Best Software for Hair Salons in the UK

Running a hair salon in the UK means juggling bookings, staff rotas, payments, and client relationships — all while actually doing the work. The right software can take a significant amount of that admin off your plate, helping you focus on what you do best.

Whether you're a sole trader with a single chair or managing a busy high street salon with several stylists, this guide covers the best tools available to UK salon owners right now.

Best for Bookings and Client Management

Fresha

Fresha is arguably the most popular choice for UK hair salons, and for good reason. It offers an all-in-one booking, CRM, and payments platform on a genuinely generous free tier, making it ideal if you're just starting out or want to keep overheads low. Clients can book online 24/7, and the interface is clean and intuitive for both you and your team.

Treatwell Connect

Treatwell Connect (from £25/month) goes a step further by listing your salon on the Treatwell marketplace, giving you exposure to new local clients actively searching for hair appointments. It includes automated reminders to reduce no-shows, which can make a real difference to your monthly revenue. If you want booking software that also acts as a marketing channel, this is worth serious consideration.

Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling (from £16/month) is a solid choice if you prefer a straightforward online booking tool that integrates with payment processing. It sends automated reminders to clients and is easy to embed into your existing website. It lacks the marketplace reach of Treatwell, but it's flexible and well-priced for smaller salons.

Best for Taking Payments

Zettle by PayPal

Zettle Go offers a free app and straightforward card reader, making it a popular starting point for UK salon owners who want to accept card payments quickly. It handles contactless, chip and PIN, and mobile payments with transparent fees and no monthly subscription. Zettle is particularly well-regarded in the UK small business community for its simplicity.

SumUp

SumUp POS is another strong contender with an affordable freemium model and a user-friendly interface that requires minimal setup. It integrates seamlessly with SumUp's own card readers, which are widely used across UK salons and mobile hairdressers. If you want a clean, no-fuss payment solution, SumUp is hard to beat at this price point.

Best for Accounting and VAT

Xero

Xero (from £15/month) is one of the most trusted accounting platforms for UK small businesses, and it's fully Making Tax Digital (MTD) compliant — essential if your salon is VAT-registered or approaching the threshold. It connects directly to most UK business bank accounts and integrates with tools like Fresha, making end-of-month reconciliation much simpler. If you're working with a bookkeeper or accountant, they'll almost certainly know Xero already.

Best for Staff Management

Deputy

Deputy (from £6/month per user) makes rota scheduling and time tracking straightforward, with excellent mobile apps that let your stylists clock in, swap shifts, and check their hours on the go. It integrates well with UK payroll software, which saves significant admin time at the end of each pay period. For salons with a small team, it's an affordable and practical solution.

BrightHR

BrightHR (from £5/month) is a UK-built HR and rota platform that covers shift scheduling, holiday tracking, and GDPR-compliant document storage — all useful features as your team grows. The mobile app allows staff to request leave and view rotas without needing to contact you directly. It's particularly good value for salons that want basic HR functionality bundled alongside scheduling.

Best for Marketing

Mailchimp

Mailchimp remains one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to stay in touch with your clients via email. The free tier is generous for smaller contact lists, and the drag-and-drop builder means you don't need any design experience to send professional-looking newsletters or promotions. Importantly for UK businesses, Mailchimp includes GDPR consent tools to help you manage marketing permissions properly.

Our Top Picks at a Glance

Best free all-in-one: Fresha
Best for new client discovery: Treatwell Connect
Best for payments: Zettle or SumUp
Best for MTD-compliant accounting: Xero
Best for staff scheduling: Deputy or BrightHR
Best for email marketing: Mailchimp

The good news is that most of these tools integrate with one another, so you can build a connected system without switching between platforms all day. Start with your biggest pain point — whether that's bookings, payments, or staff admin — and build from there.

Related Guides

Best POS & Payments for Hair Salon → Best Booking & Scheduling for Hair Salon → Best CRM for Hair Salon →