8 best appointment scheduling apps & tools for salons

Whether you own a service-based salon that relies on appointments or operate a product-based business that hosts special events or classes, appointment scheduling apps are a must-have in your arsenal of salon business management tools.

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What is appointment scheduling software?

Appointment scheduling software and scheduling apps are solutions designed to give businesses a way to automate and better manage appointment scheduling and booking tasks, saving you precious hours each week.

[Save over five hours a week with our free employee scheduling software. See how.]

8 best salon scheduling and booking software

Let’s take a look at several salon scheduling apps, in no particular order, that’ll help your business work smarter, not harder.

1. Genbook

Genbook has been providing online booking services since 2006 and is widely known in the software solutions niche. Specializing in serving the health, wellness, and beauty industries, Genbook’s comprehensive platform also makes it perfectly adaptable for business models ranging from dog grooming services to photography.

One of Genbook’s main draws is its large collection of integrations. Integrations to search engine platforms, business directories, and social media networks make it easy for customers to find — and book — services with you.

Genbook offers a 30-day free trial that allows you to test drive their platform before you’re ready to make a final decision. If you’re ready to sign up for a paid plan, a sole proprietor (i.e., one staff member) package starts at $29 per month and increases from there.

Best for: Solopreneurs and businesses with two to four employees, or small businesses with up to 50 employees that are expanding their customer base and looking to upgrade to a more comprehensive salon scheduling app.

2. Schedulicity

Source: https://www.getapp.com/customer-management-software/a/schedulicity/

Caption: Schedulicity is great for solopreneurs and small businesses who are looking to mix-and-match features and customize their appointment scheduling app.

Founded in 2010, Schedulicity serves a variety of businesses and industries, from pilates studios to psychology practices, and tattoo shops to performing arts spaces. Clients can use this tool to schedule appointments, reserve their seats in a class, and even book multi-session workshops.

With this platform, you don’t just get appointment scheduling software — you also get a business listing on the Schedulicity marketplace. This additional business directory can help businesses increase their online presence and digital visibility.

Although there’s no free trial period, you can get started with Schedulicity for free with limited features. Their solo provider package starts at $20 and has an a la carte pricing model, so you can pick and choose the features you need.

For instance, you may want to add on the payments feature so you can easily accept credit card payments, or the client text message feature that sends auto-reminders to help reduce no-shows. However, you won’t have to pay for a feature such as auto-billing if you don’t require it.

Like Genbook, Schedulicity also offers integrations and widgets to social media platforms like Facebook and your website, so customers can easily schedule online, 24/7.

Best for: Solopreneurs and small businesses based in the US or Canada who are looking for an easy-to-use, all-in-one solution. Also great for those who are looking to mix-and-match features and customize their solution.

3. Vagaro

Source: https://www.getapp.com/retail-consumer-services-software/a/vagaro/

Caption: Vagaro is a great solution for growing and larger salons that need advanced features.

Vagaro is an appointment scheduling solution that specializes in the beauty and fitness industries. Like Schedulicity, you not only get a scheduling app, but you also get access to their business directory for extra online visibility. This business listing platform supports a “daily deal” feature, so you can offer discounts, coupons, and seasonal promotions to help draw in new customers.

As you attract new customers, you can use features like custom forms to create digital waivers and surveys to protect your business and keep a pulse check on your customer satisfaction. Vagaro also offers a proprietary point of sale (POS) system that helps track inventory on any retail products you may sell in addition to the services you offer.

Vagaro offers a one-month free trial and includes 24/7 customer support with a live rep, should you need it. A single entrepreneur starts at $25 per month and increases at $10 increments per person from there.

Best for: Growing and larger salons that need advanced features to bring in new customers and generate more online visibility, especially those who are only relying on Yelp or Google Reviews to increase brand awareness.

4. Square Appointments

Source: https://www.getapp.com/customer-management-software/a/square-appointments/

Caption: Square Appointments is great for salons that already use Square for payment processing and marketing automation.

Square began as a mobile payment provider and has since turned into a popular platform that facilitates payments for small businesses that might have a hard time getting approved for traditional merchant services accounts.

Square’s comprehensive small business suite has expanded to include an online booking platform called Square Appointments. Like Vagaro, Square Appointments also integrates with the Square POS system that you can use to manage the retail segment of your business. But you can also use Square Appointments to improve the customer experience with individualized customer profiles and notes for every client. Plus, it gives you the option to offer Afterpay to clients who need to pay for their service in installments.

Individuals pay a fixed rate of 2.75 percent for Square Appointments credit card transactions. As your business grows and you add employees, Square Appointments will set you back up to $90 per month for up to 10 staff members.

Best for: Salons that already use Square for payment processing and marketing automation, as well as solopreneurs who are just starting to dip their toes into online booking.

5. Acuity

Source: https://www.getapp.com/customer-management-software/a/acuity-scheduling/

Caption: Acuity is an ideal salon scheduling app for established salons looking for numerous integrations and customizable features.

Acuity has been creating a seamless booking process for clients and business owners since 2006. Clients of freelancing professionals and mid-sized businesses alike can use the platform to schedule appointments, cancel sessions, receive price quotes, and even schedule recurring appointments that perfectly fit into their busy schedules.

If your clientele is local, but you want to expand your services to a global audience, Acuity serves nine other markets besides the US — making it a great starting point if you intend to take your business international at any point in the future.

Acuity also gives you the best of both worlds — a 7-day free trial and a freemium version — so you can get started with no upfront costs. If you decide this solution is right for your business, the paid version for a single entrepreneur will only set you back $15 per month.

It’s worth noting that Acuity recently joined the Squarespace family — a leader in website building and hosting services for small businesses. So, if you happen to use Squarespace already, leveraging Acuity scheduling is a no-brainer.

Best for: Established salons that are looking for numerous integrations and customizable features.

6. Setmore

Source: https://www.setmore.com/features/booking-page

Caption: Setmore is great for businesses with under four employees looking for more basic booking features.

From student scheduling for tutors and music teachers to managing patient appointments — for both humans and our four-legged friends — since 2011, Setmore has made scheduling appointments simple.

One of Setmore’s draws is that it allows you to book appointments and schedule interviews with potential job candidates, making the hiring process more streamlined and hassle-free.

With the starter plan, you can get started for free with three other employees. You’ll also get access to unlimited appointments, up to 100 email reminders per month, and a custom booking page with a unique URL.

Best for: Businesses with under four employees looking for more fundamental booking features rather than a solution with too many bells and whistles.

7. Booker

Source: https://www.getapp.com/customer-management-software/a/booker/

Caption: Booker is great for bigger salons who are looking for an all-in-one solution and various features and don’t mind making a larger investment.

If you’re a larger salon and are looking to upgrade your client booking system, consider Booker. Booker found their niche in the health and wellness industry in 2010. While they may not cater to every industry, they do one thing, and they do it well.

It’s worth noting that Booker and their sister software company, Fredrick, are now part of the MindBody family. Frederick is a marketing automation software, and MindBody is a point-of-sale company turned technology provider for the wellness services industry.

Although you can’t test drive Booker with a free trial or freemium version, you can request a personalized demo with a member of their staff. This might not be ideal for those who prefer to test the product themselves, but a one-on-one demo with a live rep is a great way to open the lines of communication and ask specific questions unique to your business needs.

Booker will set you back $129 per month for their Essential Package. Although that price point is significantly higher than the others we’ve mentioned, you get a considerable amount of features for your money:

• Unlimited logins
• Appointment reminders and notifications (text and email)
• Integrated point of sale
• Inventory management
• Gift certificates
• Detailed customer records
• Package, series, and membership management
• Customer document storage
• 20 reports

Best for: Bigger salons who are looking for an all-in-one solution and various features and don’t mind a larger investment.

8. Mindbody

Source: https://www.getapp.com/customer-management-software/a/mindbody/

Caption: Mindbody is a great solution for business owners and teams that are looking for a more complex tool and are not afraid of a learning curve.

Last but not least, we have Mindbody, a management and appointment scheduling app founded in 2000. This California-based platform serves small to mid-sized businesses in the wellness and fitness industries.

With Mindbody, salon owners can keep track of inventory and see what sells most, manage payroll, provide a low-touch client experience with functionalities like online payment processing, and increase retention rates with targeted, automated campaigns.

One of Mindbody’s standout features is its AI Messaging function texts clients immediately after a missed call, answers questions, completes follow-ups, makes sales, and books client appointments. It also keeps all your communication in one place and allows you to broadcast updates to your community.

Mindbody’s pricing is steeper than the other tools on this list. The Starter plan costs a flat rate of $139 per month, and the pricing keeps climbing from there.

Best for: Businesses in the fitness industry who don’t mind investing a bit more into their scheduling software solution. It’s also suitable for business owners and teams that are looking for a more complex tool and are not afraid of a learning curve.

Comparing the best salon appointment apps and software

Finding it hard to decide between these eight tools? Or have a couple of solutions in mind that you think might be right for your business? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Let’s go ahead and compare some of these apps head-to-head so you can make your decision more easily.

The tools we’ll be comparing are:

1. Vagaro vs. Square Appointments
2. Acuity vs. Vagaro
3. Acuity vs. Square Appointments
4. Acuity vs. Schedulicity
5. Mindbody vs. Vagaro

Vagaro vs Square Appointments

One of the main perks of using Square Appointments is that you can get started for free if you’re just looking to explore the platform, its features, and what it can do for your business. While Vagaro offers a 30-day free trial, if you’re looking to try out a platform for longer than a month, Square Appointments is the better choice.

Depending on your credit card payment volume per month, Vagaro and Square Appointments charge different processing fees. For example, Vagaro charges a 2.75% processing fee per $1,000, while that number is 2.6% plus 10 cents per swipe for Square Appointments.

In the long run, you get to keep slightly more of your earnings with Vagaro.

In terms of Point of Sale (POS) systems, Vagaro offers its own to help you make sales and track inventory. Square Appointments, on the other hand, needs you to integrate your solution with the Square POS system.

With Vagaro, you get more than just a scheduling and appointment management app. There are additional perks like getting to list your business on Vagaro’s marketplace, helping you increase visibility and get more customers. The marketplace also lets you offer discounts, coupons, and seasonal promotions to help you draw in new customers.

Square Appointments doesn’t give you that option. You can integrate your Square scheduling solution with Square’s various marketing tools and integrations to get a more well-rounded experience, but that’ll cost you more.

At the end of the day, Vagaro is best for larger businesses that are expanding quickly, need advanced features to grow, and don’t mind a larger price tag.

Square Appointments is great for salon owners who already use certain Square features, need a scheduling app that’s easy to integrate with other tools, and would prefer to have a simpler set of functions than dedicate a large portion of their budget to scheduling tools.

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Acuity vs Vagaro

One point in favor of Acuity is its affordable pricing. This software offers a Freebie plan, which includes a calendar for one person at a single location. With this plan, you can get started with the basic functions you need to run your salon, including offering client self-scheduling and unlimited client services and appointments.

But when it comes to free trials, Vagaro takes the cake by offering a 30-day free trial period, compared to Acuity’s 7-day offer.

Vagaro offers a website-builder service as an add-on for an additional $10 per month. Acuity doesn’t offer that, but since it recently joined the Squarespace family, you can easily integrate Acuity with your Squarespace website.

One of Vagaro’s main selling points is the possibility of listing your business on Vagaro’s free marketplace. So if you’re looking for a boost to your client base, Vagaro’s definitely worth looking into.

What’s great about Acuity is its ability to sync with existing calendars and integrate with various popular management tools for accounting, customer relationship management (CRM), online payments, and analytics.

Ultimately, Acuity is great for established salons that are on the lookout for numerous integrations and customizable features and are considering expanding into markets other than the US in the future.

But if you’re a relatively large business that’s looking to scale and would benefit from features like a dedicated market space, Vagaro is the tool for you.

Acuity vs Schedulicity

Schedulicity provides more than just appointment scheduling. Like Vagaro, this tool also gives you a business listing on the Schedulicity marketplace. This additional perk helps increase your brand’s visibility and get more clients.

Schedulicity doesn’t offer a free trial period, unlike Acuity, which provides a 7-day free trial period for all paid plans. But on the bright side, you can get started with Schedulicity for free with limited features, which is important for small businesses that aren’t looking to invest in appointment scheduling software just yet.

In general, Schedulicity’s pricing plans are more affordable, but with Acuity, you might be getting more bang for your buck. That’s because it offers many more useful tools like accounting, CRM, and analytics software. So if you don’t mind the investment, Acuity is a great choice.

At the end of the day, Schedulicity is a great option for solopreneurs and small business owners that are looking for an easy-to-use, comprehensive solution that doesn’t break the bank.

Acuity, on the other hand, is a great choice if you’re looking for more advanced features and aren’t easily put off by tech.

Mindbody vs Vagaro

Mindbody originally specialized in the fitness industry but has recently branched out into offering services for salon businesses.

With Mindbody, you can manage payroll, keep track of inventory, provide a low-touch experience and online payment processing, and increase retention rates with targeted, automated campaigns.

Additionally, a great feature of Mindbody is its AI Messenger tool, which helps you book more appointments and manage client communication more easily.

Perhaps its greatest drawback is its high price point, starting from $139 per month. So if now’s not the time for this investment, then Mindbody isn’t right for you.

Vagaro is designed specifically for salon and beauty businesses. It offers a 30-day free trial period for every plan but doesn’t actually offer a free plan, which isn’t great for solopreneurs on a budget.

This platform also comes with a website-builder service as an add-on for an additional $10 per month and the possibility of listing your business on Vagaron’s free marketplace. So if you’re looking for a boost to your client base, Vagaro could be a great option.

Ultimately, Mindbody’s suitable for larger businesses that are looking for a more complex tool and aren’t afraid of a learning curve or high price tag.

But if you’re a medium-sized business that’s growing quickly and wants features like a dedicated market space, Vagaro would be a great tool for you.

Features to Look for in an Appointment Scheduling App

When it comes to choosing an appointment scheduling app, business owners like you have unique needs. What works for one business may not work for another, and that’s okay. It’s all about finding the best solution for you, your employees, and of course, your customers.

But here are a few must-have features that can benefit just about any kind of business:

Cloud-based and Native Applications

The last place you’ll find a small business owner is tied to a desk. That’s why it’s essential that the scheduling solution you choose is cloud-based so you can access your data from anywhere. Bonus points if the healthcare scheduling app comes with a native iOS or Android app.

A Business Directory

Competition for presence in search results is steep, so the more web pages that mention your brand or link to your website, the better. And when you’re doing all of your marketing and email campaigns yourself, you need all the extra brand visibility you can get. That’s why a scheduling app should offer you the option to list your website on their marketplace or business directory.

This unique feature is great because it’s low cost, it harnesses SEO to generate traffic, and it doesn’t take much maintenance. Keeping your social media and paid advertisements updated is a full-time job in and of itself, but uploading a link to your website in a business directory is passive and pays off over time.

Integrations, Widgets, and Plugins

It’s important that your customers can find you on their preferred online booking platform. Not everyone will go to your website’s booking pages — especially new customers who’ve never heard of your business.

On the other hand, new customers may come across your business on social media, Google search, Google Maps, or Yelp. And when they do, make sure it’s simple for them to schedule an appointment.

Payment Acceptance

While in-store payments are still the preferred way for clients to pay for their salon services, you need to make sure your platform has functions for processing different kinds of payments. This is because some stylists may request pre-appointment deposits from clients to reduce no-shows, and other stylists may rely on mobile payments only.

To accommodate that, make sure your appointment scheduling app includes options for online payments and mobile payments, as well as in-person transactions.

Room to Grow

Although you may be a small business today, in ten years, you could have an enterprise on your hands. You’ll want to choose a scheduling app that can grow with your business — and that’s synonymous with any kind of business management software solution. Your solution of choice should be scalable.

Intuitive and User-friendly

The easier to use, the better. One goal for using appointment scheduling software is to cut down on tedious tasks — so don’t trade one problem for another. Whatever solution you choose should be intuitive and user-friendly.

Employee Scheduling

Client scheduling apps go hand-in-hand with employee schedule apps. Many of these solutions can also be used in tandem with your time clock, so you can be sure your employees’ schedules and hours worked match your bookings.

HIPAA Compliance

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is the healthcare industry’s standard for sensitive patient data protection. If you’re in the healthcare field, you’ll want to make sure your scheduling app is HIPPA compliant.

What Salon Appointment Scheduling Apps Don’t Have (That Your Business Still Needs)

Now that you’re familiar with some of the best appointment management tools out there and what they offer, let’s talk about what they can’t do for your business. These are things that your salon still needs, but can’t get with the majority of the tools we talked about above.

Some of these needs include:

1. Payroll
2. HR
3. Employee scheduling
4. Time tracking
5. Hiring and onboarding

So if you’re interested in having all these features in one tool without spending a fortune, keep reading as we explain how Homebase can be your perfect partner.

Homebase is a platform that helps small businesses manage their work schedules, time clocks, payroll, HR, and more. We make sure small businesses and salon owners like you spend less time on paperwork and more time on growing your business.

So how exactly do we do that? Let’s take a look!

Payroll

Payroll doesn’t have to be complicated. Homebase specializes in hourly work and automates your payroll process so you can pay your team in a matter of clicks. We also offer a setup experience for every type of business owner.

Don’t have much experience with payroll? Our payroll experts will take care of it for you.

Want to do it yourself? Be our guest!

Need someone to review your setup for accuracy? We’ve got you covered.

Homebase instantly converts your timesheets into hours and wages for payroll, calculates correct taxes, and sends accurate payments to employees, your state, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

All you need to do is track your employees’ time, and then you’re just a few clicks away from processing payroll and sending direct deposits straight into your team members’ bank accounts.

HR

Homebase provides HR for people who don’t do HR. What do we mean? Well, we basically equip you with all the modern tools and expert HR guidance you need to make sure you stay compliant and manage your team effectively.

Small businesses tend to put HR on the back burner, but that can end up harming their daily operations and, ultimately, their bottom line.

Luckily, Homebase makes HR processes quick and easy. You can:

• Manage employee information like emergency contacts and payroll details
• Track employee certifications and get alerts when they expire
• Upload, e-sign, and securely store employee documents
• Set up paid time off policies to track accruals and balances for sick and vacation leave
• Get notified when labor laws change at the state or federal level
• Save notes about employee performance and monitor on-time arrivals and no-shows

With this suite of features, you can automate your HR tasks and administrative tasks, freeing up your mental space for more business-related projects.

Employee Happiness

Employees are the backbone of every business, and without having the proper systems and perks in place to keep your team members happy and engaged, you risk losing your most valuable assets. It’s unfortunate, then, that most salon scheduling apps don’t provide an employee happiness feature. But Homebase does.

How do we do that exactly? Well, we help you:

• Offer perks and benefits like early access to wages in case of emergencies.
• Recognize team members for their contributions by automatically tracking performance metrics like on-time arrivals.
• Celebrate employees by giving you visibility over team birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestones.
• Keep track of how your team is feeling by making it super easy to gather feedback and employee sentiment.

Keep team members on the same page. Team members can use our user-friendly app so they’re always up to date on their schedules, hours worked, and earnings. They can also communicate with each other and coordinate shift trades and covers.

How Do Apps Make Salon Scheduling Simple

When clients are the heart and soul of your business, you need to make appointment scheduling as effortless as possible.

Not only does selecting the best salon appointment scheduling app help you bring in more customers, but it can also help you expand your business, improve your employee experience, and keep your brand on the cutting edge.

While there are an overwhelming amount of options, we hope our recommendations will help you find the salon scheduling software that works best for your business.

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Frequently asked questions about salon scheduling apps

How do I optimize my salon scheduling?

You can optimize the scheduling of your salon business by

1. Going digital and using employee scheduling and appointment management software
2. Offering online appointment bookings
3. Providing accurate time slots to avoid a spillover domino effect
4. Considering walk-in clients
5. Sending automatic SMS or Email appointment reminders
6. Accepting online payments
7. Adopting no-show or cancellation policies

What is the best online appointment scheduling software?

The best online appointment scheduling software depends on your business, budget, and specific needs. But here are our picks for the top eight appointment scheduling software for salon owners:

1. Genbook
2. Schedulicity
3. Vagaro
4. Square Appointments
5. Acuity
6. Setmore
7. Booker
8. Mindbody

With these options in mind, we also recommend complementing your client scheduling software with team management software like Homebase, which helps automate HR and admin tasks. That way, you can focus on what you do best — improving the client experience and building your brand.  

Does Homebase have salon scheduling software?

Homebase offers employee scheduling software in every plan (including our free plan!) to make processes and workflows easier for all kinds of small to medium-sized businesses, including salons.