Free vs paid nail salon booking software

Free booking software is paid for in another way: a commission on clients a marketplace sends you, card-processing fees, paid add-ons such as text reminders, limits on team members or bookings, or a booking page that also shows other salons. Paid software charges a flat subscription instead. Neither is cheaper in general; it depends on how many clients the free tool brings and what it charges for them. CutieCure Salon is paid: there is no free plan, but there is a 14-day free trial without a card and no commission on any booking.

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In short

  • Work out what a "free" tool costs you per month: commissions, payment fees and add-ons, at your own booking numbers.
  • Compare that with a flat subscription, and with the clients the free tool brings that you would not get otherwise.
  • CutieCure Salon has no free plan. You can use every Pro feature for 14 days before paying, with no card on file.
  • CutieCure Salon starts at $29.99 a month with no booking commission; the 14-day trial is free and needs no card.
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How free booking software is paid for

  • Commission on new clients

    Marketplace apps often charge a share of the first booking, or of every booking, from clients they say they brought. Check how they decide who is a new client and whether a client who found you on Instagram can count.

  • Payment processing fees

    Some free plans make money when clients pay or leave a deposit through the app. The fee per payment can be higher than your own card terminal.

  • Paid add-ons

    Text reminders, extra team members, marketing messages or reports can be paid extras on top of a free core. Price the plan with the add-ons you would actually switch on.

  • Limits

    A cap on team members, monthly bookings or clients keeps the plan free while you are small. Check what happens to your bookings and data when you pass it.

  • Your page as a shop window

    On a marketplace your profile can sit next to other salons nearby, with their offers. That brings visitors, and it also shows them alternatives.

  • What CutieCure Salon charges

    A flat monthly or yearly subscription by team size. Clients book on your own booking page or website widget, with no other salons on it and no commission. There are no built-in card payments, so there are no payment fees either.

A free plan can be enough if

  • You are starting out and most of your bookings would be new clients the marketplace sends you.
  • You work alone, take few bookings a month and do not need reminders or reports yet.
  • You have checked that you can take your client list with you if you move later.

A flat subscription tends to cost less if

  • Most clients already come from Instagram, Google or word of mouth, so a commission would be paying for clients you found yourself.
  • You would pay for reminders, extra team members or reports as add-ons anyway.
  • You want your booking page to show only your salon.

Pricing

Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial with no card and 5 AI credits. There is no commission on bookings.

  • Basic

    $29.99/month

    or $299.90 billed yearly

    • 1 team member
    • 5 AI credits a month

  • Pro

    $39.99/month

    or $399.90 billed yearly

    • Up to 5 team members
    • 20 AI credits a month

  • Enterprise

    $99.99/month

    or $999.90 billed yearly

    • Unlimited team members

Questions

Is CutieCure Salon free?

No. There is no free plan. Every salon starts with a 14-day free trial without a card, and then chooses a monthly or yearly plan by team size. There is no commission on bookings.

What happens when the free trial ends?

Nothing is charged automatically. If you have not chosen a plan, the dashboard becomes read-only and online booking closes. Your data is not deleted, and everything reopens when you choose a plan.

Is free booking software really free?

The core is often free, and the money comes from commissions on new clients, payment fees, paid add-ons or limits. Add those up at your own booking numbers before deciding.

How do I compare a free tool with a subscription?

Take one month: add the commissions you would pay (commission rate times the value of bookings it applies to), payment fees and add-ons. Compare the total with the subscription, and ask how many of those clients you would not have found without the free tool.

Can I take card payments or deposits with CutieCure Salon?

No. There are no built-in card payments, deposits or POS, so there are no payment fees either. Clients pay in the salon.

Does CutieCure Salon list my salon on a marketplace?

Your booking page lives on salon.cutiecure.app and shows only your salon. Salons with a public booking page can also appear in the CutieCure nail salon directory and in the CutieCure Book app, but that audience is still small.

Compare and learn more

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