loci vs Square Appointments
Built for beauty, not just payments. Square is a payments company that also does scheduling. loci is a beauty operating system that includes payments. The difference shows up everywhere.
The fragmented cost
What Square actually costs
Square’s pricing looks simple until you realize every feature is a separate product with its own subscription. Here’s what a 5-staff, 2-location salon actually pays.
Square actual cost
Total monthly cost
~$223/mo
Plus per-transaction fees (2.6% + 10¢)
loci all-in-one
Everything included
$79
Zero per-location fees. Zero add-ons. Cancel anytime.
Feature by feature
The detailed comparison
We’ve broken down every feature that matters to salon owners. Here’s the honest truth about how we stack up against Square Appointments.
| Feature | loci | Square Appointments |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost (5 staff, 2 locations) | $79/mo (all-in) | $98/mo base + separate products |
| Payment processing fee | 2.6% flat | 2.6% + 10¢ |
| Per-location pricing | None — flat rate | $49/mo per location |
| Built for beauty & wellness | Purpose-built | Generic for all industries |
| Calendar & scheduling | Full-featured | Yes |
| Client management | Complete CRM | Basic |
| Online booking page | SEO-optimized | Yes |
| Multi-location dashboard | Native unified view | Separate per-location |
| Staff management | Advanced | Basic |
| Online payments | Yes | Yes |
| SMS messaging | 2-way included | Separate product |
| Email marketing | Full suite | Square Marketing add-on |
| Forms & intake | AI-powered included | No |
| Loyalty program | Native | Square Loyalty add-on |
| Gift cards | Full integration | Yes |
| Booth renter management | Complete suite | No |
| Service versioning | Yes (only loci) | No |
| AI intelligence | Deep insights | No |
| Beauty-specific vocabulary | Stylist, guest, chair | Staff, customer, resource |
| Reporting & analytics | Advanced | Good |
| QuickBooks sync | Yes | Yes |
| Payroll integration | Included | Square Payroll add-on |
| Hardware ecosystem | BYO terminal | Terminal, Register, Reader |
| Free tier | No | Free plan (1 location) |
| Design quality | ★★★★★ | ★★★ |
| Mobile app | Staff app included | Yes |
| Contract required | No | No |
| Cancel anytime | Yes | Yes |
The honest breakdown
Where each platform shines
Purpose-built for beauty
loci speaks your language — stylists, guests, chairs, color formulas. Square uses generic terms like staff, customers, and resources because it’s built for every industry, not yours.
loci winsAll-inclusive pricing
loci includes booking, marketing, loyalty, payroll, and forms for $79/month. Square fragments these across separate products that each have their own subscription.
loci winsService versioning
Update a price in loci and historical data stays accurate. Change a price in Square and historical reports break. Only loci has this.
loci winsAI-powered features
loci includes AI intake forms, client intelligence, and staff recommendations. Square doesn’t offer beauty-specific AI tools.
loci winsBooth renter management
loci has full booth renter isolation, separate payments, and lease tools. Square has no concept of booth renters.
loci winsBeauty-specific vocabulary
loci calls things what your team calls them — guests not customers, stylists not staff, services not items. The details matter for daily usability.
loci winsFree tier for solopreneurs
Square’s free plan is genuinely powerful for solo operators — free scheduling, a booking page, and payment processing with no monthly fee. It’s hard to beat free when you’re starting out.
Square winsHardware ecosystem
Square Terminal, Square Register, and Square Reader are polished, reliable, and deeply integrated. loci works with standard payment terminals but doesn’t make its own hardware.
Square winsBrand trust & ecosystem
Square is a household name with banking, invoicing, and a broad business ecosystem. That brand recognition and breadth of tools has real value for multi-service businesses.
Square winsSquare Go marketplace
Square’s consumer-facing marketplace can drive walk-in discovery and new client acquisition at no additional cost.
Square wins“I needed software that understood my world — stylists, not staff members. Guests, not customers. One dashboard for both locations without paying double. That’s what loci delivered.”
Trinity — Owner, Blonde Voyage Salon (Temecula & San Diego, CA)
Made for Square users
Switch in under 20 minutes
Export your data from Square and import it directly into loci. Your clients, services, and history come with you.
Export from Square
Download your client list and appointment history from Square’s data export tool.
Import to loci
Upload your file and we’ll automatically map your client data, services, and history.
Verify your data
Review your clients, services, and staff. Make any adjustments you need.
Go live
Activate your new booking page and start accepting appointments in loci.
No contract means you can try risk-free. If loci isn't right for you, cancel anytime. But we think you'll love it.
Questions?
Questions from Square switchers
Competitor pricing verified as of February 2026. Prices may change — visit each provider's website for current rates.
Software that speaks your language
Purpose-built for beauty. One price, everything included. Import your Square data and try loci risk-free — no contract required.