Technology & Software

The Ultimate Square Appointments Review (2025)

January 2, 2025 Updated: January 2, 2025
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Looking for a free* appointment scheduler?

Then I think this Square Appointments review will be super useful to you.

You’ve probably already heard about Square. Their services and hardware are used by thousands of businesses. Square Appointments, which is used primarily by businesses like beauty salons, spas, barbershops, and other local service providers, builds upon that framework with scheduling tools, a custom booking website, social media integrations, and more.

It’s also one the top picks on our list of the best online booking and salon management software.

After extensively researching and testing Square Appointments, I’ve found it’s a bit of a mixed bag. While it offers an attractive free solo plan and modern POS hardware, there are trade-offs to consider before committing your business to Square for the long term.

I’ll explain why:

Square Appointments Main Features

Square Appointments aims to handle your salon’s daily operations through three main areas: scheduling, payments, and business management. But what does this really mean for your day-to-day work?

The scheduling system handles the basics competently. You’ll get a clean calendar interface that makes booking appointments straightforward, whether you’re doing it yourself or clients are booking online.

Automated reminders help reduce no-shows, ensuring a more reliable schedule and steady workflow. While the system is simple to use, customization options for the online booking interface are limited, which may make it harder to create a fully branded booking experience.

Square POS Devices

Payment processing is where Square stands out. Their sleek card readers and professional checkout experience leave a lasting impression on clients. The system handles everything from basic card payments to digital wallets, and you can even store cards on file for no-show protection.

Square is on my list of the best credit card processors.

Square’s hardware combines functionality with modern, professional design, making it a centerpiece of the checkout process that enhances the overall client experience.

For business management, Square offers a solid foundation but requires additional investment for fuller features. While you get basic client profiles and inventory tracking included, more advanced tools like marketing automation or detailed reporting come with extra monthly fees.

The platform’s modular “Lego-like” approach allows you to add integrations as needed, making it flexible for growth. However, this approach can also feel fragmented, requiring navigation across multiple apps to access different functionalities.

Square Go adds another layer to Square Appointments by helping salons attract new clients and retain existing ones. The app provides features like verified ratings, client searches by service and location, and quick rebooking options. Since it integrates directly with Square Appointments, all bookings are automatically synced, making it easier to manage appointments and fill your calendar.

What’s great about Square’s approach is that you can start small and add features as you grow. However, this flexibility comes with a trade-off: the absence of more advanced tools, such as robust two-way client communication, may limit its ability to fully streamline client interactions and loyalty-building efforts.

Additional Business Management Features

Other than Appointments, Payments and POS are big solutions from Square. But on top, they also have some powerful business tools that you can activate. I want you to be aware that they exist, but I won’t go into a detailed review of each here:

  • Square Payroll (from $35/mo): Manage your business complete payroll
  • Square Marketing & Loyalty Program (from $15/mo): Run sophisticated e-mail marketing campaigns and build client loyalty
  • Square Installments (from 3.5%): Offer payment plans for your customers  
  • Square Team Management (free): Time reports and other team management tools
  • Square Capital: Business loans to support your business

Now, let’s dive into the details of Square Appointments. 

Summary

I hope you found this Square Appointments review helpful and decided whether Square Appointments is right for your business.

Here’s a quick summary of this review.

Square Appointments

Square Appointments is a cloud-based appointment scheduling software for beauty salons and other local service businesses. It integrates with the full suite solutions from Square. And, it is free for individuals and has become a popular platform for one-person businesses like beauty booth renters and individual professionals.

Operating System: iOS, Android

Application Category: Business/Productivity

Editor's Rating:
4.1

Pros

  • Free for individuals
  • Well designed, easy to use, interface
  • Very strong client notification support
  • Integration with the full suite of Square applications

Cons

  • Limited flexibility when designing online booking page, booking widget, and e-mails
  • Gets a bit expensive for the small team that just exceeds the free plan

To learn more about alternatives to Square for salon and spa businesses, I strongly encourage you to read my list of the best salon and spa software.

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