SalonUltimate review (2026): is it worth $69 a month?
Salon software for single shops, franchises and multi-location chains
Black Friday: is there a SalonUltimate sale?
SalonUltimate report card
Weak · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for salon chains and franchises
SalonUltimate is built for single shops, franchises and chains, with scheduling, payroll setup, memberships and 100-plus reports. Its pricing page shows $159 for one store and $199 per location for chains, which is the dear end of this category, with no trial.
Who SalonUltimate is for
- Fits if you run a franchise or a chain and want central management
- Works for salons already on Clover hardware
Who SalonUltimate is not for
- 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
Why SalonUltimate gets a 1.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for money$159 a month for a single store and $199 per location for multi-store, past the $149 where the category's dearest tenth begins.
- FFree plan and trialNo free plan and no trial listed on the vendor pages, so nothing here is free.
- CFeaturesAppointments, time clock, payroll setup, memberships, inventory and reports. But no staff app is listed, and a branded customer app is a custom build.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record, and franchise tools mean a heavy setup.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with Google Reserve, QuickBooks, Tippy and Clover links. No downloadable apps.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from SalonUltimate's own pages on 13 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/salon-ultimate#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/salon-ultimate.svg" alt="SalonUltimate: 1.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where SalonUltimate stands among salon, spa and studio booking apps
SalonUltimate's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 1 of the 85 other salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 22 of 85) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $69 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 38 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 21 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 86 salon, spa and studio booking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. SalonUltimate’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 85, level with 11
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 85, level with 39
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 85, level with 41
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 85, level with 80
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 22 of 85, level with 61
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 58 salon, spa and studio booking apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep SalonUltimate, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace SalonUltimate 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: 74 of the 85 other salon, spa and studio booking apps grade higher. It costs $828 a year.
What you could make
- Appointment booking, inventory and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Texts to thousands of numbers, registered with the carriers.
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
What this rests on. SalonUltimate’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 SalonUltimate?
SalonUltimate, sold under the BookedBy name, is software for independent salons and spas as well as franchises and chains. It covers online booking and queuing, check-in and check-out, employee scheduling and time clock, customer records, inventory, email and SMS marketing, and over 100 reports across locations.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
SalonUltimate pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, SalonUltimate is a paid product, starting at $69 per location per month (BookedBy on Clover).
- Starts at
- $69 per location per month (BookedBy on Clover)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| BookedBy on Clover | $69per location per month | Software plus Clover hardware shipped to the business, for small independent salons; the page sends buyers to BookedBy. |
| SalonUltimate Single Store | $159per month for 1 location | Appointments, scheduling, time clock, payroll setup, memberships, packages, inventory and purchase orders; 100+ reports. |
| SalonUltimate Multi-Store | $199per location per month | Adds cross-store booking, consolidated customer history, formulas and notes for chains; sold through sales. |
Read from salonultimate.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with SalonUltimate before you buy.
Works with
- Google Reserve
- Tippy
- QuickBooks
- Clover
SalonUltimate alternatives
- SalonUltimate vs SalonBiz
From $160/mo
- SalonUltimate vs Boulevard
From $143/mo
Common questions
Does SalonUltimate have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. SalonUltimate is listed for Web.
Does SalonUltimate have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. SalonUltimate is listed for Web.
Is SalonUltimate open source?
SalonUltimate is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.