Kiri vs Phorest
Phorest is salon software with online booking, deposits and a marketing suite. Its plans (Starter, Grow, Complete Advantage and Elite) are priced by quote, and there is no free trial. It has no consumer marketplace. Kiri is a free listing that brings new clients and booking requests, and sits beside it.
The facts, in one table.
| Kiri | Phorest | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0 to list, with no subscription. A full booking system is planned as an opt-in add-on at $20 a month plus $10 per staff member; the free listing stays either way. | Not published. The Starter, Grow, Complete Advantage and Elite plans each show “Request a quote”. No free trial; Phorest offers a demo instead. |
| Fees on bookings | None. No commission on bookings and no fee for new clients. | None listed. Phorest has no consumer marketplace, and its pricing page shows no commission or new-client fee. |
| Contract | None. No card on file; leave whenever you like. | Not published on the pricing page. |
| Online booking | Booking requests: the client picks a service, stylist and time, and you accept or decline in Kiri Studio. | 24/7 online booking with deposits and no-show protection using stored cards, plus a salon-branded booking app. |
| How clients find you | Every portfolio photo becomes a style page people find by searching the cut. Salon pages are marked up for Google and AI search, and listed in Kiri city guides for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco so far. | None built in. No consumer marketplace; it lists a Reserve with Google integration and review tools. |
| Website or profile page | A salon page with menu and prices, team, portfolio, hours, reviews and HairSalon structured data, at kiri-me.com/stylists/your-salon. | An online booking widget for your own website and Facebook page. |
| Payments and POS | Not handled. You keep collecting payment in the salon. | Card payment processing and PhorestPay terminals. |
| Text reminders | Not yet. Text reminders are part of the planned booking system. | Texts are 5¢ each, with a free monthly allowance that depends on the plan. |
| Setup | Done by the Kiri team from your Instagram, website or Google listing. You review before it goes live. | Done with you: every plan includes bespoke setup and data migration by Phorest’s team. |
Where Phorest wins
- Online booking with deposits and no-show protection using stored cards.
- A marketing suite and review tools built into the software.
- A salon-branded booking app.
- Setup and data migration done by Phorest’s team on every plan.
Where Kiri wins
- Discovery: Phorest has no marketplace. Kiri exists to bring new clients.
- $0 to list, with the price in plain sight.
- No demo or quote: send a form and the Kiri team builds your page.
- Clients find you by the hairstyle they want, from search and AI answers.
You can run both.
Kiri is not a point-of-sale and does not try to be one. Phorest runs the salon and markets to the clients you already have; Kiri brings people who have never heard of you. Accept a Kiri request, then book it in Phorest like a call.
Phorest fits best
When you want salon software with marketing and a branded app built in, and you are happy to buy through a demo and a quote.
Kiri fits best
Solo stylists, small teams and salons of any size that want new clients to find them by the work they do, a page built to rank for their name and area, and booking requests without paying a platform for the privilege.
Asked before switching.
- How much does Phorest cost?
- Phorest does not publish prices. As of November 2026 its pricing page lists four plans (Starter, Grow, Complete Advantage and Elite), each with a “Request a quote” button.
- Does Phorest offer a free trial?
- No. Its pricing page says Phorest does not offer a free trial, and offers a full demo before you buy instead.
- Is Kiri a replacement for Phorest?
- No. Kiri does not handle payments, marketing campaigns or text reminders today. It is a free listing that brings new clients and booking requests, and it works beside Phorest.
Sources
Phorest prices and terms are theirs and change. We quote their public pages as of November 12, 2026; check the current page before deciding. Kiri is not affiliated with Phorest.
Keep Phorest. Add Kiri.
Send us the form today. We build your page, you check it, and booking requests start coming in beside whatever you already run.