GlossGenius vs. Boulevard: Two premium salon and spa software suites offering great features but best suited for very different business types.
If you run a modern salon or spa, you likely have GlossGenius or Boulevard on your radar for managing clients and appointments.
These two platforms have become top contenders for the best salon software this year.
But they are pretty different and intend to serve different types of businesses.
GlossGenius, founded in 2016, made a splash with its sleek, beauty-focused design and mobile-first approach for solopreneurs.
Boulevard, also launched in 2016, matches GlossGenius’s polished aesthetics but takes a more robust approach to features as it serves more established businesses with a team.
Both options stand out for their elegant interfaces compared to clunky legacy players. However, beyond appearances, these salon solutions differ significantly in their respective strengths.
Read on as we break down how GlossGenius and Boulevard compare on pricing, ease of use, features, integrations, and real customer reviews.
By the end, you’ll clearly understand which platform aligns best with your business needs and budget.
Here’s what you’ll find in this GlossGenius vs. Boulevard comparison:
GlossGenius vs Boulevard
Let's kick off with an overview of the two platforms we're diving into today.
GlossGenius
Boulevard
Overall score
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Average price
Note
Assumes you run a business with a mid-size team and have activated the more common add-ons. What you will pay will be lower or higher than this. See the separate section about pricing for full details.
Who is it for
Ease of use
Customer Service
Countries
U.S.
U.S.
Key features
- Premium beauty-inspired interface design
- Professional-looking website in just a few clicks
- Integrated payment and card reader with customizable design
- Affordable, transparent, flat fee pricing
- Easy-to-use interface
- Excellent online booking
- Integrated email marketing suite
- Highly detailed custom reports [on Premiere and above]
A Double-Click on Each System
Let’s cover what these systems are and the pros and cons of each.
GlossGenius At a Glance
Overall score
GlossGenius is an all-in-one appointment, payment, and marketing app for salon and spa professionals in the USA.
It offers rich support for independent professionals. Teams can also use the app but it’s primarily designed for solopreneurs.
Here you manage your total business out of an easy-to-use, beautifully designed, mobile app.
In my opinion, it’s the design and premium beauty experience that GlossGenius delivers that makes this tool truly unique. You can even adapt the design of their credit card reader to fit your brand.
Pros and Cons
- Interface design that signals beauty (and not tech)
- Intuitive features that are easy-to-use
- Professional looking website in just a few clicks
- Integrated payments with beautiful hardware
- Affordable and transparent flat fee pricing
- Limited flexibility (you need to follow pre-defined standards)
- Can only be managed via app (only calendar can be accessed in web browser)
- No booking widget to integrate on existing website (need to link to your GlossGenius website)
Boulevard At a Glance
Overall score
Boulevard is an up-and-coming cloud-based beauty and wellness software that offers a strong toolset of core features like appointment booking and POS, as well as advanced marketing features and two-way messaging.
It natively integrates with over a dozen apps, including Quickbooks, Instagram, Shopify, and more.
It is quite a pricey option, however, coming in at a starting price of $175 for the lowest-tier plan, which we (and Boulevard themselves) don’t recommend as it lacks some of Boulevard’s best reporting, marketing, and inventory features.
Boulevard offers a free trial, but they require a 12-month minimum contract to sign up, so make sure you are 100% sure about your choice before signing up.
Pros and Cons
- Client data that you can actually use to boost client retention and sales
- Can integrate with a large number of third party applications
- Precision Scheduling™ tech to fill the best gaps on the calendar first
- Well designed & easily-searchable help center
- High price-point across all plans
- Essentials plan lacks many of the best features Boulevard offers
- Boulevard Professional mobile app is buggy & has low ratings on iOS & Android
- Marketing suite can’t differentiate between bookings from emails vs other factors (you may end up paying more)
How Do They Compare? Strengths and Weaknesses
GlossGenius shines with its simplicity and visual appeal. The interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for less tech-savvy users to navigate. Customers love the booking experience and sleek client-facing apps.
However, GlossGenius lacks some of the more advanced features salon owners need as their business scales. There are limited options for managing a team and you may outgrow the basic reporting. Integrations are also light compared to Boulevard.
Boulevard impresses with its wide range of features, flexibility for customization, and tools optimized for higher-end salons. Precise scheduling helps maximize revenue and robust reporting provides data-driven insights.
The downsides of Boulevard are its steeper learning curve and more corporate aesthetic. The interface can feel overwhelming, and while feature-packed, Boulevard lacks some convenience perks that make GlossGenius so easy to use.
GlossGenius simplifies salon operations with an elegant, user-friendly platform, while Boulevard offers more advanced capabilities for growth-focused owners. Consider your business’ maturity and needs to determine if user experience or breadth of features is more important.
GlossGenius vs Boulevard
Let's kick off with an overview of the two platforms we're diving into today.
Ease of use
Design
Customer service
Pricing
Calendar and appointment management
Online booking
Point of sale and check out
Client data
Client communication
Inventory management
Team Management
Payroll
Marketing support
3rd party integrations
Mobile and tablet apps
Let’s Talk Features
When it comes to features, GlossGenius sticks to just the essentials salon needs with some convenient extras. Core features like appointment scheduling, client profiles, online booking, and POS are beautifully designed for ease of use.
Boulevard takes a kitchen-sink approach with an array of features for customizing your software experience. Robust tools for client retention, revenue growth, and workflow optimization enable serious business expansion.
Both systems cover the basics, but Boulevard has more advanced options, while GlossGenius prioritizes simplicity.
Feature Comparison
GlossGenius or Boulevard. Let's go through what these features are and where they differ.
GlossGenius | Boulevard | |
Online Booking | GlossGenius | Boulevard |
Website booking widget Note Can you integrate the entire online booking experience directly into your website? |
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Branding control Note Can you customize the look and feel of the booking experience to fit your brand? |
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No-show protection Note Can you store credit card details and charge deposits to reinforce your cancellation policy? |
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Service customization Note Can clients adapt their service when they book, and can this change the price and duration of the booked appointment? |
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Free from account creation Note Can clients book without having first to create an account with the software? |
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Integrated gift cards Note Can you sell digital gift cards as part of the booking process? |
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Calendar and Appointment Management | ||
Customize notification messages Note Can you change the text sent to your clients as part of appointment reminders and other messages? |
Note You can enable/disable parts of the notification and add an additional message. |
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Customize notification timings Note Can you change when reminders and other messages go out to your clients? |
Note Full customization not available. Options are limited to: 2 Days Before, 1 Day Before, and Same Day. |
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Client waitlist management | ||
Rooms and resource scheduling Note Can you manage equipment, rooms, and other resources required to complete a service? |
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Repeat appointments Note Can you schedule clients for recurring appointments? |
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Time block Note Can you block out time on your calendar? |
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Processing time Note Can you allow for double booking of service providers by accepting appointments during service processing time? |
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Duration and price by staff Note Can you adapt the price and time needed for a service based on who is performing the service? |
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Automated check-in Note Can clients check in to their appointments themselves? |
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Point of Sale/ Check out | ||
Tablet compatible Note Can you run the POS on any tablet or do you need special hardware? |
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Dedicated POS hardware Note Does the system provider offer hardware to improve the check out expereince? |
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Self check out Note Can clients check out from their appointment themselves? |
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Route payments to renters Note If you have booth renters in your business, can you route payments directly to them? |
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Cards on file Note Can you store credit card details and charge the customer later? |
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Integrated payments Note Does the software offer a first-party payment processing solution? |
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Client Data & Communication | ||
SMS Notification | ||
Email Notificition | ||
Dedicated business SMS number Note Do you get a business phone number that your messages and notifications are send from? |
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Two way SMS communication | ||
Forms Note Can you create intake forms, store SOAP notes, and have clients sign your forms? |
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Client notes Note Can you store notes about clients on their profile? |
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Client files and images Note Can you store files and image on in the client’s profile? |
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Inventory and Product Types | ||
Inventory tracking Note Will the system keep track of stock levels, notify you when it’s time to re-order? |
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Purchase orders Note Can the system create automatic purchase orders for you? |
Note Not available on Essentials plan. |
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Retail | ||
Memberships | ||
Packages | ||
Gift cards | ||
Team Support & Payroll | ||
Fully integrated payroll Note Can you run payroll and cut paychecks directly through the software? |
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3rd party payroll integration Note Does the software allow you integrate and share data with a 3rd party payroll solution (e.g. Gusto, ADP, Paychex, etc)? |
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Payroll reports | ||
Commission support Note Can you track and report on commission for service, retail, and other product types? |
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Multi-location support Note Does the system have specific support for businesses with multiple locations |
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Booth renter support Note Can the system help with rent collection, payments, and other booth renter management tasks. |
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Marketing Support | ||
Email marketing | ||
SMS marketing | ||
Website builder | ||
Client marketplace Note Does it offer a platform where potential clients can browse businesses using the software? |
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Add-on offers Note Can you promote service add-ons/upsells as part of the online booking flow? |
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Cloud & Mobile App Access | ||
Full-featured mobile app Note Can you access all software features in the mobile app? |
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Web browser | ||
iPad | ||
iPhone | ||
Android |
Integrating with Other Platforms for Additional Features
GlossGenius takes a simplified approach when it comes to integrations. With its focus on solo entrepreneurs, native support for other platforms is light. However, GlossGenius does allow you to sync appointment calendars and contacts from your phone. This is handy if you’re a solo business owner where personal and work communications often overlap.
Boulevard shines when it comes to expanding capabilities through integrations. There are native integrations available for many popular platforms like Shopify, Instagram, Facebook, and more. This allows Boulevard users to unlock more advanced features as their business grows.
So, if you want to scale up capabilities through integrations as your business expands, Boulevard has a clear edge. But GlossGenius still offers a seamless experience for one-person operations without needing many extras bolted on.
Integrations
GlossGenius does not offer integration support.
GlossGenius | Boulevard | |
Custom integrations Note Does the platform allow you to create new integrations to support your business-specific needs? |
Note On Enterprise plan only. |
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Native integrations Note Built-in integrations that you can activate as needed |
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Pricing: GlossGenius vs. Boulevard
GlossGenius stands out for its simple, transparent pricing. There are only two monthly plan options to choose from. Transaction fees for credit card payments are also clearly stated upfront. This clarity makes it easy for small business owners to budget properly.
Boulevard offers more pricing tiers to align costs with business needs. However, key features like commission tracking and advanced reporting require higher-tier plans. Entry-level pricing is affordable but lacks tools that leverage Boulevard’s potential.
When it comes to cost predictability, GlossGenius is the most upfront. Boulevard’s pricing is also easy to find, but plan limitations aren’t as clearly communicated on their website. Make sure to closely review included features at each tier when budgeting for Boulevard.
For solopreneurs and small salons focused on the basics, GlossGenius provides exceptional value transparency. Larger operations that want to take advantage of Boulevard’s expansive feature set will get more for their money at higher tiers.
GlossGenius vs Boulevard Pricing
GlossGenius has the most straight forward pricing model on the market. Boulevard makes it a bit harder to understand what you really will pay.
GlossGenius | Boulevard | |
Average Price | ||
Trial Options | ||
Minimum contract length | ||
Plans
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Plans | ||
Add-ons
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Add-ons | ||
Credit card fees
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Credit card fees |
What Do Users Think of These Platforms?
While I have shared my thoughts on these two systems, it’s important not to rely solely on my opinion. To provide a more holistic view, here is a summary of how users have rated these platforms.
User Reviews Compared
Let's compare scores for these systems on the major user review sites.
GlossGenius | Boulevard | |
What GlossGenius & Boulevard Alternatives Should You Consider?
GlossGenius and Boulevard are good alternatives for many use cases. However, if you find yourself uncertain, I highly recommend exploring the platforms listed below.
Mangomint is the highest-rated software for salons and spas. If you have a team and you want the best customer service in the industry, this is the alternative you should try.
Square Appointments is a popular alternative to Fresha and GlossGenius, serving independent professionals on a budget.
Mangomint vs Square Appointments
A quick comparison of the two Boulevard and GlossGenius alternatives.
Mangomint
Square Appointments
Overall score
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Average price
Note
Assumes you run a business with a mid-size team and have activated the more common add-ons. What you will pay will be lower or higher than this. See the separate section about pricing for full details.
Who is it for
Ease of use
Customer Service
Countries
U.S. and Canada
U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, the UK.
Key features
- Modern, intuitive, and easy to use
- Smart automations that help cut down on time spent managing business operations
- Open data ownership and no contracts (you’re not locked into anything)
- Can integrate with any other platform who allows for integrations
- Highest-rated customer service on the market
- Large amount of native integrations with other apps
- Comprehensive, easy-to-use, marketing tools
- Best looking POS hardware on the market
- Free, sophisticated, website builder and online store
Conclusion
I hope this comparison of Boulevard and GlossGenius was helpful in your quest for the right salon software.
For more alternatives, I highly recommend you read my list of the best salon and spa software available right now.