Salonnare vs Avana - which salon software fits you?

Pricing and cost model

According to their pricing page, Avana starts at EUR 15.99 per month incl. VAT (Business), with Business Plus at EUR 29.99 and Business Max at EUR 59.99, plus a 7-day free trial.^[1] That is an attractive, predictable entry point. One thing to note: when a client pays online at Avana, that client pays a service fee of EUR 1.49 to EUR 2.59 per booking; paying in the salon carries no surcharge. That can raise the barrier to paying online, especially for lower-priced treatments.

Salonnare uses a transparent subscription model: a free plan at EUR 0 per month (1 staff member, 50 bookings per month), Starter at EUR 29 per month (EUR 348 per year) and Pro at EUR 59 per month (EUR 708 per year). No credit card needed for Free, no marketplace commission on your bookings (though there is a platform fee: 0.5%, min. EUR 0.30, per transaction) and no lock-in. A key difference: with Salonnare there are no service fees per online booking charged to your client, so your client books without an added barrier. Check all pricing for the details.

Built for the Netherlands and Belgium

Both systems are Dutch-language with Dutch-speaking support, so you are well covered on language with either. Salonnare goes a step further for the NL and BE reality: native iDEAL through your own Stripe or Mollie account, Bancontact, SumUp and card payments, plus a POS with the correct Dutch VAT rates (21% for services, 9% for retail) and an Auditfile export for the Dutch tax authority.

You settle through your own Stripe or Mollie account. On top of that, Salonnare charges its own platform fee of 0.5% (min. EUR 0.30) per transaction, alongside the standard provider fees. The servers are located in the EU (Nuremberg, Germany) and everything is GDPR compliant.

Features and ease of use

Avana's Business plan covers calendar, booking page, reminders and online payments; POS, inventory and gift cards come with Business Plus, and email campaigns with Business Max. If you mainly want to receive online appointments quickly, the entry plan is a comfortable fit.

Salonnare offers a much broader package alongside online booking: client records, inventory management, email marketing and campaigns, recurring memberships via SEPA and iDEAL, gift cards, a loyalty programme, no-show fees and deposits, forms and intake, a GDPR Art. 9 health vault, GDPR export and CSV import. Online booking works through a widget on your own website or via your own booking page with your own logo and branding. The modern interface is set up so that even interns are productive within an hour. Explore all features for the full overview.

Switching to Salonnare

Switching does not have to be a hurdle. Salonnare has a CSV import that lets you bring in your existing client list in a few steps, so you do not lose a single client during the migration. You start risk-free on the free plan (no credit card needed) and only upgrade as you grow. Because there is no lock-in, you always remain the owner of your own data in your own tenant database.

Conclusion: why Salonnare wins

Avana is worth considering in exactly one situation: if you are a sole trader who only needs a calendar plus a booking page and does not want POS, inventory or marketing, then the flat low rate of around EUR 15.99 per month is a sharp, simple choice.^[1]

But for almost any salon in the Netherlands or Belgium that wants to grow, Salonnare wins. You start for free at EUR 0 instead of having to pay after a trial, your clients pay no service fee per online booking, and you get iDEAL, Bancontact, a POS with the correct Dutch VAT rates and Auditfile export, email marketing, memberships, gift cards and a GDPR Art. 9 health vault - all at no extra cost. You keep 100% of your own branding and data ownership, with no marketplace commission (aside from the platform fee: 0.5%, min. EUR 0.30, per transaction) and no lock-in. This is not a lighter or heavier choice, it is simply more value for lower fixed costs.

Frequently asked questions