7 Best Fresha Alternatives in 2027: Where Fresha Falls Short and What to Use Instead

Fresha grew by being free. In 2025 it ended its free plan. Now a team of four pays $59.80 a month, texts cost extra after the first 100, a website is a $15.95 add-on, and Fresha still takes 20% of every new client its marketplace sends you. Reviewers say it sometimes charges that fee on clients they found themselves.

Most of what you pay for, such as payroll, commissions, timesheets and a marketplace that lists you next to your competitors, isn't what a small salon needs. If you are looking for apps like Fresha that cover booking without the extra costs, this guide is for you. Below we lay out where Fresha falls short, with sources, then compare seven alternatives: RazorBooking, Vagaro, Booksy, Square Appointments, GlossGenius, Setmore and Acuity Scheduling. Further down, we compare Fresha pricing plan by plan.

We make RazorBooking, so we list it first, with the same pros and cons as every other tool. Every fact about the other tools comes from the vendor's own pages, checked in October 2026.

The short list

• Best Fresha alternative for salons and beauty businesses that just need booking: RazorBooking

• Best all-in-one with a marketplace: Vagaro

• Best for marketplace bookings and free text reminders: Booksy

• Best free Fresha alternative for a larger team: Square Appointments

• Best full beauty suite with no new-client fees: GlossGenius

• Best free plan for a small team: Setmore

• Best for detailed intake forms: Acuity Scheduling

Why people leave Fresha: 6 problems users keep reporting

These are the limits and complaints that come up again and again, on Fresha's own pricing page, in Capterra and Software Advice reviews and on Reddit.

1. The free plan is gone, and you pay per team member

Fresha ended its free plan in 2025. One Software Advice reviewer described getting "a full ONE months notice" before subscriptions started. Independent is now $19.95 a month for one person, and Team is $14.95 for every bookable team member. A Capterra reviewer wrote in September 2025 that Fresha "no longer includes any basic plan available for sole traders," and another, in April 2026, called the new pricing "far to expensive and unfair on very small businesses." Stylists on Reddit's r/hairstylist and r/BehindTheChair say the same.

2. The 20% new-client fee, sometimes on your own clients

Fresha takes a one-time 20% of a new client's first booking, with a $6 minimum, when that client finds you on its marketplace. Fresha says bookings from your own website, Instagram and Facebook are free, but reviewers report being charged anyway. "I'm being charged for customers who scan my in-store QR code to book," one wrote in October 2025. Another was charged a "New Client Marketplace Fee" for a returning client. Others explain that when a regular forgets their password and makes a new Fresha account, they count as a new marketplace client.

3. Texts, the website and AI all cost extra

Each team member gets 100 free texts a month. After that, texts are 2¢ each, WhatsApp messages 4¢ to 11¢, and marketing texts 8¢. A Smart Website is $15.95 a month, Insights reporting is $9.95 per team member, and the AI Concierge is $99.95 per location. "The fees got out of control for me though and I never knew what I was going to be paying out per month," a Software Advice reviewer wrote.

4. Your clients book on Fresha, not with you

Clients have to create or log in to a Fresha account to book, and booking pages look much the same from one business to the next. Fresha's marketplace also lists you next to other salons nearby. Stylists on r/hairstylist warn that if you leave, your Fresha reviews stay behind. And on r/mildlyinfuriating, clients complain about having to enter card details just to book a haircut.

5. Phone support only on Team

On the Independent plan, support is by email, with a typical reply time of 2 days, and chat. Phone support is listed for Team only. "Customer service is HORRIBLE. NO PHONE to call anyone," one Capterra reviewer wrote, and another said in March 2026 that a reply "is slow or doesn't happen at all."

6. Bugs and fake bookings

A Capterra reviewer wrote in April 2026 that Fresha "can have some bugs or issues in its booking system at times, including error messages or blank screens." Salon owners in Facebook groups have also warned about waves of fake, bot-made bookings filling their calendars.

When Fresha is still the right tool

If its marketplace sends you a steady stream of new clients and you are happy to pay 20% once for each, Fresha can earn its cost. It also includes free card terminals on Team, subject to processing volume, and scores 4.8 on Capterra from 1,448 reviews. If that is you, staying can make sense. The alternatives below are for salons that bring their own clients and want to stop paying for the rest.

Fresha alternatives compared: two quick tables

Best Fresha alternative by use case

Feature-by-feature comparison

"Not stated" means the vendor's pricing page does not mention it, not that the feature is missing. Plans and prices change, so confirm on each site.

The 7 best Fresha alternatives, reviewed

1. RazorBooking: best for salons and beauty businesses that just need booking, without per-member or new-client fees

RazorBooking is a booking and appointment platform for businesses that sell services. It doesn't try to be a marketplace or a full salon suite. It covers what a salon, barber, nail technician or lash artist uses every day: a booking website, deposits, no-show fees, intake forms and reminders. You pay one plan price for your team, and nothing on new clients.

Key features

1. Built-in booking website. Included in the plan, with your own domain on Pro and Growth. On Fresha, a website is a $15.95 a month add-on.

2. Your clients book with you. Clients book on your page, under your brand, not on a marketplace next to other salons.

3. No fee on new clients. Every client you win is yours, with no 20% commission.

4. One price for the team. 3 team members on Solo, 5 on Pro and 10 on Growth, not charged per person.

5. Deposits, no-show and cancellation fees, intake forms and coupons from Solo.

6. WhatsApp, SMS and email reminders. Clients get confirmations and reminders in the app they already read.

7. No RazorBooking card fee. Connect your own Stripe or PayPal account. AI answering is optional, from $25 a month billed yearly for Solo with AI, with 50 AI minutes included.

Pros

• One plan price for 3, 5 or 10 team members, not per person

• No fee on new clients, and your own booking website

• Deposits, no-show fees and intake forms on the first plan

• No RazorBooking card fee

Cons

• A 7-day free trial instead of a free plan, with no credit card needed

• No Apple or iCloud Calendar sync; Google and Outlook calendars sync both ways

Pricing

Solo is $15 per month on yearly billing ($19 monthly) and includes 3 team members, a booking website, deposits, no-show fees, intake forms, coupons and WhatsApp reminders. Pro is $29 per month on yearly billing ($39 monthly), includes 5 team members and adds your own domain, customer login, tips and reports. Growth is $49 per month on yearly billing ($59 monthly), includes 10 team members and adds roles and permissions, webhooks and custom CSS. Extra team members are $9 a month billed yearly ($10 monthly). Every plan works without AI. If you want AI answering, turn it on for any plan: Solo with AI is $25 a month billed yearly ($29 monthly), Pro with AI is $49 ($59) and Growth with AI is $79 ($99), with 50, 150 or 300 AI minutes a month. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, no credit card needed.

RazorBooking vs Fresha

A salon of four on Fresha needs the Team plan at $14.95 per team member. On RazorBooking, the same salon uses Solo with 1 extra team member, with a booking website included.

You save $30.80 to $35.80 every month, or $369.60 to $429.60 a year.

$24 is RazorBooking Solo with 1 extra team member on yearly billing and $29 on monthly billing. Fresha is billed monthly. Card fees come on top for both: Fresha's rates if you use Fresha payments, or your own Stripe or PayPal rate on RazorBooking.

When to choose RazorBooking

Choose RazorBooking if your clients already know you, and you want a booking website, deposits, no-show fees and reminders for one price, without paying per team member, per text or 20% on new clients. Stay with Fresha if its marketplace sends you most of your new clients.

Start your 7-day free trial. Get your own booking website live today at razorbooking.com. No credit card needed.

2. Vagaro: best all-in-one with a marketplace

Vagaro is the closest like-for-like swap for Fresha: a full salon platform with its own consumer marketplace. It is priced per location, with a small fee for each extra calendar, instead of a full price per team member.

Key features

1. Payments built in. Every plan includes payments, and a free card reader comes with Vagaro Merchant Services.

2. Marketplace listing. A free listing on the Vagaro marketplace.

3. Reminders. Unlimited notifications and appointment reminders.

4. Vera AI. An AI assistant for marketing and client messages.

Pros

• Marketplace exposure, like Fresha

• Unlimited reminders

• Free card reader with its payments

Cons

• No free plan, only a 30-day trial

• The $23.99 price is an introductory rate for 6 months, then $30

• Extra bookable calendars are $10 each, up to seven

Pricing

One location is $23.99 per month for the first 6 months, then $30. Extra bookable calendars are $10 each, up to seven. There is a 30-day free trial.

When to choose Vagaro

Choose Vagaro if you want a full suite and a marketplace, like Fresha, at a lower price for a small team.

3. Booksy: best for marketplace bookings and free text reminders

Booksy is a booking app popular with barbers and stylists. Like Fresha it has a marketplace, but text reminders are free.

Key features

1. Free SMS reminders. Appointment confirmations and reminders cost nothing, plus 2,000 marketing texts a month.

2. No-show protection. Included in the plan.

3. Marketplace and Boost. A free listing, and an optional Boost that charges 30% of a new client's first visit, up to $100.

4. Payments. 2.69% + 30¢ for mobile and keyed payments.

Pros

• Free text reminders

• Marketplace listing, with no new-client fee unless you turn Boost on

• No-show protection included

Cons

• No free plan, only a 14-day trial

• Each extra user is $20 a month, so a team of 4 pays $89.99

• Boost takes 30% of a new client's first visit

Pricing

$29.99 per month, plus $20 per month for each additional user. There is a 14-day free trial.

When to choose Booksy

Choose Booksy if you work alone or with one other person and want marketplace clients with free text reminders.

4. Square Appointments: best free Fresha alternative for a larger team

Square Appointments is the booking tool from Square, the payments company. Its free plan includes unlimited staff calendars, which makes it the most common free Fresha alternative.

Key features

1. Free plan. An online booking site, reminders and unlimited staff calendars.

2. Payments built in. Bookings and Square payments in one account.

3. Plus plan. Adds no-show fees, a cancellation policy, multi-staff booking and a waitlist.

Pros

• Free plan with unlimited staff calendars

• No per-member subscription

• Reminders on every plan

Cons

• No-show fees start on Plus, at $49 per month per location

• Sellers report Plus went from $29 to $49 in February 2026

• Online payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ on the free plan

Pricing

Free is $0. Plus is $49 and Premium is $149 per month per location. See our Square Appointments alternatives guide for more.

When to choose Square Appointments

Choose Square Appointments if you want a free plan for a larger team and can live without no-show fees, or already use Square.

5. GlossGenius: best full beauty suite with no new-client fees

GlossGenius is a full beauty business suite. Unlike Fresha it has no marketplace, so there are no new-client fees, and card payments cost a flat 2.6%.

Key features

1. Custom booking website. Included on every plan.

2. Booking policies. Deposit, cancellation and no-show policies.

3. Flat 2.6% card rate. No extra fees for card on file or manual entry.

4. Reception. An AI add-on that answers calls and texts, at $50 a month.

Pros

• No new-client fees

• Booking website included

• One flat card rate

Cons

• No free plan, only a 14-day trial

• Forms, waitlist and Google booking start on Gold, at $48 to $56 a month

• Payments run through GlossGenius, and some users report held payouts

Pricing

Standard is $24 per month on yearly billing ($28 monthly), Gold is $48 ($56) for up to 9 staff, and Platinum is $148 ($168). See our GlossGenius alternatives guide for more.

When to choose GlossGenius

Choose GlossGenius if you want a full beauty suite without a marketplace or new-client fees, and you will use its extra tools.

6. Setmore: best free plan for a small team

Setmore is a simple booking tool with a free plan for up to 4 users and unlimited appointments, so it covers what many small salons used Fresha's old free plan for.

Key features

1. Unlimited appointments. On every plan.

2. Payments on Free. Square, Stripe and PayPal payments, even on the free plan.

3. Pro features. Deposits, SMS reminders with 500 credits a month, two-way calendar sync and branding removal.

Pros

• Free for up to 4 users

• No new-client fees stated

• Low per-user price on Pro

Cons

• The free plan has no deposits or SMS reminders

• Each staff calendar counts as a user on Pro

• Not built specifically for beauty

Pricing

Free is $0 for up to 4 users. Pro is $5 per user per month on annual billing. See our Setmore alternatives guide for more.

When to choose Setmore

Choose Setmore if you want a free plan for a small team and can wait for deposits until you upgrade.

7. Acuity Scheduling: best for detailed intake forms

Acuity Scheduling is a long-running appointment tool owned by Squarespace. It suits beauty and wellness pros who collect detailed client information before each visit.

Key features

1. Intake forms. Collect custom client information before the appointment.

2. Payments and deposits. Take payment at booking with Stripe, Square, PayPal or Venmo.

3. Calendar sync. Connects with Google, Outlook, Apple and iCloud calendars.

Pros

• Custom intake forms

• A choice of four payment processors

• No marketplace or new-client fees stated

Cons

• No free plan, only a 7-day trial

• The Starter plan has no text reminders and covers one calendar

• "Powered by Acuity" removed on Premium only

Pricing

Starter is $16 per month on yearly billing ($20 monthly), Standard is $27 ($34) for up to 6 calendars and Premium is $49 ($61). See our Acuity Scheduling alternatives guide for more.

When to choose Acuity Scheduling

Choose Acuity if detailed intake forms matter most.

Fresha pricing in 2027, compared with RazorBooking

Fresha has two public plans, billed monthly, plus a marketplace fee, per-message charges and paid add-ons. There is no free plan, only a 7-day trial. Here is what you pay, next to RazorBooking.

What a real salon pays

• Solo stylist: Fresha Independent, $19.95 per month. RazorBooking Solo, $15 on yearly billing or $19 monthly. Close on price, but the website is included on RazorBooking.

• Salon of 4: Fresha Team, $59.80. RazorBooking Solo with 1 extra team member, $24.

• Salon of 6: Fresha Team, $89.70. RazorBooking Pro with 1 extra team member, $38.

• Adding a website on Fresha: $15.95 more each month. It is included on RazorBooking.

• Five new marketplace clients at $60 each: $60 in Fresha fees that month. RazorBooking has no marketplace, and no fee.

Fresha prices are from its pricing page in October 2026, in US dollars, before local sales tax. Card processing fees are not included above.

Which Fresha alternative should you pick?

• Your clients already know you, and you just need booking? RazorBooking gives you a booking website, deposits, no-show fees, intake forms and WhatsApp reminders for a team of 4 from $24 a month, with no fee on new clients.

• Want a marketplace and a full suite, like Fresha? Vagaro.

• Want marketplace clients and free text reminders? Booksy.

• Need a free plan for a larger team? Square Appointments.

• Want a full beauty suite with no new-client fees? GlossGenius.

• Need a free plan for a small team? Setmore.

• Need detailed intake forms? Acuity Scheduling.

• Does the Fresha marketplace bring you most of your new clients? Fresha can still be the right fit.

Try RazorBooking free for 7 days. Get your own booking website live today at razorbooking.com. No credit card needed.

How we compared these tools

We reviewed each vendor's public pricing and product pages in October 2026, and read Fresha reviews on Capterra and Software Advice and Reddit threads from Fresha users to find the complaints that come up most often. We picked the alternatives that appear most often on the top-ranking Fresha alternatives pages. We compared them on price for a team of four, free plan, new-client fees, deposits and no-show fees, reminders, booking websites and AI. We did not run hands-on tests of the other tools. When a vendor's page did not mention a feature, we marked it as not stated instead of assuming it is missing.

We make RazorBooking, so we have a stake in the result. Plans and prices change, so check each vendor's site before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best Fresha alternatives?

It depends on what you need. RazorBooking is the best fit for salons that bring their own clients and want booking without per-member or new-client fees. Vagaro and Booksy suit salons that want a marketplace, and Square Appointments and Setmore have free plans.

How much does Fresha cost?

Independent is $19.95 per month and Team is $14.95 per bookable team member per month, before sales tax. Texts beyond the free allowance, a website, reporting and AI cost extra, and new marketplace clients carry a 20% fee.

Is there a free alternative to Fresha?

Yes. Square Appointments has a free plan with unlimited staff calendars, and Setmore is free for up to 4 users. Neither includes no-show fees on its free plan.

Is Fresha or Booksy better?

Both have marketplaces. Booksy includes free text reminders and charges a new-client fee only if you turn Boost on, but costs $29.99 plus $20 per extra user. Fresha is $14.95 per team member and takes 20% of every new marketplace client.

Is Fresha or Vagaro better?

Both are full salon platforms with marketplaces. Vagaro starts at $23.99 a month for the first 6 months, with extra calendars at $10 each, and includes unlimited reminders. Fresha charges per team member and per text after its free allowance.

Is Fresha or GlossGenius better for solo stylists?

Fresha Independent is $19.95 a month and brings marketplace clients, for a 20% fee. GlossGenius Standard is $24 a month on yearly billing, includes a booking website and has no new-client fees.

Sources

• Fresha pricing

• Fresha reviews on Capterra

• Fresha reviews on Software Advice

• Reddit threads: r/hairstylist (now $20 a month), r/BehindTheChair, r/smallbusiness (new charges), r/ask (QR code fee), r/mildlyinfuriating

• YouCanBookMe: Fresha alternatives

• Vagaro pricing

• Booksy pricing

• Square Appointments pricing

• GlossGenius pricing

• Setmore pricing

• Acuity Scheduling pricing