# Square vs Salon Formulator

Square and Salon Formulator both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Salon Formulator's written reviews are positive against 26% of Square's. Salon Formulator also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.1). Square's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). On price, rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Salon Formulator sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Square asks for nothing beyond the download.

Salon Formulator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Square has 3.6K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Square's written reviews are positive against 100% of Salon Formulator's.

Square ships an update weekly, Salon Formulator every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Square | Salon Formulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-dashboard-for-pos/id992958748/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/salon-formulator/id1599934815/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 25.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 315 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Block, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/335393791) | [Jackson Tempra](https://appshunter.io/developer/968251159) |

## What reviewers say

### Square

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-dashboard-for-pos/id992958748)

Monitor your business performance, finances, team, and customer interactions in real time from anywhere. Track sales, manage cash flow, and streamline operations with integrated tools for scheduling and payroll.

**Highlights:** Real-time business monitoring, Financial tracking and budgeting, Team management and payroll, Sales and performance reports, Customer management, In-app notifications

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 🚀 Helps run business easily
- 🚀 All info in one place
- 🚀 Awesome app to check on business
- 🚀 Good app to check sales

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Annoying papercuts
- 🔍 Configurable default comparison needed
- 🔍 Hierarchical categories not well integrated
- 💰 Misleading gross sales reporting
- 🔍 Difficult to remove shifts

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after updates
- Login issues after updates
- Widget stopped working after updates
- Freezing and not loading data

**Requested features**

- Make 52 weeks the default comparison
- Add iPad version
- Projections and estimated future income
- Ability to control what clients see
- Sound notifications for orders


### Salon Formulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/salon-formulator/id1599934815)

Manage client records, bookings, and product inventory for hair stylists. Track costs, profits, and reorder levels with customizable themes. Offers a free version with an optional pro subscription for data backup and syncing.

**Highlights:** Client record management, Booking and scheduling, Product inventory tracking, Cost and profit breakdown, Customizable themes, Data backup and sync (Pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Square free?

Square is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Salon Formulator free?

Salon Formulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Square or Salon Formulator?

Salon Formulator is rated higher. Square averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Salon Formulator averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Square or Salon Formulator have ads?

Neither Square nor Salon Formulator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Square or Salon Formulator?

Square ships an update weekly, and Salon Formulator every 5 months. Most recently, Square was updated on November 11, 2026 and Salon Formulator on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*