Phorest Pricing for Salons 2026: Full Cost Breakdown

Phorest Pricing: The Short Answer

If you have visited Phorest's website hoping to see a price, you already know the answer: there is not one. Every plan — Starter, Grow, Ultimate, and Elite — requires you to request a quote. Phorest does not publish its prices publicly.

That is not an accident. It gives Phorest's sales team room to price based on your salon size, location, and how much leverage they think they have. What you pay depends on when you ask, who you speak to, and how many staff you have.

This guide explains what is publicly known about Phorest's cost structure, what typically costs extra, who it is genuinely built for — and where a transparent alternative like DoTheBeauty may serve you better.

Phorest Plans: What Exists

Phorest offers four tiers for salons and spas (they also have a separate Med Spa plan range):

Plan	Who it is for	Price
Starter	Salons and clinics with 3+ staff	Quote only
Grow	Growth-focused salons	Quote only
Ultimate	Larger salons and clinics	Quote only
Elite	Premium salons and clinics	Quote only

All four plans include unlimited devices and unlimited staff. SMS reminders are listed as included at "affordable rates" — but SMS is metered, meaning you pay per message on top of your subscription. The base plans cover the platform access; the actual SMS cost is billed separately.

Independent salon owners who have shared their quotes on forums and social media report monthly fees ranging from roughly £100 to £300+ per month for UK salons, varying by plan and size. These are not official figures — Phorest does not confirm them — but they give a realistic sense of the order of magnitude.

What Is in Each Plan

The Starter plan covers the core operations a busy salon needs:

• Scheduling and online bookings with deposits
• Automated email and SMS reminders
• Client cards (secure client records)
• Staff rostering and management
• Point-of-sale system
• Cardless checkout with stored cards
• Stock management
• Loyalty programme (Treatcard)
• Video consultations
• Set-and-forget automated marketing campaigns
• Local support team, Monday to Saturday

The Grow plan adds features aimed at client retention and revenue growth:

• Free Reconnect SMS — automated win-back campaigns for lapsed clients
• Online Reputation Manager to generate 5-star reviews
• Digital consultation forms sent before appointments
• Online store and gift vouchers
• Shopify integration
• Dedicated success manager
• Unlimited online training via Phorest Academy for all staff

The Ultimate plan adds a branded client booking app (iOS and Android in the App Store), digital loyalty programme, client referrals, gamified staff challenges and goals, and Reserve with Google integration.

The Elite plan adds two-way SMS (real-time client messaging), Phorest Ads Manager for Facebook and Instagram campaigns, lead management, memberships, premium consultations with HD photos and face mapping, and a premium dedicated success manager.

The Costs Most Salons Miss: Add-Ons Sold Separately

Beyond the base plan subscription, Phorest offers a range of features as optional bolt-ons available across all tiers. This means the plan you are quoted on may not include everything you expect:

• Branded App — a fully branded iOS and Android booking app for your clients. Included in Ultimate and Elite; an add-on purchase on Starter and Grow.
• Digital Loyalty Programme — card-free client reward points redeemed via the branded app. Add-on on lower tiers.
• Two-Way SMS — real-time client messaging from your Phorest desktop or PhorestGo app. Included in Elite; add-on elsewhere.
• Memberships — recurring client membership plans with service bundles, credit banks, and VIP discounts. Add-on on lower tiers.
• Phorest Ads Manager — Facebook and Instagram campaign management built into Phorest. Included in Elite; separate purchase for other plans.
• Leads Management — capture and nurture prospective clients with automated follow-up from website or social forms.
• Premium Consultations — HD photos, side-by-side comparisons, face mapping, and structured treatment plans stored on the client card.

Because Phorest quotes are customised per salon, some of these features may be bundled into your offer — or priced separately. Always ask what each add-on costs before signing your contract.

SMS Costs: What "Affordable Rates" Means in Practice

Phorest includes SMS reminders and automated campaigns, but SMS is a separate metered charge on top of your plan. Phorest lists "affordable SMS rates" on their pricing page without specifying the rate.

For a busy salon sending booking confirmation, day-before reminder, and follow-up messages to 200 clients per month, the volume adds up quickly. Community estimates from Phorest users in the UK put SMS rates at roughly 4–8p per message. At 600 messages a month (three per client), that is £24–£48 per month in SMS costs alone — before any marketing campaigns.

If you run automated Reconnect SMS win-back campaigns (available on Grow and above), the message volume — and the monthly SMS bill — rises further. This is worth factoring into your total cost of ownership when comparing Phorest quotes.

DoTheBeauty publishes its prices. Starter from €19.95/month. No quote required, no sales call, no annual lock-in.

Try it free for 7 days →

Payment Processing Fees

Phorest supports cardless checkout with stored client cards via integrated card terminals. Payment processing fees will apply on top of your subscription, but Phorest does not publish its processing rates.

The specific rate depends on your payment processor, country, and plan. Ask for this figure explicitly during your sales conversation — it is not listed on their website and can add meaningfully to your monthly cost if you process a high volume of card payments.

For reference, DoTheBeauty publishes its card transaction fees: 2% on Starter, 1% on Growth, and 0.5% on Pro. No hidden markups.

Contract Terms and Lock-In

Phorest typically requires an annual contract with monthly billing. Early termination clauses vary by market and by what was negotiated during the sales process. Unlike most SaaS tools that let you cancel month-to-month, most Phorest customers are on 12-month minimum commitments.

If your salon shrinks in size, your needs change, or you simply find a better fit after a few months, you may be locked in until your renewal date. Ask about the cancellation policy and required notice period before signing — and get it in writing.

Phorest does not list a free trial on their website. Access to the platform begins after a sales demo and a Phorest implementation onboarding process.

What You Get vs What You Pay: Is Phorest Worth It?

Phorest is a genuinely capable salon management platform. Founded in 2003 and used by thousands of salons across the UK, Ireland, and internationally, it has a deep feature set — particularly on the marketing and client retention side: Reconnect SMS, consultation forms, Phorest Ads Manager, memberships, and a branded client app.

The question is whether that depth justifies an undisclosed price for your specific situation.

Phorest is designed for salons with 3 or more staff. Their website states this directly. Solo stylists, duos working from rented chairs, or new salons just getting started will often find that Phorest's sales team tells them the platform is not the right fit — or simply will not quote them at all.

For established, multi-staff salons that need deep marketing automation, consultation workflows, and a branded app in the App Store, Phorest delivers. For smaller or growing operations that need reliable booking, a client database, and a professional website without committing to a four-figure annual contract before knowing the price, it is likely more than you need.

Phorest vs DoTheBeauty: Side-by-Side

	Phorest	DoTheBeauty
Pricing transparency	Quote only — no public prices	Published on website
Entry price	~£100+/month (community estimate)	€19.95/month (Starter)
Staff minimum	3+ staff recommended	Solo to unlimited
Free trial	No public free trial	7-day free trial, no card required
Contract terms	Typically annual	Monthly, cancel anytime
Website builder	No — separate hosting needed	Yes — AI website builder included on all plans
Online booking	Yes	Yes
Client management	Yes (client cards)	Yes (full CRM on Growth and Pro)
POS and billing	Yes	Yes — including Stripe and barcode scanning
Inventory management	Yes	Yes
SMS reminders	Yes (metered, charged per message)	Email reminders included; SMS not currently offered
Commission on bookings	No	No — 0% always
Card transaction fee	Not published	0.5%–2% depending on plan
Custom domain	Not included	Included on Growth and Pro
Multi-location support	Yes (enterprise tier)	Yes — all plans

DoTheBeauty Pricing (Published, No Quote Needed)

Plan	Price	Staff	Card fee	Domain
Starter	€19.95/month	Up to 2	2% on card payments	yoursalon.dothebeauty.com
Growth	€49/month	Up to 8	1% on card payments	Custom domain included
Pro	€79/month	Unlimited	0.5% on card payments	Custom domain included

All plans include a 7-day free trial, 0% commission on all bookings, an AI website builder, and online booking. No sales call. No annual contract. No surprise fees.

Who Should Use Phorest

Phorest is likely the right call if:

• You run a salon with 5 or more staff and need enterprise-grade marketing automation
• Retention features — Reconnect SMS, reputation management, consultation forms — are central to your business model
• You want a branded iOS and Android booking app in the App Store and are prepared to pay for it
• You have a dedicated salon manager who can invest time in setup, onboarding, and staff training
• You are comfortable signing an annual contract before knowing the final monthly cost

Who Should Look Elsewhere

Phorest is probably not the right fit if:

• You are a solo stylist or a small team of 1–2 — Phorest is explicit that their platform is built for 3+ staff
• You want to see the price before speaking to sales — that transparency simply does not exist with Phorest
• You are starting out and need a professional website, booking system, and client management without a four-figure annual commitment
• You need a month-to-month contract and the flexibility to switch if things change
• You need a website builder included in your salon software — Phorest does not build websites

For salons in that second group, DoTheBeauty was built with exactly those constraints in mind: published pricing, no long-term lock-in, a built-in AI website builder, and 0% commission on every booking.

Bottom Line

Phorest is powerful, established salon software with a deep feature set — but it is built and priced for larger, more complex operations. The quote-only approach, annual contracts, and modular add-on structure are hallmarks of enterprise software, not tools for independent salon owners who want to know what they are paying before they sign up.

If pricing transparency matters to you, DoTheBeauty is the straightforward alternative. Prices published. 7-day free trial. Month-to-month. Website included. 0% commission on every booking.

Start your free trial →