Top 10 Nail Salon Management Software [+ Key Features]

Last Updated on 10 October, 2024

Nail salon services are on the rise. The global nail salon industry is predicted to be worth $69.8 billion in 2027—a 7.4% growth up from 2021’s figure of $45.4 billion.

Not only are women and teens hungry for high-quality nail services, but more and more tweens are getting acrylics, while men are heading in for pedicures.

But to capture the growing demand across client segments, you need the right software. Look for a platform that offers appointment booking, reminders, and automated marketing all in one place.

Keep reading for key features and our top software picks.

What’s in this guide:

• Most important features to look for in nail salon management software
• Top 10 nail salon management software

Most important features to look for in nail salon management software

Before we dive into our list, let’s take a peek at the key features you’ll need to grow and manage your nail salon:

1. Appointments – Of course, the most important feature is online appointment booking that allows you to include the schedules of your nail techs, collect appointments, share your cancellation and no-show policies, and collect upfront payments.
2. Reminders – The platform you choose should also include automated reminders via email, SMS, and push notifications to reduce no-shows and keep your chairs full.
3. Staff schedules – Staff need to be able to set their schedules and block off their calendars for vacations, doctors’ appointments, etc.
4. Automated review requests – Because reviews build trust and improve search rankings, it’s a good idea to opt for a platform with a two-step, automated review process. This way, you can request reviews regularly while preventing negative ones from going public.
5. Rewards programs – Look for a platform that lets you build your own rewards program to boost retention. Offer points when clients book services, buy products, review you online, refer friends, celebrate a birthday, and more. Let clients automatically cash in points for free or discounted services or add-ons.
6. Segmented marketing – Choose a platform that lets you create segmented, automated marketing campaigns to reach the right clients with the right messaging. For instance, you might automatically reach out to clients who haven’t booked an appointment in over four weeks.
7. Website widgets – Your nail salon management software should include website widgets so you can embed your appointment booking and product inventory in your website. If the platform offers an end-to-end website builder, you can reduce your overall software costs and get website support.
8. Inventory management – The platform should also enable you to manage your product inventory so you can sell nail care, hand care, and other beauty products in your salon and online.
9. Client app – Make sure the software includes a custom branded client app so clients can book appointments and engage with your rewards program from their phones. The client app will enable you to send push notifications for appointment reminders and other announcements.
10. Staff app – The platform should also offer a mobile staff app where staff can book appointments for clients, take payments, review their upcoming schedules, block off their calendar, and manage tasks all in one place.

Top 10 nail salon management software

Here are the top platforms to consider.

1. WellnessLiving

WellnessLiving is an all-in-one platform that offers online appointment booking, advanced marketing, and client engagement features in one place. You can embed appointment booking directly in your website and client app, as well as accept bookings from Reserve with Google. To help boost your retention and revenue, create a rewards program that offers points when clients book services and purchase products.

Our marketing features include email and SMS communication, automated campaigns, behavior-based triggers, client segments, automated review requests, and website management. Staff can manage their schedules and accomplish tasks via our staff mobile app.

WellnessLiving also offers discounted credit card and ACH processing fees to help you save up to 40% on bank fees. Request a demo of WellnessLiving to learn more.

2. Vagaro

Vagaro offers similar features to WellnessLiving. You’ll find appointments, product inventory, email marketing, SMS marketing, and payment processing. However, Vagaro’s modular pricing adds up quickly and their credit card processing fees are high, so be sure to do some price calculations before choosing this option.

3. Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is an affordable solution for salons that only want a platform for appointments and reminders. You can embed an appointment widget in your site and collect upfront payments, if desired. But you can’t run revenue-driven marketing campaigns with Acuity Scheduling. The platform also lacks features for launching client apps and setting up rewards programs.

4. Bookee

Like Vagaro and WellnessLiving, Bookee is a more fully featured nail salon management platform. You get appointments, reminders, payments, staff schedules, and email marketing. The platform includes a solution for launching a mobile app for your clients. However, Bookee doesn’t offer automated review requests. This is an important feature for nail salons that want to boost their trust factor with potential clients while ranking higher in search engines and listing sites.

5. ABC Glofox

With ABC Glofox, you’ll get features for online bookings, client apps, email marketing, and social media marketing. You can embed appointment booking in your site and set up automated reminders to reduce no-shows. But you won’t find automated review requests inside ABC Glofox.

6. Momence

Momence is a business management platform for spas, salons, and fitness studios. It offers appointment scheduling, automated marketing, staff management, and automated review requests. You can also allow clients to check in with a tablet kiosk. Momence has lower-than-average monthly pricing but very high credit card processing fees, making it a good fit for very small salons or freelance nail techs.

7. GlossGenius

With GlossGenius, you’ll find a variety of essential features: appointment bookings, automated notifications, online and in-person payments, automated review requests, and inventory management. But GlossGenius doesn’t allow you to create a rewards program or mobile app for your clients.

8. Schedulicity

Schedulicity offers appointment scheduling, automated reminders, email marketing, payment processing, and inventory management. These features might be enough for a small nail salon, but if you want to grow your clientele, you might find Schedulicity lacking as it doesn’t include rewards program management, client apps, online product sales, or website management.

9. Square

Square is one of the most popular payment processors in the world. Nail salons can use Square to manage appointments and reminders as well as in-person and online payments. The platform offers a few marketing features as well, including website management and basic email and SMS marketing. But you won’t be able to manage rewards, reviews, or client apps with Square.

10. Appointy

Appointy is a nail salon software that helps you automate scheduling and reminders to save time and reduce no-shows. The booking interface supports 20 languages, making it a good fit for businesses around the globe. But Appointy doesn’t offer rewards programs or client apps.

Not all platforms are built the same. You’ll find all of the features you need inside WellnessLiving.

Ready to grow your nail salon? Request a demo of WellnessLiving to see our salon management and marketing features in action.