Comparisons
Nakelo or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments is widely used in Canada: online booking with deposits and reminders, a till with Interac on Square’s terminals, gift cards and inventory, and a free plan for one location. The waitlist, no-show fees and staff commissions need its paid plans, and Square’s payroll is offered in the United States only. Nakelo is your salon’s app, in French, with colour formulas, allergy tests and consent forms signed online, and you can keep your Square terminal. If you work alone and basic booking is enough, Square’s free plan is hard to beat.
Comparison made in October 2026; check each provider’s current offer.
In short
Nakelo fits best for…
Quebec hair salons, barbers, estheticians, nail or lash studios and massage therapists who want complete client files, online consents and their whole salon in one app in French.
Square Appointments fits best for…
Salons that want to start for free, take payments with Square’s terminals and only need booking and a till.
Side by side
| Criterion | Nakelo | Square Appointments |
|---|---|---|
| French interface | NakeloYes, French first, English if you prefer | Square AppointmentsYes, Available in French |
| Online booking | NakeloYes, With deposit, cancellation policy and reminders | Square AppointmentsYes, With deposits and reminders, even on the free plan |
| Waitlist | NakeloYes, Offers freed-up spots by itself | Square AppointmentsIn part, On paid plans |
| No-show fees | NakeloYes, On the card only if the client accepted your fee policy | Square AppointmentsIn part, On paid plans |
| Client files | NakeloYes, Colour formulas, alerts, before/after photos, allergy tests, signed consents | Square AppointmentsIn part, Notes, files and photos; no colour formula found |
| Staff commissions | NakeloYes, Staff schedules and commissions | Square AppointmentsIn part, On the Premium plan; payroll in the US only |
| Till and terminal | NakeloYes, Square or Stripe terminal on your own account, tips, gift cards | Square AppointmentsYes, Square terminals with Interac, tips, gift cards |
| GST and QST | NakeloYes, Each worked out, with your tax numbers | Square AppointmentsTaxes you create yourself; GST and QST not mentioned |
| Email, team chat, signature, files | NakeloYes, Included in the same app | Square AppointmentsIn part, Focused on booking, the till and marketing |
| Data hosting | NakeloYes, In Canada (Montreal), tools for Law 25 | Square AppointmentsNo, United States, Japan, European Union and elsewhere |
| Price | Nakelo$99 a month plus taxes; AI by usage | Square AppointmentsFree for one location; paid plans per location; fees on each payment |
Comparison made in October 2026; check each provider’s current offer.
Choose Square Appointments if…
- You work alone and basic booking with a till is enough.
- You want to start without a subscription.
- You sell a lot of products and want Square’s till and inventory as they are.
Choose Nakelo if…
- You keep colour formulas and want a warning when an allergy test is due before a colour.
- Your clients sign their consents (lashes, waxing, treatments) online before the visit.
- You want the waitlist, no-show fees and commissions without changing plans.
- You want to keep your Square terminal, but with GST and QST and your data in Canada.
- You want email, team chat, files and an AI assistant in the same app.
Switching to Nakelo
The guided import recognizes Square’s exports. You drop the files, see what will be created before confirming, and the whole import undoes in one click if something looks wrong. Your Square terminal can stay your terminal.
- Customers (Square Dashboard, on a computer: Customers → Directory → Import/Export → Export customers).
- Appointments (Appointments → Settings → History → Export).
- Repeating appointments aren’t in Square’s export: the coming ones can come from your calendar.
- The import also knows Fresha, Booksy, Vagaro and GOrendezvous.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Square terminal with Nakelo?
Yes. Nakelo takes payments with a Square or Stripe terminal linked to your own account: the money goes straight to your salon, and Nakelo takes no percentage of your sales.
Square Appointments is free: why pay for Nakelo?
Square’s free plan suits one person who needs bookings and a till. The waitlist, no-show fees and commissions need its paid plans. Nakelo costs $99 a month plus taxes for the whole salon, with complete client files, consents, email and the AI assistant included.
Can I import my clients and appointments from Square?
Yes. Your customers and appointment history exported from Square import with a preview and a one-click undo. Repeating appointments aren’t in Square’s export.
Does Nakelo keep colour formulas?
Yes. Each client file has its colour formula (brand, shades, amounts, developer, processing time), alerts the whole team sees, and before/after photos. When a colour is booked, the app warns if the allergy test must be done at least 48 hours before.
Try Nakelo with your real data
Your app is ready in under a minute. 14 days free, no credit card, then $99 a month plus taxes.
See the app for salons