Phorest review (2026): is it worth it?
Salon and medspa software for booking, POS and marketing
Black Friday: is there a Phorest sale?
Phorest report card
Weak · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for salon software with built-in texting
Phorest is salon and medspa software with booking, point of sale, automated texts and a branded client app. All four tiers are quotes, and two-way texting, memberships and the app are only included at the top tier.
Who Phorest is for
- 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
Who Phorest is not for
- 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
Why Phorest gets a 1.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyNo price is published. All four tiers are quote only, so cost cannot be compared with the $49.90 middle of the category.
- FFree plan and trialNo free plan and no trial on record, so you pay before you use it.
- CFeaturesCalendar, 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.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. A salon has to set up its calendar, services and card reader first.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, with four integrations listed. No open API is named.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Phorest's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/phorest#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/phorest.svg" alt="Phorest: 1.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Phorest stands among salon, spa and studio booking apps
Phorest's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 7 of the 33 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 9 of 33) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 34 salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Phorest’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 33, level with 23
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 33, level with 16
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 33, level with 20
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 33, level with 28
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 33, level with 24
Keep Phorest, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Phorest you would be making texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 19 of the 33 other salon, spa and studio booking apps grade higher.
What you could make
- Appointment booking, reports and review collection: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. Phorest’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Phorest?
Phorest is salon, spa and medspa software that covers the appointment calendar, online booking with deposits, point of sale, reminders and a marketing suite. It sells four tiers, Starter, Grow, Complete Advantage and Elite, and the vendor's own page says Starter is aimed at businesses with three or more staff. Every tier is priced by quote.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Phorest pricing
We could not confirm Phorest’s current pricing from its own site, so we are not listing plans here. See phorest.com for current prices.
Works with
Phorest alternatives
- Phorest vs Fresha
Free trial · from $19.95/mo
- Phorest vs Vagaro
Free trial · from $30/mo
- Phorest vs Mangomint
Free trial · from $120/mo
- Phorest vs Boulevard
From $143/mo
- Phorest vs Mindbody
From $79/mo
Common questions
Does Phorest have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Phorest is listed for Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
Is Phorest open source?
Phorest is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.