Luminate and SalonIQ compared

How SalonIQ prices it

SalonIQ starts at £47 per month for a solo stylist, and you pay an extra £10 per month for each additional bookable team member. If you're running a six-stylist salon, you pay £47 for the first stylist plus £10 for each of the other five, which brings your monthly bill to £97. You also need to budget for a setup fee starting from £175 plus VAT, which covers your install, online training, and data migration.

The contract terms are flexible, with no long-term commitment, but you must give 90 days of notice if you decide to cancel. This notice period means that when you decide to leave, you'll still pay for another three months of service before your account closes.

While core tools like the booking portal and scheduling are included in the base price, several key features are listed as upgrade options. SalonIQ does not publish prices on their website for these upgrades, which include online booking deposits, integrated card payments, two-way SMS messaging, and a branded consumer app. To find out what these add-ons will actually cost your business, you have to contact their sales team directly for a quote.

Because software plans and packages change over time, you should check SalonIQ's own pricing page to verify their latest rates before making a decision. Take the time to ask about the total cost of any upgrades you need, especially card payments and text credits, so you don't face unexpected bills later.

How Luminate prices it

Luminate uses a flat rate of £69 per month. Every feature in the software is included, and you don't pay extra as you add staff. Staff accounts are completely unlimited, meaning you can add stylists, assistants, and receptionists without your monthly bill changing.

The rate includes unlimited tills and terminals, allowing you to run the app on multiple devices. You receive 300 SMS credits each month, while email and WhatsApp messaging is included. Luminate operates on monthly billing with no contract, no minimum term, and no exit fee, allowing you to cancel any time.

Where SalonIQ is the better choice

SalonIQ is a strong option if you're deeply embedded in its system. If your team is trained on the platform, staying with your setup avoids the effort of training staff on a new app.

The system also fits businesses preferring a traditional provider with a structured notice period. If you manage multiple salons and have built custom reporting around their database, the platform offers a stable environment your team understands. If you're comfortable with the notice terms, it remains a solid choice.

Where Luminate fits better

Luminate is built specifically for UK and Ireland hair salons, focusing on features that match a modern salon floor. The software includes a colour formulas feature to record client mixes and track overage billing.

For booking, Luminate offers multi-service bookings with hands-on and processing times included, keeping the drag-and-drop calendar accurate. The waitlist management system helps fill gaps when clients cancel. Online bookings require card deposits set per service as a fixed sum or percentage, and unpaid bookings cancel themselves after 30 minutes, keeping the calendar free.

The software also provides tools for rostering, leave management, and staff levels. The commission automation feature calculates pay based on your commission tiers, while hours tracking monitors attendance. For safety, the system includes skin test compliance tracking to flag client records, alongside revenue reports and GDPR tools.

What moving involves

If you decide to switch, Luminate's support team manages the migration. Email hello@luminate.salon with details of your setup, and the team will help prepare data as a ZIP of JSON files.

The team runs a validation pass as a dry run to check every record before writing. The import runs inside a single database transaction, meaning the transfer either completes or rolls back, preventing scrambled records from entering your database.

You must run this import on a fresh salon account with no data entered yet. The migration transfers staff profiles with levels, roster settings, monthly targets, and commission bands. Customer records come across with preferences, badges, and account credit, alongside tags, products, services with deposit rules, the colour catalogue, appointments, transactions with items and payments, shifts, roster data, time blocks, signed consent signatures for colour tests, and gift vouchers.

After the import, check that services arrive bookable online and deposit-free, and ensure staff are on the roster. A 30-day free trial with no credit card lets you run both systems side by side to check the details before deciding.

Questions to ask before you decide

When comparing software, ask these key questions to ensure the platform fits your business:

The right software should make your life easier from day one on the salon floor. If you're happy with your current SalonIQ setup and terms, there's no reason to change. But if you want a simple system with a flat £69 monthly price, unlimited staff, and hair-specific features, starting a 30-day free trial of Luminate will show you if it fits your salon.

• Does the pricing increase as my team grows? Ask if the price covers your entire salon or if you'll pay extra for each bookable staff member.
• What is the notice period? Check if you can cancel on a month-to-month basis or if you're bound by an annual contract with a specific exit period.
• How is my online booking deposit handled? Ask if there're monthly gateway fees. On Luminate, taking a £20 deposit costs 60p, and a £50 deposit costs £1.20, with no monthly gateway fee.
• Is my data fully exportable? Ensure that you're able to export your entire database as a ZIP containing JSON or CSV files if you ever need your information.
• Are hair-salon features included? Check if tools like colour formulas, commission automation, and skin test compliance tracking are included or require an upgrade.