Apps for hairdressers in 2026: what to choose if you work on your own
October 18, 2026
· Author: 
Valeriy Eremeev, Co-founder of Talenza
Screenshots show the Russian-language interface.
A hairdresser who works alone or in a small studio needs a service where services can last fifteen minutes or three hours, a haircut and colouring fit into one booking, and notes about a client don’t get lost. Talenza and DIKIDI have a free start. Masters, Sonline and YCLIENTS are paid or come with a trial.
The results for “apps for hairdressers” are taken up by salon software: stock, payroll and a dozen employees. This review is for a different case: you are your own administrator.
What matters specifically to a hairdresser
Services of different lengths. A haircut takes an hour, colouring three. If a service shows the client any free time without accounting for the service’s length, bookings appear that don’t fit into the slot. Check that the client sees only slots of a suitable length.
Several services per visit. A haircut, colouring and styling are one booking, not three. Time and price should add up on their own.
A break between clients. Clean up the workplace, prepare the tools. You need a “break after booking” setting that you won’t have to set by hand.
Notes. A formula, a length, what they asked for and what didn’t suit them. If a note is kept somewhere other than the booking, you won’t find it by the next visit.
Five services compared
Details were checked on the services’ websites on 15 October 2026. Terms change, so check before choosing.
| Service | Free | Paid for one pro | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talenza | yes, no time limit | SMS at 10 ₽ per message | a pro, a studio |
| DIKIDI | yes, base plan | from 250 ₽/month (“Specialist”, LITE) | from a pro to a salon |
| Masters | 14-day trial | see prices on the website | beauty pros and salons |
| Sonline | trial access | ”Master” 7,650 ₽ for 12 months | beauty business |
| YCLIENTS | 7 days | from 1,600 ₽/month billed yearly | salons, chains |
Talenza
A booking service for an independent pro and a small studio. The client books from your link, chooses one or several services and sees only the time they fit into. After a booking you can leave a break, and the client card holds notes of up to a thousand characters.
There are free slots: the app gathers free time for a period into a card or a message text. There are recurring bookings for those who come on a schedule. Telegram reminders are free, SMS costs 10 ₽. The base plan is free forever, with no limit on the number of bookings.
What it doesn’t have: stock control, payroll, an online cash register and chain management. More for your profession is on the page “Online booking for beauty pros”.
DIKIDI
The closest in idea: it also has a free base plan. For an independent specialist, paid plans start from 250 ₽ a month (LITE: sales, payroll, finance, manual sending of notifications), from 450 ₽ (PRO: bonuses, goods, gift certificates) and from 1,500 ₽ (VIP). For a company the same plans cost from 590, 900 and 2,500 ₽ a month. There is an app for iOS and Android and push reminders to clients. DIKIDI has its own directory of pros through which new clients can find you.
Masters
An app for beauty pros, operating since 2015. The website states a 14-day free period. Its functions include online booking, a schedule, client records, notifications, income and expense tracking, statistics, services and goods, prepayment and integrations. There are separate pages for hairdressing services and barbers. Plan prices aren’t shown in the text of the pricing page, so check them on the website yourself.
Sonline
Software for the beauty business: online booking, stock, payroll, finance. For one pro there is the “Master” plan at 7,650 ₽ for 12 months (with three more months free on first connection), and for a studio of up to five specialists “Business” at 9,600 ₽ a year. This is a salon management system, and for one pro it is excessive.
YCLIENTS
The best-known CRM for salons. Plans depend on the term and the number of employees: from 1,600 ₽ a month billed yearly (19,200 ₽ a year), from 1,760 ₽ for 8 months and from 2,000 ₽ for 4 months. The first seven days are free, no card required. It has everything: stock, payroll, online tips, chain management. For a pro without a team it’s more than needed. More in the article “YCLIENTS alternatives”.
What it costs per year for one pro
At website prices on 15 October 2026, without discounts for longer payment unless stated.
| Service | Plan | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Talenza | base | 0 ₽, plus SMS at 10 ₽ |
| DIKIDI | ”Specialist” LITE | from 3,000 ₽ |
| DIKIDI | ”Specialist” PRO | from 5,400 ₽ |
| Sonline | ”Master” | 7,650 ₽ (for 12 months) |
| YCLIENTS | billed yearly | from 19,200 ₽ |
For comparison: the free plans of DIKIDI and Talenza cover booking, the schedule and the client base. It makes sense to pay for DIKIDI when you need sales, payroll and finance, and for YCLIENTS when you are building a team. How to count booking costs for a pro with a varying number of clients a month is in a separate guide.
How to choose
You work alone and want to start without paying. Talenza or DIKIDI’s free plan. The difference is that DIKIDI has a directory of pros through which new clients can find you, while Talenza gives you your link and your client base without a directory.
You need stock and payroll. Then Sonline or YCLIENTS straight away: that is the core of their product.
Not sure. Start with a free one: clients can be moved between services from an export file, and services and the schedule are set up again in an evening.
FAQ
Which app should a hairdresser who works alone choose? One where you can set services of different lengths, book several services at once and keep notes about clients, and where starting doesn’t require payment. Of those reviewed, Talenza and DIKIDI’s free plan fit.
Are there free apps for booking clients to a hairdresser? Yes. Talenza’s base plan is free with no time limit, and DIKIDI has a free base plan. Masters has a 14-day trial, YCLIENTS 7 days, and Sonline has a trial access.
How do I book a client for a haircut and colouring in one visit? In Talenza a booking can include several services: time and price add up on their own, and on the booking page the client sees only the slots where all the selected services will fit.
Does a hairdresser need a salon-style CRM? Usually not. Stock control, payroll and an online cash register are needed when the team has several employees. A pro who works alone is fine with booking, a schedule, a client base and reminders.
What should I write in notes about a hairdresser’s client? The colouring formula, the length and preferences, and what didn’t suit them last time. Only you see these notes, the client doesn’t. Record health data only if you can’t work without it.