Barbershop & Beauty Salon Platform

Part of the worlds-biggest-software-project initiative.

An AI-native, open-source platform for salon and barbershop operations: online booking, stylist management, POS, and loyalty.

The Barbershop & Beauty Salon Platform is a vertical SaaS for independent barbershops, salons, and multi-location chains. It unifies appointment scheduling, walk-in queue management, integrated payments, client records, and marketing in a single open codebase, addressing pain points that today are scattered across ten or more proprietary commercial products.

Why Barbershop & Beauty Salon Platform?

Every leading platform analysed (Fresha, Mangomint, Squire, Boulevard, Vagaro, GlossGenius, Barberly, Zenoti, Timely, Mindbody) is closed-source proprietary SaaS with no open core.
Open API access is restricted or paywalled on most platforms — Vagaro charges extra for webhooks, Boulevard gates its API to enterprise tier, Zenoti restricts API access to authorised developers, and Fresha, GlossGenius, Barberly, and Timely have no documented public API.
Pricing extremes leave gaps: enterprise platforms like Zenoti require $5,000–$20,000 implementations, while affordable tiers (GlossGenius, Timely) intentionally exclude features needed by multi-staff operations.
Cross-platform parity is weak — Squire's desktop web interface is repeatedly cited as significantly less functional than its mobile app, and similar gaps exist across competitors.
Underserved capabilities include AI-powered client style memory, dynamic demand-aware pricing, proactive rebooking prediction, multi-jurisdiction licence tracking, and OSHA-linked chemical inventory compliance — none of which incumbents execute well.

Key Features

Scheduling & Booking

Appointment calendar with multi-staff lanes, colour coding, and drag-and-drop rescheduling
Online self-booking via embeddable widget, shareable link, and social booking integrations
Walk-in queue management with live wait-time estimation and in-shop TV queue board
Self-check-in kiosk on iOS or Android tablet with service and staff selection
Multi-service, multi-provider booking optimisation to minimise gaps and back-and-forth slot hunting

Payments & POS

Integrated POS supporting chip, swipe, contactless, Apple Pay, and Google Pay
No-show and late-cancellation protection through deposit and prepayment collection
Tip management built into the checkout flow
Product inventory tracking with supplier ordering and consumption tracking

Client & Staff Management

Client profiles with visit history, service notes, formulas, and photo documentation
Staff calendar, timesheets, clock-in/out, commission tracking, and permissions
Loyalty programme, referral campaigns, and membership/package management
Staff licence expiry tracking and compliance alerts across multi-jurisdiction operations

Marketing & Communication

Automated SMS and email appointment reminders and confirmations
Email and SMS marketing campaigns with smart audience segments (birthday, lapsed client)
Two-way unified messaging across SMS, email, and WhatsApp in one inbox
Review management and social media post templates

Multi-Location & Reporting

Multi-location management with unified reporting
Real-time analytics and financial reporting dashboard
Role-based access for franchise owners, location managers, front desk, and stylists

AI-Native Advantage

AI capabilities target the specific gaps incumbents do not address well: a persistent client style and preference profile that surfaces colour formulas, cut notes, and product preferences automatically at check-in to any stylist; smart rebooking prediction that proactively messages clients before their typical rebook window closes; dynamic demand-aware pricing that fills slower slots while protecting peak-period revenue; and an AI receptionist that answers calls, books appointments, and responds to FAQs outside business hours. AI-assisted chemical inventory tracking links product usage to OSHA SDS records, flagging expiry, disposal requirements, and reorder points.

Tech Stack & Deployment

The platform targets cloud SaaS deployment with a self-hostable option, exposing a public REST API and webhook ecosystem from day one — a deliberate contrast to incumbents that restrict or paywall developer access. Integration surfaces include embeddable booking widgets, social booking links (Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile), payment processing, and accounting connectors. HIPAA-compliant client charting is on the roadmap to enable medspa adjacency.

Market Context

Fresha leads global mindshare with over 450,000 beauty professionals across 120 countries on a zero-subscription, payment-commission model. Subscription incumbents range from $11/user/mo (Timely) and $24/mo (GlossGenius) at the low end, through $30–$90/mo (Vagaro) and $165–$375/mo (Mangomint), up to custom enterprise quotes plus $5,000–$20,000 implementation fees (Zenoti). Primary buyers are independent barbershops and salons, multi-location chains, and franchise operators; deregulation across multiple US states is gradually expanding the addressable market for solo-tier software.

Project Status

This project is in the research and specification phase.
Contributions, feedback, and domain expertise are welcome.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from developers, domain experts, and potential users. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Important: All contributions must be your own original work or clearly attributed open-source material with a compatible licence. Copyright infringement and licence violations will not be tolerated and will result in immediate removal of the offending contribution. If you are unsure whether a piece of code, text, or other material is safe to contribute, open an issue and ask before submitting.

Licence

Licence to be determined. See discussion for context.