Phorest vs. Handy Booking vs. salonMonster
salonMonster is built for beauty professionals, by beauty professionals, with the everyday salon essentials in one price. Phorest prices by quote and signs salons to a one-year contract. Handy Booking is a general booking tool for many kinds of businesses, with automated reminders kept for its paid plans.
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
Phorest
Growing salons, spas, and med spas. Phorest says its plans are perfect for three or more staff
Handy Booking
Service businesses of many kinds, from salons and spas to clinics and trainers, that want a branded booking page and AI tools
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
Phorest
Top features locked behind paid plan upgrades and add-ons, and cancelling requires wide-range advance notice
Handy Booking
A branded booking page, Google Calendar sync, an AI chatbot, and online product sales on paid plans, with an AI voice receptionist and video consultations on its top plan
Support
salonMonster
Phone, chat, and email support from people who know salon work, plus free migration help from a real person
Phorest
Tailored setup, migration, and training. Support available Monday to Friday
Handy Booking
Free setup help on paid plans for your booking page, services, staff, and integrations
Bottom line
salonMonster
Built by hairdressers, for hairdressers, with the salon tools, marketing, and personal help in one price
Phorest
A broad platform with a quote-based price and a one-year contract
Handy Booking
A general booking tool with a free plan capped at 50 bookings a month, and automated reminders kept for its paid plans
Hairdressers, nail techs, estheticians, and owner-led salons who want software made for beauty professionals, by people who have worked behind the chair
Phorest
Growing salons, spas, and med spas. Phorest says its plans are perfect for three or more staff
Handy Booking
Service businesses of many kinds, from salons and spas to clinics and trainers, that want a branded booking page and AI tools
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
Top features locked behind paid plan upgrades and add-ons, and cancelling requires wide-range advance notice
A branded booking page, Google Calendar sync, an AI chatbot, and online product sales on paid plans, with an AI voice receptionist and video consultations on its top plan
Phone, chat, and email support from people who know salon work, plus free migration help from a real person
Tailored setup, migration, and training. Support available Monday to Friday
Free setup help on paid plans for your booking page, services, staff, and integrations
Built by hairdressers, for hairdressers, with the salon tools, marketing, and personal help in one price
A broad platform with a quote-based price and a one-year contract
A general booking tool with a free plan capped at 50 bookings a month, and automated reminders kept for its paid plans
Already sold? Jump in whenever you're ready.
Start your free 14-day trialNo card required, no contract.
Want a deeper dive? Here's how salonMonster stacks up.
Based on each company's public product and pricing information (last reviewed: Phorest September 23 to 24, 2026, Handy Booking 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: Phorest's Canada or United States pricing page and Handy Booking's pricing page .
The real difference: Phorest, Handy Booking, or software built for your salon
Built around the chair
Phorest says its plans are perfect for three or more staff, and that it isn’t a good fit for chair rental salons or mobile operators. Handy Booking has to work for a clinic, a personal trainer, and a salon. 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 Phorest, every plan is priced by quote, and reminder texts are billed per message. With Handy Booking, automated reminders, a wait list, and your own branding need a paid plan. 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 Phorest or Handy Booking: export first
1
Export your records
From Phorest, grab your client file first, then appointments, services, and products. From Handy Booking, ask its support team for your clients, upcoming appointments, notes, and services. 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 Phorest or Handy Booking better for a salon?
It depends on what you want the software to do. Phorest is aimed at growing salons, spas, and med spas, with quoted pricing and a one-year contract. Handy Booking is built for many kinds of appointment businesses, with a branded booking page and AI tools on its paid plans. 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: Phorest, Handy Booking, or salonMonster?
salonMonster is $30 a month for one person, with every salon tool included: processing time, a wait list, client records, and marketing. Phorest doesn’t publish a subscription price on its Canadian or US pricing page and asks you to request a quote. Handy Booking lists a free Starter plan for one staff member and up to 50 bookings a month, Professional at $49 a month, and Business at $99 a month, without naming the currency. Team size, country, and add-ons all change the total, so compare the setup you would really use.
Do Phorest and Handy Booking 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. Phorest has no free trial. Its public FAQ says it offers a personalized demonstration instead. Handy Booking has a free Starter plan, and its paid plans come with a 14-day trial without a credit card.
Do Phorest or Handy Booking require a contract?
salonMonster has no contract and no cancellation fee. Phorest’s public Canadian and US terms state a one-year contract period with automatic annual renewal, at least two months’ written notice, and remaining subscription fees payable on early termination. Handy Booking bills monthly and lets you cancel anytime, effective at the end of the paid period.
Can I export my data from Phorest or Handy Booking?
Phorest documents free self-service exports for several data categories. Custom exports requested from Phorest may involve a charge. Handy Booking’s privacy policy says you can ask its support team for access to your data. Whichever you’re on, get every export you rely on before you cancel or downgrade.
Can salonMonster move everything from Phorest or Handy Booking?
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 Phorest or Handy Booking, 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 Phorest or Handy Booking. Phorest and Handy Booking are trademarks of their respective owners.