There is no trial clock, your deposits are not locked behind a paid tier, and adding a stylist costs nothing. Glown earns 2% when a client pays you, never more than ₦2,000 on a booking, and nothing at all when they do not.
Yes.
Glown is free salon software for Nigerian salons, spas and barbershops: no subscription, no setup fee, no charge per staff member and no charge per branch. Deposits, reminders, client records, staff commission, payroll, inventory and multi-branch reporting are all included rather than gated behind a paid plan. Glown makes money by taking 2% when a client pays for a booking. It is charged once per booking, capped at ₦2,000, and never applied to services added after the booking is confirmed. A month with no paid bookings costs nothing.
Worth checking on any product calling itself free, including this one. These are the three patterns to look for.
It is a trial wearing a costume
Free for 14 or 30 days, then a subscription. Ask what happens on day 31.
The good parts are upstairs
Deposits and payroll are the two features most often reserved for a paid tier.
It costs more as you grow
Per-seat and per-branch charges mean hiring and expanding raise the bill.
Because there is no other account. There is one version of Glown and this is it.
Included free
A branded page with your real services, prices, photos and live availability, ready to paste into WhatsApp or your Instagram bio. Not a trial version of one.
Included free
Require a deposit or full payment before a booking is confirmed, with a cancellation window clients agree to. This is the feature most tools gate behind an upgrade. It is not gated here.
Included free
Every client gets reminded before their appointment, carrying your prep instructions, without you sending anything.
Included free
Per-staff and per-service rates that total themselves as work completes, plus salaries and payslips. The other thing usually sold as a premium module.
Included free
Run as many locations as you have from one dashboard, with inventory tracked per branch. No higher tier to unlock a second shop.
Included free
See what you earned, which services carry the month and who is actually performing, without paying for an analytics add-on.
The right-hand column describes the common pattern among subscription salon products sold in Nigeria, not any one named company.
| Feature | Glown | Typical subscription software |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | ₦0 | ₦15,000–₦25,000+ |
| Setup or onboarding fee | ₦0 | Sometimes charged |
| Charge per staff member | ₦0 | Common |
| Charge per branch | ₦0 | Usually a higher tier |
| Deposits on the free plan | Included | Usually a paid upgrade |
| Payroll and commission | Included | Usually a paid upgrade |
| Cost in a month with no bookings | ₦0 | The full subscription |
| What you pay instead | 2% when a client pays, max ₦2,000 | A bill either way |
Monthly subscription
Glown
₦0
Typical subscription software
₦15,000–₦25,000+
Setup or onboarding fee
Glown
₦0
Typical subscription software
Sometimes charged
Charge per staff member
Glown
₦0
Typical subscription software
Common
Charge per branch
Glown
₦0
Typical subscription software
Usually a higher tier
Deposits on the free plan
Glown
Included
Typical subscription software
Usually a paid upgrade
Payroll and commission
Glown
Included
Typical subscription software
Usually a paid upgrade
Cost in a month with no bookings
Glown
₦0
Typical subscription software
The full subscription
What you pay instead
Glown
2% when a client pays, max ₦2,000
Typical subscription software
A bill either way
The comparison column is a general description of subscription salon software commonly sold in Nigeria. Individual products differ, so check the current terms of any option you shortlist.
Glown has no subscription or setup fee, and adding staff costs nothing. It takes 2% when a client pays for a booking, charged once, capped at ₦2,000, and never applied to services you add after the booking is confirmed. That is the entire commercial relationship, and it is why Glown has every reason to keep your diary full.
₦0
Monthly fee
₦2,000
Fee cap per booking
01. Create your account
Sign up without a card or a sales call, and there is no trial clock running. Free means free from the first click.
02. Add services, prices and staff
Every feature is switched on from the start, including deposits and payroll.
03. Start taking bookings
The first time you pay Glown anything is the first time a client pays you.
What owners ask when software says it is free.
Yes. There is no subscription, no setup fee, no charge per staff member and no charge per branch, and no feature is held back behind a paid plan. Glown makes money by taking 2% when a client pays for a booking through the platform, capped at ₦2,000 per booking.
With most free salon software the catch is one of three things: it is a time-limited trial, the useful features such as deposits and payroll sit behind an upgrade, or you are charged per staff member as you grow. Glown does none of those. The 2% per booking is the whole model, and it only applies when money reaches you.
When a client pays for a booking through Glown, Glown keeps 2% of that booking's service total. It is charged once on the booking, not once per service on it. The fee is capped at ₦2,000, so it stops growing above roughly ₦100,000 of services. The fee applies however the client pays, cash included, and by default it sits on the client's bill rather than coming out of your takings. A month with no bookings costs you nothing.
Yes, at ₦2,000 per booking. The cap starts to bite at around ₦100,000 of services on one booking, which is where 2% first reaches ₦2,000. Above that the fee stays at ₦2,000 no matter how large the booking gets.
They are not charged. The fee is calculated at the moment the booking is made and is never recalculated, so anything upsold at the chair, whether a treatment, a trim or a retail product, is yours in full.
No. There is no countdown and no paid plan waiting at the end of it. The free account is the product.
Yes. Deposits and no-show protection are included, which matters because they are the single feature most likely to be locked behind a paid tier elsewhere, and the one that makes the biggest difference to your income.
No. There is no per-seat or per-location charge. You can add your whole team and every branch you run without the price changing, because there is no price to change.
An email address and your service list. No card details are required to create an account or to build your booking page.
The same free account, whatever you do.
More on what Glown does and how it compares.