Choosing a salon booking app: features and costs

Salon booking software should show real team availability, let clients book on a phone and handle changes without double bookings. Choose it around your services and working hours, then compare the price for the full team, notifications and the records you can export if you later change providers.

Do you need scheduling, new clients or inventory management?

These are three different needs, even when a vendor offers them together. A calendar organises time, a marketplace lists your business publicly and an inventory system tracks products and the documents behind stock movements.

If the salon already has returning clients, direct booking may be the priority. If it needs additional visibility, assess the contribution of a marketplace separately; installing scheduling software does not automatically bring in new customers.

What to check in staff calendars

Bring an ordinary salon day to the demo: services with different lengths, breaks and staff working different hours. An empty calendar looks tidy in almost any app, but it tells you little about what happens once the schedule is busy.

• Services and staff: can clients choose only a specialist who performs the selected service?
• Real durations: is enough time reserved for the service and preparation for the next appointment?
• Breaks and leave: do unavailable periods also disappear from the public booking page?
• Changes: after reception moves an appointment, does the client see and receive the correct information?
• Simultaneous booking: can two people try the same slot without both reservations being confirmed?

For services with processing time, such as certain colour treatments, ask how staff availability is calculated. Do not assume every application distinguishes the total appointment length from time spent actively working with the client.

What does a good phone booking look like?

Open the link as a new client, without an administrator session. Find a service, choose a specialist and time, then check the displayed price and confirmation; each step should make sense without an explanation from reception.

TimeNow supports public-page booking without an account and an embedded website calendar. The mobile app is an additional option for clients, rather than a requirement for their first reservation on the web.

Which notifications should you configure?

Start with confirmation, a reminder and notifications after a change or cancellation. Check the time, address, service and link destination, then test what happens when contact information is entered incorrectly.

Choose a channel clients use and confirm activation requirements and costs. The no-show guide explains how reminders, straightforward cancellation and outcome measurement fit together; delivery should be tested before enabling messages for the whole salon.

How to compare the cost for your whole salon

Request a quote for the actual number of staff and features used, including setup and data migration. Separate subscriptions, marketplace charges, notifications and payment processing because they are different cost categories that may be billed differently.

TimeNow plans start at 99 RON monthly and are based on employee count. Compare the plan for your team, not the lowest advertised price; the entry plan is not the right cost benchmark for a salon with several staff members.

If you already have a shortlist, read the relevant comparison: MERO and dedicated booking, Fresha alternatives or EvoBeauty and salon management. Each focuses on different criteria because the offers address different needs.

A practical test before choosing

1. Create two fictional staff members, two services and a break using the durations from your salon.
2. Make a booking from a phone and confirm that it appears at the selected time with the right specialist.
3. Move the appointment, then cancel it and check the client’s information and the released slot.
4. Request a sample export and verify that the records you need can be opened and used.
5. Let a colleague repeat the steps without help to assess usability for the team as well as the owner.