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9 advanced management software for today’s trendy hair salons

By Lucy Galloway
Last updated: October 29, 2024
Compare, Industry news

Running a modern hair salon demands ruthless efficiency. Who wants to juggle appointments, chase payments, or type endless treatment recommendations?

No one. The same goes for marketing. Attracting new clients is vital, but manual marketing campaigns can be time-consuming to run, and even harder to track for success.

Having hair stylists double as receptionists may seem convenient, but it results in more time spent on admin and less on clients.

The best salon software is a cut above the rest. It’s your all-in-one solution for streamlining appointments, attracting new clients, and ensuring a fully booked calendar without sacrificing quality care.

Turn your salon into an efficient hub where client focus comes first — read the 9 best hair salon management software solutions tailored to meet your needs.

How hair salon management software improves efficiency

The best hair salon management software will handle the nitty-gritty of business growth while keeping your clients happy. Here’s how:

Automating bookings. Clients value their time, so offering them the flexibility to book appointments 24/7 is a win-win. 40% of salon clients prefer booking appointments online, so removing the need for them to call or email is a win-win. It also helps you take bookings as you work or sleep.
Streamlining inventory management. Robust hair salon software addresses overstocking and understocking issues, reducing inventory costs by 10%. You’ll also need to track and order tools and products, like hair serums. Restock on time and stay prepared ahead of every appointment.
Enhancing marketing campaigns. From sending personalized birthday SMS messages or emails to running loyalty programs and collecting feedback, marketing software keeps your business front of mind. Attract new clients, retain existing customers, and run ad campaigns like a champion, all from one place.
Offering a powerful mobile app. Accessing client details and schedules online is crucial for salon efficiency. Instead of being confined to the office or desktop, a handy mobile app empowers stylists to manage appointments without hassle, capture before-and-after photos for client records, and handle salon tasks such as sharing notes and updating payments from anywhere, at any time.

9 top hair salon management solutions

Searching for the best hair salon management software can feel like a rollercoaster.

Whether you’re after smooth client management or efficient marketing, here are nine of the top-notch hair salon management software for comprehensive business management.

1. Pabau

Pabau is among the best hair salon management software for hair salon and med spa management. With a sleek interface, it revamps the way you run your salon business.

Ensure your services can be booked 24/7 with their online booking platform. Clients can conveniently fill out forms before their appointment, and you can minimize no-shows by setting personalized deposits.

Pabau refines client treatment management, letting you securely send patch tests, track product allergies, or share stunning before-and-after photos of hair growth treatments or hairstyle makeovers. Store all your client details in their robust client records.

The marketing suite is Pabau’s shining star, automated directly into the system without requiring MailChimp or similar integrations. Its customizable templates, email/SMS campaigns, automatic recalls, and AI support make it a salon powerhouse.

Gather and publish client feedback in a click, boost credibility with follow-ups, or create personalized campaigns to engage, the choice is yours. Pabau’s loyalty-building tools, like gift vouchers and referral management, add extra flair that sparks interest and call for action.

Book a demo to learn how Pabau’s solutions help your salon stand out among competitors.

Key features — marketing automations, POS, scheduling/booking, inventory, client portal
Payment processing options — Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, Stripe, credit card, Microsoft Pay, etc.
Pricing — monthly subscription. Book a demo to see pricing options.
Mobile app — available on iPhone/iPad

2. Vagaro

A cloud-based solution tailored for hair salons, medspas, and gyms, Vagaro delivers a mix of features. The standout is the online booking system, which provides clients seamless appointment management.

Their inventory management helps track stock and trends or handle purchase orders. Other features like deposits help prevent no-shows.

However, Vagaro lacks crucial client management tools, such as a smart allergy tracker, posing an issue if a client is allergic to a specific hair product. Their app, substituting a client portal, falls short of robustness and also comes at an extra cost.

Marketing-wise, Vagaro’s Marketplace and basic email/SMS campaigns are notable. However, customizing campaigns with your brand logo will cost an extra $200 monthly.

Vagaro’s lack of essential salon management features and its extra monthly fees, like the $10 check-in app and $20 for automated text marketing, can make it pricier than other options.

Key features – online appointment booking, scheduling, inventory, marketing
Payment processing options – credit card processing
Pricing – starts at $30/month for one location/provider; charges extra fees
Mobile app — available at an extra cost, on Android/iOS

3. Boulevard

Boulevard is a helpful software for appointment-based businesses, including hair salons, med spas, and barbershops. Their online salon booking widget enables a fast checkout experience for clients and simplifies appointment and employee scheduling online.

Boulevard’s Precision Scheduling™ is great for productivity and filling empty slots. In addition, their marketing tools foster client satisfaction with two-way texting and automated campaigns. They have a decent loyalty program, however, they lack smart surveys and reviews for easier client feedback management.

Boulevard’s extra fees may be a problem for some prospective clients. Inventory management is available, but only in their higher plans, minus automatic stock tracking or restock alerts.

They also charge extra for some add-ons, detailed reports, and data migration. Unless you’re a chain hair salon, it might be a huge investment to commit to.

Key features – online booking, inventory, marketing, reporting, POS
Payment processing options – Boulevard Duo
Pricing – $160/month for one location. $295 to $410/month, per location
Mobile app – available on Android/iOS

4. Booker

Booker is a cloud-based salon and spa software by MindBody. Salons can manage anything from appointments to payments, and marketing. Clients can easily book appointments online, on mobile, and on socials, 24/7. There’s a round-the-clock AI front desk too, ready to take bookings or answer client questions in real-time.

Unlike other options, Booker’s inventory is a little light. Salons can add and (bulk) edit products, and adjust inventory, but, you don’t have the option to check if your stock is low. Booker’s inventory features are also only available in higher subscriptions, ultimately costing you more for less.

Booker has a solid marketing game, with solid package and gift card management. Salons can seamlessly run email/SMS campaigns and customize loyalty programs, offering rewards on reactions like purchases, pre-bookings, and referrals.

Booker is great sales and booking software, but that’s about it. Without features like secure forms or HIPAA compliance, it’s not as robust nor secure as other options.

Key features – online bookings, POS, inventory, Booker Marketing Network
Payment processing options – credit cards via the Mindbody platform
Pricing – plans start from $129/month to $549/month
Mobile app – available on iOS/Android

5. Zenoti

Zenoti is an on-point cloud software solution for larger businesses like salons, med spas, and fitness. With booking confirmations and appointment reminders, you can fill schedule gaps, allowing easy re/booking, manage forms, and offer client check-ins.

Zenoti’s robust marketing suite uses AI predictions, personalized messages, and loyalty rewards, but some users have reported loading issues with the mobile app. That said, their inventory tools can handle stock data and remind you to restock, which is great. They also integrate with QuickBooks, which is ideal for streamlining management, and have a pretty neat virtual receptionist feature for seamless salon management.

While Zenoti is great for larger businesses managing multiple locations, it might not be suited for smaller salons. They also charge extra for features like Photo Manager and payment processing. Strong marketing/inventory aside, the extra costs and lack of a viable booking app make it not quite as cost-effective as it first appears.

Key features — online booking, billing, marketing, inventory, Marketplace
Payment processing options — they support Payment Express only for Australia and New Zealand; they also integrate with Zenoti Payments
Pricing — request a demo to see pricing options; extra fees apply
Mobile app — available on Android/iOS

6. Square Appointments

Square Appointments offers a versatile appointment scheduling system tailored for small businesses. Accessed via a mobile app, it integrates a point of sale with online bookings for smooth client experiences, with 24/7 booking access. An online booking website and dedicated customer profiles are part of the deal, making your clientele happier.

Their marketing tools efficiently run automated campaigns, and there’s a Marketplace app where you can showcase your business. You can also make the most of their Assistant module, leveraging automated reminders via email/text to earn engagement.

However, the absence of a desktop version won’t give you 100% accessibility. Plus, larger salons may find Square’s inventory management lacking in more features other than organizing stock and restocking.

Square is a great POS and scheduling software, we give them that, But for salons with specific needs, it misses out big time on key features like before-and-after photos.

Key features — scheduling, online bookings, marketing, invoicing
Payment processing options — credit/debit card; Afterpay and Cash App
Pricing — free plan, Plus ($29/mo); Premium ($69/mo); extra fees
Mobile app — available on iOS/Android

7. DaySmart Salon

DaySmart is a user-friendly software solution for appointments and customer management. Simplify appointments by offering standard booking options via a customized website and social media.

In terms of marketing, they have easy-to-use email/text templates, for salons to track and automate campaigns, send feedback forms, or share on Google, Yelp, and Facebook. But, without a marketing suite, you won’t reach the right audience or offer a fully branded experience.

DaySmart’s Inventory management is so-so, lacking low supply alerts and third-party app integration, so your stock will be off. They also skip patch test/allergy features, whereas their text/email marketing is reserved for the higher tiers. Besides being costly, DaySmart supports only English, which isn’t ideal if you want to offer your services globally.

Key features – online booking, scheduling, marketing
Payment processing options – credit card processing
Pricing – plans start from $29/month – $199/month
Mobile app – available on Android/iOS

8. GlossGenius

GlossGenius is an all-in-one solution mainly for independent hair and beauty salons. Their intuitive calendar simplifies scheduling and ensures appointment attendance. They are short on a client portal, however, so clients have to contact salons for rescheduling or cancellations.

A standout feature is their Chief Money Maker credit card reader for easier customer checkouts. GlossGenius also supports email/SMS campaigns, using smart segmentation for targeted reach. Their integrations with Yelp, Facebook, and Instagram are also neat, giving your salon quite an online presence.

GlossGenius only supports basic inventory and doesn’t integrate with QuickBooks, so your processing will lag. Yes, it could be good for independent salons, but you can’t really manage a whole team if you had to. Plus, the fact they lack HIPAA compliance features does raise a security flag, so there’s that.

Key features – POS, all-in-one mobile app, inventory, scheduling
Payment processing options – “Chief Money Maker” credit card reader
Pricing – standard plan at $24/month; gold plan at $48/ month; extra costs for purchasing credit card reader ($49) and 2.6% payment processing fee
Mobile app – available on iOS/Android

9. Phorest

Phorest simplifies hair salon management with its promising software. Run online bookings, reach out to clients via email/text, or brand a whole salon app, just for you.

Their appointment booking system is also user-friendly for scheduling and rebooking, with the option to set deposits to prevent no-shows. Phorest helps tackle inventory too: set low-stock alerts and reorder or track deliveries, saving both time and, well, nerves.

Phorest gets bonus points for building a loyalty card and photo editor. You can attract leads or build a stronger brand. You can also run social media ad campaigns using their user-friendly tool, although it will cost extra since it’s only available in their top tiers.

Phorest is not great for managing online reputation, given hair salons still need to publish reviews manually. So, in a way, it’s sort of paper-light, not paperless.

Key features – online booking, marketing, inventory, scheduling
Payment processing options – card terminal; cardless payment processing
Pricing – monthly/annual; requesting a quote is necessary; a fee for online bookings
Mobile app – Phorest Go, available on Android/iOS

Looking for an all-in-one hair salon management solution? Try Pabau today

The best hair salon management software goes beyond efficient booking. You’ll need to manage every aspect, like sales and inventory, all the while keeping your clients happy.

Fret not, Pabau brings a complete solution. Take online bookings, manage your schedule, take deposits, streamline stock, minimize costs, and attract new leads to your business — it’s all there, backed by HIPAA for an extra security blanket.

Put your salon in the mix and build automated marketing campaigns and salon branding, with the help of AI, in a few clicks. Pabau lets your customers book and pay via a secure online portal, sharing photos, invoices, and forms. A robust POS system is the cherry on top — grow revenue, set custom deposits, and prevent no-shows. That’s living the good life.

Don’t just take our word for it — book a demo to see how Pabau can help you run your business all from one system. You’ll never need another tool again.

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