Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) vs SalonBiz (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) grades higher than SalonBiz: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) grades higher on value for money and the free plan. SalonBiz grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)
Salon scheduling and checkout, now sold as DaySmart Salon
SalonBiz
Salon software for commission-based teams, with Aveda integration
Which one is for you
Pick Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) if
- Fits if you cut hair alone and want booking and card payments in one place
- Works for salons of up to 6 on Premium
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you grow, as users are capped at 1 on Basic, 3 on Deluxe and 6 on Premium
- Pricey if you want text marketing or two-way texting, which need Deluxe Growth at $149 a month
- Watch out: reputation management and the website builder are add-ons on Basic
- Watch out: Premium Growth has no published price
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as only a two-week trial is listed
Pick SalonBiz if
- Fits if you run 2 or more stylists on commission and want payroll in the same system
- Works for Aveda and Bumble and Bumble salons, where rewards and ordering are built in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you work alone, as plans are sized for teams of 2 or more providers
- Pricey if you add it up: from $160 a month, and the plan prices are quotes
- Watch out: the rate moves with the payment processor, as using SalonBiz Payments takes $25 to $45 a month off
- Watch out: no Android app is mentioned on the site
- Tight if you want a free trial, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.0GPASalon Iris (DaySmart Salon)Fair | 1.8GPASalonBizWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBasic is $29 a month for 1 user, between the cheaper quarter ($25) and the middle ($49) of the category. Deluxe is $69 for 3 users. | DPlans are advertised from $160 a month, by number of providers, with every tier a quote. The dearest tenth of the category starts at $149. |
| Free plan and trial | DTwo-week free trial on every plan. No free plan, and card terms are not stated. | FNo free plan and no trial on the listing, so you pay from day one. |
| Features | CBooking, reminders, payments, team tools and a mobile app. Text marketing, two-way texting and reputation management need Deluxe Growth, and a website builder is an add-on on Basic. | BCalendar, online booking, deposits, commission payroll, inventory, retail, gift cards, memberships and marketing are all in. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core salon job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up services, staff and payments first. | CNo store rating on record, and a commission and inventory system for a multi-stylist salon takes setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android apps with Instagram, Facebook and QuickBooks. | BWeb, an iPad app, a stylist app and the Pocket Salon client app, plus Aveda, QuickBooks and DemandForce links. No Android app is mentioned, and no computer app. |
| Best for | salon booking and checkout for solo stylists and small teams | commission-paying salons, especially Aveda ones |
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: Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) and SalonBiz. How we grade
Price against what you get
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) starts at $29 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SalonBiz starts at $160 a month and scores 2.7.
SalonBiz scores higher, and starts $131 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, 10 score higher than Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) for less, and 6 score higher than SalonBiz for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) also covers time clock, sMS marketing and review collection.
- SalonBiz also covers shift scheduling and inventory.
At a glance
| Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) | SalonBiz | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $29 per month for 1 user (Basic) | $160 per month and up, by number of service providers |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Two-week free trial on every plan | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | DaySmart Software | SalonBiz, Inc |
| Price read from | daysmart.com | salonbizsoftware.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)
- The salon-iris address now redirects to DaySmart Salon, so this listing reads the DaySmart Salon pages.
- User counts are capped per plan: 1 on Basic, 3 on Deluxe and Deluxe Growth, 6 on Premium.
- Text marketing, two-way texting and reputation management need Deluxe Growth or above; on Basic, reputation management and the website builder are add-ons.
- Premium Growth has no published price.
SalonBiz
- No plan price is published beyond "plans starting at $160/month"; each plan is a request for a quote.
- Priced by service providers and aimed at teams of 2 or more, so it does not target solo practitioners.
- Using SalonBiz Payments lowers the subscription by $25 (Basic), $35 (Essential) or $45 (Premium) a month, so the rate depends on the processor chosen.
- The apps named on the site are an iPad app and Pocket Salon; no Android app is mentioned.
Key features
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)
- Scheduling and online booking
- Appointment book for online bookings, walk-ins and multi-service visits, with Instagram and Facebook booking from the first plan.
- Reminders and texting
- Automated appointment reminders on every plan; two-way texting and text marketing start at Deluxe Growth.
- Integrated payments
- Card payments and online deposits are built in; the page says funds reach the account the next business day.
- Team management
- Basic payroll starts at Deluxe; sliding-scale commission, overtime rules and commission exceptions appear on the higher plans.
- Marketing and reviews
- Email marketing from Deluxe, text marketing and reputation management from Deluxe Growth, and a website builder as an add-on.
- Mobile app
- iOS and Android apps are linked from the DaySmart Salon page, and the feature list shows a mobile app on every plan.
SalonBiz
- Scheduling and booking
- Drag-and-drop calendar, 24/7 online booking, waitlist, automated confirmations, appointment deposits and digital consultation forms.
- Commission payroll and reporting
- Stylist performance, retail sales per ticket, commission calculations and client retention across locations, in consolidated or per-site views.
- Inventory and retail
- Stock tracking from any device, automated reorder reminders, retail reporting and ordering built for Aveda and Bumble and Bumble.
- Payments and billing
- Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and contactless, with card on file, prepayments, digital gift cards and recurring membership billing.
- Marketing and retention
- Email campaigns, loyalty programs, Aveda Plus Rewards, guest profiles and cross-location booking.
- Apps
- A stylist app, an iPad app and Pocket Salon, a free client app for rebooking and shopping; the page says apps cost nothing extra.
Plans
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)
Basic$29
per month for 1 user
Online booking, confirmations, Instagram and Facebook booking, payment processing and online deposits; 500 texts and 1,000 emails a month.
Deluxe$69
per month for up to 3 users
Adds online gift cards, digital forms, a client loyalty system, basic payroll and email marketing.
Deluxe Growth$149
per month for up to 3 users
Adds text marketing, two-way texting and reputation management to Deluxe.
Premium$199
per month for up to 6 users
Adds QuickBooks Connect and a larger text and email allowance.
Premium GrowthCustom
Unlimited users, expense tracking, advanced payroll and commission tracking; priced by contacting DaySmart.
SalonBiz
BasicCustom
2 to 5 service providers; quote on request. Plans are advertised from $160 a month.
EssentialCustom
6 to 12 service providers; quote on request. Every plan has the full feature set.
PremiumCustom
13 or more service providers; quote on request. Institute and enterprise pricing is separate.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) or SalonBiz?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) is cheaper to start with: $29 a month, against $160 a month for SalonBiz. Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) starts at $29 per month for 1 user (Basic), and SalonBiz starts at $160 per month and up, by number of service providers.
Which has a free plan, Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) or SalonBiz?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) nor SalonBiz has a free plan. Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) has a free trial.
Which platforms do Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) and SalonBiz run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) lists an Android app. Both list a web app and an iOS 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.