POS Data estimated - verify with vendor Review pending - April 2026

Phorest

Salon management software built in Dublin, used worldwide

Last verified: 05 Apr 2026 Methodology

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Irish Compliance Assessment

Verified pass Partial · caveats Not supported
-

Revenue Integration

No native Revenue Online Service (ROS) connection. Tax submissions must be exported and filed manually, or handled via a paired Irish accounting tool.

verified 2026-04-05 · scope: not supported
-

PAYE Modernisation

Not a payroll product. Real-time PAYE reporting required since 2019 is out of scope.

verified 2026-04-05 · scope: not a payroll product
-

Irish Bank Feeds

No native AIB / BOI / PTSB feed. Bank reconciliation flows rely on third-party gateways.

verified 2026-04-05 · via third-party gateway
-

SEPA / Irish IBAN

No native SEPA Direct Debit XML export. Collection requires a third-party gateway.

verified 2026-04-05 · SEPA via gateway
✓

VAT Handling

Irish VAT supported. Irish VAT rates for services and retail.

verified 2026-04-05 · Irish VAT rates for services and retail
✓

Irish Support

Customer support available during Irish business hours. Email, phone, or chat as published by the vendor.

verified 2026-04-05 · Irish hours
GDPR Data Residency EU data centres verified 2026-04-05

Overview

Phorest is a Dublin-founded salon management platform used by hair salons, beauty salons, barbershops, and spas globally. Founded in Dublin in 2003, Phorest has grown into a salon software provider with a global customer base while keeping its Irish roots and support team. The platform combines appointment booking, point of sale, client management, marketing automation, and staff management in a single system built specifically for salon businesses. Phorest's online booking system integrates with the salon's website and Google, allowing clients to book and pay online. The marketing suite includes SMS and email campaigns, client rebooking reminders, and a loyalty rewards programme. The POS handles retail product sales alongside services, with Irish VAT rates built in. Phorest processes payroll exports compatible with Irish payroll systems and manages staff commissions and tips. For Irish salon owners, Phorest offers local support, Irish pricing, and Irish tax compliance.

Company facts

About the company

Founded
2002
HQ
Dublin, United States

Editor's verdict on Phorest

stamped 2026-04-05

Phorest is an Irish-founded salon management platform with strong market penetration in Irish hairdressing and beauty salons. The Irish heritage shows - it handles Irish payment processing, has a local support team, and understands the Irish salon market. Appointment management, client records, marketing, and loyalty are all covered. For Irish salons, it's the strongest domestic option alongside Fresha, and the Irish-founded advantage means Irish-specific features are built in rather than bolted on.

Irish compliance score

Phorest Irish compliance score2 of 6 pass
CRO active
Revenue integration
PAYE Modernisation
Irish bank feeds
GDPR (EU residency)
Irish support
Phorest Irish compliance score
CriterionStatusNote
CRO activeNot met
Revenue integrationNot met
PAYE ModernisationNot met
Irish bank feedsNot met
GDPR (EU residency)Pass
Irish supportPass

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Founded in Dublin - genuine Irish software company
  • Salon-specific appointment and client management
  • Strong online booking and marketing automation
  • Irish support team
  • Trusted by thousands of Irish salons

Cons

  • Salon-only - not suited to other business types
  • Pricing not publicly listed
  • Some users report the system can be complex for small sole-trader salons

Best For

Company Size

1-5 employees6-20 employees

Sectors

Beauty & Wellness

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Head-to-Head Comparisons

Each card surfaces the single most decisive fact between the two vendors, dated and sourced.

PhorestvsLightspeed POS
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PhorestRated 3.5
Lightspeed POSRated unrated

Two close matches.pick on accountant familiarity and Irish support.

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PhorestvsResDiary
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PhorestRated 3.5
ResDiaryRated unrated

Two close matches.pick on accountant familiarity and Irish support.

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PhorestvsShopify POS
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PhorestEU only
Shopify POSEU & US data centres

Data residency is the differentiator.Phorest wins on guaranteed EU residency.

verified 2026-04-05Read full comparison →
PhorestvsSquare POS
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PhorestPaid only
Square POSFree tier available

Free entry vs paid-only.Square POS wins on cost to start. The paid product trades that for a more complete feature set.

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PhorestvsSumUp POS
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PhorestPaid only
SumUp POSFree tier available

Free entry vs paid-only.SumUp POS wins on cost to start. The paid product trades that for a more complete feature set.

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Verification Notes

REVIEW NEEDED: Dublin-founded salon software. Pricing varies by number of staff - get demo for current pricing. Confirm GDPR data residency, Irish VAT handling, and payroll export compatibility.

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Pricing and feature data is indicative and may not reflect current vendor offerings. Always verify details directly with the vendor before purchasing.