Is Fresha really free?

Fresha's core booking software has no subscription fee; it earns money through payment processing and fees on new clients booked via its marketplace.

What are Fresha's marketplace fees?

Fresha charges a fee on new clients who find you through its marketplace, which is why some owners prefer flat-subscription tools like Booksy, Vagaro, or Square Appointments.

Which alternative lets me use my own payment processor?

Acuity, SimplyBook.me, and Setmore let you connect Stripe, Square, or PayPal, unlike Fresha's tightly integrated payments.

What is the best Fresha alternative for a single stylist?

GlossGenius and Setmore suit solo pros: GlossGenius for a premium all-in-one app, Setmore for a free, no-frills scheduler.

Do these alternatives have a client-discovery marketplace?

Booksy and Vagaro have their own consumer marketplaces; most general schedulers such as Acuity, Setmore, and SimplyBook.me do not.

Fresha Alternatives (2026): 8 Additional Options for Salon and Spa Booking

Fresha is a popular salon and spa platform with subscription-free booking software, low payment-processing rates, and a consumer marketplace that sends new clients to your business. It is compelling for salons that want an all-in-one system without a monthly fee.

People look for alternatives when they dislike the marketplace new-client fees, want to avoid being locked into Fresha's payment processing, prefer predictable subscription pricing, or need a different mix of POS, CRM, or general scheduling. Here are eight options.

TL;DR

Fresha's booking is subscription-free but monetizes through payments and marketplace new-client fees.
Booksy and Vagaro are the closest salon-marketplace rivals.
Square Appointments offers strong POS with flat, predictable payment pricing.
Acuity, SimplyBook.me, and Setmore cover general booking without marketplace fees.

Why look for a Fresha alternative?

Marketplace fees on new clients can be significant during growth.
Fresha steers you toward its own payment processing with limited flexibility.
You want predictable subscription pricing rather than transaction-based economics.
You need features or industries Fresha's salon focus does not cover well.
You would rather not list in a shared marketplace at all.

Fresha alternatives at a glance

Tool	Starting price	Rating	Best for
Booksy	$20/mo	★ 4.4	Barbershops and stylists who want predictable pricing and marketplace exposure.
Square Appointments	$49/mo	★ 4.5	Salons that value strong POS and clear payment pricing over marketplace reach.
Acuity Scheduling	$16/mo	★ 4.8	Service businesses wanting predictable pricing and processor choice.
SimplyBook.me	$12/mo	★ 4.6	Multi-service businesses wanting deep features and no marketplace fees.
Setmore	$5/mo	★ 4.6	Solos and small teams wanting free, straightforward booking.
vCita	$35/mo	★ 4.4	Owners who want to keep and market to their own client list.
Vagaro	From $30/mo for one calendar; about $10/mo per additional staff calendar.	—	Salons and spas wanting a complete platform plus a marketplace.
GlossGenius	Standard from $24/mo (billed annually), plus 2.6% per card transaction.	—	Solo stylists and estheticians who prioritize a premium app experience.

1. Booksy

Best for barbershops with marketplace discovery

★ 4.4· Capterra$20/mo

What it does better than Fresha

Booksy offers a flat per-staff subscription and a strong consumer marketplace especially popular with barbers and stylists. Its mobile-first app and rebooking prompts drive repeat visits. Pricing is predictable per chair rather than transaction-based.

Where Fresha still wins

Booksy's per-staff fees can exceed Fresha's subscription-free model for small teams, and its payment rates are not as low.

Best for: Barbershops and stylists who want predictable pricing and marketplace exposure.

Visit Booksy Full review

2. Square Appointments

Best for POS and predictable payment pricing

★ 4.5· Capterra$49/mo

What it does better than Fresha

Square Appointments pairs free scheduling with Square's excellent POS, hardware, and flat, transparent payment rates. There is no marketplace fee siphoning new clients. In-person and product sales are seamless.

Where Fresha still wins

Square lacks Fresha's client-discovery marketplace and salon-specific marketing tools.

Best for: Salons that value strong POS and clear payment pricing over marketplace reach.

Visit Square Appointments Full review

3. Acuity Scheduling

Best for general paid scheduling

★ 4.8· Capterra$16/mo

What it does better than Fresha

Acuity provides flat monthly pricing from $16/mo with packages, memberships, and intake forms, and it never charges marketplace fees. You choose your own payment processor (Stripe, Square, or PayPal). It is mature and dependable.

Where Fresha still wins

It has no beauty marketplace and fewer salon-specific features than Fresha.

Best for: Service businesses wanting predictable pricing and processor choice.

Visit Acuity Scheduling Full review

4. SimplyBook.me

Best for feature depth without a marketplace

★ 4.6· Capterra$12/mo

What it does better than Fresha

SimplyBook.me offers memberships, packages, deposits, and a client app from $12/mo, priced by booking volume, with no cut of new clients. It works across many industries beyond beauty. A free tier is available.

Where Fresha still wins

It will not bring you new clients the way Fresha's marketplace can, and setup is more involved.

Best for: Multi-service businesses wanting deep features and no marketplace fees.

Visit SimplyBook.me Full review

5. Setmore

Best free option

★ 4.6· Capterra$5/mo

What it does better than Fresha

Setmore's free-forever plan and $5/mo Pro tier give small shops capable booking with no marketplace economics. It handles reminders, calendar sync, and payments. It is simple to launch.

Where Fresha still wins

It lacks Fresha's marketplace reach and salon-specific retail and inventory tools.

Best for: Solos and small teams wanting free, straightforward booking.

Visit Setmore Full review

6. vCita

Best for owning client relationships

★ 4.4· Capterra$35/mo

What it does better than Fresha

vCita centralizes clients in a CRM with invoicing, payments, and marketing campaigns, so you build a direct relationship instead of sharing clients with a marketplace. It supports lead capture and client portals. Everything lives in one dashboard.

Where Fresha still wins

It is pricier from $35/mo, not beauty-specific, and will not drive marketplace discovery.

Best for: Owners who want to keep and market to their own client list.

Visit vCita Full review

7. Vagaro

Best all-in-one salon marketplace platform

From $30/mo for one calendar; about $10/mo per additional staff calendar.

What it does better than Fresha

Vagaro is a full salon, spa, and fitness platform with its own marketplace, POS, inventory, payroll, and marketing. It rivals Fresha on discovery while adding more back-office depth. It scales across multi-location businesses.

Where Fresha still wins

Vagaro charges a monthly per-calendar subscription (unlike Fresha's free core) and stacks add-on fees.

Best for: Salons and spas wanting a complete platform plus a marketplace.

8. GlossGenius

Best for design-forward solo pros

Standard from $24/mo (billed annually), plus 2.6% per card transaction.

What it does better than Fresha

GlossGenius gives independent beauty pros a polished app, simple flat 2.6% card processing, and built-in website and marketing tools. Its pricing is a clear monthly subscription rather than marketplace fees. Standard starts at $24/mo.

Where Fresha still wins

It is smaller and its marketplace is less established than Fresha's for pulling in new clients.

Best for: Solo stylists and estheticians who prioritize a premium app experience.

How to choose the right Fresha alternative

Choose Booksy if you are a barber or stylist who wants marketplace exposure with per-chair pricing.
Choose Square Appointments if you want strong POS and flat, predictable payment rates.
Choose Acuity Scheduling if you want to choose your own payment processor and avoid marketplace fees.
Choose SimplyBook.me if you need deep booking features across many services.
Choose Setmore if you want a free, simple scheduler.
Choose vCita if you want to own and market to your client list directly.
Choose Vagaro if you want an all-in-one platform with its own marketplace and back office.
Choose GlossGenius if you are a solo beauty pro who wants a polished, design-forward app.

How we evaluated

Feature mapping — we compare each alternative's capabilities against the tool it's replacing, job for job.
Real pricing — starting prices come from each vendor's public pricing page, labeled by tier.
User sentiment — ratings and review counts are aggregated from third-party platforms (Capterra, G2) and shown with their source.
Right-sizing — we weigh which team size, budget, and technical comfort each option actually fits.
Independence — we don't sell a competing product, and affiliate relationships never change our picks.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fresha really free?: Fresha's core booking software has no subscription fee; it earns money through payment processing and fees on new clients booked via its marketplace.
What are Fresha's marketplace fees?: Fresha charges a fee on new clients who find you through its marketplace, which is why some owners prefer flat-subscription tools like Booksy, Vagaro, or Square Appointments.
Which alternative lets me use my own payment processor?: Acuity, SimplyBook.me, and Setmore let you connect Stripe, Square, or PayPal, unlike Fresha's tightly integrated payments.
What is the best Fresha alternative for a single stylist?: GlossGenius and Setmore suit solo pros: GlossGenius for a premium all-in-one app, Setmore for a free, no-frills scheduler.
Do these alternatives have a client-discovery marketplace?: Booksy and Vagaro have their own consumer marketplaces; most general schedulers such as Acuity, Setmore, and SimplyBook.me do not.

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