Nubis Salon vs. Groom vs. salonMonster

salonMonster is built for beauty professionals, by beauty professionals, with the everyday salon essentials in one price. Nubis Salon is a tiered platform with plans for small salons through franchise groups. Groom is a barbershop operating system priced per location.

No credit card required · No long-term contract · Free migration help

Canadian-owned and built in British Columbia since 2010, with straightforward pricing for salons across Canada and the US.

Who it's made for

salonMonster

Hairdressers, nail techs, estheticians, and owner-led salons who want software made for beauty professionals, by people who have worked behind the chair

Nubis Salon

Salons running walk-ins, staff rotation, and more than one location, with plans sized from small teams to franchise groups

Groom

Barbershops and shop groups that run a walk-in queue, pay barbers on commission, and want oversight across locations

Top features

salonMonster

Online booking, processing-time gaps for colour, booking requests, client records, inventory, reports, a wait list, and bulk email and text marketing, all in one plan

Nubis Salon

Booking, walk-ins, staff rotation, and checkout, with a wait list, marketing, memberships, loyalty, and gift cards on its Professional plan and up

Groom

A walk-in queue, commissions and payout estimates, loyalty and referrals, branded customer apps, and multi-location oversight

Support

salonMonster

Phone, chat, and email support from people who know salon work, plus free migration help from a real person

Nubis Salon

Phone and email support, with help for devices and workflows

Groom

Free onboarding and migration

Bottom line

salonMonster

Built by hairdressers, for hairdressers, with the salon tools, marketing, and personal help in one price

Nubis Salon

A tiered booking and point-of-sale platform, where the wait list, marketing, and loyalty tools start on the second plan

Groom

A barbershop operating system with one price per location, whatever the size of the team

Already sold? Jump in whenever you're ready.

Start your free 14-day trial

No card required, no contract.

Want a deeper dive? Here's how salonMonster stacks up.

Pricing
salonMonster $30/mo for the first user, +$15/mo per additional user, capped at $120/mo for 7 or more. Only users with a calendar count. Front desk, admin, and owner logins without one are free
Nubis Salon Essential: $59/mo in Canada, $45/mo in the US, for up to 5 bookable staff. Professional: $89/mo in Canada, $65/mo in the US, for up to 15. Enterprise: $189/mo in Canada, $136/mo in the US, for 2 locations
Groom $199/mo per location in Canada, with unlimited chairs. That is a founding offer advertised until October 31, 2026
Contracts
salonMonster None. Cancel anytime, no cancellation fee
Nubis Salon You request account closure to cancel. Fees already charged are generally non-refundable
Groom Month to month. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the paid period
Getting started
salonMonster 14-day free trial of the full system, no credit card required
Nubis Salon 14-day free trial, no credit card to register
Groom Free trial, with free onboarding and migration
What’s included
salonMonster Processing-time gaps, booking requests you approve, wait list, client records, and inventory in one plan
Nubis Salon Booking, walk-ins, staff rotation, client history, and checkout on Essential. Memberships, loyalty, and gift cards need Professional
Groom Barbershop tools: a walk-in queue, commissions and payout estimates, loyalty, referrals, and branded apps
Wait list
salonMonster Clients can add themselves from online booking, or you add them
Nubis Salon Available on the Professional plan and up
Groom Walk-in queue and wait list

Based on each company's public product and pricing information (last reviewed: Nubis Salon October 5, 2026, Groom October 5, 2026). salonMonster bills in Canadian dollars in Canada and US dollars in the US. Prices, plans, and promotions change, so check before deciding: Nubis Salon's pricing page and Groom's pricing page .

The real difference: Nubis Salon, Groom, or software built for your salon

Built around the chair

Nubis Salon is built around walk-ins, staff rotation, and the front counter. Groom is built for the barbershop floor: walk-in queues, commissions, and oversight across shops. salonMonster is made by hairdressers, for the way a salon day already runs. Book a cut into the gap while a colour processes, approve online booking requests before they land in your book, and keep formulas on the client record.

The essentials are in the price

With Nubis Salon, the wait list and marketing tools start on its second plan. Groom charges one price per location, however many chairs you run. salonMonster sticks to what a salon uses every day and includes it on every plan.

Help from people who know salons

We've been behind the chair, so you won't have to explain what a root touch-up is. A real person moves your client list over for free and walks you through your new account. And you get 14 days with no card at all, so nothing can charge you until you've decided it's right for you.

Switching from Nubis Salon or Groom: export first

1

Export your records

From Nubis Salon, get your clients, upcoming appointments, notes, services, and any gift card or membership balances. From Groom, download your clients, booking history, and revenue records as CSV files. Keep your account open while you do.

2

We look at what you got

Send the files over through our secure process. We'll tell you exactly what can move into salonMonster before we call the move done, so there are no surprises later.

3

Walk through it with a real person

We'll go over your clients, services, upcoming bookings, team access, and booking rules together. Once it all looks right, that's the moment to cancel or downgrade your old plan.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nubis Salon or Groom better for a salon?

It depends on what you want the software to do. Nubis Salon is a tiered booking and point-of-sale platform for salons running walk-ins and staff rotation, with plans up to franchise groups. Groom is a barbershop operating system built around walk-in queues, commissions, and oversight across shops. salonMonster only does salons and beauty. It’s built by hairdressers, for hairdressers, so every feature is designed around a salon day and included in one plan.

Which costs less: Nubis Salon, Groom, or salonMonster?

salonMonster is $30 a month for one person, with every salon tool included: processing time, a wait list, client records, and marketing. Nubis Salon’s plans start at $59 a month in Canada and $45 in the US for up to five bookable staff, with its wait list and marketing tools on the next plan up. Groom’s founding offer is $199 a month per location in Canada with unlimited chairs, advertised until October 31, 2026. Team size, country, and add-ons all change the total, so compare the setup you would really use.

Does Nubis Salon offer a free trial?

salonMonster’s trial is 14 days of the full system and doesn’t ask for a card, so nothing is charged until you choose a plan. Nubis Salon advertises a 14-day trial with no credit card needed to register.

Do Nubis Salon or Groom require a contract?

salonMonster has no contract and no cancellation fee. Nubis Salon’s terms say fees already charged are generally non-refundable and that you can request account closure. Groom is month to month, and cancelling takes effect at the end of the paid period.

Can I export my data from Nubis Salon or Groom?

Ask Nubis Salon how to get your records out before you close your account. Groom’s terms promise self-service CSV exports of your clients, booking history, and revenue, with 30 days of export access after a subscription ends. Whichever you’re on, get every export you rely on before you cancel or downgrade.

Can salonMonster move everything from Nubis Salon or Groom?

It depends on the files you’re able to export. Send them over and we’ll tell you exactly what can move before you change anything on your current account.

ready when you are

Ready for salon software built around the chair?

Start with 14 days free. No credit card. If you decide to move from Nubis Salon or Groom, a real person will look over the files you export and explain what can come across before you change anything.

No card. No contract.

salonMonster is an independent company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nubis Salon or Groom. Nubis Salon and Groom are trademarks of their respective owners.