vs
PandaCue vs Salonist 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 Salonist on retention, booking, and day-to-day operations.
PandaCue vs Salonist
Great for
PandaCue
Growing teams and multi-location salons that want booking, payments, marketing and messaging in one place.
Salonist
One small salon that wants the lowest monthly cost and a marketplace bringing new clients.
Pricing & Value
PandaCue
Free $0, Studio $197, Empire $397 monthly. Up to 3 locations, unlimited staff, no commission.
Salonist
Free $0, Essential $59, Advance $109, Expert $179 monthly. Unlimited staff, 15% first-visit marketplace commission.
Top Features
PandaCue
Online booking, calendar, payments, CRM, unified inbox, forms, automations, marketing, gift cards, memberships and website builder.
Salonist
Online booking, calendar, point of sale, client management, memberships, gift cards, inventory and marketplace.
Client Experience
PandaCue
Booking, payments, CRM, forms, memberships and every client conversation in one inbox.
Salonist
Client management, history, reminders, memberships and a branded client app on Expert, plus marketplace discovery.
Marketing & Automation
PandaCue
Marketing campaigns, automations and forms included on Studio, with 1,500 booking texts a month.
Salonist
SMS and email campaigns from Advance, WhatsApp from Advance, AI Automation Marketing on Expert only.
Payments & Sales
PandaCue
Payments with 0% markup stated, gift cards and memberships, with no commission on any booking.
Salonist
Point of sale from Essential, gift cards from Advance, card processing rate not published.
Communication
PandaCue
One unified inbox for SMS, email, Instagram DM, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and website live chat.
Salonist
No unified inbox. WhatsApp and SMS are integrations. Unlimited notifications from Advance, unlimited email from Essential.
Integrations & Growth
PandaCue
Website builder, forms, automations and free data migration on Studio. Studio $197 a month, up to 3 locations.
Salonist
40 plus integrations, including Stripe, PayPal, QuickBooks, Shopify, Mailchimp and Google Calendar.
Bottom Line
PandaCue
Choose PandaCue for 2 or 3 locations, one inbox and no commission on any booking.
Salonist
Choose Salonist for one small salon, the lowest bill and a marketplace that brings new clients.
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 Salonist cheaper than PandaCue?
Salonist Essential starts at $59 a month, while PandaCue Studio is $197 a month. The difference is what is included. PandaCue Studio covers up to 3 locations, unlimited staff, a unified inbox for SMS, email, Instagram DM, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and website live chat, a website builder, forms and automations, all in one flat price, with no commission on any booking. Salonist charges 15% one time on a new marketplace client's first visit, and its mini website and AI automation are Expert only at $179 a month.
Does Salonist charge per staff member?
No. Every Salonist plan includes unlimited staff, with no per-user fees. PandaCue Studio and Empire also include unlimited staff, its Free plan allows 1 staff member.
Does PandaCue take a commission on bookings?
No. PandaCue has no marketplace and charges no commission on bookings. Salonist charges 15% one time, only on a brand-new client's first visit through its marketplace.
Does Salonist have a free trial?
Yes, Salonist offers a 7-day trial 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. Salonist Expert includes multi-branch reporting, but groups get a custom quote, so confirm the price for your locations before deciding.
Can I switch from Salonist to PandaCue?
PandaCue Studio includes free data migration. Salonist also offers free data import, and says you can leave whenever you want with your data.
Does Salonist charge extra for more locations?
Salonist paid plans include every location, but groups get a custom quote. PandaCue Studio covers up to 3 locations for $197 a month flat, and Empire covers unlimited locations for $397 a month.
What add-ons does Salonist offer?
Digital Wallet Cards from $39 a month, an AI Receptionist priced by conversation volume, and a branded client app as an add-on on plans below Expert. PandaCue Studio's only stackable extras are an extra phone number at $5 a month each and message credit top-ups.
Does PandaCue have a free plan?
Yes, PandaCue Free is $0 a month with 1 location, 1 staff, 50 bookings a month and 200 clients. Salonist Free Marketplace Listing is $0 a month with 50 appointments a month.
Which software is better for marketing?
PandaCue includes marketing campaigns and automations on Studio. Salonist offers SMS and email campaigns from Advance, and WhatsApp campaigns from Advance.
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
