Phorest is the closest system to Clinic App on paper: an all-in-one platform with memberships, points loyalty, consent, charting and a Front Desk AI. For an Australian cosmetic clinic, Clinic App is likely the stronger fit for two reasons: it is one system built only for cosmetic and skin clinics, and it is built around the AHPRA and TGA advertising rules. Prescription treatments never earn points or appear in offers, campaigns are checked for medicine names before they send, and patient data is hosted in Sydney. Choose Phorest if you run a salon and a clinic side by side, or want its detailed charting.
Phorest does a lot of what we do, so I've kept this strict. Every fact about Phorest below comes from Phorest's own website, linked as the source, as read on 1 November 2026. Where its pages don't mention something, I say so. That means the pages didn't cover it, not that Phorest can't do it.
What does Phorest do well?
Phorest is a serious, complete system with a real Australian presence. Its Australian site describes it as "All-in-one software for premium salons & aesthetic clinics" and lists an Australian phone number, 1800 945 250.
- Bookings and payments. The AU pricing page lists scheduling and online bookings with deposits, a point-of-sale system and PhorestPay.
- Memberships. The AU homepage says "Phorest includes built-in membership software with recurring billing." On the AU pricing page, memberships sit in the top plans.
- Points loyalty. Its Treatcard loyalty programme lets clients collect points, according to the AU homepage.
- The clinical side. The AU pricing page lists digital consent forms, advanced charting, face-mapping and mark-up, and storing before and after pictures.
- AI. The AU homepage says "Front Desk AI supports client conversations 24/7".
- A branded app. Phorest's global pricing page lists a fully branded iOS and Android app under "Add to any plan", and in its Elevate Aesthetics package.
On charting in particular, Phorest's pages describe more than we claim: face-mapping and mark-up are listed, and Clinic App's side is treatment records and photos. If detailed face charts are central to your clinic, weigh that.
Who is each one built for?
Phorest is built for salons and aesthetic clinics. Clinic App is built only for cosmetic and skin clinics. That sounds like a small difference. It isn't, because a cosmetic clinic sells prescription treatments, and a salon doesn't.
Clinic App was built inside working Australian cosmetic clinics, front desk first. It runs the diary and online booking, deposits and cards on file, front desk checkout and payments, memberships with monthly billing, packages, gift vouchers, rewards and points, a prepaid wallet, referrals, review requests, reminders, the waitlist, consent forms and intake, treatment records and photos, rosters, stock, multi-location and reports. One system, one record per patient, one login and one bill.
Which one is built for AHPRA and TGA rules?
This is the main difference. The TGA's guidance on advertising prescription medicines to the public says indirect references such as nicknames count too, and AHPRA's guidelines for advertising a regulated health service and higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures rule out testimonials. Points, offers and campaigns are where those rules bite. Here is what Clinic App builds in:
- Points, rewards, discounts and offers never apply to Schedule 4 (prescription-only) treatments.
- Prescription medicine names are kept off public, patient-facing promotional surfaces.
- Marketing campaigns and automatic messages are checked for prescription medicine names, including disguised spellings, before they can be sent.
- Review requests never offer points or rewards for a review, skip staff, and are checked for prescription medicine names.
- Consent forms are signed digitally, with the exact wording each patient agreed to stored and versioned. Treatment records are amended or struck out, never deleted.
- Patient data is hosted in Sydney, Australia. Phorest's AU pricing page says it encrypts data and stores it securely in the cloud, but doesn't say where.
We found no statements about Australian advertising rules on the Phorest pages we read. We found nothing on Phorest's pages about checks for these rules, so ask Phorest how it handles them. No software makes a clinic compliant on its own, and the clinic stays responsible for its own advertising. Clinic App just makes the easy slips hard to make.
Phorest is built for salons and aesthetic clinics. Clinic App is built for one kind of business: the cosmetic clinic, and the rules it works under.
How do the AI front desks compare?
Both have one, as above. Clinic App's AI front desk answers patient messages on website chat and texts, and on Instagram and Messenger once Meta is connected. It never books or takes money, always says it is an AI, is told never to name prescription medicines or give medical advice, and hands clinical questions to your team. It runs in Australia, and we switch it on with each clinic.
How do Clinic App and Phorest compare side by side?
| Phorest | Clinic App | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | "Premium salons & aesthetic clinics" | Cosmetic and skin clinics only |
| Online booking with deposits | Yes | Yes |
| Point of sale | Yes, PhorestPay | Yes, desk checkout through Stripe |
| Memberships with recurring billing | Yes, in the top AU plans | Yes |
| Points loyalty | Yes, Treatcard | Yes |
| Consent forms | Digital consent forms | Signed digitally, wording stored and versioned |
| Charting | Advanced charting, face-mapping and mark-up | Treatment records and photos |
| AI front desk | Front Desk AI, 24/7 | Yes, never books or takes money, runs in Australia |
| Clinic-branded app | Add-on, or in the Elevate Aesthetics package | The clinic's own app in the App Store |
| Prescription treatments kept out of points and offers | Not described on Phorest's pages we read | Yes, automatically |
| Campaigns checked for prescription medicine names | Not described on Phorest's pages we read | Yes, before they send |
| Where data is hosted | Not stated on Phorest's pages we read | Sydney, Australia |
| Pricing | Every plan "Request a quote" | Priced to your clinic, quoted after the free audit |
The Phorest column comes from its AU homepage, AU pricing page and global pricing page, read on 1 November 2026. "Not described" means those pages don't cover it, not that Phorest can't do it.
How do the costs compare?
Neither publishes a price. Every plan on Phorest's AU pricing page says "Request a quote". When you ask, check which plan includes memberships and whether the branded app is an add-on. Clinic App is priced to your clinic, quoted after the free 45-minute Patient Revenue Audit: flat fees, with no setup fee, no per-seat fee and no lock-in.
Which should your clinic choose?
Phorest may suit you better if you run a salon and a clinic under one roof, if detailed face-mapping is central to your consults, or if you are already on Phorest and its memberships and Treatcard points are working well for you.
Clinic App is likely the better fit if you are a cosmetic or skin clinic offering prescription treatments, you want points, offers and campaigns that keep those treatments out by default, and you want patient data hosted in Sydney with set-up done in person.
What does switching from Phorest involve?
We do the move with the clinic, and Zoe onboards in person. Start with the free audit and bring your Phorest exports; we will go through exactly what moves, and how, before you commit to anything. Then we map how your clinic runs and set the system up to match before switch day. See how easy it is to switch clinic software and why I set up in person.
Frequently asked questions
Is Phorest good for aesthetic clinics?
Phorest describes itself as all-in-one software for premium salons and aesthetic clinics, and its AU pricing page lists digital consent forms, advanced charting, face-mapping and before and after pictures. It is a capable system. Clinic App differs by being built only for cosmetic and skin clinics, around the AHPRA and TGA advertising rules.
Does Phorest have a branded app?
Yes. Phorest's global pricing page lists a fully branded iOS and Android app under Add to any plan, and in its Elevate Aesthetics package. It is not shown as included in every plan.
Where does Phorest store its data?
Phorest's AU pricing page says it encrypts data and stores it securely in the cloud, but the pages we read on 1 November 2026 don't say where. Clinic App hosts patient data in Sydney, Australia. Ask any vendor where your patients' data sits before you sign.
Does Clinic App keep prescription treatments out of rewards?
Yes. In Clinic App, points, rewards, discounts and offers never apply to Schedule 4 (prescription-only) treatments, and campaigns and automatic messages are checked for prescription medicine names before they send. No software makes a clinic compliant: the clinic stays responsible for its own advertising.
How much do Phorest and Clinic App cost?
Neither publishes a price. Every plan on Phorest's AU pricing page says Request a quote. Clinic App is priced to your clinic, quoted after the free 45-minute Patient Revenue Audit, with flat fees, no setup fee, no per-seat fee and no lock-in.
