What Does Salon Software Cost in NZ?

If you're running a salon in New Zealand and looking at booking software, you've probably noticed that finding clear pricing is harder than it should be. Some platforms hide their prices behind "contact us" forms. Others advertise "free" but charge commissions on every booking. And per-staff pricing can turn a reasonable-sounding plan into a serious monthly expense.

We put together this comparison so you can see what each platform actually costs, side by side.

The platforms we're comparing

We looked at every salon booking platform with a meaningful presence in New Zealand: TimeToBook, Timely, Fresha, Booksy, Kitomba, Epical, and Zolmi. For each one, we calculated the real monthly cost for a solo stylist, a 3-person salon, and a 5-person team.

Quick comparison: Monthly cost by team size

Here's what you'll actually pay each month (all prices in NZD, excluding GST):

Solo stylist (1 staff)

Small salon (3 staff)

Growing team (5 staff)

Platform-by-platform breakdown

TimeToBook

• Model: Free for first staff, $15 NZD per additional staff/month
• Commissions: None
• Contract: Month-to-month, cancel anytime
• Free tier: Fully featured, no appointment limits
• Best for: Solo stylists and small salons wanting simple, affordable booking software

TimeToBook focuses on the essentials: a booking calendar, online booking page, SMS reminders, and client management. No POS, no payroll, no marketing automation. That's by design — most small salons don't need those features.

Timely

• Model: Per staff member, per month ($42–70 NZD depending on tier)
• Plans: Build ($42/staff), Elevate ($65/staff), Innovate ($70/staff)
• Commissions: None
• Contract: Month-to-month
• Free tier: None
• Best for: Larger salons wanting a comprehensive business management suite

Timely is the most established NZ-based option. It started in Dunedin and now serves over 55,000 professionals worldwide. It's feature-rich but the per-staff pricing adds up quickly. A 5-person salon on the Build plan pays $210/month, and that's the cheapest tier.

Fresha

• Model: $19.95/month (solo) or $14.95 per team member/month
• Commissions: 20% on new client bookings (minimum $6 per booking)
• Contract: Month-to-month
• Free tier: No longer truly free
• Best for: Salons wanting marketplace exposure to attract new clients

Fresha used to be genuinely free. That changed. The platform now charges monthly fees plus a 20% commission on new clients acquired through their marketplace. Some salon owners have reported being charged commission on clients who found them through Google or word of mouth, not through Fresha's marketplace.

Booksy

• Model: ~$50 NZD base (USD $29.99) plus ~$33 NZD per additional staff
• Commissions: 30% Boost commission on new clients
• Contract: Month-to-month
• Free tier: 14-day trial only
• Best for: Barbers in the US and UK markets

Booksy is primarily a US/UK platform with minimal NZ presence. The pricing is in USD, and their marketplace is not widely used by NZ consumers. Customer support has very low ratings across review platforms.

Kitomba

• Model: Contact sales for pricing
• Commissions: Unknown
• Contract: Unknown
• Free tier: None, no free trial
• Best for: Large, established salons wanting enterprise-level features

Kitomba positions itself as the premium option with POS, stock management, loyalty programs, and detailed reporting. The opaque pricing and sales-led approach suggests it's not targeting budget-conscious small salons.

Epical

• Model: Weekly billing — $10/week (1 staff), $17/week (2 staff), $35/week (unlimited)
• Commissions: None
• Contract: Weekly
• Free tier: None
• Best for: Salons preferring NZ-owned software with POS features

Epical is 100% NZ-owned with over 30 years in the industry. The weekly billing model is unusual and can obscure the true monthly cost. A solo stylist pays $43/month, and the unlimited plan is $152/month — plus optional premium support at $16–35/week extra.

Zolmi

• Model: Free (limited), $33/month (Start), $56/month (Pro)
• Commissions: None
• Contract: Month-to-month
• Free tier: Yes, but capped at 50 appointments and 2 staff
• Best for: Small salons wanting a free starting point with room to grow

Zolmi offers a free tier but caps it at 50 appointments per month and 2 staff members. For a busy solo stylist doing 5+ cuts a day, you'd hit that cap in under two weeks.

Hidden costs to watch for

Beyond the headline price, watch for these extras:

• SMS credits: Most platforms charge separately for SMS reminders. Costs vary from 7c to 15c per message.
• Transaction fees: Fresha charges 2.29% + $0.20 per card payment. Booksy charges 2.6% + $0.30.
• Premium support: Fresha charges $14.95/month extra for phone/live chat support. Epical charges $16–35/week.
• Marketplace commissions: Fresha (20%) and Booksy (30%) take a cut of new client bookings.
• Setup fees: Most platforms don't charge these, but always check.

So what should you choose?

It depends on what you need:

• Solo stylist on a budget: TimeToBook (free, no caps) or Zolmi (free, 50 appointment cap)
• Small salon wanting simplicity: TimeToBook ($30/month for 3 staff)
• Salon wanting marketplace exposure: Fresha (but factor in the commission costs)
• Large salon wanting everything: Timely or Kitomba (but expect to pay for it)

The best software is the one you'll actually use. If you're still managing bookings via text messages or a paper diary, even a simple free tool is a massive upgrade.

Pricing information was gathered in February 2026 and may have changed since. Prices are in NZD unless otherwise noted. We've done our best to be accurate and fair in these comparisons — if something needs correcting, let us know.