Phorest vs Salonized (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Salonized grades higher than Phorest: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Salonized grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Salonized
Salon software priced per team member, linked to Treatwell
Free trial · from €35/mo
Which one is for you
Pick Phorest if
- Fits if you run a salon or medspa with three or more staff and want booking and client texts in one place
- Works for a salon that wants a desktop app at the front desk and a phone app for staff
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a posted price, as all four tiers are quote only
- Pricey if you send many texts, because Starter charges 5 cents each and the higher tiers cap free texts at 1,000, 5,000 and 27,000
- Watch out: two-way SMS, memberships and the branded app are included only at Elite
- Not for you if you work alone, as the pricing page says Starter is for 3 or more staff
Pick Salonized if
- Fits if you want bookings from Treatwell in your own calendar
- Works for salons of up to 20 people paying per head
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if Treatwell sends you new clients: 35% commission on them, plus 2% on prepaid bookings
- Watch out: a payment terminal starts at €199 plus a 1.0% fee, and SMS credits from €0.11 each
- Skip it if you have 20 or more people, as that means talking to sales
- Watch out: the pricing page loads its prices by script, so only the Growth rate is readable
- Tight if you want a free plan, as there isn't one
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAPhorestWeak | 2.4GPASalonizedFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published. All four tiers are quote only, so cost cannot be compared with the $49.90 middle of the category. | C€35 a month for one person plus €5 per extra, so about €55 for five. That's the middle of the category. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on record, so you pay before you use it. | C14-day trial of the top features with no card, and no free plan. |
| Features | CCalendar, point of sale, payments, automated SMS and email and a desktop app. Two-way SMS, memberships and the branded app are paid add-ons below Elite, which is a gap in the lower tiers. | BCalendar, booking widget, sales, inventory, client records, marketing and its own card payments. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A salon has to set up its calendar, services and card reader first. | CNo store rating on record, and a salon calendar plus payments takes setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, with four integrations listed. No open API is named. | BWeb only, but it links to Treatwell, Google Calendar and Facebook. No phone or computer apps are named. |
| Best for | salon software with built-in texting | salons that also take Treatwell bookings |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Phorest and Salonized. How we grade
Where they differ
- Salonized also covers email campaigns and inventory.
In commonWebReportsAppointment bookingSMS marketingReview collection
At a glance
| Phorest | Salonized | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | €35 per month for 1 team member, plus €5 per added member (Growth) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of all Pro plan features, no card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Phorest | Treatwell Salonized NL B.V. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | salonized.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Phorest
- No prices are published: all four tiers are quote only, so cost cannot be compared up front.
- SMS allowances differ by tier: 1,000, 5,000 and 27,000 free a month on Grow, Complete Advantage and Elite, and 5 cents each on Starter.
- Two-way SMS, memberships and the branded app are included only at Elite; elsewhere they are paid add-ons.
- The pricing page says Starter is for salons and medspas with 3 or more staff.
Salonized
- The pricing page loads its prices from a script; only the Growth plan's rate was readable, so Appointments, Basic and Pro rates are not shown here.
- Treatwell bookings cost 35% commission on new clients plus a 2% fee on prepaid online bookings.
- A Salonized Pay terminal starts at €199 plus a 1.0% transaction fee, and SMS credits start at €0.11 each.
- Teams of 20 or more are told to contact sales, and the multi-location Pro plan has custom pricing.
Key features
Phorest
- Calendar and online booking
- An appointment calendar with a waiting list, 24/7 online booking, booking deposits, no-show charges and rooms or equipment linked to services.
- Point of sale and payments
- Appointment and retail checkout, stock management, cardless checkout and PhorestPay card payments with cashless tipping.
- Automated SMS and email
- Reminders, review requests and marketing messages. Higher tiers include a monthly SMS allowance; Starter pays 5 cents per SMS.
- Desktop and PhorestGo apps
- A Windows and macOS desktop app plus the PhorestGo mobile app for staff, with a manager view on the Grow tier and above.
- Branded client app
- An optional salon-branded iOS and Android app for booking and rebooking, included in the Elite tier and optional on lower tiers.
- AI tools
- An AI client cheat sheet that summarizes client history before a visit, and a Front Desk AI add-on for everyday client conversations.
Salonized
- Online calendar and booking widget
- Clients book through the salon's website, Facebook or Google, with a mini website and two-way Google Calendar sync.
- Sales and inventory
- Cash register, product management, gift cards and financial reporting sit in the Basic plan's feature list.
- Client management
- Client records, appointment reminders, feedback requests, an automatic waiting list and loyalty points.
- Marketing
- Newsletter builder, email templates, client grouping, rebook reminders, last-minute discounts and dynamic pricing in the Pro and Growth plans.
- Treatwell marketplace
- An integration lets a salon take bookings from Treatwell, Europe's marketplace, in return for a commission on new clients.
- Salonized Pay
- In-salon payments on a payment terminal, from booking through to checkout.
Plans
Phorest
Pricing could not be confirmed. See phorest.com.
Salonized
Growth€35
per month for 1 team member, plus €5 per added member
Newsletter builder, email templates, client grouping, online forms, rebook reminders, waitlist, loyalty points and treatment reports.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Phorest or Salonized?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Phorest has no price we could confirm, and Salonized starts at €35 per month for 1 team member, plus €5 per added member (Growth).
Which has a free plan, Phorest or Salonized?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Phorest nor Salonized has a free plan. Salonized has a free trial.
Which platforms do Phorest and Salonized run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Phorest lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.