myAthenaAI

Compare

Phorest vs myAthenaAI

Phorest: Salon, spa and aesthetic clinic software for growing businesses, pitched at 3+ staff. myAthenaAI: the AI-native clinic management system for aesthetic and beauty clinics — booking, clinic management, stock and marketing in one system, with Athena, the AI built in, doing the work.

The short answer

Phorest is clinic software your team operates. It keeps the diary and the records; you still do the answering, chasing, booking and marketing.

myAthenaAI does the work for you. It's a full clinic management system (booking, client records, stock, payments, staff) with Athena built in. She knows the clinic, and she answers every WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Messenger message, text, email and phone call, and books, moves and takes deposits inside the diary. She runs the reminders, follow-ups and rebooking, answers anything you ask about the business, and makes the marketing: campaigns, images, before-and-afters, content and your website.

Why myAthenaAI

  • It covers more of a clinic's work: 53 of the 54 features we compared, against Phorest's 32 (counting its paid add-ons and partial versions). Included as standard: myAthenaAI 53, Phorest 16.
  • It gives you time back. Other systems keep the diary while you do the work. Athena does the answering, booking, chasing, follow-ups and marketing herself, on every channel and the phone, 24/7. See your own hours back.
  • It has every angle covered. Front desk, owner assistant, the clinic's running, marketing and content, your website and your ad tracking, in one clinic management system with one login, instead of booking software plus add-ons plus five other tools.
  • It's built for appointment businesses, by people who've run them. Made specifically for aesthetic clinics, med spas, salons and practitioner-led clinics, by people who have built and run clinics.
  • It's AI-native, not bolted on. Athena runs inside the system, so she knows the clinic: the same Athena who answers your clients works from your diary, client history, treatments, prices and policies, and she's the one you ask about takings and stock. Other systems add an AI receptionist on top; in myAthenaAI the receptionist is one of the jobs she does.
  • It's built for where clinic software is going. The whole system was built around Athena, and new capabilities ship every week.

Feature counts are from this page's comparison, checked 3 November 2026 against each vendor's own website.

How many hours a day would she give you back?

With other clinic software, the software keeps the diary and you still do the work: replying, chasing, booking, following up and posting. With myAthenaAI, Athena does that work, so the hours come back to you and the bookings that slip through missed calls and no-shows come back too.

Every clinic is different, so we don't print a made-up number. Answer eleven quick questions and see your hours a day back and bookings won back a month, with every assumption shown.

Get my estimate

Feature by feature

FeaturemyAthenaAIPhorest
Who does the work
Who answers, books, chases and markets Athena does itAthena answers, books, chases, follows up and makes the marketing. You approve and treat. You and your teamThe software gives you tools; you or your staff operate them.
AI built in, not sold as an add-on IncludedThe AI is the product: one employee across every job, not an add-on. Paid add-on / higher planFront Desk AI is an 'add to any plan' add-on; price not published (quote only). source
Hours given back and bookings won back Get your estimateHours a day back and bookings won back, worked out from your own week. You still do the workBooking software saves some admin; the answering, chasing, booking and marketing are still yours.
AI front desk
AI replies on WhatsApp IncludedReplies by herself, 24/7, and books from the chat. Paid add-on / higher planFront Desk AI add-on replies on WhatsApp; also needs the WhatsApp add-on. source
AI replies to Instagram DMs IncludedAnswers DMs (and the story they replied to) and books from the chat. Not listed on their siteFront Desk AI channels are Two-Way SMS and WhatsApp only. source
AI replies on Facebook Messenger IncludedSame brain and booking power on Facebook Messenger. Not listed on their siteFront Desk AI channels are Two-Way SMS and WhatsApp only. source
AI replies to texts (SMS) IncludedReplies to texts and books. Paid add-on / higher planFront Desk AI add-on replies by Two-Way SMS (optional, included on Elite). source
AI replies to emails IncludedAnswers client emails and can book. Not listed on their siteFront Desk AI channels are Two-Way SMS and WhatsApp only. source
AI answers the phone IncludedAnswers in a natural voice, knows returning callers, books during the call. Not listed on their siteNo AI call answering found; Front Desk AI lists only Two-Way SMS and WhatsApp channels. source
Books, moves and cancels inside the conversation IncludedBooks, moves, cancels, adds or swaps treatments in the real diary. Paid add-on / higher planFront Desk AI add-on books, reschedules and cancels against live availability; existing clients only. source
Sends deposit and payment links in the conversation IncludedSends deposit, balance or payment links; the amount comes from the system. Paid add-on / higher planFront Desk AI add-on can collect deposits and send payment links when enabled. source
Understands voice notes IncludedUnderstands WhatsApp and Instagram voice notes. Not listed on their siteWhatsApp help says images and voice notes can't currently be sent or received. source
Owner assistant
Ask anything about your business IncludedAsk by chat or voice: takings, gaps, no-shows, top clients, stock. 50+ instant answers. Not listed on their siteInsights AI (plain-language data questions) shown as 'coming later this year', not yet live. source
Tell her to do it (move, cancel, message, block time) Included"Move Sarah to 3pm", "block Friday", "text her": hundreds of actions, by role. Not listed on their siteNo owner AI that acts in the system found on AI features page. source
Growth ideas from your own numbers IncludedOffer and campaign ideas from your margins, quiet days and lapsed clients. Paid add-on / higher planCheat Sheet AI add-on suggests per-client upsell opportunities before appointments. source
Reports and daily brief IncludedReports, spoken day and client briefs, optional daily and weekly digests. IncludedFinancial and KPI dashboards, scheduled report emails and alerts; Insights AI shown as upcoming. source
Running the clinic
Online booking IncludedOn your Smart Site, or straight from the conversation. Included24/7 online booking with deposits on all plans, including website, Facebook and Instagram booking. source
Diary and staff calendar IncludedYour real diary: rooms, practitioners, treatment times, rota. IncludedAppointment calendar and staff scheduling on all plans. source
Deposits and no-show protection IncludedDeposits at booking, chased automatically; saved-card charges; trusted-client exemptions. IncludedBooking deposits, stored cards and no-show charging on all plans via PhorestPay. source
Fills cancelled slots automatically IncludedA freed slot is offered to waitlisted clients and booked when one says yes. PartialWaitlist on all plans, managed by staff; no automatic slot-filling found. source
Appointment reminders IncludedWhatsApp, SMS or email reminders, plus confirmations and change notices. IncludedAutomated SMS and email confirmations and reminders on all plans; SMS charged per message. source
Rebooks clients who went quiet IncludedSpots who's due back and reaches out in your voice. IncludedClient ReConnect and rebooking prompts for overdue clients on aesthetics plans. source
Aftercare and check-in messages IncludedAftercare, day-3 and day-7 check-ins, progress-photo requests. IncludedAutomated pre-care and aftercare instructions per service, plus automated appointment follow-ups. source
Consent and medical forms IncludedSent before the visit, signed in the client's members area. IncludedDigital consent and consultation forms on all aesthetics plans; salon Starter plan excludes them. source
AI-written treatment notes IncludedDictate or type; Athena tidies the treatment note. Paid add-on / higher planCheat Sheet AI add-on summarises client notes and history before each appointment; doesn't write notes. source
Stock IncludedLevels, orders, suppliers, usage forecast, margin per treatment. IncludedStock takes, product deduction and supplier orders on all plans. source
Drafts reorders; reads serial numbers from a photo IncludedDrafts reorders of what's low for your approval; reads serials from a label photo. IncludedOne-click reorder up to set maximum, supplier order forms auto-generated; not AI, barcode stocktake only. source
Payments IncludedStripe and Square: payment links, deposits, saved cards, refunds. IncludedPhorestPay card processing, terminals, payment links and buy-now-pay-later. source
Marketing and content
Email / SMS / WhatsApp campaigns IncludedEmail, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns and sequences. IncludedSMS and email campaign tools, templates, segmentation and automated campaigns on all plans. source
AI builds the campaign (audience and messages) IncludedAthena picks the audience and offer and writes the drafts; you approve. Paid add-on / higher planAds Manager (Elite or add-on) uses AI for Meta audiences and ad copy; email/SMS campaigns manual. source
Revenue from each campaign IncludedBookings and revenue from each campaign. IncludedEmail/SMS campaign analytics show bookings and direct/indirect revenue; Ads Manager reports ad revenue. source
AI images and flyers in your brand IncludedTreatment images and promo flyers, with your real logo and colours. Not listed on their siteAds Manager AI generates ad copy; no AI image generation found. source
Before-and-after assistant IncludedAuto-aligns, checks and brands side-by-sides; won't send without consent. Paid add-on / higher planConsultation forms paid add-on builds downloadable side-by-side before/after comparisons; alignment/branding not stated. source
Content research (trends, viral videos, search questions) IncludedViral aesthetics videos and competitor ads analysed; the questions people search. Not listed on their siteNo content research tools found on AI features page. source
Content planner IncludedPlans the week and reminds you on the day; you post. Not listed on their siteNo social content planner found; Ads Manager covers paid Meta ads only. source
Writes posts and captions IncludedPost ideas, captions and shot-by-shot storyboards. PartialAds Manager can AI-generate ad copy (Elite or add-on); no organic post or caption creator found. source
Writes your blog and newsletter IncludedWrites and publishes SEO blog posts and a newsletter. Not listed on their siteNo AI blog or newsletter writer found on AI features page. source
Voiceovers in your own voice IncludedVoice Studio: scripts and voiceovers, even WhatsApp voice notes, in your voice. Not listed on their siteNo voice cloning found on AI features page. source
Review requests IncludedAsks for a Google review after the visit. IncludedAutomated post-appointment review requests via Online Reputation Manager on aesthetics plans. source
AI-drafted review replies IncludedDrafts on-brand replies for you to post; turns good reviews into images. Not listed on their siteOnline Reputation lets staff reply to reviews from one dashboard; no AI replies found. source
Smart Site
Clinic website IncludedThe Smart Site: your clinic's website, built for you. Not listed on their siteBooking widget embeds in your own site and online store offered; no website builder found. source
A page per treatment, with prices and booking IncludedEvery treatment gets its own page with prices, aftercare and booking. Not listed on their siteNo website builder; booking widget added to your own site. source
Courses and upgrades offered at booking IncludedRecommends a multi-session course at the booking step, with the per-session price. IncludedClients can add extra services and products at time of booking on all plans. source
AI on the website (chat or voice) IncludedVisitors chat or talk to Athena; she answers and sends them to book. Not listed on their siteNo AI website chat found; Front Desk AI covers SMS and WhatsApp only. source
Built to be found by ChatGPT and AI search IncludedStructured pages, llms.txt and IndexNow so ChatGPT and Google can read and quote you. Not listed on their sitePhorest blog says it doesn't 'do GEO with one button'; no schema or AI-search site features found. source
Ads and tracking
Traces bookings to the ad that made them IncludedWhich source and which Meta ad brought each lead, booking and pound. Paid add-on / higher planAds Manager (Elite or add-on) reports bookings, revenue and ROI from Meta ads. source
Server-side tracking IncludedFirst-party, server-side tracking through your own site address. Not listed on their siteNo server-side tracking found on Ads Manager page. source
Sends bookings and revenue back to ad platforms IncludedBookings and payments, with value, sent to Meta, Google, TikTok, ChatGPT and Microsoft. Not listed on their siteAds Manager tracks bookings and revenue inside Phorest; sending conversions to Meta server-side not stated. source
Syncs client lists as ad audiences IncludedClient and lead lists kept in sync as ad audiences; opt-outs left out. Paid add-on / higher planAds Manager (Elite or add-on) targets regular clients from Phorest database on Facebook and Instagram. source
AI ad advisor (what to back, pause, make next) IncludedTells you which ads to back or pause and briefs the next one. PartialAds Manager AI writes ad copy and builds audiences; no AI recommendations on running or pausing ads found. source
Also compared
Consumer marketplace for new clients Not offeredNot a marketplace: Athena works your own channels and clients. Not listed on their siteNo Phorest consumer marketplace found; Reserve with Google and branded client app instead. source
Treatment records and photos IncludedClient history, notes, photos and serial numbers on every appointment. IncludedAesthetics plans include charting, treatment plans, face mapping and before/after photos; optional on salon plans. source
Two-way WhatsApp inbox IncludedOne inbox per client across every channel; staff can take over any time. Paid add-on / higher planTwo-way WhatsApp in Phorest Chat via WhatsApp Business; listed as add-on, obtained through Success Manager. source
Instagram DMs in the inbox IncludedInstagram DMs in the same inbox. PartialInstagram 'Book Now' button only; Front Desk AI channels are SMS and WhatsApp, not Instagram DMs. source

✓ Included  ·  £ Paid add-on or higher plan  ·  ◐ Partial  ·  — Not listed on their official site (it may exist; we couldn't find it). Competitors checked 3 November 2026 against each vendor's own website and help centre, with a source on every cell of the one-to-one pages. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@myathenaai.com and we'll correct it.

Fresha, Phorest, Pabau, Cliniko, Timely, Ovatu, Boulevard, Vagaro, Mindbody and Square are trademarks of their respective owners; their names and logos are shown only to identify their products. myAthenaAI isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them.

myAthenaAI notes: answering clients on every channel and the phone is on the Assistant + Reception plan. Tracking and analytics (server-side tracking, conversion feedback, audience sync, per-ad attribution and the AI ad advisor) are included. Automations are switched on per clinic.

Where myAthenaAI goes further

What myAthenaAI does that we couldn't find on Phorest's own site:

Where Phorest may be the better fit

Switching from Phorest

When you apply, we ask which system you book clients in with today so we know what we'd move your clients and diary over from. Every clinic is installed by hand, and Athena is trained on your treatments, prices, policies and tone before she answers anyone. Before you move, read what to check before switching booking software.

Other comparisons