SalonNow

SalonWay is an all-in-one operating system for salons, barbers and other personal-care businesses. It is best suited to owners managing everything from one chair to several branches who need bookings, money, stock and staff records connected. The main drawback is that the only plan is custom-priced, so prospective buyers must discuss their setup before they can compare costs.

Overview

SalonWay links the working chain from appointment to payment and replenishment. Its calendar handles staff availability, rooms, resources, walk-ins, waiting lists, deposits, recurring visits and automated SMS or email reminders. That breadth suits busy businesses where scheduling constraints and no-shows affect revenue.

The system is aimed at owners, partners and managers as well as independent barbers, nail technicians, hairdressers and braiders. It is presented for single-chair operations and multi-branch groups. DigitalMonster Uganda says it owns and powers SalonWay and has more than 10 years of systems-delivery experience. Setup, training and support are offered, including tailored walkthroughs by WhatsApp or phone.

Key features

Bookings and client relationships

Visual calendars combine staff, room and resource availability, while walk-in and waiting-list tools help fill openings. Recurring appointments, deposits and automated email or SMS reminders cover the administrative work around repeat services. The CRM stores contact information, visit history, preferences, service notes, packages, points, balances and feedback, and supports targeted communication. This is a strong fit for salons that want service context and loyalty information beside each booking rather than in separate records.

Sales and inventory

Point-of-sale and invoicing cover services and retail products, discounts, taxes, deposits, multiple payment methods, receipts, returns and controlled invoice reversals. Inventory includes products, batches, suppliers, purchase orders, transfers and stock counts, plus service-linked consumption across branches. Usage tracking, vendor management, retail product tracking and multi-location inventory make the system more suitable for product-led or multi-site operations than a booking-only tool.

Staff, communication and control

Team management includes schedules, attendance, leave, permissions and manager approvals, with commissions configurable for services and retail. Reusable email and SMS templates, configurable channels, delivery history and WhatsApp connection options for salon-owned accounts provide a central communication workflow. Reports cover revenue, service mix, retention, stock use, expenses, commissions and branch comparisons. Role-based actions, branch scoping, financial controls and traceable changes are designed to limit sensitive-data and approval risks.

Pricing

Custom plan

The Custom plan has custom pricing based on chairs, branches and selected modules. It is the only published plan, with no stated seat, usage or trial terms. That structure can accommodate a one-chair specialist or a complex branch group, but it prevents a clear cost comparison before a sales conversation. Buyers should expect to explain their locations and required modules to receive a quote.

Platforms

SalonWay runs on Android, iOS, the web and Windows, giving teams options across phones, browsers and desktop computers.

Who it's for

Choose it when one system must coordinate appointments, client history, point of sale, inventory, commissions and branch reporting. It is particularly relevant to growing salons, independent professionals adding operational controls, and groups that need branch-scoped permissions and stock movement. A buyer seeking a published, self-serve price should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad operational coverage: booking, CRM, POS, inventory, staff, communications and reporting share one workflow.
• Useful multi-branch controls: transfers, service-linked consumption, branch comparison and branch scoping support distributed operations.
• Strong appointment detail: resources, waiting lists, deposits, recurrence and reminders address common scheduling complications.
• Supported onboarding: setup, training and phone or WhatsApp walkthroughs are offered.

Cons

• No published price: custom pricing makes budgeting and plan-to-plan comparison difficult.
• Module-dependent quoting: the final cost depends on chairs, branches and chosen modules, so requirements must be settled before evaluation.

Alternatives

For a dedicated stock focus, see the Salon Inventory Management Software list. Choose Pronto instead if a freemium appointment product with a Forever-free tier for one staff member, 100 clients and 50 bookings per month is enough. Salonist suits buyers wanting a free marketplace-listing tier with 50 appointments per month and online booking. Pick Feelaxo for a web-based free tier centered on live chat, email marketing, forms and traffic analytics. SALON STOCK is the more focused choice for a one-person iOS salon needing unlimited inventory and barcode scanning. EasyGrox offers a free forever booking website and shareable booking URL. Consider GuestVision or SpaSoft when you prefer another paid salon platform. Fresha is an alternative with separate Independent and Team offerings for one or unlimited team members.

Verdict

SalonWay is a strong candidate for salon operators who want appointments, customer records, sales, stock, staffing and branch oversight in one system. Its depth around inventory, commissions and controls is the main reason to choose it. Look elsewhere if transparent pricing or a self-serve free plan is essential.