How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- The wrong software costs a tanning salon real money: missed EFT payments, beds sitting empty, and front-desk chaos during peak hours.
- Dedicated tanning platforms (SunLync, TanTrack) handle tanning-specific needs like bed control and EFT billing that general booking tools lack.
- General salon software (Mindbody, Vagaro, Boulevard, Zenoti, Mangomint, DaySmart Spa) works for tanning businesses that also offer spa or beauty services.
- Verified pricing: TanTrack starts at $99.99/month per location, SunLync starts at $150/month per location.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Mindbody | salons that want the largest booking marketplace | See website | No |
 Vagaro | owners who want power without the enterprise price | See website | No |
 Boulevard | upscale salons obsessed with client experience | See website | No |
 Zenoti | chains that need enterprise-grade automation | See website | No |
 Mangomint | owners frustrated with clunky legacy software | See website | No |
 SunLync | tanning salons that want an industry veteran | $150/month per location | No |
 TanTrack | tanning salons that want bed control and value | $99.99/month per location | Free trial |
 DaySmart Spa | smaller spas that want simplicity | See website | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best tanning salon software
Tanning salons run on memberships. Monthly EFT billing is the lifeblood, beds need scheduling and direct control, and the front desk juggles check-ins, lotion sales, and upsells at rush hour. Pick the wrong software and you get failed drafts you never notice, beds given away as freebies, and staff spending their shift fighting the system instead of selling.
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Mindbody is the giant of the salon and wellness software world, and its biggest advantage for tanning salons is discovery. Over 3 million active consumers search and book on the Mindbody app, which means your beds can fill with people who found you while browsing, not just your regulars. That marketplace effect is something no tanning-specific tool can match.
The platform handles the full business: booking, POS, memberships with automated billing, marketing campaigns, staff scheduling, and payroll integrations. Reporting covers revenue, retention, and lead conversion in detail. For tanning salons that also offer red light therapy, spray tans, or wellness services, the all-in-one coverage is strong.
The honest catch is that Mindbody is general-purpose software, not tanning-specific. You will not get direct tanning bed control or industry-specific workflows out of the box. Pricing is quote-based, and smaller shops sometimes find the platform heavier than they need. For growth-focused salons that want maximum visibility, the marketplace reach justifies the tradeoffs.
What we like- 3M+ consumers search and book on the Mindbody app
- Strong membership and autopay billing
- Deep reporting and analytics
Watch out for- Pricing is quote-based
- The platform can feel complex for small shops
#2
Vagaro
Best for: owners who want power without the enterprise price
Visit vagaro.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Vagaro has built its name on being the affordable all-in-one for salons, spas, and fitness businesses. It covers scheduling, online booking, POS, inventory, marketing, and even payroll in one system that runs on any device. For a single-location tanning salon that needs everything working without an enterprise budget, the value is hard to beat.
Like Mindbody, Vagaro runs a consumer marketplace where clients discover and book local businesses, giving tanning salons a steady stream of new faces. Email marketing and customer retention reports help turn those first-timers into members.
The tradeoff is specialization. Vagaro does not control tanning beds or run the tanning-specific EFT workflows that dedicated tools do, so you will configure around its general salon model. For tanning businesses that are really multi-service beauty operations, that is a fine compromise.
What we like- Accessible pricing for small businesses
- Online booking plus POS and payroll
- Marketplace listing drives new clients
Watch out for- Tanning-specific features require workarounds
- Advanced features spread across add-ons
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Boulevard is the client experience platform for appointment-based self-care businesses, and it shows in every screen. Booking is elegant, checkout is smooth, and membership management with automated billing protects the recurring revenue that tanning salons depend on. Self-serve client portals let members manage their own appointments without calling the front desk.
The platform handles the operational core well: scheduling, POS with purpose-built payments hardware, marketing automation that fills slow days, and intuitive reporting for coaching staff. Reviews from salon owners consistently praise how much easier daily operations become.
The honest catch is positioning. Boulevard is built for salons, spas, and medspas, and tanning-specific needs like bed control are not its focus. Pricing is premium. For tanning salons positioning themselves as upscale wellness destinations rather than bed-rental shops, it fits well.
What we like- Beautiful, modern client-facing booking
- Strong membership management
- 40,000+ self-care professionals on the platform
Watch out for- Premium pricing
- Built for beauty and medspa, not tanning operations
#4
Zenoti
Best for: chains that need enterprise-grade automation
Visit zenoti.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Zenoti is the heavyweight for multi-location beauty, spa, and wellness chains, and its newer AI workforce features are genuinely useful: AI that answers every call, chases every lead, and fills empty appointment slots automatically. For tanning chains, that means missed calls stop meaning missed memberships.
The platform covers every workflow from booking to payroll in one system, with data benchmarks drawn from more than 30,000 businesses across 50 countries. Multi-location management, centralized reporting, and deep marketing automation come standard.
The catch is scale and price. Zenoti sells through demos with enterprise pricing, and a single-location tanning salon will not use most of what it offers. For regional chains and franchises standardizing operations across locations, it is the most complete option on this list.
What we like- AI workforce answers calls and fills empty slots
- Built for multi-location from the ground up
- Benchmarks from 30,000+ businesses
Watch out for- Enterprise pricing through sales
- More power than a single shop needs
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Mangomint's pitch is simple: most salon software is ugly and slow, so they built the modern alternative. The interface is fast and intuitive, booking and payments feel effortless, and automations handle marketing and client communication without staff babysitting. For teams that have suffered through dated tanning software, the difference in daily usability is striking.
The platform covers scheduling, POS, client relationships, and marketing automation with the polish of a consumer app. Thousands of salons and spas have switched, and the company grows on word of mouth from frustrated owners.
The honest catch is that Mangomint is general salon software with no tanning-specific DNA. You will not find bed control or tanning EFT workflows, and the feature catalog is thinner than the enterprise players. For tanning salons that prioritize daily usability over industry specialization, it is a refreshing choice.
What we like- Fast, modern interface staff actually enjoy
- Strong automations for marketing and retention
- Works on any device
Watch out for- Newer vendor with a smaller feature catalog
- No tanning-specific workflows
Starting price$150/month per location
Free planNo
SunLync is tanning salon software in the truest sense: built for tanning salons first, then evolved for spa, wellness, and fitness. Backed by JK America, a global leader in tanning equipment, it delivers an ecosystem where software and hardware come from the same world. Nearly three decades powering successful salons and chains is the credibility claim.
The feature set covers what tanning operators need: faster checkouts, integrated billing, built-in marketing tools, API client portals, and equipment-aware operations. Pricing starts at $150 for a single location with a scalable model as the business grows.
The catch is cost and process. At $150 per location to start, it is pricier than TanTrack's entry tier, and you will go through a demo-driven sales process. For operators who value deep industry fit and the JK America backing, it is the premium tanning-native choice.
What we like- Built for tanning salons over nearly three decades
- Backed by JK America equipment ecosystem
- Scalable multi-location pricing
Watch out for- Higher starting price than some rivals
- Demo-driven sales process
Starting price$99.99/month per location
Free planFree trial
TanTrack by Nichesoft has been tanning salon software since 1999, and it shows in the best way: direct control of every bed brand to stop freebies, automated EFT drafts for memberships, 300+ reports with QuickBooks integration, and a 24/7 self check-in kiosk that lets clients sign up, check in, and go straight to the bed. This is software built by people who understand tanning operations.
Pricing is refreshingly transparent: the Starter plan is $99.99 per month for one location, and The Bundle is $129.99 per location, with updates, support, cloud hosting, online bookings, and digital signage included. The company claims thousands of installations over nearly 30 years.
The honest catch is the look. The interface reflects its long history rather than modern design trends, and the tanning-only focus means multi-service businesses will want something broader. For pure tanning operations that need equipment control and honest pricing, TanTrack is the specialist's pick.
What we like- Direct control of all tanning equipment brands
- Starter plan at $99.99/month
- 24/7 self check-in kiosk option
Watch out for- Interface shows its age
- Tanning-only focus limits multi-service use
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
DaySmart Spa keeps spa management simple: online booking, intake forms and waivers, two-way texting, integrated payment processing, and a centralized client database with marketing tools. The company emphasizes its US-based support team, which helps owners get running without a long onboarding project.
For tanning salons that also run spa services, or for small operations where the owner wears every hat, the straightforward feature set covers the essentials without overwhelming anyone. Appointment reminders cut no-shows, and reputation management tools help control the online reviews that drive new business.
The tradeoff is depth. DaySmart Spa is general spa software without tanning-specific capabilities, and larger operations will outgrow it. For small tanning and spa businesses that value simplicity and human support, it is a solid, unpretentious option.
What we like- Straightforward scheduling and POS
- Two-way texting and online forms
- US-based support team
Watch out for- General spa focus without tanning features
- Less depth than the leaders
How we chose
We evaluated tanning salon software on the workflows that decide whether a salon thrives: booking and scheduling, membership and EFT billing, POS and inventory, marketing and retention tools, equipment control for tanning beds, and multi-location support. We verified each vendor's homepage and current positioning, checked pricing pages where vendors publish them, and cross-referenced with reviews on G2, Capterra, and industry communities. We mixed dedicated tanning platforms with general salon software because many tanning businesses also sell spa and beauty services. We excluded any tool whose homepage we could not open and confirm, and we did not test any software hands-on.
What tanning salons actually need from software
Tanning is a membership business with hardware. Your software has to handle both.
EFT billing that you can trust
Recurring monthly drafts are the revenue engine, so the software must run automated EFT billing, retry failed payments, and surface declines for staff to chase. Ask how each vendor handles failed drafts before you sign, because silent failures are silent revenue loss.
Bed control and check-in speed
Dedicated tanning tools connect directly to beds so sessions start only when paid, eliminating freebies. Fast check-in, under a minute, plus a self-service kiosk option keeps the front desk moving during peak hours.
Marketing that fills slow hours
Email and text campaigns, automated reminders, and win-back offers turn slow weekdays into revenue. The best tools automate this from your client data rather than requiring manual list work.
The choice comes down to how you see your business.
Dedicated tools like SunLync and TanTrack understand tanning operations natively: bed control, EFT billing tuned for memberships, and workflows built over decades in the industry. If tanning is your core and beds are the business, start here.
General platforms like Mindbody, Vagaro, and Boulevard bring bigger marketplaces, prettier client experiences, and broader service coverage. If your revenue increasingly comes from spray tans, red light, and spa services, the general tools may serve you better.
Many operators split the difference: dedicated software for the tanning core, general tools for the beauty side. Whatever you choose, prioritize the workflows that generate revenue: EFT reliability, check-in speed, and marketing automation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tanning salon software?
For dedicated tanning operations, SunLync and TanTrack lead because they handle bed control and EFT billing natively. For tanning businesses that also offer spa and beauty services, Mindbody, Vagaro, Boulevard, Zenoti, and Mangomint are strong general options.
How much does tanning salon software cost?
Verified pricing: TanTrack starts at $99.99/month per location and SunLync starts at $150/month per location. General salon platforms typically price by quote or tiered plans; confirm current rates on each vendor's pricing page.
Do I need tanning-specific software or will salon software work?
If tanning beds are your core business, dedicated software with direct bed control and tanning-tuned EFT billing is worth it. If most revenue comes from spa and beauty services with tanning as an add-on, general salon software is usually fine.
What is EFT billing in tanning salons?
EFT (electronic funds transfer) billing automatically drafts membership payments from clients' bank accounts or cards each month. It is the standard recurring billing model for tanning salons, and good software retries failed drafts and alerts staff to declines.
Can tanning software control my beds?
Dedicated platforms like TanTrack integrate directly with tanning equipment from all major brands, so sessions start only when paid. General salon software does not offer this; you would manage beds separately.
What about 24-hour tanning salons?
Some dedicated tools support 24-hour operation with self check-in kiosks that let clients sign up, check in, and go straight to a bed without staff present. Check your state's regulations first, then confirm the feature with the vendor.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.mindbodyonline.com
- https://www.vagaro.com
- https://www.joinblvd.com/
- https://zenoti.com/
- https://mangomint.com/
- https://sunlync.com/
- https://www.tantrack.com/
- https://www.daysmartspa.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.