System	Indicative Monthly Pricing (Business Side)	Notes & Caveats
Shortcuts	~USD $29 / ~A$45 up to A$300+ per month	Directories quote “starting at $29/month”. Actual AU pricing varies by package (e.g. Live, Essentials, Evolve) and is typically provided via a sales quote rather than a fixed public tier.
Timely (GetTimely)	Around A$46 for solo up to ~A$550+ for 10–12 staff	Timely’s official pricing is per staff member; AU comparisons often cite a solo plan around A$46/month, and around A$550/month for about 12 staff. Exact prices should be confirmed on Timely’s pricing page and depend on features and add-ons.
Kitomba	Price on application; commonly mid–high hundreds A$/month for busy salons	Kitomba does not publish fixed pricing; review sites list “pricing not provided by vendor” and note that subscriptions are quote-based. User reports suggest costs in the mid to high hundreds of dollars per month for multi-chair salons, depending on size and modules.
Phorest	From roughly US$99+ / ~A$150+ per month, scaling with size	Phorest’s AU site uses a custom-quote model. Third-party listings and comparisons indicate starting prices around US$99/month for smaller salons, with higher tiers and add-ons increasing the fee for larger teams.
Fresha	Core platform free; paid “Team” from about US$14.95 per user/month	Fresha is often free for core booking and calendar features, with revenue from payments and optional features. Some directories list a paid Team plan at about US$14.95 per user/month, with additional payment and SMS fees applicable.
Mindbody	From around US$269+ (~A$400+) per month for base tiers	Mindbody pricing is not fully transparent on the main site. Independent breakdowns and user reports put entry tiers at approximately US$269/month, rising significantly for more advanced packages and multi-location setups.
Square Appointments	Free tier at A$0; Plus ~A$40; Premium ~A$90 per location/month	The AU pricing page lists a Free plan, a Plus plan around A$40/month, and a Premium plan around A$90/month per location. Standard Square payment processing fees apply separately to subscription costs.
Zolmi	START ~£19/month (~A$35); PRO ~£33/month (~A$60), billed annually	Zolmi’s UK pricing shows START at £19/month and PRO at £33/month when billed annually, with included staff limits. Australian salons effectively pay the converted AUD equivalent plus SMS or transaction costs where relevant.

Booking System Integration

“RingRing AI doesn’t replace your salon software – it gives it a front desk that never misses a call. Your team stays in Shortcuts, Timely, Phorest or whatever you already use. Our AI receptionist simply answers calls 24/7, finds out what the client wants, and either sends them your existing online booking link by SMS or pencils the request into a simple holding calendar for your staff to confirm. That way you plug the leak of missed calls and voicemails, without introducing a second booking system or risking your main diary.”

Salon CRM & Booking System Support

This section explains how RingRing AI works alongside the main salon and spa booking systems used in Australia, such as Shortcuts, Timely, Kitomba, Phorest, Fresha, Mindbody, Square Appointments and Zolmi.

Capability Buckets

Bucket 1 – Open API + webhooks + modern cloud: public/developer APIs or webhooks and good online booking UX (Timely, Phorest, Mindbody, Square Appointments).
Bucket 2 – Semi-open / partner-only API: integrations exist but are controlled or limited; treat as mostly closed unless a specific integration is arranged (Kitomba, some Phorest deployments, Zolmi).
Bucket 3 – Legacy / effectively closed: older architecture, limited or no open API, and usually higher-friction online booking (often requires client accounts), e.g. classic Shortcuts deployments.

Major Salon CRMs Used in Australia

System	Primary Segments	Founded / HQ	Capability Bucket & API	Scale & Market Position	Online Booking Experience	Typical RingRing AI Strategy
Shortcuts	Hair, beauty, barbers, clinics, multi-site.	Early 1990s, Brisbane, Australia.	Bucket 3 Legacy / effectively closed. API: treat as closed; partner/in-house only.	Approximately 12,000 salons in 45+ countries; long-time incumbent in AU/NZ.	Online booking available, often requires client accounts; can be clunky for infrequent clients.	RingRing AI is the 24/7 receptionist and primary “phone calendar”. Shortcuts stays system of record; staff copy RingRing AI bookings into Shortcuts. RingRing AI can also text Shortcuts booking links so fewer callers hang up or go to a competitor.
Timely (GetTimely)	Hair, beauty, nails, barbers, single sites and small chains.	2011, New Zealand.	Bucket 1 Open API + modern cloud. API: open public API and strong integrations.	More than 50,000 beauty professionals in 90+ countries; strong in AU/NZ SMB segment.	Low-friction widgets and links; usually no login required.	Timely remains the main booking system. RingRing AI answers calls, helps choose service and stylist, and either books a time or texts the Timely booking link so the client confirms it. Deeper sync can be built via Timely integrations if desired.
Kitomba	Higher-end salons, spas, clinics, multi-location.	2002, New Zealand.	Bucket 2 Semi-open / partner-only. API: limited/unclear; treat as partner-led.	20+ years in AU/NZ; widely used by established salons and clinics.	Has online booking; more traditional portal feel.	Treat Kitomba as closed. RingRing AI handles inbound calls and books into an internal calendar or texts the Kitomba booking link; staff then reconcile bookings in Kitomba. If Kitomba syncs to Google Calendar, RingRing AI can respect busy times.
Phorest	Hair, beauty, clinics, multi-site.	Early 2000s, Dublin, Ireland; AU office in Brisbane.	Bucket 1–2 Open / partner API. API: open via partner ecosystem.	More than 11,000 businesses and 155,000+ professionals globally; growing in AU/NZ.	Advanced booking, branded apps, loyalty; generally streamlined, with some account/app flows.	Phorest remains the main system. RingRing AI catches missed calls and either sends Phorest booking/app links by SMS or, where integrated, helps keep phone and online bookings aligned. Staff still manage appointments inside Phorest.
Fresha	Hair, beauty, nails, barbers, small salons.	2015, London, United Kingdom.	Bucket 1–2 Marketplace platform with partner APIs. API: partner/strategic APIs.	Approximately 130,000+ businesses and 500,000+ professionals; over 1B appointments processed worldwide, including AU.	Very low-friction app and web marketplace booking; many clients already in Fresha.	Lean on Fresha marketplace and app. RingRing AI answers phone enquiries, helps callers choose times, and texts Fresha links so bookings still go through Fresha while reducing missed calls.
Mindbody	Day spas, wellness, yoga, pilates, mixed beauty/wellness.	2001, California, United States.	Bucket 1 Open API, mature cloud. API: open and well-documented.	Roughly 58,000 wellness businesses and 35M consumers globally; used by many AU spas and wellness venues.	Online booking and app; clients often have accounts for memberships, but booking is streamlined.	Mindbody stays the core platform. RingRing AI is the voice front desk, capturing phone bookings and guiding clients into Mindbody’s online/app flow or an internal calendar that staff reconcile. Deeper automation can use the Mindbody API.
Square Appointments	Micro/small salons, nails, barbers, mobile operators.	Square founded 2009, United States; Appointments as a product line.	Bucket 1 Open via Square developer platform. API: open APIs and webhooks.	Millions of merchants globally; Appointments widely used by small salons including in AU.	Simple booking links and widgets integrated with Square payments.	Square continues to handle POS and often bookings. RingRing AI answers calls, gathers booking intent, and sends existing Square booking links so clients confirm their time. Some salons use an internal RingRing AI calendar for phone bookings and copy them into Square.
Zolmi	Salons and spas, AU-focused small sites.	Mid‑2010s; non‑AU HQ, strong AU orientation.	Bucket 2–3 Smaller cloud tool, limited API visibility. API: unclear; treat as closed.	Smaller provider but appears as an AU alternative to Timely and Shortcuts.	Standard link/widget-based online booking; configuration specific.	Zolmi stays the source of truth. RingRing AI is the always-on receptionist with its own simple internal calendar and SMS booking links; staff enter confirmed bookings into Zolmi, reducing missed calls without forcing a platform change.

How RingRing AI Fits With Existing CRMs

RingRing AI does not replace the salon’s current booking/CRM system; it sits alongside it as a 24/7 receptionist.
RingRing AI answers missed calls, helps callers choose services and times, and either books into an internal calendar or sends the existing online booking link by SMS/email.
For open-API systems (Bucket 1), deeper two-way automation may be possible via vendor APIs.
For semi-open or legacy systems (Buckets 2–3), staff continue entering bookings into their main system while RingRing AI focuses on capturing every phone enquiry.