How we evaluate software
Our comparisons are built from what vendors publish and what owners in the trade care about. Here is exactly what that means.
What we look at
- Online booking clients actually finish, with deposits and no-show protection
- Card processing rates and fees, not just the subscription
- Marketplace fees for new clients found through the vendor's app
- How price grows as you add stylists or locations
- Payroll, commissions and inventory for salons with staff
- Trial terms and free data migration
How we score
Each tool gets a score from 0 to 5 on the criteria below. The overall score is the weighted average. Scores are our editorial judgement, based on each vendor's published features, plan limits and prices for a company like yours.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Booking & client experience | 25% | Online booking clients finish, booking channels, reminders |
| Real monthly cost | 25% | Subscription plus card fees and marketplace fees at solo and small-team size |
| No-show protection | 10% | Deposits, cancellation policies, no-show fees |
| Team, commissions & payroll | 15% | Staff schedules, commission tracking, payroll |
| Marketing & retention | 10% | Email and text campaigns, memberships, loyalty, reviews |
| Trial, switching & support | 15% | Free trial, data migration, how you get help |
Where the numbers come from
Prices and plan limits come from each vendor's public pricing page. Every tool card links to that page and shows the date we last checked it. Vendors change prices and bundle features often, so treat our figures as a starting point and confirm before you buy.
What we don't claim
Unless a guide says otherwise, we have not run each tool in a live business for months. When a strength or weakness comes from the vendor's own feature list rather than from use, we describe it as a feature, not as an experience. We would rather tell you less than invent a test we didn't do.
How money fits in
Some links are affiliate links. A tool's affiliate program never decides whether it appears or where it ranks, and we list tools that pay us nothing when they are a good fit. See the affiliate disclosure.