Blog / Comparison
Zelko vs Square Appointments for barbershops
Square Appointments or Zelko? An honest comparison for barbershops in Canada covering pricing, booking, payments and when each one fits.
Square is everywhere in Canadian small business, and Square Appointments is a natural choice if you already take payments with Square. Zelko is built only for barbershops. Here's how they compare, including where Square is the better fit.
Pricing source: As of October 2026, Square's Canadian help centre lists Square Appointments at Free ($0, one location), Plus ($35/month per location) and Premium ($85/month per location). Card processing is extra. Check Square's site for current pricing.
Where Square wins
- A free plan. For a solo barber at one location, basic scheduling at $0 is hard to beat.
- Hardware and retail. If you sell pomade, beard oil and merch, Square's POS, inventory and readers are mature and widely used.
- In-person payments today. Square readers and tap to pay are available now. Zelko's are in early access.
Where Zelko wins
- Built for barbershops. Booking by barber, chair-based teams, commission and booth rent, tip splits per barber. Square is designed for every kind of appointment business.
- Team pricing. Essentials is $29/month for up to 3 barbers, and Pro is $49/month with unlimited barbers, in CAD.
- A branded site. Every shop gets a free website at yourshop.zelko.ca, with a custom domain on Pro.
- Payouts and commission. Zelko works out what each barber earned on every ticket, so payday is a report.
Side by side
| Square Appointments | Zelko | |
|---|---|---|
| Solo, one location | Free plan | $29/month (Essentials) |
| Team of 2 to 3 | Plus, $35/month per location | $29/month (Essentials) |
| 4+ barbers | Plus or Premium per location | $49/month (Pro) |
| Built for | Any appointment business | Barbershops only |
| Commission and booth rent | Limited | Included on Pro |
| Retail and inventory | Strong | Coming with the Zelko POS |
| In-person payments | Available | Early access |
Which should you pick?
Pick Square if you're solo, want free scheduling, already use Square for payments, or rely on retail sales and hardware today.
Pick Zelko if you run a team, pay barbers on commission or booth rent, want your own branded booking page and site, and want software that thinks the way a barbershop works.
Not sure? Try both. Zelko's trial is 14 days with no credit card. See the booking page.
