Insight vs. Zenoti - Which Salon Software Is Better?

Marketing & Sales, Salon Software
7 minute read

Managing a salon is a complex and time-consuming task. With so many appointments to schedule and clients to keep track of, it can be challenging to stay on top of everything. 

This is where salon software comes in. An all-in-one solution helps salon owners manage their business more efficiently, enabling them to focus on delivering exceptional service to their clients.

Insight and Zenoti are two of the most popular names in the spa and salon management space.

Both platforms are best-in-class salon management software for businesses looking to streamline their day-to-day operations.

In this article, we compare Insight and Zenoti to see which one is better by evaluating their systems and differences.

Insight vs. Zenoti at a Glance

Insight Salon Software has a range of tools, including appointment scheduling, client profiles, staff scheduling, and payment processing. The platform offers detailed reports and performance metrics, providing valuable insights into their business operations.

Zenoti provides a cloud-based platform that offers end-to-end management of salon and spa operations, including appointments and booking, front-desk management, marketing, and customer engagement. 

How are Insight and Zenoti similar?

Here are a few similar features offered by both platforms -

  • Online Booking: Insight and Zenoti allow clients to book appointments online, making it convenient to schedule services whenever and wherever they want.
  • Staff Scheduling: Both platforms enable salon owners to manage staff schedules, assign tasks and services to employees, and optimize their workloads.
  • Client Management: Insight and Zenoti offer tools to help manage client profiles, including tracking their service history, preferences, and contact information.
  • Point of Sale (POS): Both platforms have a POS system that allows salon owners to process payments, track inventory, and manage sales.
  • Reporting: Insight and Zenoti provide reports on different aspects of salon operations, such as financial performance, staff productivity, and client retention.
  • Marketing Automation: Both platforms offer automated marketing features that enable salon owners to send targeted promotions and reminders to clients via email or SMS.
  • Mobile Apps: Insight and Zenoti have mobile apps that allow salon owners to access the platform from anywhere and manage appointments, schedules, and client information on the go.
  • Loyalty Programs: Both platforms offer tools to set up and manage loyalty programs, incentivizing clients to return and promoting brand loyalty.

Insight vs. Zenoti - How do they Compare?

Below, we compare both platforms based on four crucial differentiators to see how well they qualify.

Booking and Sales

Online Booking Customization

  • Insight offers custom booking forms, allowing businesses to gather specific customer information and tailor their services accordingly. This means salon owners can tailor the online booking experience to their brand and make it more user-friendly for their clients.
  • Zenoti does not offer this level of customization, which may limit businesses' ability to provide personalized experiences.

Sales Features

  • Insight offers a highly customizable sales process, allowing businesses to set up multiple sales workflows to suit their specific needs. This level of flexibility is not available with Zenoti.
  • Insight allows businesses to track sales performance by product and staff member, as well as by sales channel (in-store, online, mobile). Zenoti also offers some sales tracking capabilities, but Insight's reporting is more comprehensive.

Client Management and Memberships

Client Management

  • Insight has a feature called "Smart Marketing," which analyzes client data to create targeted marketing campaigns and promotions.
  • Zenoti offers a feature called "Client Feedback," which allows clients to rate their experience and leave feedback that can be used to improve the salon's services.

Memberships

  • Zenoti offers a flexible membership feature that allows you to create custom packages and pricing based on client preferences.
  • Insight allows you to sell memberships directly through the software, while Zenoti has an integrated online store feature that allows clients to purchase memberships online.

Inventory Management

  • Insight's real-time inventory tracking system can help businesses stay on top of their inventory levels and avoid stockouts or overstocking. Zenoti also offers real-time inventory tracking, but Insight's system may be more customizable and advanced.
  • In a comparison of the two systems on Software Advice, Insight is described as having "advanced" inventory tracking capabilities, including barcode scanning and customizable tracking fields. Zenoti is also noted for its inventory tracking capabilities, but it is suggested that the system may be better suited for larger businesses with complex inventory needs.

Employee Management

Performance Tracking

Insight's employee management system includes features for tracking employee performance, such as sales figures and productivity metrics. While Zenoti also offers performance tracking capabilities, it may not be as robust as Insight's system.

Scheduling

Insight's employee management system includes a scheduling feature that allows businesses to create and manage employee schedules in real-time. Zenoti also offers scheduling capabilities, but Insight's systems are advanced and customizable.

Other Key Differentiators

Here are a few more key differences between Insight and Zenoti -

  • Insight supports multi-location businesses with centralized management and reporting. Zenoti also supports multi-location businesses and offers centralized management and reporting, but it charges an additional fee for each location.
  • Insight's basic plan starts at $59 per month, while Zenoti's basic plan starts at $225 per month. 
  • Insight integrates with multiple payment gateways and does not charge any payment processing fees. Zenoti integrates with multiple payment gateways but charges a payment processing fee of 2.49% + 30¢ per transaction.
  • Insight offers a free trial period, while Zenoti does not.

Conclusion

Usability. Customer experience. Efficacy.

Both Insight and Zenoti qualify on the above three factors, but differently. 

But out of the two, which platform is the better salon management software?

From our in-depth comparison, Insight appears to be a strong contender for the best salon software and surpasses Zenoti in key areas such as reporting features, marketing automation, and creating work schedule templates within the software. 

These features are crucial to building a successful salon business, and Insight Salon Software offers them with ease and efficiency.

For more information on what other features Insight has to offer, check out our website, try out our software for free, or contact us today

Topics: Marketing & Sales, Salon Software
Posted on March 16, 2023