Fresha review (2026)

Name: Fresha review (2026)
Item: Fresha
Rating: 8.7
Author: Salon Software Guide

The pay-as-you-go salon booking app

Fresha is free to run — you pay only when you take card payments or use its marketplace. It handles booking, payments, and marketing well, though reporting and support trail paid competitors.

Scored on our public 100-point rubric·Prices verified: July 3, 2026

Visit Fresha → Compare alternatives

8.7/10

Ranked #2 of 11

87/100 points on our public rubric

From

$0/mo

Card fees

2.29% + 20¢

Free trial

Free plan

Contract

None (month-to-month)

QUICK VERDICT

Fresha's biggest draw is cost: unlimited staff and a full booking suite for $0/mo, with fees only on card payments at 2.29% + 20¢. Booking and no-show tools are strong, but reporting is basic, support is inconsistent, and marketplace fees can catch you off guard.

Score breakdown

Booking & client experience

14/15

Pricing & transparency

15/15

Payments & true cost

13/15

Business management

12/15

Marketing & retention

9/10

Staff & scalability

9/10

Ease of use & onboarding

8/10

Support & reliability

4/5

Integrations & data export

3/5

Total 87/100

Pros & cons

WHAT WE LIKED

✓ Genuinely free to run: no monthly subscription and unlimited staff at $0, so your cost scales only with card payments at 2.29% + 20¢. ✓ Strong booking core with 24/7 online booking, automated SMS and email reminders, and deposits or no-show fees to protect the calendar. ✓ Built-in marketing: email/SMS campaigns (including birthday and rebooking prompts) plus a consumer marketplace that can surface you to new clients. ✓ Clean, intuitive interface that is quick to set up and easy to run for both solo pros and multi-staff teams.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER

− Reporting is lighter than paid rivals; deeper analytics and granular staff permissions sit behind a paid Insights add-on. − Marketplace and new-client fees are a recurring complaint — charges can hit bookings you consider already-yours if you don't import clients first. − Support is web-based and inconsistently rated, with users citing payout/verification delays and billing disputes that are slow to resolve.

What Fresha really costs

ITEM	PRICE	NOTES
Base plan	$0/mo	No monthly subscription — free to start
Per additional staff	$0	Unlimited team members included
Card processing	2.29% + 20¢	Per in-person or online transaction
Trial / contract	Free plan	No contract; month-to-month, cancel anytime
Marketplace listing	Optional	Directory exposure; new-client bookings carry a commission

Prices verified July 3, 2026. Estimate your true monthly cost →

How we scored Fresha

Every platform is graded on the same public 100-point rubric — booking & client experience, pricing transparency, payments & true cost, business management, marketing, staff & scalability, ease of use, support and integrations. Scores reflect verified pricing and documented features, not vendor marketing. See our full methodology →

Choose Fresha if…

· You're starting out or budget-conscious and want a full booking suite without a monthly bill. · You take most of your payments through the platform and are comfortable with per-transaction fees. · You want marketplace exposure to reach new clients alongside your own direct bookings.

Look elsewhere if…

· Want deeper reporting and operational management as you scale → Mangomint · Prefer a predictable flat subscription over payment-based pricing → Square Appointments · Also weighing marketplace-first booking apps for client discovery → Booksy