Scheduling software for salons
Prices checked
For a salon with 3 stylists the cheapest paid plan among these four is SimplyBook.me Basic at $11.90/month (annual billing, 100 bookings a month). Setmore, Acuity and Square all publish a salon or spa page; Acuity and Square name deposits or prepayments, and Square names no-show and cancellation fees.
A salon books chairs, not meetings. The questions that decide the tool are whether a client can be made to pay something up front, what happens to the slot when they cancel late, and whether each stylist runs their own column. Below are the three salon and spa pages that answer those questions in the vendor's own words, then what a salon actually pays at one, three, five and ten stylists using our calculator's prices. SimplyBook.me is included in the cost table because it prices by provider, which suits a small salon, but it has no salon page that we quote here.
Deposits, no-show fees and staff: what each salon page says
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| Tool | Deposits or upfront pay | No-shows and cancellations | Staff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setmore | “Connect Setmore with Square or Stripe to accept payments upfront!” source | “Your clients can click to reschedule or cancel directly from their email alerts.” source | “Create staff profiles and enable your team to book their own clients.” source | Try SetmoreAffiliate link |
| Acuity Scheduling | “Request a deposit, prepayment, or credit card details so clients commit.” source | “Reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations with automated confirmations, follow-up emails, and text message reminders.” source | — | Visit Acuity Scheduling |
| Square Appointments | “Set up prepayments online or accept cash, cards, or Afterpay with Square hardware.” source | “set up no-show and cancellation fees so you always get paid for your time.” source | “smart scheduling features that help you avoid double-bookings and manage multiple locations from one POS.” source | Visit Square Appointments |
Monthly cost by number of stylists
Cheapest fitting plan, annual billing where offered, 100 bookings a month. Square is priced per location: one location, any number of stylists.
| Stylists | Setmore | Acuity Scheduling | Square Appointments | SimplyBook.me |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 stylist | Free $0/mo | Starter $16/mo | Free $0/mo | Basic $11.90/mo |
| 3 stylists | Free $0/mo | Standard $27/mo | Free $0/mo | Basic $11.90/mo |
| 5 stylists | Pro $25/mo | Standard $27/mo | Free $0/mo | Basic $11.90/mo |
| 10 stylists | Pro $50/mo | Premium $55/mo | Free $0/mo | Standard $24.90/mo |
Square bills the salon, not the stylist
Square Appointments charges per location and adds card fees. From its pricing page: Free: Unlimited staff calendars; card processing 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 3.3% + 30¢ online; Plus: Per location; online card rate 2.9% + 30¢; Premium: Per location; lowest card rates.
Methodology & sources
Quotes are copied word for word from each vendor's own salon page, read on 2026-10-28. They say what the vendor claims; we have not tested the features. Prices come only from the official pricing pages and our calculator.
- https://www.setmore.com/industries/salon
- https://acuityscheduling.com/solutions/beauty
- https://squareup.com/us/en/industry/spa
Monthly total = price × seats for per-seat plans, or the flat plan price. A seat is a user, staff calendar, provider or location, depending on the vendor; Square Appointments is priced per location and one location is assumed. A plan counts only if it holds your seats and bookings (tables here assume 100 bookings a month). Annual = per-month price when billed yearly. Square Appointments publishes a monthly fee only, used for both. Ties go to the lower list price. USD, before tax. Calendly and Cal.com Enterprise are not tracked. Every price is from the vendor's official pricing page, checked 2026-10-21; rankings never use affiliate status. How we check prices · How we rank and earn · price-check log
What is the best scheduling software for salons?
We rank by price for your team only. For 3 stylists the cheapest paid plan of the four salon tools here is SimplyBook.me Basic at $11.90/month; pick on deposits and no-show rules first if those cost you more than the subscription.
Is there free booking software for salons?
Setmore Free (up to 4 users); Square Appointments Free; SimplyBook.me Free (up to 1 provider). No free plan: Acuity Scheduling.
Can salon clients pay a deposit when they book?
Acuity's beauty page: “Request a deposit, prepayment, or credit card details so clients commit.” Square's spa page: “Set up prepayments online or accept cash, cards, or Afterpay with Square hardware.”
Which scheduling software works for a spa?
Square has a spa page that says it can “set up no-show and cancellation fees so you always get paid for your time.” Square Appointments is priced per location, not per therapist.