Salon payroll · September 20, 2026
Best payroll software for salons (2026)
Tips, booth rent, and a payday that files. A salon OS is not a substitute for tax deposits.
By Gregory GreensteinUpdated September 20, 2026Affiliate disclosure
Salon payroll is not office payroll. You have tips, booth-renter vs employee fights, and people who turn over before the handbook is printed. The job is: calculate wages and tips, withhold, file, and not surprise the floor on Friday.
This ranking is for US independents and small groups — one to a few chairs or locations — not a 200-unit franchise HCM. Gusto publishes a bill. Square wins when the register is already Square. Homebase wins when the schedule is the leak. Boulevard is a salon OS that may include or sit next to payday — confirm the live package.
Prices as of September 20, 2026. Classification of booth renters is a legal question. This is not tax or tip-credit advice.
The short list
Public list prices as of September 20, 2026. Promos change. Confirm on the vendor page before you buy.
| # | Product | Best for | Public starting price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | Salons that want published pricing and a owner who can finish setup without a POS lock-in | Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22. Contractor Only $35 + $6. Simple is single-state. | 8.4 |
| 2 | Square Payroll | Shops already taking cards and bookings on Square | Full-service $35/mo + $6 per person paid that month. Contractor-only $6 per contractor paid, no base fee. | 8.3 |
| 3 | Homebase | Shops whose actual leak is the schedule, then payday | Scheduling plans are published on joinhomebase.com/pricing (a free tier plus paid location plans). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid. | 7.9 |
| 4 | Boulevard | Salons that want booking, memberships, and the client file in one OS — then pair payday | Boulevard does not publish a durable national self-serve payroll rate card. Software is typically quoted per location. Confirm joinboulevard.com. Pair with Gusto or Square Payroll unless the quote names payroll in writing. | 7.4 |
01
Gusto
Salons that want published pricing and a owner who can finish setup without a POS lock-in
Public pricing: Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22. Contractor Only $35 + $6. Simple is single-state.
Gusto public pricing (gusto.com/product/pricing), reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
The floor already lives in Square and hours come off the register. Square Payroll is the narrower buy. Or your broker already lives in Paychex.
Why it ranks
- A owner can estimate eight stylists on a napkin.
- Full-service US filings, with 1099s if booth renters are contractors — classification is on you.
- Benefits sit next to payday when you hire a front-desk W-2.
- Pairs with QBO and Xero, where many salon books already live.
Watch-outs
- Simple is single-state. A second location in another state usually means Plus.
- Tips still have to be set up correctly. Software files what you configure.
- Not a booking OS. Boulevard or Vagaro is a different job.
- Booth-renter vs employee is counsel, not a Gusto toggle.
02
Square Payroll
Shops already taking cards and bookings on Square
Public pricing: Full-service $35/mo + $6 per person paid that month. Contractor-only $6 per contractor paid, no base fee.
Square Payroll pricing (squareup.com/us/en/payroll/pricing), reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You are not on Square and do not plan to be. Payroll alone is cheaper to compare against Gusto without dragging in a new POS.
Why it ranks
- Hours can come from Square Appointments / Team instead of a third timesheet.
- Published math you can put next to Gusto on a napkin — $35 + $6 vs $49 + $6.
- Tips on the same login family as the card.
- Contractor-only is honest if booths are 1099s — still a classification question.
Watch-outs
- Per-person fees apply in months you pay them. Seasonal chairs still show up.
- Multi-state and multi-EIN limits exist. Read Square’s current constraints.
- Benefits are partner add-ons, not the $35.
- If the salon OS is Boulevard, do not dual-stack Square just for a $14 base-fee delta.
03
Homebase
Shops whose actual leak is the schedule, then payday
Public pricing: Scheduling plans are published on joinhomebase.com/pricing (a free tier plus paid location plans). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid.
Homebase official pricing (joinhomebase.com/pricing), reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You already have a book that works and only need tax filing. Homebase is a labor app that added payroll.
Why it ranks
- Shift swaps and a phone schedule are why salons stay.
- Payroll rides along once the roster is honest.
- Useful when Boulevard is more OS than you will operate.
- A known floor tool when you hire from another hourly shop.
Watch-outs
- Budget scheduling + payroll. The combined list is not $39.
- Not a booking and color-formula OS.
- Tip setup still needs a human.
- If Square already holds time, adding Homebase is a second login.
04
Boulevard
Salons that want booking, memberships, and the client file in one OS — then pair payday
Public pricing: Boulevard does not publish a durable national self-serve payroll rate card. Software is typically quoted per location. Confirm joinboulevard.com. Pair with Gusto or Square Payroll unless the quote names payroll in writing.
Boulevard official site (joinboulevard.com), reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You only needed payroll. Boulevard is a salon platform sold as a conversation. Do not buy it to get Gusto.
Why it ranks
- The client, the chair, and the membership are the salon job.
- Useful when Vagaro-class booking is too thin and you will staff an admin.
- A known brand when you hire a front desk from another Boulevard shop.
- Payday can sit next door once the OS is chosen.
Watch-outs
- No quote, no comparison to Gusto Simple at $49 + $6.
- Implementation is a project. Budget data cleanup.
- Not a substitute for tax deposits.
- Leaving later is a renovation.
How we picked
The job is US salon payday for shops under ~50: tips, a bill an owner can understand, and honesty about booth rent vs W-2. We scored published prices and POS/booking adjacency. Mindbody and Booker stay off as spa-enterprise. AI color or copy tools are Aiacent.