Chair vs Salonist
Salonist serves more than 15,000 businesses in 60 countries, with unlimited staff on every plan. Chair is narrower and built for Indian salons: one plan, with WhatsApp and the AI assistant in a single ₹500 add-on.
Chair
₹1,499/month · WhatsApp +₹500
Salonist
₹2,200–₹5,500/month
Side by side
Monthly price
Chair: ₹1,499/month, GST included, fixed for 12 months; WhatsApp add-on ₹500/month
Salonist: Essential ₹2,200, Advance ₹4,000, Expert ₹5,500 a month on monthly billing. Annual billing saves 25%. A free listing plan allows 50 appointments a month.
WhatsApp notifications
Chair: WhatsApp add-on, ₹500/month flat: 1,000 reminders, bills & thank-yous + 200 offers & “we miss you” messages every month
Salonist: Unlimited from Advance (₹4,000). Campaigns through third-party gateways are billed by that provider.
AI WhatsApp assistant
Chair: Included in the WhatsApp add-on (fair use). Answers from your data and books into your calendar
Salonist: AI Receptionist & WhatsApp agent quoted separately by sales, priced by conversation volume
Memberships and packages
Chair: Memberships and packages included
Salonist: From Essential; membership subscriptions from Advance
Inventory
Chair: Products with stock checks at checkout
Salonist: Full inventory, purchase orders and warehouse from Advance
Staff
Chair: Unlimited professionals; owner + 2 team logins
Salonist: Unlimited staff on every plan
Branches
Chair: +₹1,000/month per extra branch
Salonist: Groups get a custom quote; multi-branch reporting on Expert
Setup
Chair: Zero setup fee. Done in person at your salon in about 30 minutes
Salonist: Free onboarding and data import
Free trial
Chair: 15 days with WhatsApp, no card, no automatic payment
Salonist: 7 days, no card
Online booking
Chair: Not yet. Bookings come through your team or the WhatsApp assistant
Salonist: Included, with a marketplace listing
Salonist details are from Salonist’s own public pricing page, checked on 17 October 2026. Prices and plans change, so check Salonist pricing for the latest. Spotted something out of date? Write to hi@chairapp.co and we’ll fix it.
When Salonist is the better fit
- You need full inventory with purchase orders and a warehouse.
- You want loyalty points, gift cards and online booking.
- You have a big team and want unlimited staff on every plan.
When Chair is the better fit
- You want WhatsApp reminders and an AI assistant at ₹1,999, without moving to a ₹4,000 plan or a separate quote.
- You want GST bills that follow Indian salon rates.
- You want 15 days to try it, and setup done in person.
Other comparisons
Try Chair free for 15 days.
Set up in person at your salon. No card. Moving from Salonist? We’ll help you bring your services and clients across.