What is the best booking system for a nail salon in the UK?
The best booking system for a nail salon is the one that books each treatment at its real length, only with technicians who do it, and takes a deposit where a no-show would hurt. If you want new clients from an app, Fresha, Booksy and Treatwell all have marketplaces, for a fee on each new client. If you do not, Timely is the cheapest to start. Daviana suits salons where nails and hair share the same diary.
The short answer
- Treatment length matters more in nails than almost anywhere: a new full set, an infill and a removal are different lengths and should book that way.
- Only offer a treatment with the technicians who do it. A good system handles that for online booking as well as the desk.
- Take deposits on long treatments. A no-show on a two-hour set costs more than on a quick polish change.
- Marketplace apps bring new clients but charge on each one. Work out what share of your book is regulars before you pay for reach.
- Test the awkward bookings on a demo: a manicure and pedicure together, two clients side by side, and a removal plus a new set.
A nail salon diary looks simple until it is full. Sets, infills, removals, gels and pedicures all run to different lengths, technicians have different skills, and a no-show on a long appointment is an empty chair you cannot fill at short notice. The booking system has to get all of that right without anyone checking it by hand.
We make Daviana, so read our view with that in mind. Every price below for another company comes from its own UK pricing page, checked on 26 September 2026, and is the same set of facts as our UK salon software comparison.
What does a nail salon need from a booking system?
- Accurate treatment times. Each service should book the time it really takes, so a new set does not get squeezed into an infill slot.
- The right technician. Online booking should only offer each treatment with the people who do it.
- Several services in one visit. A manicure and pedicure, or a removal and a new set, should book as one visit.
- Deposits and no-show rules. Take a deposit on long or expensive treatments, and write down the rule. Our no-show policy template gives wording you can copy.
- A simple till. Services, retail and tips on one bill, with each technician's takings recorded for pay.
How do the main options compare for a UK nail salon?
| Published UK price | New clients and contract | |
|---|---|---|
| Fresha | £14.95 a month on your own; £9.95 per bookable team member | Marketplace. 20% one-time fee per new marketplace client, minimum £4. No contract |
| Booksy | £40 a month plus £5 per extra team member, plus VAT | Marketplace. New-client fee only with Boost on: 30% of the first visit, minimum £5. No commitment |
| Treatwell | Monthly fee not stated on its pricing page | Marketplace. 35% of a new client's first booking, 0% on repeats, plus VAT. 30 days' notice |
| Timely | From £4, £7 or £9 a week, adjusting with bookings; unlimited team members | No new client fees. No contract, 14 days' notice |
| Daviana | £80 a month including VAT; first month free | No marketplace, no commission. Cancel any month |
Sources for each price are listed in our UK salon software comparison.
Which one fits your nail salon?
- A solo nail technician building a column. Fresha at £14.95 a month, or Booksy, can bring new clients through their apps. Budget for the new-client fees.
- A small team with a full book of regulars. Timely, from £4 a week with unlimited team members and no new client fees, is the cheapest to start.
- A salon that wants to be listed on Treatwell. Treatwell, if a 35% finder's fee on first bookings works for your prices.
- A salon doing hair and nails together. Daviana keeps both in one diary with each person's skills set, and its AI receptionist can book a manicure while a client's colour develops as one visit. It costs more than Fresha or Timely for a nails-only team.
How much do new-client fees cost a nail salon? A worked example
Say a marketplace sends you 15 new clients a month, each with a first appointment of £40. At Fresha's 20% that is £120 a month; at Treatwell's 35% plus VAT it is £210 plus VAT. If half of those clients come back regularly, the fee may be good value. If most do not return, you are paying for one-off visits.
These are example figures. Use your own: how many new clients a month, their first-visit value, and how many you keep after three months.
Questions salon owners ask
What is the cheapest booking system for a nail salon in the UK?
On published prices, Timely starts at £4 a week with unlimited team members, and Fresha is £14.95 a month for one person. Check the extras: Timely's price rises with bookings, and Fresha charges 20% on each new marketplace client.
Is there a free booking system for nail salons?
Some systems advertise a free start or a free trial, but the costs usually come from card fees, paid texts or a fee on new clients. Compare a year of total cost rather than the headline price.
Should a nail salon take deposits?
For long or expensive treatments, usually yes. A deposit makes a no-show less likely and covers part of the empty chair when it happens. Say in writing when it is refundable.
Can one booking system handle hair and nails together?
Yes, if it gives each person their own column, knows who does which treatment, and can book two services in one visit. Test a manicure during a colour appointment on the demo.
See your nail menu in the diary
Thirty minutes on your own treatments and prices. If one of the others suits a nails-only salon better, we will say so.
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