Comparison

Drybar vs Hand and Stone

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Drybar

Book and manage professional blowout appointments at your favorite salon. Discover exclusive app-only promotions, join membership programs, and find style inspiration for your next visit. Rebook services and locations with ease.

Highlights
  • Book blowout appointments
  • Manage appointments
  • Exclusive app promotions
  • Barfly Membership management
  • Find salon locations
  • Style inspiration
Features
Read full description

At Drybar® shops, our philosophy is simple. Focus on one thing and be the best at it. For us, that’s blowouts. With that purpose in mind, we are focused on giving each and every client the premier blowout experience while providing professional quality products and tools to better help clients achieve and maintain the perfect blowout at home. Easily book a blowout appointment for you and all your friends. View, edit, or cancel your upcoming appointments on your personal home screen and seamlessly rebook your favorite service & location with just a few taps. You can find a Drybar location while on the go and become a Barfly with our Signature or Premium Memberships to ensure your hair is perfect on your most important dates throughout the month. 4 Reasons you'll love our new Mobile Booking App. 1. Get access to promotions and offers sent only to App users. 2. Book all your blowout appointments easily & frequently. 3. Join & manage your monthly Barfly Membership. 4. Find style inspiration for your next appointment.

About

Hand and Stone

Easily book and customize spa appointments at over 500 locations. Manage your membership, purchase gift cards, and enjoy quick rebooking for your favorite services. Members can also utilize self check-in for a seamless experience.

Highlights
  • Find spa locations
  • Book and customize appointments
  • Purchase gift cards
  • View membership credits
  • Quick rebooking
  • Self check-in for members
Read full description

With the Hand & Stone Mobile App, relaxation and comfort are at your fingertips. You can book an appointment at any of our 500+ locations, and customize your spa experience with our selection of available services and upgrades. You can also purchase a gift card for friends and relatives, or view your available membership credits and loyalty points. The app also features a Quick Booking option for faster booking of repeat services, and a self check-in feature for members. FEATURES 1. Find a location near you, or search from our list of 500+ spa locations throughout the US. 2. Book an appointment, and customize your spa experience with our full selection of massage and facial services. 3. View upcoming and past appointments. 4. Purchase gift cards for friends and relatives. 5. Quickly rebook repeat services from your past appointment history. 6. Create and manage your account, or login using your existing Hand and Stone account login credentials. 7. View membership information, including available service credits and loyalty points.

Screenshots

Drybar4 screens
Hand and Stone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Hand and Stone at 3.3 against Drybar's 2.5. Hand and Stone also leads on review sentiment (29% vs 7%) and ratings volume (383 vs 34). Drybar's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hand and Stone holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hand and Stone has 383 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 7% of Drybar's written reviews are positive against 29% of Hand and Stone's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drybar ships an update monthly, Hand and Stone every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Drybar versus Hand and Stone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrybarHand and Stone
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (34 ratings)3.3 (383 ratings) — better
Positive reviews7.5% of reviews29.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34383 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.413.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB78 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDrybarHand and Stone Franchise Corp.

Customer experience

Drybar

All ratings33 ratings
Positive36.4%
Neutral3.0%
Negative60.6%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive7.5%
Neutral5.6%
Negative86.9%

Hand and Stone

All ratings368 ratings
Positive53.5%
Neutral7.9%
Negative38.6%
Written reviews126 reviews
Positive29.4%
Neutral6.3%
Negative64.3%

User reviews

Drybar

From 34 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to book appointments
  • 💡 Ability to rebook with same stylist
  • 🎯 Single platform for all booking needs
  • ✨ Modern and sleek interface design
  • 🔄 Remembers previous appointments

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Constant login issues and forced re-authentication
  • 📱 Unreliable location detection
  • 🔄 Doesn't save user preferences despite checkboxes
  • ⚠️ Excessive font size and UI scaling problems
  • 🔐 Frequent password reset requirements

Hand and Stone

From 383 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🙌 Excellent customer service
  • 💆‍♀️ Skilled and experienced massage therapists
  • 🧘‍♀️ Relaxing and rejuvenating experiences
  • 🏆 Consistent high-quality services

Room to improve

  • 🤖 Buggy and unreliable app
  • 🔍 Lack of transparency in membership details
  • 🕰️ Difficult to schedule appointments
  • 🤷‍♀️ Poor customer support
  • 📵 Inability to link membership to app

Bugs and requests

Drybar

Reported bugs

20 issues
  • Login credentials not recognized despite being correct
  • App logs out user every time it's opened
  • Password reset emails not being sent
  • Server error messages during booking process
  • Scrolling issues on date selection screens
Show 15 more
  • Font rendering too large making content unreadable
  • Location search returns incorrect/distant locations
  • App crashes when entering zip code search
  • Payment processing fails with server errors
  • Appointment confirmation not syncing to salon systems
  • Membership credits showing as zero when they exist
  • Add-on requests not appearing at salon
  • Appointments not displaying in user schedule
  • App freezes on confirmation screen
  • Unable to add payment methods despite limit errors
  • Location detection fails on cellular networks
  • Password validation inconsistent between app and website
  • Account profile phone number validation errors
  • Customer not found errors for existing accounts
  • Automatic next screen progression inconsistent

Requested features

17 requests
  • Face ID or biometric authentication support
  • Remember login credentials between sessions
  • Show available times across multiple locations simultaneously
  • Search appointments by date instead of location
  • Save user preferences and settings permanently
Show 12 more
  • Ability to select specific stylists
  • Display location phone numbers in app
  • Cancel and modify appointments within app
  • Show membership credits and benefits clearly
  • Integration with calendar apps
  • Keyboard shortcut support for login fields
  • Better error messaging and explanations
  • View appointment history with stylist names
  • Search by date range across nearby locations
  • Saved favorite add-ons and services
  • Automatic location detection accuracy improvement
  • Show availability before answering all questions

Hand and Stone

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login and password reset issues
  • Appointment booking errors
  • Inconsistent app functionality across locations
  • Outdated app version issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to book different massage types through the app
  • Option to select preferred massage therapist
  • Display of membership details and package information in the app
  • Improved app navigation and user experience

In-app purchases

None

Drybar

No in-app purchases

None

Hand and Stone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Drybar free?
Drybar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hand and Stone free?
Hand and Stone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Drybar or Hand and Stone?
Hand and Stone is rated higher. Drybar averages 2.5 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Hand and Stone averages 3.3 from 383 ratings.
Do Drybar or Hand and Stone have ads?
Neither Drybar nor Hand and Stone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drybar or Hand and Stone?
Drybar ships an update monthly, and Hand and Stone every 5 weeks. Most recently, Drybar was updated on October 23, 2026 and Hand and Stone on October 22, 2026.

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