The Best Salon Scheduling Software & Apps 2026

Often, it’s a juggling act.

Attempting to remember which supplies you need to reorder and —wait…

Which Thursday did you volunteer to host book club this month?

Whether or not you’re into the whole New Year’s resolution thing, a new year is still the ideal time to get your business and life more organized.

Some of the apps and tools on our list help keep your calendars in order (and bonus: cut down on no-shows), while others help double-down on marketing efforts.

Some just help keep you organized and ready for business.

Whether you’re running a 20-person team at your salon or you’re a stylist flying solo, every hair and beauty business can benefit from an online salon scheduling app.

Using one makes the booking process much easier for your clients and saves you time.

No more returning phone calls between appointments or setting aside time to answer DMs about your availability.

No more awkward double-bookings or three-hour gaps between client appointments.

Below are our thoughts on some of the most useful apps on the market, including — cough — the one we think is the absolute best.

Vagaro

Any salon business from solopreneurs to multi-location chains.

Vagaro is especially great if you want to run your business from a single software and/or if you want the control to mix-and-match features.

We also prioritize customer support, which means (rather than doubling-down on hiring sales teams like many of our competitors) we have a friendly team on-hand to answer your calls any time you run into trouble.

(You’d be surprised how uncommon that is.)

All the tools, plus a human touch. That’s us!

• We’re an all-in-one software. You can run everything, from marketing to payment processing, from one account.
• We offer built-in payment processing with contactless payment, customizable payment policies, and more.
• You can call, email, or chat our full-time support team of Vagaro Rockstars.

• Scheduling: appointment scheduling, class and workshop management, personal time off, ability to manage multiple staff members and locations, customizable waivers and policies that clients must acknowledge before booking.
• Marketing: Client appointment reminders and follow-ups via text or email; Book Now button integrations for Instagram and Facebook, and your website; and automated email marketing with templates.
• Pay: Integrated payment processing with contactless tipping, optional card reader, and access to financial reports
• Apps: Client and consumer apps for iOS and Android

A 30-day free trial, then $23.99/month.

Square Appointments

• Proponents of minimalism
• Salons that already use Square for processing payment
• For individuals who want to try online booking with a free appointment scheduling software  

• If you’re already on Square, the payment processing is built in, which certainly simplifies your business management
• The free plan is definitely a good “get started” option for new salon business owners; although you’ll pay more for payment processing long-term (see under Cons)

• You’re locked into Square’s pricing for payment processing, which is currently 2.6% + $.10 for individuals on the free plan and 2.5% + $.10 for teams of 2-10. (As we mentioned above, we offer 2.5% + 15¢ for every transaction.)

• Allow for multiple employees and calendars
• Set custom hours and block off personal time
• Built-in payment processing with Square card reader or point-of-sale system
• Automated text and email reminders
• No-show reduction features (similar to Vagaro's Policies and deposit-first payment option)
• Google and Instagram integration

Mindbody

• Fitness, yoga, and pilates studios, particularly those who rely on ClassPass for all or part of their client base.
• Mindbody recently expanded its features to appeal to salons, hair stylists, and spas.

• First off, Mindbody is beautiful. That’s not surprising considering it’s a brand built for yogis and fitness enthusiasts who care a lot about branding. It’s an added bonus for potential clients who love the aesthetically-pleasing scheduling app and website search functionality.
• Mindbody also has a partnership with ClassPass, so if you use that for your work (and now many salons and spas do), it’s an option to consider.

• Mindbody is built for and targeted at businesses that book classes and workshops, which is to say… not salons or stylists.
• Mindbody is a pricier appointment scheduling platform. You get some amazing features, but it can feel like a financial stretch for a small business (or solo stylist) on a budget.
• Mindbody is known for its strict contracts. That became particularly apparent at the start of the pandemic when shuttered businesses weren’t able to pause their monthly payments.

• Built-in marketing tools
• A native payment processing app (2.75% – 3.5% + $.15 processing fee, depending if you’re a qualified business), plus a $15 fee if you process less than $550 a month
• Option to build a customizable business app (or list your business on their consumer app)

Acuity

• Established salons and businesses that need more advanced, customizable features (including integration with external marketing and financial tools)

• Acuity is owned by Squarespace, which recently launched Acuity scheduling integration.
• Acuity offers more integrations than most other appointment schedulers. If you’re someone who loves to use all the tools, this is great news for you. Think PayPal, GoToMeeting, Zapier, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, and more.

• No phone support, which is a big deal when you run into trouble and need help right away.
• To access more in-demand features (text message reminders, packages and gift certificates, time zone conversion), you need to upgrade to the higher-priced Growing account.

• Options for multiple calendars and locations
• Appointment packages and gift certificates
• Customizable, embedded Acuity scheduler with your branding
• Ability to save client credit cards for later use
• Class and workshop scheduling
• PayPal, Square, and Stripe integrations
• Syncing with iCloud, Outlook, Google Calendar and more

7 days free, and then $15 – $50 per month. (The free option for solo stylists offers minimal features — e.g. no appointment reminders)

Best Tools and Apps for Salon Owners

Todoist

Salon owners, stylists, and barbers who need help managing everything beyond client appointments

We particularly like it for all the features it offers, including:

• Customizable to-do lists and categorization (think: one for the salon, one for your personal work, one for your private life)
• Recurring customizable projects
• Recap emails
• An integrated app and website account to jump between your phone and laptop
• Option for using with large teams
• Templates for complicated projects
• App integrations like Google Calendar and Dropbox

An Online Bank, such as Azlo or Ally

Salon businesses and stylists that want simplified banking with lower fees for their business accounts and their personal lives

Their lack of overhead means they can charge less for banking — and often offer higher interest rates on savings accounts.

Research in-depth to determine the right bank for you, but both Azlo and Ally are intriguing options.

Azlo describes itself as “digital business banking for freelancers, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profits,” which applies to salons and spas.

Ally is a great online bank to consider for your personal accounts, because it’s ahead of the curve with its user-friendly mobile app.

Of course, it’s a hassle to move from one bank to another but still worth crunching the numbers, especially if you’re on-the-go and could use every extra dollar.

Those sneaky fees at national banks add up!

Headspace or Calm

Busy salon owners who know “self-care is essential” but still struggle to make the time

You work in the business of self-care, which means you know that you can’t work successfully without taking care of yourself, too.

If you haven’t tried Headspace or Calm for meditation yet, give one of them a shot.

Both apps offer a free trial, and you can choose how much time you dedicate each day.

While the apps encourage daily meditation, they expanded into sleep, as well. As in, techniques for helping you get more of it.

And you probably need more of it, right?

#1 software & app for beauty, wellness and fitness

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Best Tools for Marketing Your Salon Business

Mailchimp

• Newsletter lovers
• Those who love a clever sale email
• People who don’t know much about email marketing

Look, Mailchimp is beloved for a reason.

It’s straightforward, unpretentious, and patient. It’s also virtually fail-free.

Use Mailchimp’s templates to send a beautiful newsletter. Guaranteed.

Squarespace

• Salons and businesses that want more of a presence than a Yelp profile

Squarespace is easy to use and intuitive.

In recent months, the website-building software launched new features tailored to small business owners, including salons and spas.

Canva

• Salons that care about aesthetics — but don’t have the budget for a graphic designer

Most templates are free, but a Pro account sets you back only about $10 / month.

Best Finance Apps for Salon Owners

QuickBooks Simple Start

• Simple, affordable bookkeeping for almost all hair and beauty professionals

Michelle says, “I think they’re awesome. I generally recommend the Simple Start version online to my clients.”

Free IRS Tax Software

Anyone who makes less than $72,000 per year

“A lot of people don’t know this, but the IRS has free software out there to file your tax return. If you make less than $72,000 a year (and when I say ‘make,’ I mean your profit, not your sales), then there are free options for you,” says Michelle.

Digit

Anyone who struggles with setting aside personal savings

This recommendation comes from Kit Warchol, who’s been using Digit for years.

“You hook up your bank account to the app, and it pilfers a few dollars here and there when it knows you won’t miss them. I’ve saved up for new furniture, a vacation, and pay-off for credit card debt — there’s a setting for that.”

Don’t worry, Digit has an overdraft guarantee.

It won’t take money when you don’t have any, and it’ll pay for an overdraft if it somehow does manage to cause one.