plus and premium plans charge per month per location, so if you have a few stores, the costs will add up quickly.
• Essential functionality is gated: The most powerful features, like waitlists, class bookings, cancellation fees, and staff management, are reserved for the paid tiers.

Summary: A popular integrated booking and payment processing tool for service providers. Just keep in mind that while the scheduling is free, every transaction will come with a processing fee.

Booksy

Booksy is an appointment app for salons popular with independent beauty professionals, including barbers, nail salons, and hair salons. It’s known for its extensive marketplace and client-facing app.

Pros:

• Offer a seamless user experience: Strong focus on a simple mobile experience for you and your clients.
• Prevent no-shows and stay organized: Set up unlimited bookings and send appointment confirmations and reminders.
• Gain new clients for free: You could access a large marketplace and list your services for free to help you find local clients.

Cons:

• Requires immediate financial commitment: Does not offer a free tier (only a 7-day trial).
• Costs grow with every transaction: Charges transaction fees that start at 0.99% plus VAT.
• Becomes expensive as the team grows: There is an extra monthly fee for each additional user, which is on top of the standard monthly charge.

Summary: Ideal for mobile-first, independent professionals who rely on social media and a marketplace to attract and manage their clientele.

Fresha

Fresha is a software designed for the beauty and wellness industry. It offers a comprehensive suite of features for salons and spas with a monthly subscription for independents and teams and many optional pay-as-you-go transaction and marketplace fees.

Pros:

• Enhance the customer journey: Offers a client booking app to improve client experience.
• Streamline your operations: Includes advanced management tools, such as retail and inventory, client management, and reporting.
• Grow your customer base: Features a large marketplace to help attract new clients to your salon (though a commission applies to these new-client bookings).

Cons:

• High cost for new customer acquisition: Transaction fees apply for payment processing, and a 20% commission is charged for new clients booked through the Fresha marketplace.
• All payments incur extra charges: All payments incur a transaction fee, including online and in-person.
• Marketing and communication costs are extra: Text messages, WhatsApp, and emails all come at an additional cost.

Summary: If you need an all-in-one system that handles scheduling, payments, and marketing in one place, Fresha is a decent option. Just remember to factor in the cost structure, as it charges transaction fees, email fees, and takes a commission on new clients found through its marketplace.

GlossGenius

GlossGenius is a user-friendly salon and spa software with 100+ features offered across three monthly pricing tiers.

Pros:

• Intuitive and Professional Design: Easy-to-use interface and professional-looking booking sites.
• Financial Protection and Business Insight: Provides automated "no-show" protection and detailed analytics.
• Integrated Checkout Solution: Offers a custom card reader and integrated payment processing.

Cons:

• High cost of entry: One of the more expensive options on the market with no free plan.
• Standard transaction fees: A 2.6% processing rate on every transaction completed through the software.
• Best suited for small teams: The app's focus on simplicity means it may lack some of the deeper staff management tools needed for large salons.

Summary: A good option for small to mid-sized salons that prioritize an exceptional client experience, simplicity, and beautiful branding.

Mindbody

Mindbody is a leading, enterprise-level platform primarily used by large health, wellness, and beauty studios that require advanced features for managing classes and memberships.

Pros:

• Class, membership, and pricing control: It has advanced features for managing classes, memberships, and complex pricing structures.
• Automated client retention: Offers robust marketing automation and retention features for large businesses.
• New client acquisition: Users get access to the "Mindbody Explore" client marketplace to boost new client acquisition.

Cons:

• Expensive per-location model: It has a high price point, even for their smallest starter plan, and it is charged per month per location.
• High feature density: Can be overwhelming and feature-heavy for small or simple salon operations.

Summary: Best suited for large, established salons, multi-location salon chains, and studios that offer both appointments and group classes and need advanced business analytics. Mindbody is one of the most expensive options on our list.

Phorest

Phorest is a high-end salon software with a strong focus on business growth, marketing automation, and client retention.

Pros:

• Advanced marketing automation: Offers advanced marketing automation for email/SMS marketing, client retention, and automated review collection.
• Custom-branded app: Users can create a custom salon-branded app for clients.
• Dedicated growth support: Known for its dedicated support team to assist with business growth strategies.

Cons:

• Quote-based pricing: The most expensive tool on this list, with pricing only available by quote.
• Complex features: Contains many advanced features that a small salon may not need to function effectively.
• Additional feature costs: Features like ad manager and premium consultations come at an additional cost.

Summary: A premium solution for growing salons and established businesses focused on increasing average client spend and building a strong, loyal brand presence through sophisticated marketing and technology. A cheaper, simpler software may be more suitable for small to mid-size salons.

How to choose the best salon booking platform for you

Choosing the best salon appointment scheduling software can be the difference between a smooth system and happy customers and administrative bottlenecks, high no-show rates, and stagnant business growth.

Every business is unique, and there is no one tool that fits all, so here are the nine things you could consider when choosing a tool, because you know your business and your clients best.

• Ease of use: Your booking tool should make your life easier, so look for clean, intuitive interfaces that your team can learn quickly.
• Calendar sync and automation: Real-time calendar sync prevents double-bookings and keeps everyone’s schedule aligned, making your life easier. Bonus points if it automatically sends confirmations and reminders to reduce no-shows.
• Better client experience: A good software allows your clients to book a service in seconds from your website, Instagram, or a booking link. A smooth experience leads to higher client retention.
• Team and staff management: If you own a multi-location salon chain, check how the platform streamlines staff schedule chaos, including shift changes and individual booking links. The best systems let everyone see their day at a glance.
• Custom booking pages: Keep your brand consistent and build brand reputation with custom booking page links and colors.
• Payments and deposits: Integrated payments save time and help secure revenue. You may want features like deposits and cancellation policies.
• Marketing and retention tools: Look for built-in tools that help you nurture client relationships, like automated follow-ups, birthday messages, or rebooking reminders. Small touches go a long way toward repeat business.
• Affordability: The most popular salon appointment scheduling software can easily cost upwards of $100/month. Consider whether you need the niche features offered for that price or if free software with a cleaner interface may be better for your business.
• Support and reliability: When things go wrong or when you would like some advice, responsive customer support is worth its weight in gold. Choose a platform known for fast, friendly help and a reliable uptime record.

Don’t worry if you still aren’t sure which software to choose. The best way to decide is to actually give some of them a try. Look for ones that have free trials or even the ones that are completely free, like Koalendar.

Overall best software for salon owners

Koalendar is a versatile free forever online scheduling tool designed for professionals and salon owners who need powerful core booking functionality and seamless calendar integration, without the steep price tag.

Its streamlined approach makes it the ideal choice for multi-faceted beauty professionals who offer both in-person salon services and a range of online consultations or courses.

Pros:

• Best cross-industry tool: Works seamlessly for in-person salon services (like haircuts), as well as online coaching (like makeup tutorials), tutoring (to help other beauty professionals qualify), and freelance sessions, centralizing your schedule regardless of service type.
• Integrates with all your tools: Integrates in real-time with Google, Outlook, and iCloud calendars to prevent double-bookings
• Free Forever Plan: Offers a generous free forever plan with unlimited bookings, unlimited scheduling links, and instant booking notifications, making it the most cost-effective solution for single users or small teams.
• Affordable pro plan: The pro plan, which costs $6.99, offers custom mail and SMS reminders, tentative bookings, multi-host events, payments, and group sessions. Plus, there is a 100% money-back guarantee.
• Ease of use and quick setup: Known for its clean, intuitive interface, requiring minutes to set up, minimal learning curve for staff, and zero clutter from unnecessary features like POS or inventory.
• Built for hybrid models: Easily integrates with Google Meet, Zoom, and Outlook, making virtual consultations or client follow-ups easy to manage.

Cons:

• Streamlined by design: Koalendar is designed to focus on scheduling, so it skips advanced, deep-dive salon management features like inventory, payroll, or sophisticated client loyalty systems that bigger, multi-site salons might need.

Summary: Koalendar is the best salon booking software for budget-conscious independent salon owners who want simple, reliable, 24/7 online scheduling with seamless calendar sync and low no-show rates.

It functions excellently as a streamlined, versatile, and cost-effective alternative or complement to heavy, expensive all-in-one salon software.