Salon booking software comparison
Honest numbers, real dates, one table.
DaySync and the nine platforms salons actually cross-shop — priced for the same 3-chair salon, checked against each vendor's own pricing page, and honest about where each one wins. Ten platforms, verified Jul 14, 2026.
Solo, watching costs
DaySync Free (no booking cap), Square Appointments Free (with processing fees) and DIKIDI's free core are the real $0 options. Goldie caps free at 20 appointments; Fresha no longer has a free plan.
A team, tired of per-seat math
DaySync is $25/month flat at any size. Everyone else steps: Booksy $20/staff, Fresha $14.95/member, Vagaro $10/calendar, Square $49/location, Altegio and EasyWeek by headcount tier.
Who DaySync is NOT for
If a marketplace feeds you clients (Fresha, Booksy, DIKIDI), if your clients only answer SMS, or if you need built-in card payments today — stay put for now; those are real gaps on our roadmap.
the table
Ten platforms, one 3-chair salon.
| Software | Solo | 3 staff | Commission / cut | A 3-chair salon's month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DaySync | $0 — free forever | $25/mo flat | None, ever | $25, full stop | pricing |
| Fresha | $19.95/mo | $44.85/mo | 20% one-time per new marketplace client (min $6) | $44.85 + 20% new-client fees + processing | vs DaySync |
| Booksy | $29.99/mo | $69.99/mo | Boost: 30% one-time of a new client's first visit | $69.99 + Boost fees + processing | vs DaySync |
| Vagaro | $30/mo | $50/mo + add-ons | No booking commission | $50 + add-ons ($10–100/mo each) | vs DaySync |
| Altegio | $20.99/mo ($12 with 12-mo prepay) | $31.49/mo ($18 prepaid) | No booking commission | $31.49 (or $18 with a year prepaid) | vs DaySync |
| EasyWeek | $12.50/mo (Solo tier) | $24.99/mo (Professional) | No booking commission | $24.99 (staff #6 → $49.90) | vs DaySync |
| DIKIDI | Free core · PRO from $19/mo | Free core · PRO from $19/mo | No booking commission | $0–19 depending on modules | vs DaySync |
| Square Appointments | Free | $49/mo per location (Plus) | No booking commission | $49 per location + processing | vs DaySync |
| GlossGenius | $28/mo | $28/mo | No booking commission | $28 + 2.6% processing | vs DaySync |
| Goldie | Free (20 appts/mo) · Pro $19.99/mo | $39.99/mo (Pro Plus) | No booking commission | $39.99 + SMS beyond credits | vs DaySync |
“A 3-chair salon's month” = subscription for 3 staff plus the fees that trade forces (marketplace, add-ons, processing where unavoidable) — an example month, not a quote. Full per-vendor cost breakdowns live on salon software pricing.
how we verified
Dated, sourced, re-checked quarterly.
- Every price traces to the vendor. Each figure was checked against the vendor's own public pricing page on Jul 14, 2026 — the source link sits on every comparison page. Where a vendor hides numbers (Vagaro quotes via sales), we cite dated 2026 pricing guides and say so.
- Example figures are labeled. The shared scenario — one $612 day, eleven appointments, three chairs — is an example, and every page says which numbers are verified rates and which are the example's arithmetic.
- The date only moves when we re-check. Quarterly pass, one constant, every date on these pages updates together. When a competitor changes pricing between passes, the fix lands with a dated note.
head to head
Each comparison, on its own page.
questions
Asked before switching.
- What is the cheapest salon software for a team?
- For a 3-chair salon, as of July 2026: EasyWeek Professional ($24.99/month) and DaySync Pro ($25/month) are the cheapest flat options; DIKIDI can run cheaper ($0–19) if the free core plus one paid module covers you. Fresha ($44.85 + fees), Square ($49/location) and Booksy ($69.99) cost more — full numbers in the table above, verified against each vendor’s pricing page.
- Which salon booking apps charge commission?
- Fresha charges a one-time 20% fee (minimum $6) on each new client from its marketplace; Booksy's Boost takes a one-time 30% of a new client's first visit. Vagaro, Square, GlossGenius, Goldie, Altegio, EasyWeek, DIKIDI and DaySync charge no booking commission — though most charge card-processing fees, which DaySync doesn't because live payments are still on its roadmap.
- Is there genuinely free salon software?
- Four free tiers are real: DaySync (one person, no booking cap, up to 5 services on the booking page), Square Appointments (solo, single location, with Square processing fees), DIKIDI (free core, business modules paid) and Goldie (20 appointments/month). EasyWeek’s free plan caps at 30 bookings/month. Fresha ended its free model in early 2025.
- Who is DaySync NOT for?
- Three honest cases: if marketplace discovery brings you clients (Fresha, Booksy and DIKIDI have real client audiences; DaySync has none), if your clients only answer SMS (DaySync reminders are email today, SMS on the roadmap), or if you want built-in card payments now (Square and GlossGenius do this well; DaySync payments are on the roadmap).
- How were these numbers verified?
- Every figure was checked against the vendor's own public pricing page (or, where a vendor hides numbers, against dated 2026 third-party pricing guides, disclosed as such) on Jul 14, 2026. We re-verify quarterly and change the date only when we've actually re-checked. Example-day and example-month figures are labeled as examples.
ten platforms, one table
The honest one costs $25, flat.
In your pocket
iOS and Android. The day, the week and the clients ride along.
free to start, no card · no commission, no per-seat, no per-location · prices on this page re-verified quarterly