Phorest review (2026)

Name: Phorest review (2026)
Item: Phorest
Rating: 7.2
Author: Salon Software Guide

The client-retention powerhouse for salons

Phorest is a premium salon and spa platform built around client retention. Its TreatCard loyalty, automated rebooking, and reputation-management tools stand out, though pricing is custom and typically locked to an annual contract.

Scored on our public 100-point rubric·Prices verified: July 3, 2026

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7.2/10

Ranked #10 of 11

72/100 points on our public rubric

From

$89/mo

Card fees

2.75%

Free trial

Demo only

Contract

Annual contract

QUICK VERDICT

Phorest's strength is keeping clients coming back: loyalty, automated rebooking, and review-gathering are best-in-class, backed by strong reporting. The trade-off is cost and commitment — pricing is custom, SMS marketing bills separately, and most plans require an annual contract, making it a weak fit for budget-conscious solos.

Score breakdown

Booking & client experience

12/15

Pricing & transparency

7/15

Payments & true cost

11/15

Business management

12/15

Marketing & retention

9/10

Staff & scalability

8/10

Ease of use & onboarding

6/10

Support & reliability

4/5

Integrations & data export

3/5

Total 72/100

Pros & cons

WHAT WE LIKED

✓ TreatCard is a genuinely built-in loyalty program that drives repeat visits and rebooking rather than a bolt-on. ✓ Automated rebooking and Client Reconnect chase lapsed clients and cut no-shows without manual effort. ✓ Reputation management routes happy clients to Google and Facebook reviews while keeping negative feedback private for you to address. ✓ Deep salon-specific reporting plus SMS/email marketing templates and consultation forms aimed at growth, not just scheduling.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER

− Pricing is custom and on the higher end, and SMS marketing is billed separately on top of the base subscription. − Most plans require a one-year contract with automatic renewal, so there is no easy month-to-month exit. − Reports and navigation can feel complex, and functionality differs between the desktop and web apps.

What Phorest really costs

ITEM	PRICE	NOTES
Base plan (entry tier)	$89/mo	Starting price; higher tiers are quoted custom based on features and team size.
Additional staff member	Custom	Quoted per business; scales with the size of your team.
Card processing (PhorestPay)	2.75%	Integrated payments; flat per-transaction rate.
SMS marketing credits	Custom	Text-message marketing is billed separately from the subscription.
Free trial / contract	Demo only	No free trial; guided demo, then typically an annual contract.

Prices verified July 3, 2026. Estimate your true monthly cost →

How we scored Phorest

Every platform is graded on the same public 100-point rubric — booking & client experience, pricing transparency, payments & true cost, business management, marketing, staff & scalability, ease of use, support and integrations. Scores reflect verified pricing and documented features, not vendor marketing. See our full methodology →

Choose Phorest if…

· Client retention, loyalty, and marketing automation matter more to you than bare-bones scheduling. · You run an established or multi-location salon/spa and want reputation and rebooking tools built in. · You're comfortable committing to an annual contract for a mature, all-in-one platform.

Look elsewhere if…

· Want to start free with no monthly software fee or annual lock-in → Fresha · Prefer a similarly premium salon platform with a more modern, streamlined interface → Boulevard · Run a large multi-location chain that needs enterprise-scale management → Zenoti