Salon booking apps are a fantastic way to organise and manage appointments whilst keeping a record of your clients details. In 2023, there are hundreds of salon booking apps to choose from, but which one is right for your salon business?
Whether you’re considering scrapping your salon appointment book, want to try a new salon booking app, or are simply curious to see what salon software is available, we’ll be looking at some of the best salon booking apps to use in 2023.
The benefits of using salon booking apps
The right software can not only benefit you as a salon owner, stylist or therapist, but it can also really benefit your clients, saving time for both of you. There are various software options available, from simple appointment booking management to more informed functionality such as invoice management, stock control and HR features.
Save time and increase efficiency
Booking apps allow your clients to manage appointment times themselves. Clients simply log in, choose from your available appointment slots and fill in their details. This method is incredibly convenient if you are a small or mobile business and you don’t have reception staff to take bookings for you.
The convenience of clients booking themselves in means you can free up your time that would be spent on the phone or social media and invest it elsewhere in the business, such as conducting appointments or managing your staff.
Save your client’s time
Another bonus of salon booking apps is that they can also save time for your clients. For many people, quickly booking an appointment online is a huge advantage. For clients who value their time over anything, a booking app could make them more likely to become loyal customers, as they know they can quickly and easily arrange their next appointment with their favourite stylist or therapist. This could put your business at an advantage over your competitors.
Related: How to Build Loyalty With Your Salon Customers
24/7 booking system – Anytime, anywhere
As we mentioned previously, many clients find themselves stretched for time. Between work, looking after families and squeezing in socialising, they might not have time to give you a call during your salon opening hours. Booking apps mean your clients can arrange their appointment whenever is most convenient, whether they’ve finished a late shift at work or just put their kids to bed. Making yourself available for your clients whenever and wherever is a brilliant benefit of booking apps.
You can attain new clients and grow your business
More potential new clients are available to you when you use a booking app, this is especially prevalent in the digital-first world that we live in. Apps such as Treatwell are a great way to put your salon out there to a new audience and get new faces through the door to try you out. Plus, if you don’t have a website yet, your app page can act as your digital shopfront, which can really help you market yourself online.
Related: How to Attract New Clients Through Social Media with Not Another Salon
What to take into consideration when choosing a salon software/app?
What is the cost of using salon software?
There will be a financial outlay to using salon software, and perhaps this is a monthly or annual subscription or an initial upfront fee for everything. Be sure to do the numbers to see if this is a viable option for you now and in the future as you may be tied into a contract. Another aspect to be mindful of is that some salon booking apps also take a % of the treatments that are booked in with you via their service.
What in-app services do you really need?
Think about what you’d like your salon software to do and how it can benefit you best. Perhaps you already have a fantastic stock management system and only need to use an app for appointment booking and client management? Maybe you are looking for a 360 salon management system?
Some booking apps offer several features that allow you to manage your entire business, this includes your finances, staff and appointment diary. For some salon businesses, this is just what they want. Others might prefer their traditional tried-and-tested management systems. Make sure you take a look at what your chosen booking app offers and consider how it will integrate and impact your business.
You may not have a chance to speak to new clients before they come through the door
We know how important it is for salons to have a solid personal relationship with their clients. While booking apps are great for getting new business, they miss out on one of the main points of contact you have with your clients. Be aware that when one of your new clients who have booked on the app walks through the door, this is the first time you will have spoken to them. If you prefer to have a quick chat on the phone first, this might not be something you are comfortable with.
Would your clients use a booking app?
Booking apps are an investment, so be aware of the costs involved. While the potential for new clients is great, consider whether your business offers the type of service that is in demand on booking apps. Can you benefit from this? Take a look at what other salons in your area are offering on the app and whether you think you can compete successfully with them.
Can you capture some client loyalty through an app?
If you prefer to focus on client loyalty, you must make sure you pull out all the stops to get your new app-bookers back in the salon! With an array of hair, beauty and barbershops competing for clients on the app, many will offer discounts and deals to lure them away from you. If you aren’t able to do this, you will need to ensure your new clients receive the best possible service to keep them coming back.
Related: How to manage client information in your salon
The Best Salon Booking Apps To Use In 2023
We’ve done some of the leg work for you in pointing out the key features and considerations of each app. Take a look at some of the salon booking apps and salon management software available below to get a flavour of what’s on offer in 2023.
Timely
Timely is a subscription model whereby you pay one monthly fee and can tailor a package to best suit the needs of your salon business. Packages include appointment calendars, automated marketing messaging, stock management, advanced consultation forms, staff target planning and more.
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Why choose Timely?
- Timely pride itself on its support team, which has won a Stevie Award for its customer service.
- Pay one monthly fee at a set price.
- Packages start at a budget-friendly £12 per month.
- Can be used on desktops, iOS and Android.
- Offers a free trial to give it a go before you commit.
What to consider with Timely?
- Your packages grow with you, so if you expand quickly, the cost will rise with this.
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Salons Direct are in partnership with Timely. All views are factual and unbiased.
Fresha
Formerly known as Shedul, the Fresha app offers a number of 360 salon management features for no monthly subscription fee, including unlimited appointment bookings, locations, product inventory and much more. And f you need more tools, you can add on any extra functionality required on a pay-as-you-use model.
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Why choose Fresha?
- Budget-friendly as there is no monthly subscription fee or upfront cost.
- Great for attracting new clients to try out your services.
- Ability to garner verified reviews from real clients.
- Offers automated marketing such as personalised client messaging via SMS or email.
- Ideal for all salon services, including nail salons, beauty salons, barbershops, spas and hair salons.
- Run your salon from your phone as it is compatible with both iOS and Android.
- Fresha has a global user base and network serving 120 countries!
What to consider with Fresha?
- Fresha is not currently customisable from a design point of view, so you will have to use the standard Fresha template for your booking page.
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Phorest
The idea for Phorest was devised nearly 20 years ago by a salon receptionist. Leveraging real salon experience, the software offers the ability to market your salon and manage your staff through stock management, client inventories, loyalty programs and more.
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Why choose Phorest?
- Offers no-show alerts and records this information against multiple no-show clients so you know if this is a regular occurrence.
- You can use Phorest to send marketing messages via text or email straight to clients.
- Available on the App Store and Android Play Store.
- Phorest has been a known, reputable name for a long time.
- Ideal for all salon services, including nail salons, beauty salons, barbershops, spas and hair salons.
- Perfect for stock management thanks to an inbuilt barcode scanner.
What to consider with Phorest?
- Pricing plans are not available at a glance on the Phorest website, and you have to request more information to find out the pricing.
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Booksy
Booksy is a particularly good option for barbershops, though it also caters to most other services, too. They offer a full management software tool, so you can check up on your business performance via data quickly and easily.
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Why choose Booksy?
- You can cancel your free trial at any time, and you don’t need to input your card details to start your trial.
- Offers the ability to sell services and treatments as well as salon retail products.
- Clients can browse your treatments and services based on verified customer ratings and reviews.
- Available on the web, iOS and Android.
What to consider with Booksy?
- Booksy is a set monthly subscription with the ability to pay for add-on services.
- A Booksy subscription starts at £40 per month.
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Treatwell
Treatwell is great for advertising all hair and beauty services. As one of the leading booking apps, you can set up an attractive information page to show off your work and client reviews. Treatwell also offers Point of Sale salon software which you can integrate with the app if you choose to.
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Why choose Treatwell?
- Create virtual warehouses for stock control.
- Increase your online visibility with a pool of potential new clients.
- Treatwell offers free training support to get you set up.
- Great for attracting new clients to try out your services.
- Process payments and print receipts for each client with Treatwells Point Of Sale system.
- Ability to gain verified reviews from real clients.
What to consider with Treatwell?
- Can be expensive to set up if you are a smaller salon business. Prices start at £399 for the starter package and go up to £1.4k for a premium package.
- There are fees and commissions that will be added to your bill.
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There is no one-size-fits-all approach to salon software, however, if you find an app that ticks all the boxes in terms of price point and service offering, it may just be exactly what you’re looking for to save time and increase efficiency.
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