RetentionTek vs Retention IQ
RetentionTek and Retention IQ both sit on top of the booking system you already use. Neither asks you to replace it. The main difference is the model. RetentionTek is self serve software at a flat $249 per month, where you import your visits, review who is overdue and approve every message yourself. Retention IQ describes itself as a managed service that charges for each client return it can verify. Retention IQ facts below come from its public site, checked on 23 October 2026, and may change. Check their pages before you decide.
Two ways to pay for retention
RetentionTek has one plan. Core is $249 per month or $2,490 per year. You start with a 14 day free trial. Card required. Cancel anytime in the first 14 days and you won't be charged. After the trial, $249/mo. The price does not change with how many clients come back.
Retention IQ publishes a performance model. Its pricing page says it charges "$75 per attributed client return, invoiced after the visit is verified as completed", with "no setup fee, no monthly base, no contract" during a 90 day trial, then an annual agreement with a monthly cap. Salons are priced differently. Its salon page lists 10 percent of net recovered revenue with monthly caps of $149 for 1 chair, $349 for 2 to 5 chairs and $699 for 6 to 15 chairs, or a flat option of $79, $149 or $299 per month by chair count.
Which is cheaper depends on your numbers. A flat fee is easier to budget. A per return fee costs nothing in a quiet month and more in a busy one, up to the cap.
Side by side
| RetentionTek | Retention IQ, per its public site | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Self serve software | Managed service, the full managed service on your own client base |
| Price | $249/mo or $2,490/yr, flat | $75 per verified completed return. Salons, 10% of net recovered revenue capped by chair count, or flat $79 to $299/mo |
| Trial | 14 days, card required | 90 days, no contract |
| Getting started | Start the trial yourself | Book a walkthrough or demo |
| Data in | CSV or XLSX upload | A weekly CSV export, or a direct integration where available |
| Replaces booking system | No | No, sits on top of any platform |
| Messages | Drafts you review before anything goes out | Outreach runs inside a configured campaign workflow you approve |
| SMS | Not active | Site lists A2P 10DLC SMS |
| Verticals named | Salons, med spas, barbers, spas, studios | Dental, med spas, salons, massage, home services and more |
How each one works day to day
With RetentionTek, you export completed visits from your booking system or POS and upload the file. Files can be up to 2 MiB, 5,000 rows and 80 columns. RetentionTek learns a return window per service, lists who is overdue, and orders a review queue by recency, frequency and value. You get a 0 to 100 Retention Score built from completed visits, 40 percent first to second visit conversion, 60 percent established return adherence. When you want to reach out, ask Reti for a draft and edit it before it goes anywhere. Nothing sends itself.
With Retention IQ, its salon page describes connecting through a weekly CSV export or a direct integration, then reviewing clients who are moving away from their expected cadence and approving the next action inside a campaign workflow. Its pricing page describes the trial as the full managed service on your own client base, and fees are tied to returns it verifies in your booking system.
When Retention IQ may fit better
- You want a team to run outreach for you rather than doing it yourself.
- You prefer to pay only when a return is verified.
- You need SMS outreach today, which RetentionTek does not offer.
- You run a dental practice or a home service business, which Retention IQ lists and RetentionTek does not focus on.
When RetentionTek may fit better
- You want a fixed monthly cost that does not grow with your results.
- You want to start today on your own, without a sales call.
- You want to see and approve every word that goes to a client.
- You want a score you can explain, with the clients behind each number visible.
Honest limits of RetentionTek
- RetentionTek is not an EMR and does not store medical records.
- There is no direct connection to booking platforms. You work from a file export.
- SMS is not active. Automatic campaigns are not available.
- The Retention Score is withheld until enough of your customers have a completed return period, below 30 mature customers per component.
- RetentionTek does not book appointments or take payments.
FAQ
What is the difference between RetentionTek and Retention IQ?
RetentionTek is self serve retention software at $249 per month. Retention IQ describes itself as a managed service that charges per verified client return. Both work alongside your booking system.
How is Retention IQ priced?
Per its pricing page on 23 October 2026, $75 per verified completed return after a 90 day no contract trial. Salons pay 10 percent of net recovered revenue capped at $149, $349 or $699 per month by chair count, or a flat $79, $149 or $299.
How is RetentionTek priced?
$249 per month or $2,490 per year, with a 14 day free trial. Card required, and you won't be charged if you cancel in the first 14 days.
Does either one replace my booking system?
No. RetentionTek works from a CSV or XLSX export. Retention IQ says it sits on top of your booking platform through a CSV export or a direct integration where available.
Does RetentionTek send messages for me?
No. Reti drafts a message and you review it before anything goes out. SMS is not active and automatic campaigns are not available.