Online Booking and Calendar
Clients book 24/7 from your website, Instagram or Google profile. Salonist adds a room calendar, a waitlist and package booking for spas. Fresha books well and brings new clients through its marketplace.
Fresha alternative
Salonist vs Fresha: A Lower Cut and One Flat Plan
Both run a marketplace and both charge once when it brings a brand new client. Fresha takes 20% of that first visit. Salonist takes 15%.
The bigger difference is the plan. Fresha bills per bookable team member and charges for texts, emails and WhatsApp messages. Salonist is one flat price with unlimited staff and campaigns included.
- ✓Unlimited staff. No staff limits.
- ✓Get more features for less.
- ✓15% one time, on that first visit only
What the marketplace cut costs
$1,200
Salonist 15% against Fresha 20%, first visit only
Both fees apply once, to the first visit of a brand new client found through the marketplace. Bookings through your own link are free on both.
Short on time?
Salonist vs Fresha at a Glance
Pick Salonist if
You have a team and a book of regulars
- You want a lower cut on new marketplace clients
- You want one price no matter how many staff
- You send a lot of reminders and campaigns
- You work outside the United States
- You want WhatsApp campaigns without a per message fee
What to check on Fresha
Costs that sit outside the plan
- !20% of the first visit for new marketplace clients, minimum $6
- !$14.95 a month for each bookable team member
- !Texts cost about 2 cents each after 100 free
- !Marketing texts cost about 8 cents each
- !WhatsApp messages cost 4 to 11 cents each
- !Client loyalty is $59.95 a month per location
Side by side
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Salonist | Fresha |
|---|
Fresha pricing vs Salonist pricing
Fresha Cost vs Salonist Cost
Fresha charges in four places: the subscription, the marketplace cut, the card rate and each message. Salonist charges one plan price and a lower marketplace cut.
Fresha Pricing
Plans are billed per bookable team member, with usage on top.
| Plan or fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Independent plan, 1 member | $19.95 a month |
| Team plan, per member | $14.95 a month |
| New marketplace client | 20% of the first visit, minimum $6 |
| Returning marketplace client | Free |
| Text after 100 free | About 2 cents |
| Marketing text | About 8 cents |
| Marketing email after 50 free | About 2 cents |
| WhatsApp message | 4 to 11 cents |
| Client loyalty | $59.95 per location a month |
| Insights reporting | $9.95 per member a month |
| AI Concierge | $99.95 per location a month |
Card processing is 2.29% plus 20 cents in person, 2.79% plus 20 cents online and 3.30% plus 20 cents for keyed cards.
Salonist Pricing
One flat plan price with unlimited staff. Printed on the pricing page, no quote needed.
| Plan or fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Free marketplace listing | $0 |
| Essential | $59 a month |
| Advance | $109 a month |
| Expert | $179 a month |
| Extra staff | $0, unlimited |
| Extra location | Included on paid plans |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card |
| New marketplace client | 15% of the first visit, once |
Every paid plan includes unlimited staff, every location and free data import. See the full Salonist pricing page.
Cost calculator
Plan Cost as Your Team Grows
Fresha
Salonist
Subscription and add on fees only. The marketplace cut and card processing are not counted on either side.
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Feature comparison
Salonist vs Fresha Feature by Feature
Both tools book appointments and take payments. The gaps show up in what each charge covers and what is metered.
Point of Sale and Retail
Ring up services and products on one ticket, take tips and print or email the receipt at the till, and sell online through the built in store. Fresha has a POS with retail, though the store side is lighter.
Staff, Commission and Tips
Commission splits, tips, timesheets and login permissions all sit in one staff screen, with no charge for extra people. Fresha prices some team tools per member, so the bill grows as you hire.
Stock and Inventory
Inventory management covers barcodes, purchase orders, warehouse stock and low stock alerts, so retail stops leaking margin. Fresha tracks inventory too.
Marketing and Client Win Back
Run SMS, email and WhatsApp campaigns from the same place as your calendar including birthday offers and rebooking reminders. On Fresha each text, email and WhatsApp message is charged by usage.
Memberships, Loyalty and Gift Cards
Memberships, reward points and gift cards work at the till and online, which keeps regulars coming back. Fresha sells loyalty as a separate charge per location.
Built for Multiple Locations
Salonist is a multi location system. Run every branch from one account, switch between them in a click and compare them in one report, with every location included on paid plans. Fresha prices several add ons per location.
Forms and Client Records
Consent forms, before and after photos and client documents sit with the visit history on the client record. Fresha includes forms in its plans.
The difference that shows
WhatsApp Marketing and 13 Languages, Built In
Salonist runs in 60+ countries with 13 languages, right to left Arabic and local payment gateways. WhatsApp campaigns sit on the Advance plan, so reminders and offers reach clients on the app they actually open.
- Booking confirmations and reminders on WhatsApp
- Birthday and win back offers
- Rebooking nudges after a visit
- Your team sees the software in their own language
Why salons switch
What You Get With Salonist
In every plan
- ✓Unlimited staff on every plan
- ✓Every location included on paid plans
- ✓POS, retail and inventory built in
- ✓WhatsApp, SMS and email campaigns
- ✓Commissions, tips and timesheets
- ✓60+ countries and 13 languages
Best fit for
- ✓Salons with a steady book of regulars
- ✓Teams of three or more
- ✓Owners with two or more locations
- ✓Salons that send a lot of reminders and offers
- ✓Salons in the Gulf, Europe and Asia
Prices taken from the Fresha pricing page.
Best fit
Who Should Choose Salonist?
- Salons with a steady book of regulars
- Teams of three or more
- Owners with two or more locations
- Salons that send a lot of reminders and offers
- Salons in the Gulf, Europe and Asia
See Salonist for hair salons, nail salons, spas, barber shops.
Keep comparing
Other Comparisons
Looking at more than one tool? See Salonist vs Vagaro, plus Salonist vs Booksy and Salonist vs Treatwell on the compare hub.
Book a 20 minute demo and we will walk through your own numbers.
Moving is easy
Switching from Fresha to Salonist
Book a demo
A product expert walks through Salonist with you in 20 minutes.
Send your data
We import your clients, services and appointment history for free.
Add the whole team
Every staff member is included, so nobody is left off the calendar.
Go live
Share your booking link and start taking appointments the same week.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Still deciding? These are the questions salon owners ask us most.
7 day free trial · no card needed
Try the Best Fresha Alternative for Salons
A lower cut on new clients, flat pricing and WhatsApp campaigns in one plan.
