SpotBay vs Salonist: salon software compared
Salonist is a global salon platform with a booking marketplace. SpotBay is built for salons in India, with GST billing, wallet memberships and WhatsApp built in. Here is how they compare, based on Salonist's own website as we found it on 18 October 2026.
| At a glance | SpotBay | Salonist |
|---|---|---|
| Prices published | Yes, in ₹ | Yes, in local currency (₹ in India) |
| Free plan | Growth Free, ₹0 | Market Place Listing, free, 50 appointments a month |
| Paid plans from | ₹2,000/month (Growth Pro, billed annually) | INR 2,200/month (Essential, billed monthly; 25% less billed annually) |
| Priced by | Branch | Location, with unlimited staff |
| Built in; own number on Growth Pro for campaigns and chatbots | Through integrations; gateway sends billed by that provider | |
| Hardware | Runs in the browser; Android app prints over Bluetooth | Card readers and barcode printers sold separately |
Salonist details as published on its own website, checked 18 October 2026. Plans and prices change, so check the source before you decide.
What it costs
| Plan or item | Price |
|---|---|
| SpotBay Growth Free | ₹0/month |
| SpotBay Growth ProPer branch, billed annually | ₹2,000/month |
| SpotBay Point of Sale add-onWith Growth Pro, billed annually | ₹1,000/month |
| Salonist Market Place Listing50 appointments a month | Free |
| Salonist EssentialPer location, billed monthly | INR 2,200/month |
| Salonist AdvancePer location, billed monthly | INR 4,000/month |
| Salonist ExpertPer location, billed monthly | INR 5,500/month |
SpotBay prices are billed annually and exclude 18% GST. Salonist prices are those shown on salonist.io/pricing to visitors in India on 18 October 2026; the page shows prices in the visitor's local currency and offers a 25% saving for annual billing. SpotBay WhatsApp message credits are bought separately. Both companies include different features on different plans, so compare the plan that has what you need.
How it works
- 1
List what your salon uses every day: bookings, billing, memberships, reminders and reviews
- 2
Check each one against SpotBay's salon pages and pricing page, linked below
- 3
Start on Growth Free at ₹0, then move to Growth Pro, with the POS add-on for counter billing, when you're ready
What you get
WhatsApp built in
Confirmations, reminders, booking by chat and follow-ups run on WhatsApp inside SpotBay. Campaigns and chatbots use your own WhatsApp Business number, which comes with Growth Pro.
GST billing for India
GST invoices with your GSTIN, a financial-year bill series and exports to Excel, CSV or PDF for your accountant.
Wallet memberships
Prepaid memberships with bonus credit, paid fully or partly from the wallet, recharged at the counter, with net revenue reported after the bonus.
Reminders you choose
Reminders from a week before the appointment down to 30 minutes before, in any combination, with stylist leave and parallel seats on the same calendar.
No special hardware
SpotBay runs in the browser on a laptop, tablet or phone. Print 58mm or 80mm receipts, or A4 bills, and use Bluetooth printers with the Android app.
Prices in rupees, per branch
Growth Free is ₹0. Growth Pro is ₹2,000 a month per branch and the Point of Sale add-on ₹1,000 a month with Growth Pro, both billed annually plus GST.
Questions people ask
Is SpotBay a good Salonist alternative for salons in India?
Salonist is a global product: its pricing page says it serves 15,000+ businesses in 60+ countries, and it offers a booking marketplace, integrations and hardware. SpotBay is built for salons in India, with GST billing, prices in rupees, wallet memberships and WhatsApp built in. If WhatsApp and GST billing are central to how you run your salon, try SpotBay alongside it.
How much does Salonist cost compared with SpotBay?
On 18 October 2026, Salonist's pricing page showed visitors in India a free Market Place Listing plan with 50 appointments a month, then Essential at INR 2,200, Advance at INR 4,000 and Expert at INR 5,500 a month per location, billed monthly, with every plan including unlimited staff. SpotBay's Growth Free plan is ₹0. Growth Pro is ₹2,000 a month per branch and the Point of Sale add-on ₹1,000 a month with Growth Pro, both billed annually plus 18% GST. WhatsApp message credits are extra on SpotBay.
Does Salonist charge a commission?
Salonist's pricing page says new clients who find you through its marketplace cost 15% of their first visit, once. SpotBay has no booking marketplace; its plans are the monthly prices on our pricing page.
How do WhatsApp reminders work on each?
Salonist lists reminders by WhatsApp, SMS and email, with WhatsApp sent through integrations such as Twilio, Interakt and AiSensy. Its pricing page says WhatsApp and SMS notifications are unlimited from the Advance plan, and campaigns sent through a third-party gateway are billed by that provider. SpotBay sends confirmations and reminders on WhatsApp itself, using message credits bought from SpotBay; campaigns and chatbots need your own WhatsApp Business number, which comes with Growth Pro.
How did you check Salonist's details?
We read salonist.io's homepage and pricing page on 18 October 2026, from India. Salonist shows prices in the visitor's local currency and can change them at any time, so confirm on salonist.io before you decide. If something here is out of date, let us know through our contact page.
Works best for
See SpotBay working for your business
Create your account on the ₹0 plan and add what you need as you grow — or let us show you around on WhatsApp.