Avana Connect
Switch it on once for your Instagram. It answers clients with your own prices and free times and lets them book inside the conversation.
£9.99a month
Add Connect SalonIQ alternative you can start today and leave any month
No setup fee to get going and no three months' notice to stop. Avana is salon software you set up yourself in an afternoon.
No setup feeNo notice periodFree for 7 days
In shortChecked October 2026
Avana, by Sweeber Technologies, is a SalonIQ alternative for UK salons that want to start without a setup fee and keep the freedom to leave. At the time of writing (October 2026), SalonIQ costs from £47 a month for a solo stylist, £10 a month per extra team member and a one-off setup fee from £175 + VAT, with 90 days' notice to cancel. Avana costs £15.99 a month with VAT included, has no setup fee and can be cancelled any month.
| At a glance | Avana | SalonIQ |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly, solo | £15.99, VAT included | From £47 |
| Extra team member | Included in Business Plus, then £5.99 each | £10 a month each |
| Setup fee | None | From £175 + VAT |
| Notice to cancel | None, monthly | 90 days |
SalonIQ figures from saloniq.com. SalonIQ's setup fee includes training and moving your data across.
What changes
Three reasons owners pick Avana over SalonIQ
SalonIQ is solid UK software. These are the practical differences.
Nothing to pay before you start
SalonIQ charges a one-off setup fee from £175 + VAT. Avana has no setup fee: you add your treatments and hours yourself, and the help centre walks you through it.
No notice period
SalonIQ asks for 90 days' notice. Avana is monthly, and when you cancel, it stops at the end of that month.
A colleague is included
SalonIQ adds £10 a month per extra bookable team member. Avana's Business Plus already includes you and one colleague.
Your own page
Clients book with you, even when your hands are full
Your booking page shows your treatments, your prices and your free times. You put the link in your Instagram bio, send it in a message and print a QR code for the front desk.
- Clients book without creating an account
- Open for bookings in the evening and at weekends
- Someone helps out on Saturdays? Add them with their own hours
Book · Studio Ivy
Balayage · 2.5 hours
09:0010:0013:30
Payments
Clients can still pay in the salon
Paying at the desk works the way it always has. For a long treatment you can ask for a deposit when they book, so the slot you keep free is paid for. You decide per treatment.
- Pay in the salon, as before
- Turn a deposit on for the treatments that need one
- Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay online
Checkout
Deposit balayage£25.00
CardApple PayGoogle Pay
Reminders
Clients stop forgetting their appointment
A confirmation goes out the moment someone books, and a reminder the day before with the time and your address. For clients who never open their email, you can send the reminder by text as well.
- Confirmation and reminder go out on their own
- Clients reschedule themselves if they need to
- Text messages come in packs, with no subscription
Reminder · Sophie W.Email and text
Studio Ivy · the day beforeSee you tomorrow at 10:00 for your balayage. 14 Market Street, Bristol.
Confirmation after bookingSent
Reminder the day before...
In detail
SalonIQ and Avana compared
Costs first, then the tools.
| SalonIQ | Avana | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price, solo | From £47* | £15.99, VAT included |
| Setup fee | From £175 + VAT* | None |
| Notice period | 90 days* | None |
| Online booking | Yes | Yes |
| Deposits | Yes | Yes |
| Reminders | Yes | Email, plus texts in packs |
| Help moving your data | Included in the setup fee* | Import screen for your own file |
| Instagram DM booking | No | Avana Connect |
| Course selling | No | Avana Academy |
*From saloniq.com, checked in October 2026. Check current terms with SalonIQ.
What you get
Everything you need to open for bookings
Every Avana plan includes a booking page, a calendar, deposits, email reminders and client records from day one. Where something starts at Business Plus, it says so on the tile.
Your own booking pageTreatments, prices and free times on one link, with your photos. Clients book without making an account.Set up your page Your calendar on your phoneYour whole day at a glance, wherever you are. A new booking appears straight away, with who is coming and for what.Set your hours Pay in the salon or onlineClients pay at the desk as they always have. Online payment works too, by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.Turn on online payments Deposits against empty slotsAsk for an amount upfront on a long treatment. The slot is then properly held, and if nobody turns up, you keep the deposit.Set a deposit Email remindersA confirmation right after booking and a reminder the day before with the time and your address. You do nothing.Switch reminders on Text remindersFor clients who never read their email. Text messages come in packs from £4.99, with no subscription on top.Pick a text pack Your client recordsColour formulas, your notes and everything done before, per client. After the visit you invite them back with one tap.Import your clients A waiting list when you are fullSaturday fully booked? A client can join the waiting list, and the moment someone cancels, the next person gets an email.From Business PlusSet up the waiting list Someone helps out?If someone works with you on Saturdays or a few days a week, add them with their own hours and treatments.Add a team member
Also included
- Reviews collected after each visit
- Invoices for your accountant
- Discount codes for your clients
- A questionnaire before the first visit
- Your own cancellation rules
- Gift cards and product sales, from Business Plus
- Holidays and days off in one go
- A QR code for your front desk
- Your own wording in every email
- A clear view of how full your week is
Fair comparison
When each one makes sense
If you want hands-on help, SalonIQ's setup fee buys you something real.
Avana suits you if
- you are happy to set things up yourself
- you want no notice period
- you work with one or two others
- you want Instagram messages to turn into bookings
SalonIQ suits you if
- you want training and a data move included
- you want their team to set things up for you
- the 90-day notice is fine for your plans
What it costs
The price is right here on the page
Avana has three plans: Business at £15.99, Business Plus at £28.99 and Business Max at £55.99 a month, all with VAT included. There is no commission on your takings and no contract, and every plan starts with 7 days free without card details.
MonthlyYearly save up to £112
Business
For the independent salon that takes bookings seriously.
/month
£0.53 a day, and no commission on your revenue.
Start free- Unlimited online bookings
- Your own booking page and QR code
- Online calendar and services
- Mobile app for iPhone and Android
- Intake questions when clients book
- Confirmation and reminder emails
- Online payments and deposits
- Automatic invoices and a monthly export
- Booking widget for your own website
- Add-ons, client records and discount codes
- Loyalty card for regular clients
Most popular
Business Plus
For the salon that wants every gap in the week filled.
/month
£0.97 a day. One extra appointment a month covers it.
Start free- Mobile app for iPhone and Android
- Waitlist that fills cancelled slots
- Sell gift cards
- Sell products when clients book
- Cash book and end-of-day close
- Track expenses and stock
- Insights into how your salon is doing
- Discount campaigns with an end date
- Consent forms online
- Send documents with the confirmation
- Multiple locations
Business Max
For the salon that also teaches, with Avana Academy included.
/month
£1.87 a day, with Avana Academy included.
Start free- Mobile app for iPhone and Android
- 2 extra team members includedEach with their own calendar. After that, £5.99 a month per person.
- Avana Academy includedSell courses with certificates for your students.
- Treatment rooms in your calendarAdd the room or chair to each appointment, so two treatments never clash.
- 5 free SMS a month included
- Email campaigns
- Automatic birthday and win-back emails
- Use your own domain name
- Your own branding in campaigns
- Advanced settings
- Early access to new features
All prices include VAT. If you change plan, you only pay the difference.
Add when you need it
Three extras you can switch on
Avana Connect costs £9.99 a month, the Avana Academy £8.99 a month with a plan, and text messages come in packs from £4.99. They go on the same bill as your plan, and you can stop any month.
Avana Academy
Sell your own courses to people who want to learn your craft. Lessons are set up once, the practice day sits in your calendar and certificates go out on their own.
£8.99a month with a plan
Add the Academy Text message packs
Text reminders for clients who skip their email. You buy texts in packs, the credits never expire and there is no subscription.
from £4.99a pack
Pick a text pack Questions
SalonIQ alternative: what people ask
What is a good SalonIQ alternative?
Avana is a good fit if you want to avoid a setup fee and a notice period. Plans start at £15.99 a month with VAT included, colleagues are included from Business Plus, and you can cancel any month.
How much does SalonIQ cost?
At the time of writing (October 2026), SalonIQ's pricing page lists £47 a month for a solo stylist, £10 a month for each extra bookable team member, and a one-off setup fee from £175 + VAT that covers installation, training and data migration.
How much notice do I need to give SalonIQ?
SalonIQ states 90 days' notice. Plan your switch so that Avana is running before the notice period ends, then let the last SalonIQ bookings take place.
Who moves my data to Avana?
You do, with the import screen. Export your client list from SalonIQ as a CSV or Excel file and upload it. Avana recognises the columns and asks about anything unclear, so it takes minutes for most salons.
Is there a setup fee with Avana?
No. There is no setup fee and no card details for the 7-day trial. You only pay once you choose a plan.
Question not here? The help centre walks through every part of Avana step by step.
Switching without paying twice
Switching from SalonIQ without paying twice
The most common reason to look for a SalonIQ alternative is the cost of starting and stopping. A setup fee makes sense if someone trains you and moves your data, but many small salons would rather do that themselves and keep the money.
With Avana, the first week is free. You set up your booking page, import your client list and switch on deposits for longer treatments. The help centre explains every step.
Because SalonIQ asks for 90 days' notice, give it early and run both systems for the last weeks. More comparisons: Phorest, Timely and all alternatives.
Start this afternoon, at no setup cost
Add your treatments, share your link and take your first booking. Free for 7 days.
Start your free week