Best salon software in Sri Lanka (2026): an honest list

I make one of the products on this list, so you're right to be suspicious. Here's how I tried to keep it fair. Every price and feature for the other options comes from their own website or app store listing, checked on 30 September 2026, and I've linked each one so you can check for yourself. Where I couldn't find something, I say so instead of guessing.

One more thing. "Best" depends on your salon. A two-chair barbershop in Kurunegala and a spa in Colombo 7 want different things, so each entry says who it suits.

1. The exercise book

Free, and still what most salons here use. For a quiet salon it's honestly fine. It breaks when you get busy: it can't answer the phone while you're cutting, it can't remind anyone, and it can't stop you writing two people into the same 4 o'clock. I've been on the wrong end of that last one more than once. If you get a few bookings a week, keep it.

2. SalonManager (ours)

QR code on the door, customers book in the browser, and both sides get an SMS confirmation. The booking page, dashboard and SMS messages work in Sinhala, Tamil and English. Plans are Rs 3,000, Rs 4,000 and Rs 6,000 a month, with a 14-day free trial and no card. POS, reports and multiple branches are on the top plan.

What it doesn't do: there's no native mobile app (it's a web app), no inventory or loyalty points, and customers can't pay deposits online. It's built for small and mid-sized salons, saloons and barbershops whose customers call or message to book. See pricing.

3. Saptify

Saptify is the most feature-packed local option. Calendar, POS with card payments, inventory, loyalty, gift cards, a salon directory on their site, and iOS and Android apps. Their pricing page lists plans at US$16, US$30 and US$60 a month, with some features as paid add-ons on the cheaper plans. Email notifications are included; the SMS gateway is listed as "contact us". Their app listing shows English, and I couldn't find Sinhala or Tamil mentioned.

A good fit for larger salons and spas that want one system for everything and don't mind paying in dollars. I wrote a fuller SalonManager vs Saptify comparison.

4. SalonReserve

SalonReserve is mainly a directory. Customers browse salons by town, and it lists a lot of towns. Their promo page for salons offers packages from Rs 7,000 to Rs 12,000 a month, covering a booking system, reminders, Google visibility and social media marketing, plus a registration fee. I didn't see a POS or Sinhala/Tamil booking mentioned.

Worth a look if your main problem is getting found by new customers and you'd like marketing help thrown in.

5. SaloBook

SaloBook is a new Colombo team, currently in early access, and free during that period with "founder pricing" promised afterwards. They say the booking engine and a stylist app (beta) are done, payments and POS are in progress, and SMS and email reminders are planned. No public price yet.

Try it if you like being early and don't mind features arriving over time.

6. Fresha

Fresha is a big international platform and well built. It used to be free; its published plans now start at about US$19.95 a month for one person, or US$14.95 per team member. New clients who find you through the Fresha marketplace carry a one-time 20% fee. It leans on cards and email, and I couldn't find Sinhala or Tamil. Prices may differ by country, so check their site.

It makes most sense for salons with mostly English-speaking, card-paying customers, say in a tourist area.

7. IASoft Digital

IASoft Digital is an agency that builds you your own booking website. Their page lists US$300 one-time plus US$10 a month for a basic booking site, and US$900 plus US$20 a month for one with payments. Reminders go by WhatsApp and email, and deposits can be taken through local gateways like PayHere.

Makes sense if you want your own branded website and deposits against no-shows, and the setup fee doesn't scare you.

How to actually choose

Ask three questions. What language do your customers read comfortably? How do they pay, cash or card? And how do you want reminders to reach them: SMS, WhatsApp or email? The answers will cross most of this list off for you.

Then try the one or two that are left on a real, busy Saturday. Anything with a free trial lets you do that. A tool that looks great on a Tuesday afternoon can fall apart at 11am on a Saturday, and that's the only test that matters.