Nail salons have unique needs: multiple technicians working simultaneously, high-volume product inventory (polishes, gels, acrylics), and fast table turns. The right POS system keeps your chairs filled, your supply costs under control, and your clients coming back.
Ranked by nail-specific features, inventory management, and multi-technician scheduling.
| # | Platform | Price | Multi-Tech Scheduling | Inventory | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beauty Calendar Editor's Choice | Free — 3 months | ✅ Unlimited staff | ✅ Full inventory | ⭐ 4.9 |
| 2 | GlossGenius | $24/mo | ❌ Solo only | Basic | ⭐ 4.4 |
| 3 | Vagaro | $30/mo+ | ✅ Per-staff fee | ✅ Good | ⭐ 4.3 |
| 4 | Square Appointments | Free–$29 | ✅ Team plan | Basic | ⭐ 4.0 |
| 5 | Fresha | Free | ✅ Included | Basic | ⭐ 3.9 |
Beauty Calendar handles the specific demands of nail salon operations particularly well. Multiple technicians can be scheduled simultaneously with color-coded chair assignments, walk-in overflow management, and automatic technician rotation. The inventory system tracks product usage per service, enabling accurate reorder alerts for your most-used gels and acrylics.
From $30/month + $10/additional staff member
Vagaro is a capable nail salon platform with solid scheduling and inventory tools. The main consideration for nail salons: Vagaro charges $10/month per additional staff member, which means a 5-tech nail salon pays $70+/month compared to Beauty Calendar (currently free for 3 months for US businesses). For larger nail salons with 6+ technicians, the cost difference becomes significant.
Free–$29/month
If your nail salon already uses Square for payments, Square Appointments integrates seamlessly. The free tier covers basic scheduling for small shops; the $29/month team plan adds multi-staff scheduling. Square's nail salon-specific features are limited compared to dedicated beauty platforms, but the ecosystem integration with Square POS hardware is a genuine advantage.
Nail salons operate differently from hair salons and spas. Here are the specific features that matter most for nail salon management:
Unlike hair salons where one stylist handles one client at a time, nail salons often run manicure and pedicure services simultaneously — one tech does nails while another handles a pedi in the neighboring chair. Your scheduling software needs to support this overlapping model cleanly, showing which chairs and which technicians are occupied at any given time.
Nail salons typically receive a higher proportion of walk-in clients than appointment-based hair salons. Good nail salon software includes a walk-in queue that displays current wait times, assigns walk-ins to the next available technician, and lets clients join a virtual waitlist via text message.
Nail supplies — gel polishes, acrylic powder, nail tips, UV lamps — represent a significant ongoing cost. Software that tracks supply usage per service lets you calculate your true cost-per-service, identify theft or waste, and automate reorder alerts before you run out of popular colors.
Nail services require flexible service menus that support add-ons: "basic manicure + gel overlay + nail art" should be bookable as a single service with the total price calculated automatically. Look for software that handles service bundles and add-ons natively.