Chatfuel
Most salon bookings don't start on a booking page. A client sees your work on Instagram, writes "do you have anything Saturday?" on WhatsApp, and books with whoever answers first. If you're mid-appointment, that's usually not you.
A salon booking app keeps the schedule in one place, sends reminders so clients show up, and lets people book without calling. The newer ones also answer clients for you: in chats, by text or on the phone.
We compared ten apps and checked every price on the vendors' own pages in October 2026:
- Chatfuel: an AI Agent that books clients right in WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok and website chats, with a built-in calendar and WhatsApp reminders.
- Fresha: booking, payments and a big client marketplace for beauty and wellness.
- GlossGenius: all-in-one booking, payments and marketing for independent pros and small teams.
- Vagaro: salon software with a marketplace and a long list of add-ons.
- Booksy: booking with a client app and marketplace, one flat price.
- StyleSeat: a booking app and marketplace built for hairstylists.
- Square Appointments: booking tied to Square payments, with a free plan.
- AgendaPro: booking with WhatsApp reminders for salons across Latin America.
- Boulevard: premium software for busy salons, spas and medspas.
- Phorest: salon and clinic software with built-in WhatsApp and AI front desk.
See also: 7 Best Fresha Alternatives Compared
What to look for in a salon booking app
- Booking where clients already write. Clients message you on WhatsApp and Instagram. An app that only sends them a link to a form adds a step, and some clients drop off on it.
- Reminders that get read. Automatic reminders are the cheapest way to cut no-shows. Check the channel: texts and emails, or WhatsApp, which many clients outside the US use every day.
- Staff schedules. Each specialist needs their own services and working hours, so nobody gets booked on a day off.
- An AI receptionist. Most apps now sell AI that answers clients for you. Some answer phone calls, some answer texts or chats, and some only send a booking link.
- Payments and deposits. Card-on-file and deposits protect you from no-shows. Check what the app charges per payment.
- Marketplace fees. Marketplaces bring new clients, but several take a cut of the first visit.
- The real monthly price. Per-location, per-staff and add-on pricing add up fast. Compare what you'd pay with your team size.
Salon booking apps compared
Prices as listed on each vendor's website in October 2026, in USD, per month.
| App | Best for | Client messaging | AI that answers clients | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatfuel | Salons that get bookings in DMs | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, website chat | AI Agent books in the chat | $20, with $20 in credits |
| Fresha | Marketplace exposure | Email, text, WhatsApp | AI Concierge add-on | $19.95 |
| GlossGenius | Solo pros and small teams | Text, email | Reception (calls and texts) | $28 |
| Vagaro | Salons that want many add-ons | Email, text add-on | Vera sends booking links | $30 |
| Booksy | One flat price | Text, email, app push | AI Receptionist (beta, calls) | $29.99 |
| StyleSeat | Hairstylists building a clientele | Text, email | Sage (texts) | $35 |
| Square Appointments | Starting free | Text, email | No | $0 |
| AgendaPro | Salons in Latin America | WhatsApp, email | AI agents | $19 |
| Boulevard | Premium salons and spas | Text, email | Beau (calls) | $143 per location |
| Phorest | Multi-staff salons and clinics | Text, email, WhatsApp | Front Desk AI | On request |
1. Chatfuel
We may be biased, but we built Chatfuel for exactly this job. Chatfuel is an AI Agent that answers your clients on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok and your website chat. When a client asks for an appointment, it asks for the service and the time, offers open slots from each specialist's schedule and saves the booking to your calendar. Nobody fills in a form, and nobody waits for you to finish a haircut.
Chatfuel isn't a point-of-sale system. It's the front desk that sits in your chats, and it comes with its own calendar, so you can run your bookings in it from day one.
Best for: salons, spas and beauty studios where clients book through DMs and WhatsApp.
Key features
- Booking in the chat. The AI Agent offers free slots, suggests the next opening if a time is taken, and reschedules or cancels when a client asks. Under Booking rules you choose how much it does alone: collect requests for your team, book with a teammate's approval or review, or book with full autonomy.
- One calendar. Bookings from chats and the ones your team adds sit in one calendar with the service, the specialist and a status: Confirmed, Not confirmed, Needs rescheduling, Canceled, Attended or No-show.
- Services and specialists. Each service has a duration and a price, each specialist has working hours and breaks. The AI Agent quotes your prices and only offers times that fit.
- WhatsApp reminders. Clients get a confirmation right away and reminders a day and two hours before. The day-before reminder has Confirm, Reschedule and Cancel buttons, and the answer updates the booking. Reminders go out from Chatfuel's WhatsApp number by default, so you don't need your own number to start.
- Google Calendar. Connect each specialist's Google Calendar, and their busy times aren't offered to clients. The sync goes one way: Chatfuel bookings don't appear in Google.
- Everything around the visit. Follow-ups for clients who go quiet, payment links for deposits (the AI Agent shares your Stripe or PayPal link), handoff to your team in live chat, and alerts about new bookings in the mobile app.
- Ready-made setups. Beauty and aesthetics templates for comment-to-DM bookings, story-reply bookings and rebooking nudges.
Pricing
Chatfuel has one plan with every channel and every feature, the calendar and reminders included:
- Business: $20 a month with $20 in credits for AI replies and WhatsApp messages. Contacts and team members are unlimited.
Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and annual billing saves 10%.
Keep in mind
Chatfuel has no point of sale, inventory, payroll or client marketplace. Reminders go out on WhatsApp only, not by text or email, and payments happen through your own payment link.
2. Fresha
Fresha is one of the biggest booking platforms for beauty and wellness, used by more than 120,000 businesses. Clients find you through its marketplace and book online, and you run your calendar, payments and client records in one app.
Best for: salons that want new clients from a large marketplace.
Key features
- Marketplace. Clients discover and book you on Fresha's website and app.
- Notifications by email, text and WhatsApp. 100 messages a month are free, then texts and WhatsApp messages are charged per message.
- AI Concierge. A paid add-on that answers calls and messages, per location.
- Marketing emails and texts to your client list.
Pricing
- Independent: $19.95 a month.
- Team: $14.95 per bookable team member a month.
- AI Concierge: $29.95 a month per location for messaging, or $99.95 with calls.
There's a 7-day free trial. Fresha used to be free, but it no longer has a free plan.
Keep in mind
New clients who find you on the marketplace come with a one-time 20% fee (at least $6). Add-ons and message fees add to the base price.
3. GlossGenius
GlossGenius combines booking, payments, point of sale and marketing in one polished app. It's popular with independent beauty pros, and it now has Medspa plans too.
Best for: solo stylists and small teams that want an all-in-one app.
Key features
- Booking and payments in one app.
- Text and email marketing and automated reminders.
- Reception by Genius AI. Answers calls and texts 24/7 and books into your calendar.
- AI Marketing Assistant and AI Growth Analyst for campaigns and business insights.
- Medspa plans for aesthetic practices.
Pricing
- Standard: $28 a month.
- Gold: $56 a month.
- Platinum: $168 a month.
- Reception: free until November 30, 2026, then $50 a month for 100 minutes and 200 texts.
There's a 14-day free trial, and annual billing costs less.
Keep in mind
GlossGenius talks to clients by text, email and phone. It doesn't answer WhatsApp or Instagram DMs.
4. Vagaro
Vagaro is salon, spa and fitness software with a marketplace, online booking from Instagram, Facebook, Google and Apple Maps, and a long menu of add-ons.
Best for: salons that want to build their setup from add-ons.
Key features
- Online booking from your listing, Instagram, Facebook, Google and Apple Maps.
- Email marketing with 1,000 free emails a month, text marketing as an add-on.
- Add-ons for forms, a website (MySite) and a branded client app.
- Vera Receptionist. Replies to messages from your listing and text number and sends a booking link.
Pricing
- One calendar: $30 a month.
- Each extra calendar: $10 a month, up to seven.
- Add-ons: text marketing from $20 a month, a website from $20, a branded app $100.
There's a 30-day free trial.
Keep in mind
Vera sends clients a booking link instead of booking the visit in the conversation. Add-ons raise the price quickly.
5. Booksy
Booksy is a booking app with a client-facing marketplace and app. You pay one price with every feature included.
Best for: barbers and salons that want simple, flat pricing.
Key features
- Client app and marketplace, plus booking through Reserve with Google.
- 2,000 free text marketing messages a month.
- Every feature in one price, with no feature tiers.
- AI Receptionist (beta). Answers phone calls in English and Spanish and books into your calendar.
Pricing
- Booksy: $29.99 a month plus tax, with every feature.
- Each extra user: $20 a month.
There's a 14-day free trial with no card required.
Keep in mind
Boost, the optional marketplace promotion, takes 30% of a new client's first visit, up to $100. The AI Receptionist is in beta and answers calls only.
6. StyleSeat
StyleSeat is a booking app built for hairstylists, with a marketplace of more than 2 million clients.
Best for: independent hairstylists who want to grow a clientele.
Key features
- Marketplace where clients find and book stylists.
- Text and email marketing.
- Sage. A new AI assistant that answers client texts, checks your calendar and takes deposits.
- Team members at no extra cost.
Pricing
- StyleSeat: $35 a month after the free trial. A promotional $19 a month was running in October 2026.
Keep in mind
StyleSeat charges growth fees on revenue from new clients it brings you through the marketplace.
7. Square Appointments
Square Appointments is booking software from Square, the payments company, and it has a free plan.
Best for: new salons that want to start free and already take card payments with Square.
Key features
- Free plan for online booking and the calendar.
- Text and email confirmations, reminders and two-way messages.
- A business number with call-to-text and voicemail transcripts.
- Text marketing: 500 texts a month on Plus, 2,500 on Premium.
- Works with Square's payments and point of sale.
Pricing
- Free: $0.
- Plus: $49 a month per location.
- Premium: $149 a month per location.
Plus and Premium come with a 30-day free trial.
Keep in mind
Square AI is an assistant for your business data, not a receptionist that answers clients. There's no WhatsApp messaging.
8. AgendaPro
AgendaPro is booking and business software for beauty, wellness and health businesses across Latin America, with a booking website and a client marketplace.
Best for: salons in Latin America whose clients live on WhatsApp.
Key features
- WhatsApp reminders with a free monthly allowance on every plan.
- Booking website and a marketplace with more than 2 million users.
- AI agents for booking and sales. The features differ by country.
- Email reminders and marketing.
Pricing
Prices start at $19 (Individual), $29 (Essential), $59 (Premium) and $199 (Pro) a month and grow with the number of professionals. Mexico and Chile have prices in local currency, and annual billing gives two months free. There's a free trial.
Keep in mind
Extra WhatsApp reminders beyond the free allowance cost extra, $7 per 50 messages.
9. Boulevard
Boulevard is premium software for salons, spas and medspas, from one location to franchises.
Best for: high-end salons and spas with several providers.
Key features
- Online booking with waitlist, deposits and group bookings.
- Two-way texting, text and email marketing.
- Beau AI Receptionist. Answers phone calls 24/7, books clients and hands off to your staff.
- Plans from one location up to franchises and enterprise.
Pricing
- Essentials: $143 a month per location, billed annually.
- Premier: $293 a month per location.
- Prestige: $410 a month per location.
- Beau: $125 a month per location for 200 minutes, then $0.60 a minute.
Boulevard has no free trial; you start with a demo.
Keep in mind
It's the most expensive app in this list and works best for established businesses.
10. Phorest
Phorest is salon, spa and aesthetic clinic software for businesses with three or more staff, used in Ireland, the UK, the US, Australia and more.
Best for: multi-staff salons and clinics that want WhatsApp inside their salon software.
Key features
- WhatsApp as an add-on, plus automated text and email.
- Front Desk AI. Answers text and WhatsApp messages 24/7, books and reschedules, and hands complex chats to staff.
- Branded client app and booking from your website, Facebook, Instagram and Google.
- Unlimited staff and devices.
Pricing
Phorest doesn't publish prices: every plan is "request a quote".
Keep in mind
There's no free trial or public price, so you need a sales call to compare it with the others.
How to choose a salon booking app
Start with where your bookings come from
If most clients find you through a marketplace, Fresha, Booksy, StyleSeat or Vagaro can bring new ones, for a fee. If they already write to you on WhatsApp and Instagram, the fastest win is to book them right there. That's what Chatfuel does.
Count the full monthly price
Check what you'd pay with your real team: per-location (Square, Boulevard), per-staff (Fresha Team), per-calendar (Vagaro) or flat (Booksy, Chatfuel). Add the add-ons you'll need and the marketplace fees.
Decide where the AI should answer
Phone receptionists (GlossGenius, Booksy, Boulevard) suit salons that get calls. Chat agents (Chatfuel, Phorest, AgendaPro) suit salons that get messages. Check whether the AI books the visit itself or only sends a link.
Check the reminder channel
Texts work well in the US. In many other countries, clients read WhatsApp first, so a WhatsApp reminder is the one they see.
How to take bookings in your chats with Chatfuel
- Add your services with their duration and price under AI Knowledge Base › Catalog, and your team under Specialists with their working hours.
- Open Automations and set Booking rules to how much the AI Agent can do on its own.
- Turn on reminders in Calendar › Settings › Reminders: Confirm booking and Remind about bookings.
- Connect WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok or your website chat and test a booking yourself.
The setup guide walks through each step.
Summary
- Chatfuel books clients in WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok and website chats, keeps one calendar and sends WhatsApp reminders, from $20 a month.
- Fresha, Booksy, StyleSeat and Vagaro bring marketplace clients, with fees on some of them.
- GlossGenius is the polished all-in-one for solo pros, Square Appointments the free start.
- AgendaPro fits Latin America, Boulevard high-end spas, Phorest multi-staff salons with WhatsApp.
FAQs
What is the best salon booking app?
It depends on where your clients book. If they write to you on WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger, Chatfuel books them right in the chat and sends WhatsApp reminders. If you want marketplace clients, look at Fresha, Booksy or StyleSeat. To start free, Square Appointments has a $0 plan.
Can clients book a salon appointment on WhatsApp or Instagram?
Yes. With Chatfuel, the AI Agent asks for the service and time, offers open slots from each specialist's schedule and saves the booking to your calendar. It works on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok and your website chat, and your team can step into any conversation.
Is there a free salon booking app?
Square Appointments has a free plan. Fresha no longer does: its plans start at $19.95 a month. Chatfuel, GlossGenius, Booksy, Vagaro and StyleSeat offer free trials.
How do salon booking apps reduce no-shows?
With reminders and deposits. Chatfuel sends a WhatsApp confirmation and reminders a day and two hours before each visit, and clients confirm, reschedule or cancel in one tap. Apps like StyleSeat and Boulevard can also take a deposit when the client books.
Does Chatfuel sync with Google Calendar?
Yes, one way. Connect each specialist's Google Calendar, and their Google events block those times for new bookings. Bookings made in Chatfuel don't appear in Google Calendar.
What is an AI receptionist for a salon?
It's AI that answers clients when you can't. GlossGenius, Booksy and Boulevard sell AI that answers phone calls. Chatfuel's AI Agent works in chats: it answers questions about services and prices, books visits and hands the conversation to your team when needed.
