Square vs. Booksy vs. salonMonster
salonMonster is built for beauty professionals, by beauty professionals, with the everyday salon essentials in one price. Square Appointments is built for every kind of business. Booksy is built around a shared marketplace and booking app.
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
Booksy
Beauty professionals, barbers, and salon teams who want to be discovered inside a shared marketplace and booking app
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
Booksy
One feature tier with booking, marketing, forms, memberships, packages, and gift cards, plus a marketplace listing and optional paid Boost promotion
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
Booksy
One-to-one onboarding after you subscribe, and free help moving your data into Booksy
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
Booksy
A shared marketplace and booking app, where each extra user adds $20 a month and Boost promotion is an optional paid extra
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
Booksy
Beauty professionals, barbers, and salon teams who want to be discovered inside a shared marketplace and booking app
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
One feature tier with booking, marketing, forms, memberships, packages, and gift cards, plus a marketplace listing and optional paid Boost promotion
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
One-to-one onboarding after you subscribe, and free help moving your data into Booksy
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
A shared marketplace and booking app, where each extra user adds $20 a month and Boost promotion is an optional paid extra
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: Square October 3, 2026, Booksy October 3, 2026). salonMonster bills in Canadian dollars in Canada and US dollars in the US. Prices, plans, and promotions change, so check before deciding: Square's Canada or United States pricing page and Booksy's Canada or United States pricing page.
The real difference: Square, Booksy, or software built for your salon
Built around the chair
Square has to work for a mechanic, a tax accountant, and a salon. Booksy is built around a shared marketplace and booking app. 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 Square, processing time, a wait list, and no-show protection are only available on paid plans. With Booksy, each extra user adds $20 a month, and its optional Boost promotion takes 30% of a new Boost client’s first visit, up to $100. 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 Square or Booksy: export first
1
Export your records
From Square, download your customer directory and appointment history, then your items, payment history, and reports. From Booksy, request your client list from Support, and ask about upcoming appointments, history, services, products, and notes while you’re at it. 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 Square or Booksy better for a salon?
It depends on what you want the software to do. Square Appointments is built for many kinds of businesses, with salon tools such as processing time and a wait list on its paid plans. Booksy is built for beauty professionals, barbers, and salon teams who want to be found inside a shared marketplace and booking app. 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: Square, Booksy, or salonMonster?
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. Booksy is $29.99 a month for the first user and $20 for each extra user, with an optional Boost fee of 30% of a new Boost client’s first visit. Team size, country, and add-ons all change the total, so compare the setup you would really use.
Do Square and Booksy 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. Square has a free plan with no time limit, and its paid plans come with a free trial. Booksy’s US page offers 14 days with no credit card. Its Canadian pricing page offers a free trial without saying how long it runs.
Do Square and Booksy have a marketplace?
Square Go is a free app in the United States where clients can find and book eligible beauty businesses. It’s currently on iPhone only and isn’t offered in Canada. Booksy includes a marketplace listing and says there is no booking commission unless you turn on Boost, which is optional. With Boost on, its US pages list a fee of 30% of a new Boost client’s first visit, up to $100. 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 or Booksy require a contract?
salonMonster has no contract and no cancellation fee. Square has no long-term commitment and lets you cancel or downgrade anytime. Booksy’s US pricing page says you can cancel anytime, and its help centre asks you to email Support to do it.
Can I export my data from Square or Booksy?
Square lets you export your customer directory and appointment history as CSV files, along with items, payment history, and reports. Booksy’s US help centre says to contact Support for a client list with contact details. Whichever you’re on, get every export you rely on before you cancel or downgrade.
Can salonMonster move everything from Square or Booksy?
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 Square or Booksy, 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 or Booksy. Square and Square Appointments and Booksy are trademarks of their respective owners.