salonMonster vs. Square Appointments
salonMonster is built for beauty professionals, by beauty professionals. Square Appointments is built for every kind of business.
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
Square
Service businesses of every kind that want a free scheduling option tied to Square payments, hardware, and its wider commerce 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
Square
Processing time, a wait list, and no-show protection are only available on paid plans
Support
salonMonster
Phone, chat, and email support from people who know salon work, plus free migration help from a real person
Square
Self-serve setup and imports, with live onboarding and hands-on migration arranged through its sales team
Bottom line
salonMonster
Built by hairdressers, for hairdressers, with the salon tools, marketing, and personal help in one price
Square
A general booking tool made for every kind of business, with the salon tools you need most 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
Square
Service businesses of every kind that want a free scheduling option tied to Square payments, hardware, and its wider commerce 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
Processing time, a wait list, and no-show protection are only available on paid plans
Phone, chat, and email support from people who know salon work, plus free migration help from a real person
Self-serve setup and imports, with live onboarding and hands-on migration arranged through its sales team
Built by hairdressers, for hairdressers, with the salon tools, marketing, and personal help in one price
A general booking tool made for every kind of business, with the salon tools you need most 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 3, 2026. salonMonster bills in Canadian dollars in Canada and US dollars in the US; Square's prices are shown in each country's own currency. Plans and features differ between the two countries and change over time, so check Square's Canada or United States pricing page before deciding.
The real difference: built for every business, or built for yours
Built around the chair
Square has to work for a mechanic, a tax accountant, and a salon. salonMonster only has to work for you. 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. It's the way a salon day already runs.
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. With Square you import your own data, and hands-on migration is arranged through its sales team.
Your payments, your choice
Square is built around Square payments and hardware, and that suits plenty of businesses. With salonMonster, integrated payments are optional. Keep the terminal you already have and still record every sale, so your reports stay complete.
Switching from Square: export first, and keep your free account
1
Export your records
Download your customer directory and appointment history, then your items, services, payment history, and reports. Saved cards move separately, straight from Square to your new processor, so leave those out.
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, downgrade your Square plan and keep the free account for your history.
Frequently asked questions
Is salonMonster cheaper than Square Appointments?
salonMonster is $30 a month for one person, with every salon tool included: processing time, a wait list, client records, and marketing. Square has a free plan, but its salon tools sit on Square Plus, at $35 a month in Canada or $49 in the US. For a solo professional, that makes salonMonster the lower price for the full set of salon tools. Square charges per location rather than per person, so if you have a larger team, compare the totals for your own salon.
Is Square Appointments built for salons?
Square is built for many kinds of businesses, and salons are one of them. Salon tools such as processing time, a wait list, and no-show controls are there, 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.
Does Square have a marketplace?
In the United States, yes. Square Go is a free app where clients can find and book eligible beauty businesses that use Square Appointments. It’s currently on iPhone only and isn’t offered in Canada. salonMonster keeps booking between you and your clients: they book through your own booking page or a widget on your website, not a marketplace.
Do Square and salonMonster charge the same payment-processing rates?
In Canada, the published rates are the same for in-person credit, Interac debit, online, and manually entered payments. In the US, Square’s rates change with the plan you’re on, so compare using your own average ticket and how your clients usually pay.
Can I use salonMonster without its integrated payments?
Yes. Integrated processing is optional. You can keep the terminal you already have and record those sales in salonMonster so your reports stay complete.
Can I export my data from Square?
Yes. Square lets you export your customer directory and appointment history as CSV files, along with items, payment history, and reports. Each one is its own export. Saved cards are different: Square transfers those securely to your new payment processor, and they never go in a spreadsheet.
Should I close my Square account after switching?
Not right away. You can cancel or downgrade a paid plan and keep the free Square account open, which keeps your sales history, reports, and tax forms within reach. Fully deactivating the account can’t be undone, so leave that until you’re sure you no longer need it.
Can salonMonster move everything from Square?
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 Square 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 Square, 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 Block, Inc. or Square. Square and Square Appointments are trademarks of their respective owner. Product and pricing information was reviewed on October 3, 2026.