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PandaCue vs DaySmart at a Glance
PandaCue is the premium operating system for salons, spas, and med-spas that want to book fuller books and keep clients coming back. See how it compares to DaySmart on retention, booking, and day-to-day operations.
PandaCue vs DaySmart
Great for
PandaCue
Teams and multi-location salons that want booking, payments, marketing and messaging in one place.
DaySmart
One salon with up to 6 staff that wants booking, reminders, payments and reports in one place.
Pricing and Value
PandaCue
Free $0, Studio $197, Empire $397 monthly. Up to 3 locations, unlimited staff, no commission.
DaySmart
Basic $29, Deluxe $69, Deluxe Growth $149, Premium $199 monthly. Extra users $9 each.
Top Features
PandaCue
Online booking, calendar, payments, CRM, unified inbox, forms, automations, marketing, gift cards, memberships and website builder.
DaySmart
Online booking, calendar, payments, deposits, gift cards, forms, loyalty, memberships, packages and reports.
Client Experience
PandaCue
Booking, payments, CRM, forms, memberships and every client conversation in one inbox, every day.
DaySmart
Client records, booking, reminders, loyalty, packages and reports, with a business mobile app for staff.
Marketing and Automation
PandaCue
Marketing campaigns, automations and forms included on Studio, with 1,500 booking texts a month included.
DaySmart
Email marketing from Deluxe, text marketing and two-way texting available from Deluxe Growth.
Payments and Sales
PandaCue
Payments with 0% markup stated, gift cards and memberships, with no commission on any booking.
DaySmart
Payment processing on every plan, online deposits, gift cards, packages and basic payroll.
Communication
PandaCue
One unified inbox for SMS, email, Instagram DM, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and website live chat.
DaySmart
Reminders and confirmations on every plan, two-way texting from Deluxe Growth, no unified inbox.
Integrations and Growth
PandaCue
Website builder, forms, automations and free data migration on Studio. Studio $197 a month, up to 3 locations.
DaySmart
QuickBooks Connect on Premium, Website Builder and Text Marketing as paid add-ons.
Bottom Line
PandaCue
Choose PandaCue for 2 or 3 locations, one inbox and no commission on any booking.
DaySmart
Choose DaySmart for one salon, low entry price, booking, reminders and payments in one place.
Before PandaCue, we were jumping between different tools just to keep up with clients. Now our appointments, messages, payments, and follow-ups are all in one place. It’s made the day-to-day work much easier for our team.
Maya Thompson · Owner, Multi-Service Beauty Studio
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DaySmart cheaper than PandaCue?
DaySmart Basic starts at $29 a month for 1 user, Deluxe is $69 a month for 3 users. PandaCue Studio is $197 a month, and the difference is what is included. Studio covers up to 3 locations, unlimited staff, a unified inbox, website builder, forms and automations in one flat price, with no commission on any booking. DaySmart charges $9 a month for each extra user on Deluxe and above, and its Website Builder and Text Marketing are paid add-ons with no published price.
Does DaySmart charge per staff member?
DaySmart is priced per user, Basic allows 1 user, Deluxe 3 users, Premium 6 users, and extra users cost $9 a month each. PandaCue Studio and Empire include unlimited staff, and Studio covers up to 3 locations for $197 a month flat, so the price does not rise when you add staff or a second or third location.
Does DaySmart take a commission on bookings?
DaySmart states no marketplace commission, and it has no marketplace mentioned on its pricing page. PandaCue also charges no commission on any booking, because it has no marketplace, and it states 0% payment markup on Studio.
Does DaySmart have a free trial?
Yes, DaySmart offers a 14-day free trial on all subscription options, with no card required. PandaCue shows no trial on its live pricing page, but its Free plan is $0 a month, so you can start with online booking, calendar, payments, CRM, unified inbox, forms, automations, marketing campaigns, gift cards, memberships and a website builder without paying anything.
Which one is better for multiple locations?
PandaCue Studio covers up to 3 locations for $197 a month flat, and Empire covers unlimited locations for $397 a month. That flat price is the plus point, the price does not rise when you add a second or third location. DaySmart does not state multi-location support on its pricing page, so confirm it before deciding.
Does DaySmart have a free plan?
No, DaySmart has no free plan, its lowest plan is Basic at $29 a month. PandaCue Free is $0 a month with 1 location, 1 staff, 50 bookings a month and 200 clients.
Which software is better for marketing?
PandaCue includes marketing campaigns and automations on Studio. DaySmart includes email marketing from Deluxe, and text marketing and two-way texting from Deluxe Growth, with its Website Builder and Text Marketing listed as paid add-ons.
What add-ons does DaySmart offer?
DaySmart lists Website Builder, Text Marketing, Two-Way Texting and Reputation Management as available add-ons, with no prices published on its pricing page. PandaCue Studio has only two stackable extras, an extra phone number at $5 a month each and message credit top-ups.
Can I switch from DaySmart to PandaCue?
PandaCue Studio includes free data migration. DaySmart also states free data migration with minimal downtime on its pricing page.
How many texts are included?
DaySmart includes 500 texts a month on Basic, 1,000 on Deluxe and Deluxe Growth, and 2,500 on Premium. PandaCue Studio includes 1,500 booking texts a month and 1,000 message credits a month, with no per-user text limit.
Your entire salon, perfectly managed in one place
From online booking to payments and staff scheduling, get everything you need to run and grow your business with complete ease
