Fresha Alternatives

Vagaro

Free trial

9.1 /10

Vagaro is the transparent category-leading salon/spa management platform with cheapest base tier + comprehensive add-on ecosystem. Standard $23.99/month (single location) or $30/month (multiple locations) with 1 bookable calendar + customizable calendar + waitlist + resource management + free Vagaro Marketplace listing + automated notifications + online booking (Vagaro + Instagram + Facebook + Apple Maps) + booking widgets + advanced reporting + customer loyalty + 1,000 free email marketing messages/month + invoice creation + memberships/packages/gift certificates + 24/7 support. 14+ modular add-ons: Payments 2.2%+, Text $20/mo, Branded App $100/mo, Payroll $34+$5/employee, Data Lake $40, QuickBooks $10/mo, Xero $30/mo, and more.

• Cheapest transparent entry ($23.99/month) + comprehensive 14+ add-on ecosystem
• Free Vagaro Marketplace listing vs Fresha 20% commissions (dramatic LTV preservation)
• Branded App $100/month is category's cheapest branded mobile app

Full Review Visit Vagaro

Square Appointments

Free plan Free trial

9 /10

Square Appointments offers freemium with tiered processing rate improvements. Free $0 + 2.6%+$0.15 in-person processing + unlimited staff calendars + appointment reminders + online booking. Plus $49/month/location + 2.5%+$0.15 + 500 SMS included (3¢/additional) + cancellation policy + no-show fees + multi-staff booking + waitlist + 30-day free trial. Premium $149/month/location + 2.4%+$0.15 + 2,500 SMS included (1.5¢/additional) + 0% gift card load fee + future bookings report + service cost tracking + resource management + 30-day free trial. Pro custom for $250K+ annual processing. Hardware separate (Square Terminal $299+). Month-to-month no contracts.

• Unlimited staff calendars ALL tiers (including Free) — category-unique
• Processing rate improves with tier upgrade (2.6→2.5→2.4%) rewards high-volume
• Free tier competitive production entry (unlike Booksy/Phorest paid-only)

Full Review Visit Square Appointments

Booksy

Free trial

8.8 /10

Booksy Biz offers single-tier $29.99/month pricing with all features included + $20/month per extra team member. 14-day free trial with no credit card + month-to-month no commitment. Features: 24/7 Online Booking + Built-in Marketing + Client/Calendar management + integrated payments + reports + unlimited bookings + 2,000 free SMS/month + custom forms + liability waivers + gift cards + memberships + packages + waitlists + Google Reserve integration. Processing: Mobile 2.69%+$0.30, Card Reader 2.49%+$0.10, Tap to Pay 2.49%+$0.20. Free next-day payouts. Boost marketing 30% commission on first-time clients (opt-in).

• Single-tier simplicity ($29.99/month all features) vs competitor multi-tier complexity
• 2,000 free SMS/month category-leading base allocation
• 14-day free trial with no credit card (easiest evaluation)

Full Review Visit Booksy

Phorest

8.3 /10

Phorest is the premium salon/spa management platform with dedicated Med Spa tier differentiation. Salons & Spas: 4 tiers custom-quote — Starter (3+ staff), Grow, Complete Advantage (Most Popular, larger salons/medspas), Elite (most inclusive). Med Spas: Core Aesthetics + Elevate Aesthetics (HIPAA-compliant medical record handling + injection tracking + before/after photo documentation). All plans include unlimited devices + staff + affordable SMS + PhorestGo mobile app + appointment scheduling + POS + online booking + automated communications. Add-ons: branded apps + 2-way SMS + memberships separate. Industry estimates: salon tiers $79-600+/month, med spa tiers $150-500+/month.

• UNIQUE Med Spa tiers (Core Aesthetics + Elevate) with HIPAA + injection tracking + photos
• Unlimited devices + staff ALL tiers (vs per-staff scaling competitors)
• Category-leading for 15+ staff salons with unlimited staff economics

Full Review Visit Phorest