Salon point-of-sale (POS) systems are a type of point-of-sale software designed for managing appointments, booking and charging clients, tracking retail products, and handling employee commissions. The best salon POS systems also streamline client communications, connect to marketing channels, and help optimize schedules with flexible and sophisticated calendar and appointment management tools.
Choosing the right POS for your salon business is crucial. It will streamline your day-to-day operations, allowing you to focus on your clients and your craft.
Top salon POS software
The best salon POS systems on the market include:
All of the solutions that made our list are cloud-based and offer online booking with a customizable website builder, multi-staff calendar options, chair-side checkout tools, tip and commission tracking, and both retail and back bar supply tracking.
*Higher fees apply for online and card-on-file transactions
Read more: Best POS Systems
Overall Reviewer Score
4.35/5
Pricing
5/5
Hardware
3.5/5
Salon software features
4.79/5
Support and reliability
3.75/5
User experience
4.38/5
User scores
4.67/5
Pros
- Forever-free plan
- Unlimited appointments, employees, and inventory items
- Low payment processing fees
- Customer-facing marketplace
- Automated marketing campaigns
Cons
- Minimal integrations, including no accounting
- No group booking capabilities
- No client chat capabilities
Why I picked Fresha
Whether you’re managing a small team of stylists or multiple salon locations, Fresha has all the basics you need in an affordable, user-friendly package. Unlike Square, Vagaro, and others on this list, you can schedule unlimited appointments for unlimited team members in multiple locations, all for free.
Its user-friendly interface, customer-facing business directory, low price point, and detailed booking features earned Fresha the top spot.
Overall Reviewer Score
4.35/5
Pricing
4.38/5
Hardware
4.75/5
Salon software features
4.17/5
Support and reliability
3.75/5
User experience
4.38/5
User scores
4.67/5
Pros
- Diverse and affordable hardware options
- Free plan
- Free online booking site
- Plus plans to grow with your business
- Square Go customer app
Cons
- Variable support quality
- Limited support hours
- Google Calendar sync only available in paid plans
Why I picked Square Appointments
Square is an extremely popular and highly rated POS. Its touch-screen interface is incredibly intuitive, requiring minimal training, and is ideal for fast-paced salon environments.
The other options on this list offer either a mobile card reader or a countertop terminal. Square offers both and everything in between, including a large touch-screen register with a customer-facing display, a sleek iPad stand, a handheld mobile terminal, and a mobile card reader. You can also simply opt to accept Tap to Pay directly from your smartphone.
One of the best parts about using Square is that you have access to the entire Square ecosystem, including payroll, shifts, team management, banking, online store, inventory tracking, and more. This, along with the excellent hardware options, user-friendly software, and low price point, makes Square’s POS solutions not just great for salons but also one of the best POS systems for most small businesses.
Overall Reviewer Score
4.22/5
Pricing
4.38/5
Hardware
3.5/5
Salon software features
3.96/5
Support and reliability
4.38/5
User experience
4.38/5
User scores
4.73/5
Pros
- All-in-one pricing
- Custom website builder
- Automated marketing tools
- User-friendly client-facing tools
- Excellent user reviews
Cons
- Need to use GlossGenius’s payment processing
- Calendar and schedule not as easy to navigate
Why I picked GlossGenius
The other software on this list are designed with browser-based dashboards and countertop payment terminals. GlossGenius, however, is mobile-first.
GlossGenius’s mobile-first approach makes it a practical solution for busy stylists on the go. Its automated marketing tools (which can also be handled right from the app) help keep your schedule booked and busy. The easy booking tools and automated reminders help guarantee a great guest experience.
Perhaps most importantly, GlossGenius has excellent reviews from stylists, salon owners, and clients alike, proving it is adaptable and user-friendly software.
Overall Reviewer Score
3.96/5
Pricing
2.19/5
Hardware
3.75/5
Salon software features
5/5
Support and reliability
4.38/5
User experience
4.38/5
User scores
4.07/5
Pros
- Robust, enterprise-level software
- Customizable and configurable features
- Real-time access to tips without processing fees
- Excellent reporting
- Easily manage memberships and walk-ins
Cons
- Expensive
- Requires excellent internet speed and bandwidth
Why I picked Meevo
As software built for large salons, multi-location businesses, enterprise corporations, and franchises, Meevo has the booking and reporting tools to manage it all. Whether you offer salon services or various treatments, Meevo can handle it.
Unlike the other options on this list, like Square and Fresha, which are designed for small businesses, Meevo is exclusively designed for larger businesses. As such, its reporting is significantly more detailed and its feature set is designed to support an extensive client base as well as many different service providers.
Meevo has more cutting-edge technology than the other solutions on this list (like the ability to book appointments via voice and a waitlist tool that automatically texts clients to fill openings). It also has much more granular controls, from the ability to book appointments down to five-minute intervals to providing individual employees access to itemized reports and register functions.
Overall Reviewer Score
3.95/5
Pricing
3.44/5
Hardware
3.25/5
Salon software features
5/5
Support and reliability
3.75/5
User experience
3.75/5
User scores
4.53/5
Pros
- Automated rent collections
- Online marketplace with no referral fee
- Syncs with iCal, Google, and Outlook
- Native loyalty program
- Detailed reporting
Cons
- Expensive hardware
- Expensive add-ons
Why I picked Vagaro
More than ever, stylists are choosing to be their own boss, which means salon owners need software that can manage scheduling and renting out chairs and booths to independent contractors. Unlike the other options on this list, Vagaro has these tools built in. Business owners can set up automatic payments. If you offer product sales commissions, payments can be automatically deducted from rent fees.
Aside from rental tools, Vagaro also has robust appointment scheduling, embedded payment processing, and a popular customer-facing marketplace that doesn’t charge commission fees (unlike Fresha).
Key components of salon POS
Having experience in the industry, I know how important it is for your POS system to have flexibility and a 360-view of business operations—including resource booking, backbar products, and commission tracking.
Plus, advanced calendar tools and appointment reminders can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in front desk labor costs and missed appointment opportunities.
Support hours are especially important, as salons are typically open after normal business hours and on Saturdays.
In addition to the customers’ and the business owners’ experience, a good salon POS will also have employee management and employee-facing tools like calendar management and settings, the ability to view appointments and schedules from personal and off-site devices, and overall customization options.
Read more: Types of POS Systems
Benefits of using a salon POS
Using a dedicated salon POS allows for appointment booking, client management, and payment processing to happen all within the same system. This makes streamlining operations like cancellation and no-show fees, appointment reminders, and reporting easier. In short, the benefits are:
- Efficiency: Faster appointment scheduling and fewer manual processes for tasks like appointment reminders and confirmations.
- Cost savings: It reduces the need for multiple systems, minimizes manual errors and time in payment processing, and provides deeper insights for better operational and marketing efficiency in the long run.
- Scalability: Cloud-based POS systems are designed to scale easily as your business grows with more employees, clients, and locations. POS systems are also typically adaptable with new features and integrations.
- User-friendly online booking: Allows clients to book online 24/7 and sync to the appointment book within the POS.
- Better client management: Save customer information, including payment information, appointment history, and preferences, allowing for personalized service and marketing.
- Actionable reporting and analytics: Insights into sales trends, employee performance, VIP customers, and more.
- Easy employee management: Manage staff schedules, tip and commission payouts, performance metrics, and access levels.
- Better inventory management: Track bar product usage and stock levels and retail sales and trends, perform inventory counts, and manage reorders.
Read more: POS Data