This list is for hair salons and barbershops looking for booking software in 2026, or thinking about switching. We compared eight systems, four with a marketplace and four without, using the providers' pricing pages and public feature lists as of September 2026. terminio.ai is on the list itself, in first place. Weigh that as you read: for every provider, ours included, we state the price, the limits and the case in which it is the better choice.
What we looked at
A hair salon needs five things from booking software, and we checked each provider for all five. Not by ticking boxes in a table, but by what matters on a Saturday morning: the client books on her phone in a minute, the reminder goes out by itself, the 2 pm balayage has a deposit on it, every chair has its own calendar, and the phone does not ring into the void while you cut.
For marketplaces we also asked what a new client costs, because there the commission is often a bigger line than the monthly fee. What a provider's website does not say, we do not claim, neither as a yes nor as a no.
- Commission and monthly price: what does the provider cost a month, and what does a booking or a new client cost on top?
- Customer account: does the client have to register or install an app before she gets an appointment?
- WhatsApp reminders: are there any, from which number, and what does each message cost?
- Deposits: can the salon take money at booking for balayage, extensions and other long appointments?
- Team and phone: does every stylist have their own calendar, and does anyone answer the phone while everyone is cutting?
1. terminio.ai: hair salon appointment software without commission
terminio.ai is for salons that already have their clientele and want to keep the full price. The client opens your booking link, picks a service and a stylist, types her name and mobile number, done. No account, no app. Confirmation and reminders arrive by WhatsApp from your own number, in your own words. For balayage or extensions you take a deposit through Stripe, by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Every stylist has their own calendar, with no cap in any plan.
According to the provider's pricing page, September 2026, Free costs €0 with 50 bookings and five WhatsApp reminders a month, Pro €19.99 with unlimited bookings and reminders, and Pro Voice €129.99 with an AI phone assistant, a German phone number and 200 minutes of calls, then €0.25 per minute. No commission, no setup fee, cancel monthly. What is missing: a marketplace that brings new clients, a till and stock. terminio.ai is a young provider focused on Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Pick terminio.ai if your salon is busy enough and you want to solve two problems: clients who forget appointments, and calls that get lost because every pair of hands is in someone's hair. The phone assistant on Pro Voice picks up, checks the live calendar, books the appointment and sends the confirmation by WhatsApp while you keep cutting.
2. Treatwell: beauty marketplace with salon software
Treatwell is for salons that need new clients and are willing to pay for them. The marketplace is established in the beauty industry, many clients already have the app on their phone, and they find you there without you lifting a finger. Salon software, till and marketplace come from one system, with the Connect app for your team. Deposits are taken online, and reminders go out by email, SMS and push.
Connect costs from €39 a month according to the pricing page, and the marketplace takes 35% on a new client's first booking and 2% on online prepayments. There is no free plan. Your booking page is a widget or a page on a Treatwell subdomain, and WhatsApp reminders are not on the website. Pick Treatwell if you are opening up or have empty chairs and see the commission as an advertising budget.
3. Fresha: salon software with marketplace and till
Fresha is for salons that want till, stock, marketing and diary from one vendor and want to be found through the Fresha marketplace. Deposits are possible, an AI concierge is available as an add-on, and WhatsApp reminders are included: 100 a month free, then per message. Your client does need a Fresha customer account, though, and your salon is listed in the marketplace by default.
According to the pricing page, Fresha costs €19.95 a month plus €14.95 per team member. The marketplace takes 20% on a new client's first booking, at least €6, online payments cost 2.79% plus 0.20, and the AI concierge $99.95 per location. With three chairs you are not at €19.95 but at just under €50 plus fees. Pick Fresha if you need till and stock in the same system and keep an eye on the individual line items.
4. Booksy: booking app for barbershops
Booksy is for barbershops and salons whose clients already use the Booksy app. That is where they book, prepay and get reminded by SMS and push, all in one app many customers know. Booksy takes no commission on bookings; Boost for extra reach is optional. Your salon gets a booking link and a profile in the marketplace, and the team manages appointments in the Booksy Biz app.
According to the pricing page, Booksy costs €35 a month plus tax, and €7 for each additional team member. There is no free plan, only a 7-day trial. WhatsApp reminders and booking without an account are not on the website. Pick Booksy if you run a barbershop, your customers expect to find you there, and you prefer a profile in someone else's app to a page of your own.
5. Planity: marketplace with deposits
Planity is for salons that want to be found on a marketplace where salon clients already book. The calendar has run in salons for years, the Planity Pro app is there for the team, and at booking you can ask for a deposit or the full amount. That keeps no-shows in check, especially on long colour appointments on a Saturday.
Planity only quotes prices on request; according to third-party sources it starts at €49 a month, and a commission is not confirmed on the website. The client needs a customer account with an SMS code, reminders come by SMS, and your salon page lives on planity.com, not under your own name. Pick Planity if reach on the marketplace matters more to you than a price you know in advance.
6. Salonkee: salon software with till and marketplace
Salonkee is built for hair, beauty and nail salons that want till, card deposits, a website module and diary from one system. New clients find you through the Salonkee app, the team works in Salonkee PRO, and Popcall shows you who is calling when the phone rings. Answering it, however, is still up to you.
The Start plan costs from €49 a month according to the pricing page, till and card deposits included. A free plan, a commission and WhatsApp reminders are not on the website; Salonkee lists SMS. Whether the client needs an account is not confirmed there either. Pick Salonkee if you are replacing the till anyway and want one system for appointments, payment and marketplace.
7. Shore: salon software from Munich, no marketplace
Shore is for salons that want established scheduling software from Germany and do not need a marketplace. The booking page is your own, a deposit at booking is included, the Shore Business app comes with every plan, and you get WhatsApp reminders from the Wachstum plan up. There is no commission, and your clients stay yours.
According to the pricing page, Shore costs from €49.90 a month billed yearly. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and team size depends on the plan: two to unlimited. A phone assistant is not on the website. Pick Shore if a yearly contract is fine for you and you value a provider that has run in hair salons and beauty studios for years.
8. Phorest: the suite for larger salons
Phorest is for larger salons and chains that want a complete package: marketing, loyalty, stock and several locations in one system. The booking page is your own, a deposit at booking is included, there is no commission, and the PhorestGo app goes with the team. The Front Desk AI answers messages from clients, but not calls.
Phorest only quotes prices on request, and there is no free plan. WhatsApp is an add-on with a fixed template you cannot edit. For a salon with three chairs it is more system than you need. Pick Phorest if you run several locations, want stock and loyalty in the same system, and can get a quote before you decide.
Verdict: which provider for whom
The question is not which salon software is best, but what your salon needs right now: new clients, or more from the ones you have. Marketplaces bring reach and cost a commission or a base fee. Software without a marketplace costs less, and your clients stay yours.
- terminio.ai: salons with regulars that want WhatsApp, deposits and phone cover without commission.
- Treatwell: new salons with empty chairs, trading reach for 35% commission.
- Fresha: salons that want till, stock and marketplace in one system.
- Booksy: barbershops whose customers already book in the Booksy app.
- Planity: salons that want to be found on the marketplace and need deposits.
- Salonkee: salons replacing till and diary together.
- Shore: salons that want German software on a yearly contract, without a marketplace.
- Phorest: larger salons and chains with stock and several locations.
