SalonUltimate vs SalonTarget (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SalonUltimate and SalonTarget share a 1.6 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about platforms, where SalonUltimate grades higher, or value for money, where SalonTarget does.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SalonUltimate
Salon software for single shops, franchises and multi-location chains
SalonTarget
Salon management with a single priced-by-employee Professional plan
Which one is for you
Pick SalonUltimate if
- Fits if you run a franchise or a chain and want central management
- Works for salons already on Clover hardware
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you run one small salon: $159 a month
- Watch out: the about page says $69 for BookedBy on Clover while the pricing page shows $159 and $199
- Watch out: texts past the allowance cost $0.03 each
- Skip it if you need staff apps, as none are listed
- Tight if you want a trial, as none is listed and multi-store is sold through sales
Pick SalonTarget if
- Fits if you run one hair or nail salon and are happy to phone for a quote
- Works for booth-renters and small teams priced by headcount
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a posted price, as you have to call
- Tight if you need two-way texting or text marketing, as those are add-ons billed monthly
- Not for you if you want a phone app, as none is mentioned
- Skip it if you run several locations, as that's an add-on too
- Watch out: there's only one Professional plan, so no cheaper tier
How we grade them
| 1.6GPASalonUltimateWeak | 1.6GPASalonTargetWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$159 a month for a single store and $199 per location for multi-store, past the $149 where the category's dearest tenth begins. | CNo price is published; the page says to call and that the price follows the number of employees. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial listed on the vendor pages, so nothing here is free. | FNo free plan and no trial shown on the listing, so nothing here is free. |
| Features | CAppointments, time clock, payroll setup, memberships, inventory and reports. But no staff app is listed, and a branded customer app is a custom build. | CBooking, cancellation list, client records, inventory and payments. But texting, remote receptionist and multi-location are separate paid add-ons. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and franchise tools mean a heavy setup. | CNo store rating on record, and a salon system with inventory and add-ons means setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Google Reserve, QuickBooks, Tippy and Clover links. No downloadable apps. | CWeb only. The site names no iOS or Android app, and the links are to social and review sites. |
| Best for | salon chains and franchises | salons that will call for a quote |
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: SalonUltimate and SalonTarget. How we grade
Where they differ
- SalonUltimate also covers time clock.
- SalonTarget also covers review collection.
At a glance
| SalonUltimate | SalonTarget | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $69 per location per month (BookedBy on Clover) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | SalonUltimate | SalonTarget, INC. |
| Price read from | salonultimate.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
SalonUltimate
- Text messages beyond the plan allowance cost $0.03 each.
- The $69 BookedBy on Clover figure appears on the about page, while the pricing page itself shows $159 and $199 and sends small businesses to BookedBy.
- Multi-Store and Enterprise are arranged through sales, and the page lists no free trial.
- The site lists no downloadable staff apps; a branded customer app is offered as a custom build.
SalonTarget
- No prices are published: the pricing page says to call, with the price based on the number of employees.
- Two-way texting, employee alerts, remote receptionist, text marketing and multi-location support are separate add-ons, billed monthly.
- The site mentions no mobile app for iOS or Android.
- The page lists a single Professional plan beside custom feature sets, so there is no lower tier.
Key features
SalonUltimate
- Appointments and online booking
- Appointment book with recurring bookings, online queuing with live wait times, a branded booking portal and Google Reserve.
- Check-in and check-out
- Customers check themselves in, and guided or self check-out is built to raise tips and rebookings.
- Employee scheduling and time clock
- Staff schedules from anywhere, timecards and payroll setup with gross pay calculation.
- Franchise and central management
- Set brand standards, manage every location centrally and see consolidated customer history across stores.
- Marketing and memberships
- Email and SMS campaigns, memberships, promotions and referral rewards, with a branded mobile app available.
- Reports and integrations
- Over 100 report types, with Tippy, QuickBooks and Google Reserve listed as integrations.
SalonTarget
- Booking and scheduling
- Multi-service and multi-staff appointments, processing and gap time, room and resource scheduling and a customizable online booking page.
- Auto-fill cancellation list
- Cancelled slots are offered to clients on a list, with text, email and voice confirmations and same-day text reminders.
- Client management
- A client dashboard, merge tools, status labels from first-time to lost, memberships, packages, series and on-account transactions.
- Inventory control
- Product dashboards, purchase orders with receiving and transfers, barcode scanner support and product-specific promotions.
- Point of sale and payments
- Tip management with separate tips per provider, customizable receipts, eGift cards and card on file or pre-authorization.
- Marketing add-ons
- Targeted email campaigns and a loyalty program are listed; two-way texting, remote receptionist and text marketing are monthly add-ons.
Plans
SalonUltimate
BookedBy on Clover$69
per location per month
Software plus Clover hardware shipped to the business, for small independent salons; the page sends buyers to BookedBy.
SalonUltimate Single Store$159
per month for 1 location
Appointments, scheduling, time clock, payroll setup, memberships, packages, inventory and purchase orders; 100+ reports.
SalonUltimate Multi-Store$199
per location per month
Adds cross-store booking, consolidated customer history, formulas and notes for chains; sold through sales.
SalonTarget
Pricing could not be confirmed. See salontarget.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, SalonUltimate or SalonTarget?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SalonUltimate starts at $69 per location per month (BookedBy on Clover), and SalonTarget has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, SalonUltimate or SalonTarget?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither SalonUltimate nor SalonTarget has a free plan.
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.