![7 Best Salon Booking Systems in 2025 [Tried & Tested]](http://support.themedev.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/7-Best-Salon-Booking-Systems-in-2025-ThemeDev.jpg)
We will be honest with you – operating a salon business is more than just doing great hair, nails, or brows. You’ve got to manage bookings, handle client relationships, take care of payments, send reminders, market your services…and the list goes on.
And if your booking system isn’t performing as expected, things can get chaotic fast.
That’s why picking the right salon booking tool matters so much. The right system can save you hours of back-and-forth DMs, reduce no-shows, and even help bring in new clients on autopilot. But with so many tools out there, it can be tough to know which one fits your setup best.
But worry not, because we’ve personally tested and evaluated the top salon booking systems available today. Whether you’re a solo business owner or managing multiple business locations, you’ll find options here that fit your needs.
We’ll break down the features, what users like, and areas of improvement of each tool to help you choose the best one for your business.
Quick Overview: Best Salon Booking Tools for 2025
Here’s a quick look at the top salon booking systems and their unique features:
| Booking System | Best For | Platform | Payment Support | Notable Features |
| Salonly | WordPress salon owners | WordPress | PayPal, Mollie, Razorpay, 3DS Stripe, 2Checkout, Checkout, Amazon Pay, Razorpay, Stripe, WooCommerce, Offline and Square | Intuitive dashboard, advanced service management, PDF invoicing, deposits, custom fields, mobile app |
| Fresha | All-in-one cloud scheduling | Cloud-based | Built-in POS (fees apply) | Marketplace exposure, no monthly fees, automation |
| Amelia | Appointments + events/classes | WordPress | Stripe, PayPal, Mollie, Razorpay | Pay via link, Google Calendar sync, Zoom integration, group bookings |
| Bookly | Scalable bookings for WP sites | WordPress | Stripe, PayPal (Pro) | Fully customizable forms, SMS reminders, and calendar sync |
| GlossGenius | Independent pros and large teams | Cloud-based | Flat 2.6% built-in | POS hardware, client profiles, easy team management, email/SMS marketing |
| Hydra Booking | Power users needing flexibility | WordPress | Stripe, PayPal | Buffer times, advanced scheduling, analytics and export data |
| Boulevard | High-end salons & growing teams | Cloud-based | Built-in POS | Precision scheduling, memberships, upsells |
What Is Salon Booking Software & Do You Need One?
Salon booking software is a digital tool that helps salons, spas, and wellness business owners manage client appointments, staff schedules, payments, and communication.
It automates the booking process, so customers can book their own slots online without back-and-forth communication through call or email. This saves time for both the owner and client and ensures smooth operation.
Here’s why a good salon booking software is worth it:
– Saves Time and Reduces Manual Work
Forget about answering phones or managing spreadsheets. A booking system automates the entire appointment process, from scheduling and confirmations to rescheduling and cancellations – so you can save time and manage your salon business efficiently.
– Reduces No-Shows with Reminders
Salon booking tools often include email and SMS reminders for clients. This will save you from a lot of headaches and money. It not only reduces no-shows but also ensures professionalism and improves your brand reputation.
– Offers 24/7 Online Booking
Even while you sleep, clients can book appointments from your website, social media, or Google profile. How awesome is that? And that’s how it should be. This ensures a convenient customer experience and increases the overall bookings.
– Manages Staff Schedules and Resources
It’s 2025, and if you are still managing your staff and their schedules, it’s counterproductive. These salon management tools let you efficiently manage multiple team members – helping in assigning bookings based on availability, expertise, and working hours.
– Accepts Online Payments Securely
Most tools integrate nicely with payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, or Square, so you can collect payments or deposits upfront and reduce cancellations.
Choosing The Right Salon Booking Tool: Factors to Consider
There are plenty of salon booking solutions, but not all of them will help your business the way you want. So, you need to be choosy and opt for tools based on some proven criteria.
Here are the most important things to consider when selecting the right salon booking system:
i. Ease of Use
Look for a system that’s easy to set up and navigate. You don’t want to spend hours learning how it works or, even worse, confusing your customers. A good interface should let both you and your clients make bookings without hassle.
ii. Mobile-Friendly Interface
This is a no-brainer. Many clients will book from their phones, so make sure the booking system works smoothly on mobile devices. Some tools even offer dedicated mobile apps for staff and users to check schedules and get real-time updates.
iii. Staff and Resource Management
If you have a team, you’ll want a tool that allows each staff member to set their availability and receive bookings directly. Bonus points if it supports assigning rooms, tools, or other resources.
iv. Automated Notifications and Reminders
Email or SMS reminders are essential for reducing no-shows. Make sure the tool supports automated notifications and gives you control over the messaging.
v. Payment Integration
If you plan to accept online payments or deposits, check if the booking tool supports your preferred payment gateways (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, Square). Also, look for features like tipping, taxes, and refunds.
vi. Calendar Sync and Integrations
It’s helpful if the system can sync with your Google Calendar or work with your existing tools (like WooCommerce, Mailchimp, or Zoom). This will make it easier to stay organized.
vii. Pricing and Scalability
Think about your current needs and your growth plans. Some tools offer free plans that are great for solo professionals, while others provide advanced features better suited for growing salons. Make sure the pricing works for you long-term.
viii. Customer Support and Reviews
Good support can save you a lot of headaches. Check user reviews and customer feedback from Trustpilot, WordPress forums, or other relevant communities – depending on the tool.
We Tested the Best Salon Booking Software – Here’s What We Found
In the next sections, you will get detailed overviews of the best booking plugins that we tested and found helpful for salon business owners. From here, you can easily make an informed decision about which tool better suits your needs.
1. Salonly
Salonly is an advanced yet user-friendly WordPress plugin, built specifically for salons, spas, and beauty service businesses that don’t want to settle for less.
If you’ve ever had to deal with double bookings, missed appointments, or manually tracking payments, this tool was made to take that stress off your plate.
First off, you will find it unique how much control you get over the booking process. You can set up services, packages, team members, working hours, and even custom fields for client info. Also, the booking form is very user-friendly, mobile-ready, and fully customizable, so you can get started right away.
For payments, Salonly supports Stripe, WooCommerce, and offline options. It also includes cool features like partial deposits, PDF invoices, coupons, and real-time price calculation – making it ideal for both small salons and larger teams that want to streamline operations.
You will appreciate the fact that everything’s manageable from the WordPress dashboard, and the plugin works with popular themes like Astra, Divi, and Avada – so it blends nicely into your existing workflows.
Salonly also has its own mobile app now, so you can keep an eye on things when you’re away from your desk. Whether you’re a solopreneur or managing a busy multi-chair salon, Salonly can adapt to your setup without being overwhelming.
What Users Like
- Fully customizable, multi-step booking forms with real-time pricing
- Easy setup with zero coding skills required
- Integrates with PayPal, Mollie, Razorpay, Stripe, WooCommerce, and more payment options
- Deposit payments, discount coupons, and customer account features
- Built-in PDF invoicing and email invoice templates
- Admin dashboard with graphs and reporting tools
- Mobile app access for managing bookings on the go
- Works with top WordPress themes and builders
What Can Be Improved
- Some advanced features may take a bit of learning for new users
2. Fresha
Fresha is one of the most widely used salon booking systems, serving thousands of businesses across multiple continents. It is designed for salons, spas, and wellness professionals who want a combination of powerful scheduling, client management, marketing, and payment processing in one platform.
You will like Fresha as an all-in-one solution which works seamlessly on your desktop and mobile – making it particularly suitable for busy professionals.
Features like the Fresha marketplace help you reach more clients. In addition, the automated reminders and seamless POS integration help streamline operations.
With no monthly subscription fees and built-in analytics, it’s a smart choice for both new and established businesses looking to simplify and scale.
What Users Like
- Intuitive and easy to use for all kinds of users
- Great scheduling tools with unlimited bookings and client profiles
- Integrated payments and POS system
- Client-facing marketplace for more visibility
- Mobile-friendly interface
- Responsive and helpful customer support
What Can Be Improved
- The pricing and fees can be discouraging for some users.
- Users reported duplicate payment issues and non-refundable processing fees.
- Several clients experienced unsatisfactory customer service from the team.
3. Amelia Booking
If you are in the WordPress ecosystem, another plugin you will like is Amelia. It is a booking plugin suited for appointment scheduling and event registration.
It is especially helpful for small to medium-sized businesses in industries like salons, fitness, healthcare, coaching, and education.
The plugin includes features like Google Calendar sync, Zoom integration, recurring appointments, coupon codes, and group bookings.
We have found its front-end booking form to be sleek and modern, which helps boost user engagement and conversion.
If you want to try Amelia’s free version, you will find it sufficient for single-location businesses. On another note, the premium version expands functionality significantly. For example, Businesses that need scheduled notifications, offer multilingual support, or manage multiple employees should opt for the paid tiers.
What Users Like
- Modern and high-converting UI with animations.
- Mobile-optimized for both clients and admins.
- Free Square integration for easy payments.
- Supports various use cases: events, salons, coaches, etc.
- Shortcode flexibility for step-by-step or catalog views.
- Zoom and Google Calendar integration for virtual services.
What Can Be Improved
- Users report occasional bugs disrupting appointment flows.
- Some users found Customer support to be unresponsive or slow at times.
4. Bookly
For service-based businesses like a salon, clinic, or consulting service, Bookly can be another great solution. We found the booking form to have a clean interface, and it works great on phones and computers. So your clients should be able to pick their service, chosen staff member, and a time without many hurdles.
What’s cool is that it’s not just for big businesses. Freelancers and solo professionals can use it too, and it still feels super professional.
You can start with the free version, which gives you the basic tools to get up and running. But if you need more, like accepting online payments, syncing with Google Calendar, or managing multiple staff, the Bookly Pro add-on gives you all that and more.
Another great part is – it handles a lot of stuff automatically, like sending email or SMS reminders to clients. So, you spend less time managing appointments and more time actually running your business.
What Users Like
- Simple and intuitive setup with a user-friendly interface
- Intuitive booking admin panel
- Fully customizable booking form to match branding
- Easily manage an unlimited number of customers
- Wide variety of add-ons for advanced functionality
- Responsive design that works seamlessly on all devices
What Can Be Improved
- Occasional bugs leading to missing or dropped appointments
- Some users report a clunky interface and inconsistent performance
5. GlossGenius
GlossGenius is kind of like having your own receptionist, marketing team, and payment system all combined into one – without the extra cost. It perfectly blends into your workflow, whether you’re working by yourself or managing a whole team.
Clients can book appointments online without needing to download an app or remember passwords, which is a relief. You get a full booking calendar, automatic reminders, and detailed client profiles that update on their own with notes, history, and more.
Payments are built right in, and the flat 2.6% fee is clear – so you are not bombarded with surprise charges. The POS system is clean and works great with their custom hardware.
And on the marketing side, GlossGenius comes with built-in email and SMS tools, along with support for collecting Google reviews, which helps bring in more clients over time.
One of the biggest perks is – you don’t have to be a techy guy to enjoy all these features. It’s intuitive, and the design actually looks like it belongs in a modern beauty business.
What Users Like
- Clean, beauty-first interface that feels professional
- Super easy online booking for clients
- Flat-rate payment processing with no hidden fees
- Built-in email and SMS marketing tools
- Professional website builder included
- Inventory and calendar tools built-in
What Can Be Improved
- Can only be fully managed through the mobile app
- No embeddable booking widget
Pro Tip: Learn how to start a nail salon business.
6. Hydra Booking
Hydra Booking is one of those tools that tries to be everything – and for a lot of users, that’s actually a good thing. It’s a full-featured WordPress plugin built to handle complex appointment scheduling across just about any industry – including beauty and spa businesses.
You can set up one-on-one or group meeting sessions, offer online or in-person options, and even link with Zoom or Google Meet for virtual appointments.
It comes with built-in email and SMS/WhatsApp notifications and automated calendar syncing with Google and Outlook.
The backend dashboard gives you decent analytics and real-time booking insights, and you can export everything in CSV or JSON if needed.
In addition to these features, it offers advanced scheduling options like buffer times, custom questions, and time zone adjustments.
So, it definitely leans into the “power-user” category more than plug-and-play simplicity.
What Users Like
- Highly flexible booking types: one-on-one, group, recurring, and multi-location
- Automated notifications and calendar sync help reduce no-shows
- Extensive customization for availability, buffer times, and booking logic
- Detailed dashboard with real-time analytics and exports
- Offers shortcode-based integration for quick embedding in WordPress
- Unique features like buffer times and custom questions
What Can Be Improved
- Users report conflict with Elementor, which limits layout flexibility
- Can feel overwhelming for users just looking for a basic booking system
7. Boulevard
Boulevard feels like it was designed by someone who actually gets how self-care businesses run.
At first glance, it’s clear that this is not just another generic appointment scheduler. It’s more like a full-blown client experience platform that handles everything from bookings to payments to marketing follow-ups.
What really sets Boulevard apart is its “Precision Scheduling” feature. Basically, it suggests the best booking times for you and your clients, enhancing the overall experience.
On top of that, they’ve built-in upsells, memberships, gift card sales, loyalty programs, and even late cancellation protections through card capture – all from the same system. That means you don’t need to switch between different tools and can focus more on your business.
What Users Like
- Client-facing interface is sleek, branded, and stays on your own website
- Strong POS system built specifically for beauty & wellness
- Built-in marketing, SMS, memberships, and loyalty features
- Suggested products can be shown as upsells
- Membership and loyalty programs for repeat customers
What Can Be Improved
- Doesn’t integrate well with platforms like Wix, which can limit setup options
So, Which Salon Booking Tool Should You Choose for Your Business?
There are so many great salon booking tools out there, and choosing the right one really comes down to what your business needs most.
Whether you’re running the salon yourself, managing multiple staff members, or offering both appointments and classes, your ideal setup might look totally different from someone else’s. That’s why there’s no single “best” option for everyone.
We’ve already gone through the top tools that are leading the game in 2025. Some are perfect for WordPress users, while others offer full cloud-based solutions with built-in marketing and client management.
If you’re someone who prefers full customization and owns a WordPress site, a plugin like Salonly gives you the flexibility to manage everything from your dashboard.
On another note, Fresha is a great choice and doesn’t need a website to function to handle bookings, payments, promotions, and client messaging.
And for salons or professionals who offer both appointments and group events like classes or workshops, Amelia can be a good tool.
At the end of the day, the best salon booking system is the one that blends smoothly into your workflow and frees up your time to focus on clients.
Pro Tip: Learn how to create a salon booking website.
Frequently Asked Questions
To install a booking plugin in WordPress: simply go to your WordPress dashboard, click on Plugins > Add New, and search for your preferred booking plugin (like Salonly, Bookly, or Amelia). Click Install Now, then Activate, and the plugin will be added to your site. You can then follow the setup instructions to configure your booking form and settings.
After you’ve installed and activated a booking plugin, most plugins will give you a shortcode or block to insert the booking form. You can add this shortcode to any page or post using the WordPress editor. Many plugins also let you customize the form’s look and feel so it matches your brand. After setting it up, just publish the page and you’re ready to accept bookings.
For spa businesses, tools like Salonly, Amelia, Fresha, and Boulevard are great because they offer advanced features like staff management and full payment integration. Your preferred choice will depend on whether you prioritize simplicity, automation, or customization.
If your priority is payment processing, Salonly, Bookly, and Amelia are top choices. They integrate smoothly with gateways like Stripe and PayPal. Fresha also supports payments but takes a small commission per booking, so consider that when deciding. Always check if the payment features are included in the free version or only in premium plans.
Summing Up
Choosing the right salon booking system can make a huge difference in how your salon business runs – saving you hours of admin work, reducing no-shows, and giving your clients the convenience they expect.
We have covered the top tools based on important factors like ease of use, mobile-friendliness, payment integration, pricing, and so on. Salonly, Fresha, and Amelia are our recommended choices for their organized, professional, and client-friendly tools.
However, the ultimate choice is yours. Give your salon business the much-needed upgrade today with these plugins.
If you have any questions, feel free to let us know in the comments!
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