salonMonster vs. Handy Booking
salonMonster is built by hairdressers for the salon day, with reminders and every salon tool in one plan. 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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.
Public product and pricing information reviewed October 5, 2026. salonMonster bills in Canadian dollars in Canada and US dollars in the US. Handy Booking's pricing page doesn't say which currency its prices are in, so check its pricing page before deciding.
The real difference: a booking tool for everyone, or software built for your salon
Built around the chair
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 Handy Booking, automated reminders, a wait list, and your own branding need a paid plan, and the free plan pauses new bookings once you reach 50 in a month. 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 Handy Booking: get your records first, then cancel
Your client list is the business you built, and it should come with you. Handy Booking's privacy policy says to ask its support team for access to your data. Start there and we'll do the rest together.
1
Ask for your records
Ask Handy Booking's 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 Handy Booking.
Frequently asked questions
Is Handy Booking free?
Handy Booking’s Starter plan is free for one staff member and up to 50 bookings a month, and new bookings pause once you reach that limit until the next month. Automated reminders, your own branding, and Google Calendar sync need a paid plan. salonMonster’s trial is 14 days of the full system with no card, and reminders are included on every plan.
Which costs less, salonMonster or Handy Booking?
salonMonster is $30 a month for one person with every salon tool included, plus $15 for each additional person with a calendar, up to $120. Handy Booking lists a free Starter plan, Professional at $49 a month for up to three staff, and Business at $99 a month for unlimited staff. Its pricing page doesn’t say which currency those are in, so check that and compare the setup you would really use.
Does Handy Booking send appointment reminders?
On its paid plans, yes. Its free Starter plan sends email confirmations only. salonMonster includes email and text reminders and booking confirmations on every plan.
Does Handy Booking require a contract?
No. Handy Booking bills monthly and lets you cancel anytime, effective at the end of the paid period. salonMonster has no contract and no cancellation fee either.
Can I export my data from Handy Booking?
Handy Booking’s privacy policy says you can ask its support team for access to your data. Ask for everything you rely on before you cancel. With salonMonster, your data belongs to you and exports to CSV from one place, anytime.
Can salonMonster move everything from Handy Booking?
It depends on the files you’re able to get out. Send them over and we’ll tell you exactly what can move before you cancel anything.
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 Handy Booking, a real person will look over the files you get and explain what can come across before you cancel.
No card. No contract.
salonMonster is an independent company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Handy Booking. Handy Booking is a trademark of its respective owner. Product and pricing information was reviewed on October 5, 2026.