Phorest vs Premier Software

Looking for a better alternative to Salon by Premier?

When you move from Salon by Premier to Phorest you’ll enjoy the slickest user experience and the best reporting your business has seen yet. Access data from all your locations from anywhere, with unlimited user licenses and devices. And marketing campaigns that are easier than ever to run, with ready-made and easily customisable templates, with results you can track right to the register.

Here’s exactly what Phorest can offer you that Salon by Premier can’t.

Salon by Premier

Easier management

Cloud-based - access from anywhere

Unlimited licenses for users and devices

Native app for management and staff

Integrates with your accounting software

Stock take app

Integrated payment terminals

Supercharge your marketing

Tried & tested marketing templates

Free stock photo library & image editor tool in your email creator

Fallback SMS

See marketing ROI right to the register

Online reputation manager

Set different commission for product lines/brands for promos

Sell more gift cards with smart promo tools

Boost bookings & retail sales

Your own booking app in the app store for your customers

Free SMS to clients overdue to rebook

Video consultations

Sell retail products online

'Expert Recommendations' retail booster

Protect your business

No-show protection with variable deposits

Support

Expert support to help your business grow

Top reasons why Phorest is a better choice than Salon by Premier for your salon or spa

Read in more detail exactly what Phorest can offer you that Salon by Premier can’t.

REASON #1 Easier management

Cloud-based - access from anywhere with unlimited licenses

Unlike Salon by Premier, Phorest software is cloud-based, so you can access it from any device, anywhere. Check your reports from home, or see your appointments on the go! And you get unlimited licenses for users and devices.

Native app for management and staff

Take all the most powerful tools from Phorest and put them in your pocket – manage your salon, spa, staff, clients and stock from any device, anywhere. Staff can check their schedules and targets, check clients in and out, and rebook or upsell straight from the chair. Download PhorestGo from the Apple or Android app store.

Official integrations with Quickbooks & Xero

Through our direct integrations with Quickbooks and Xero you can send custom financial data from Phorest to your accounting software each night, including daily financials and sales and payment types. Whether you run one location or multiple, work with an accountant or handle the bookkeeping yourself, take valuable time back and feel more confident about your finances.

Stock take app

Take the chore out of stock takes with our iPhone and Android app – just scan the barcode with your phone’s camera, enter your stock count, and you’re done!

Save time, hassle and fees with integrated payments

Cardless transactions and integrated card terminals mean you won’t need to manually enter the total to pay into the system, reducing the frustration of cashing up at the end of the day, and with less chance of making a mistake.

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REASON #2 Supercharge your marketing

Tried & Tested marketing templates updated monthly

Setting up marketing campaigns has never been easier. We provide you with tried & tested email & SMS templates to work with, as well as a library of stock photos that are free to use, and an easy-to-use editor tool to make them your own - no html knowledge required.

Fallback SMS

Most salons and spas only have email addresses for 30% of their clients. Don’t put all that effort into beautiful marketing promotions, only to miss 70% of your clients! Phorest is the only software with a Fallback SMS feature that lets you send a link to your promotion, via SMS, to clients that do not have a valid email address on their client card.

See marketing ROI right to the register

Because our marketing, management and reporting tools are integrated, you can see the impact of your marketing spend all the way to the register - see how much revenue your campaigns brought in, and even what services and products your clients were prompted to buy.

Online reputation manager

Send automated review requests after every appointment with Phorest, helping boost your business’ online reputation. With 79% of consumers trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, more great reviews can improve your ranking in local search results. Put your Google and Facebook reviews to work, attracting more potential clients and bringing in referrals 24/7.

Set different commission for product lines/brands for promos

Phorest lets you set different commission rates on specific brands or product lines. Motivate your staff to sell the products you want to move.

Sell more gift cards

Sell more online gift cards with clever promotional and marketing tools. Set custom seasonal offers on gift cards, such as 10% off or additional credit for a seasonal boost in sales for Black Friday for example. And gift card sales are smartly integrated with our marketing suite, allowing you to promote them with readymade templates and call-to-action 'Buy now' buttons.

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REASON #3 Boost bookings & retail sales

Your own booking app in the app store

Give your customers a professional experience and a simple way to book with you on their own time, with your own branded booking app they can download from the Apple or Android app stores.

Free SMS to clients overdue to rebook

Machine learning in Phorest recognises when your clients are overdue to rebook their usual services, and you can send an SMS to them, free of charge, to remind them to make that booking asap.

Video consultations

Protect your staff and your clients by minimising close contact, but keep revenue coming into your salon or spa with video consultations. Confirmations, reminders and video links are automatically created and sent to clients and staff. Just login and chat!

Sell retail products online

Your Integrated Online Store requires no web adjustment or dev time - just select which products you want to sell online and let your customers start to purchase!

Sell more retail with 'Expert Recommendations'

Expert Recommendations enables salon and spa staff to send trackable yet personalised product recommendations to their clients via SMS, linking straight to your online store. Sell more and offer that personal experience to your clients.

Expert Recommednations_Boost Product Sales-min

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REASON #4 Protect your business

No-show protection with variable deposits

Add another layer of protection for your salon or spa when taking online bookings by setting smart deposit levels depending on who’s booking. Set larger deposits from higher no-show risks, such as new clients or those who have been no-shows in the past. You can also customise deposit amounts for services that require you to have costly professional products in-stock before the appointment.

REASON #5 Support second to none

Expert support to help your business grow

With Phorest, support doesn’t stop once you’re up and running. Our friendly team is here to help you make the most of your software and support your continued growth. Based on eligibility, you may also work with a Business Advisor who can provide personalised guidance to help you reach your business goals and identify opportunities to increase revenue.

Don’t take our word for it

Read what some of our happy clients are saying about us on review sites like Capterra, Google, GetApp and Facebook.

Ready to switch from Premier Software to Phorest?

Talk to us about how Phorest can help manage, market and grow your salon or spa.

Switching to Phorest is easy because we are here to help in any way

Easy Migration

All our plans include tailored system set up for your salon or clinic. We’ll import your clients, staff, services, products and more for you. Our migration specialists have years of experience in safely migrating client record information from most other salon or clinic software.

Free Training for Life

We’ll set you and your team up with comprehensive onboarding training; and you can book additional online training sessions with us for as long as you like. New staff starting in the future? No problem, we’ll get them trained up too at no extra cost.

Top Class Support Team

Our friendly support team is on call or chat, and they’re renowned for going above and beyond to answer your questions, big or small, as quickly as they can. ‘Seirbhís go hiontach’ (excellence in service) is a driving mantra here at Phorest.

“We have successfully migrated hundreds of salons and spas from Premier Software to Phorest. The team and I will help to make the process as simple as possible for you – bringing across your client information and history, appointments, staff, services, products and more. If there’s anything we can’t migrate for you, our onboarding team will guide you through our simple input process, so you can make the transition with zero downtime at your salon or spa.”

Shane Kelly, Data Migration Specialist
at Phorest Software

What is the difference between Premier and Phorest?

Premier is a long-established UK salon software system with roots in on-premise deployment, used by independent salons and small groups. It offers core features developed over decades in the UK market. Phorest combines salon management essentials with advanced marketing automation, staff performance tools and cloud-based accessibility, alongside friendly, expert support. Based on eligibility, customers may also receive personalised guidance from a Business Advisor. Phorest is accessible across devices and updated automatically, with no local server management required.

How does Phorest’s marketing compare to Premier?

Phorest’s marketing tracks every campaign to the register, automates personalised outreach to lapsing clients, runs social advertising from within the software, and drives loyalty revenue through Treatcard. Premier has email and SMS marketing tools, but the automated retention intelligence and direct revenue tracking in Phorest are not matched.

Does Phorest have better client retention tools than Premier?

Phorest’s Client Reconnect identifies clients drifting from their personal booking pattern and sends personalised outreach automatically. Treatcard salons see a 30% rise in average client spend and a 21% revenue boost. Premier’s retention tools are functional but do not have the machine-learning layer behind Phorest’s automated outreach.

How does Phorest help with staff performance compared to Premier?

Phorest’s Staff Goals gives every stylist real-time visibility into their own revenue, retail numbers, and rebooking rate from their phone. Premier has commission reporting and staff management at management level, but not a self-service performance view for individual team members.

What kind of support does Phorest provide that Premier does not?

Phorest provides friendly, expert support to help you make the most of your software. Based on eligibility, you may also work with a Business Advisor who can offer proactive, personalised guidance focused on your business goals and growth. And because 1 in 5 Phoresters has worked in the professional hair, beauty or aesthetics industry, our teams bring real-world industry experience to the support they provide.

How does switching from Premier to Phorest work?

Phorest’s migration team handles the transfer of client records, appointment history, gift vouchers, staff, services and inventory from Premier, helping you make a smooth transition. You’ll have access to expert support throughout the process and beyond, with personalised guidance from a Business Advisor based on eligibility.