Choosing salon software: the buyer's guide
An independent checklist for choosing the right salon software. Eight criteria, a fair comparison and no sales talk. Download this guide as a PDF and bring it into your decision.
Why a buyer's guide?
Salon software is an investment that lasts for years. The wrong choice costs you time, money and frustration - the right one makes your salon run smoother and grow.
This guide helps you compare objectively. We lay out what to look for, the questions to ask every vendor and how Salonnare compares to typical alternatives.
Eight things to look for
Online booking calendar
24/7 bookable, mobile-friendly, with buffers, double-booking prevention and staff selection. Ask: can the widget go in your Instagram bio?
Point of sale (POS)
VAT split, paper and email receipts, iDEAL and card payments, gift cards. Ask: do you connect your own Stripe/Mollie or must it go through the vendor?
Client record (CRM)
History, notes, allergies, birthday, tags, consent log and GDPR export. Ask: can you merge duplicate clients?
Inventory management
Purchase and sale prices with margin, automatic deduction on sale and low-stock alerts. Ask: does inventory sync across locations?
Marketing automation
Email, SMS and WhatsApp, reminders, birthday mails and Google review requests. Ask: can you build your own templates?
Privacy and data location
GDPR-compliant, servers in Europe, and a separate secure place for health data (Art. 9). Ask: where is my data physically stored?
Price and fair terms
Transparent monthly price, no hidden transaction fees and no lock-in. Ask: can I export my data if I leave?
Support in your language
Reachable, personal support with knowledge of the local market. Ask: do I talk to a human or a chatbot?
Salonnare vs a typical alternative
A fair overview based on the eight criteria above.
| Feature | Salonnare | Typical alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Embeddable booking widget | Sometimes | |
| Connect your own Stripe/Mollie | Often forced via provider | |
| Free starter plan | ||
| Servers in Europe (GDPR) | Varies | |
| Separate vault for health data (Art. 9) | ||
| Five languages | Sometimes | |
| Data export on cancellation | Not always | |
| Personal native-language support | Varies |
What makes Salonnare unique
Fair pricing
A transparent monthly rate, a free starter plan and no hidden transaction fees on your payments.
Your data stays yours
Servers in Europe, full GDPR compliance and an export whenever you want. No lock-in.
Everything in one platform
Booking, POS, CRM, inventory and marketing in one system - no separate tools to stitch together.
Built in the Netherlands
Developed for the Dutch market, with native support and knowledge of iDEAL, VAT and business registration.
Ready to try Salonnare?
Start for free and experience how simple salon software can be.