Salon app for the Netherlands: what does a booking really cost?
The best salon app is not automatically the one with the most features. Compare the booking channel, the cost per appointment and the tools that fit the way you work. This article works out step by step what a booking costs through your own booking page and through a platform with commission, so you can check the numbers yourself.
Do the maths first: what does an appointment cost per channel?
Take a salon with 20 new clients a month and a €50 treatment. These are assumptions, so adjust them to your salon.
Own booking page on your website, Salonnare Starter: subscription €9.99 a month. If new clients pay online, a 0.5% platform fee applies with a minimum of €0.30. On €50, 0.5% is €0.25, so the €0.30 minimum applies. For 20 online-paid appointments: 20 × €0.30 = €6.00. Total: €9.99 + €6.00 = €15.99 a month.
Platform with 35% commission on a new client's first booking (a rate some platforms use, so check the current terms): 35% of €50 = €17.50 per new client. For 20 new clients: 20 × €17.50 = €350 a month, before any subscription.
The difference is €350 - €15.99 = €334.01 a month, more than €4,000 a year. The platform does bring in clients who do not know your website; whether those extra clients are worth the commission depends on your margin and how many of them come back. Use the formula above with your own figures: percentage × booking amount × number of bookings the percentage applies to.
Which costs count with a salon app?
With a commission model the salon pays part of certain bookings, for example when a new client books through a platform. A subscription works differently: a fixed amount per month, plus with Salonnare the 0.5% platform fee (min. €0.30) on online and card payments. A combined model can have both costs.
So find out which bookings count, how new clients are identified and whether costs also apply to repeat appointments. Ask how cancellations and rebookings are handled too.
<table><thead><tr><th>Option</th><th>Cost model</th><th>Discoverability</th><th>Client retention</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Booking platform</td><td>Commission per booking possible</td><td>Platform profile</td><td>Reviews and loyalty</td></tr><tr><td>Salon app with subscription</td><td>Fixed subscription plus any transaction fee</td><td>Own booking page</td><td>Managing client data</td></tr><tr><td>Combined model</td><td>Subscription and possibly commission</td><td>Own page and platform</td><td>Several client channels</td></tr></tbody></table>
Salonnare charges no marketplace commission on new clients (that is €0). The 0.5% transaction fee (min. €0.30) does apply to online payments. For more on weighing up systems, see comparing salon software: which criteria matter.
Booking online through your own page or a platform
With an online calendar clients book a treatment themselves, even when your salon is closed. A booking page on your own website lets clients pick a treatment, staff member and time directly, and the booking route stays with your own brand. Check that the page shows live availability and supports online payment, so you do not copy appointments across by hand.
A platform brings several salons together. Clients compare treatments and times there, and your salon becomes visible to people who do not know your website yet. Read the terms for payments and per-booking costs.
With Salonnare, iDEAL and card payments through Mollie go straight to your own account. For how to put the booking widget on your site, read place an online booking widget on your salon website.
Want to take online bookings on your own website? You can start free.
Choosing software based on what your salon needs
Start with the tasks your salon does every day. A hair salon with several staff has different priorities from a self-employed beauty therapist. Note how you handle appointments, client details, payments and stock now, and pick software that brings the main steps together.
Then run a practical test: add a treatment, schedule an appointment, look up a client record and ring up a product sale. Have your team do the same test.
For salons that sell products, stock tracking matters. A till with VAT support keeps sales tidy. Beauty salons can record sensitive treatment notes in an encrypted vault for health data (GDPR Art. 9); roles and access rights decide who sees them.
Switching? Export client data from your current app, import it into the new system and test a client profile and a booking.
What does Salonnare cost?
Free costs €0 a month (1 staff member, up to 50 bookings a month), Starter €9.99 and Pro €14.99 a month, excluding VAT and cancellable monthly. Every online or card payment carries a 0.5% platform fee with a minimum of €0.30. On €100 that is €0.50.
See the prices per plan or start free with Salonnare.
Start with one small, familiar process
Start with the free plan (€0 a month), run your own practical test and move up to Starter (€9.99) or Pro (€14.99) as your salon grows. Cancellable monthly.
Start free with SalonnareFrequently asked questions
Which salon software can you compare in the Netherlands?
Calendar apps, booking platforms and all-in-one salon software. They differ in how clients book and in the management features. List your daily tasks and compare which software supports them.
Which salon software is cheapest for a sole trader?
A free plan is a sensible starting point if the features fit your work. At Salonnare, Free costs €0 a month for 1 staff member and up to 50 bookings a month. Check that the calendar and client management suit your routine before moving to a bigger plan.
Which software do Dutch beauty salons use most?
There is no independent count, so we do not name one. Choose based on your own processes: a self-employed beauty therapist has different needs for client notes than a salon with several staff.
What are the best salon apps in the Netherlands?
The one that fits your daily work. Think about how you schedule appointments, organise client information and sell products, and compare how smoothly you can do those tasks. That way you choose on practical fit rather than a ranking.
What does a salon app cost per month in the Netherlands?
At Salonnare, Free costs €0, Starter €9.99 and Pro €14.99 a month, excluding VAT and cancellable monthly. A 0.5% platform fee (min. €0.30) applies to online and card payments.