Fresha alternative: where to go and how to take your clients with you
Seven salon platforms compared, one card per tool, and an eight-step exit plan.
The short answer: GlossGenius if you're solo or a small team and want a flat price with a low card rate. Vagaro if you want a marketplace and a cheap team plan. Mangomint if you run a spa or a busy salon and want someone to move your data for free. Square if you want $0 a month and no contract. Boulevard for multi-location groups, Phorest if you want migration done for you, SimplyBook.me if all you need is a booking calendar. One thing to know first: Fresha lets you export clients and appointments to a file, but your team, your billing history and several client-record details need checking one by one before you cancel.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why salons are leaving Fresha
Fresha still does a lot right. The calendar is clean, its average review score is high, and the marketplace can fill the book of a stylist who's just starting out. People leave for other reasons: the end of free, a fee that lands where they don't expect it, and a bill that grows with every add-on. Here are the six that come up most.
Free is over, and you pay per bookable person
Fresha built its name as the free salon app. Not anymore. The Independent plan is $19.95 a month for one bookable person, and the Team plan is $14.95 per bookable team member per month, before local sales tax. A three-chair salon pays $44.85, a six-chair salon $89.70. On Reddit, one owner complained about paying for each staff member just to keep their calendar visible on the marketplace, and another salon expected a bill close to $1,000 a month.
20% of a new client, even when they book through your link
When someone who isn't on your client list views your Fresha marketplace profile and then books, Fresha keeps 20% of that first visit, with a $6 minimum. The catch: the fee still applies if they go on to book through your own website or Instagram, as long as they saw your profile first. Some owners say they were charged for clients who came from Google or had been regulars for years. The fee isn't refundable.
Payment extras add up
In-person card payments run 2.29% + $0.20, and Tap to Pay adds $0.10. Keyed-in cards cost 3.30% + $0.20, online payments 2.79% + $0.20, and Klarna pay-later 5.99% + $0.30. Terminals start at $139. None of these is outrageous alone. Together, on a salon that takes deposits online and sells retail, they show up on the statement.
Add-ons stack on top of the plan
The Team plan includes 100 texts or WhatsApp messages and 50 marketing emails per member each month. After that, each message is $0.02, and a marketing text $0.08. Insights reporting adds $9.95 per bookable member, Team Connect $2.95 per member. A salon that switches everything on can end up paying double its base subscription.
You can't hide from the marketplace and keep online booking
Want to keep Fresha's calendar but stop appearing on its marketplace so new-client fees stop? Hiding your profile also turns off online booking through Fresha. It's one or the other: marketplace exposure with its fee, or no Fresha online booking at all. For many owners, that's where the decision tips.
Billing and support worries
Reviews stay strong on average, but the bad ones rhyme: a charge after a cancellation request, an account switched on too early that texted clients, invoices hard to read. It doesn't happen to everyone. It tells you what to watch: keep a written record of every request and check your card statement the month after you leave.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Fresha alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually one line fits better than the others. Each card jumps to the full write-up below.
From $24 a month billed yearly, 2.4% + 15¢ in person, free data transfer.
You still want a marketplace, without per-head pricingVagaro$30 a month, then $10 per calendar, and free after seven.
You run a spa or busy salon and hate migrationsMangomintOnboarding and data transfer included, memberships built in.
You want $0 a month and no contractSquareFree plan with online booking and automatic reminders.
You run several locationsBoulevardBuilt for busy front desks and multi-location reporting.
You just need a booking calendarSimplyBook.meFree tier, then paid plans from $13.90 a month.
Fresha alternatives, tool by tool
For each tool: why move to it, who it's for, its limit, how to get your data in from Fresha, and what it costs. Prices are the US list prices shown in 2026, before tax. We compared pricing models rather than promises: subscription, new-client fees, card rates.
GlossGenius: flat price and a lower card rate
Best for solo and small teamsWhy switch to GlossGenius. It removes both things that hurt on Fresha: no per-head subscription and no marketplace cut. Standard is $28 a month, or $24 billed yearly. Gold is $56 and Platinum $168. In-person cards cost 2.4% + 15¢, a touch under Square's free plan, and you can take deposits and cancellation fees to stop no-shows.
Who it's for. Solo stylists, estheticians and small teams who run the business from a phone.
Who it isn't for. Anyone who relied on a marketplace for new clients. GlossGenius gives you a booking site, not a consumer app full of shoppers.
Its limit. It's built for solos and small teams; bigger salons tend to outgrow it. Online invoices cost 2.9% + 30¢ and instant payouts 1.8%.
How to migrate. GlossGenius offers free data transfer and a 14-day trial with no card. Export your Fresha client list and future appointments first, then hand both files over at the start of the trial so you can check the result before paying.
- Price
- $28/mo ($24 yearly)
- In person
- 2.4% + 15¢
- Migration
- free data transfer
- Limit
- no marketplace
Vagaro: a marketplace with fair team pricing
Best for growing salonsWhy switch to Vagaro. If you liked being found on Fresha, Vagaro also has a consumer marketplace, but its pricing works per calendar and stops growing. One location is $30 a month, each extra bookable calendar adds $10, and after seven licenses more staff cost nothing. Three stylists pay $50, six pay $80.
Who it's for. Salons of three to eight people that want marketplace exposure and a predictable bill.
Who it isn't for. Owners who want every fee published before they sign.
Its limit. The pricing page doesn't print a card processing rate. Get it in writing and compare it with Fresha's 2.29% + $0.20 before moving your payments. Add-ons sit on top of the subscription.
How to migrate. Ask Vagaro during sign-up how it imports a client CSV and future appointments. Bring your Fresha exports to that call. Introductory pricing ($23.99 for the first six months on the base plan) is worth asking about too.
- Price
- $30/mo + $10 per calendar
- 3 stylists
- $50/mo
- Best for
- 3 to 8 stylists
- Limit
- card rate not published
Mangomint: the spa-grade option that moves your data
Free data transferWhy switch to Mangomint. Onboarding and data transfer are free, and there's no contract. The price is $120 per location plus $10 per user each month, so a salon with three users pays $150. What you get in the base price is where it shines: memberships, packages, forms, gift cards and automated flows, with no extra module.
Who it's for. Day spas and busy salons that sell memberships and packages.
Who it isn't for. A solo stylist: $130 a month is a lot when GlossGenius starts at $24.
Its limit. Every user with a profile counts, front desk included. Phone lines, marketing credits and payroll are paid add-ons. In-person cards run 2.45% + 15¢.
How to migrate. Let their onboarding team do it. Send them the Fresha client CSV, appointment export, gift card export and service menu, and list the open packages you need recreated.
- Price
- $120/location + $10/user
- Migration
- free onboarding and transfer
- Best for
- spas, membership salons
- Limit
- add-ons for phone, payroll
Square: $0 a month and no contract
Cheapest to startWhy switch to Square. The Free plan costs $0 a month, and Square Appointments includes online booking and automatic reminders on it. You pay 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person payment and 3.3% + 30¢ online. Square states there's no long-term contract on any plan, so you can leave the way you came.
Who it's for. Barbershops, walk-in salons, and anyone who wants to stop paying a monthly fee.
Who it isn't for. Salons that need salon-specific tools such as color formulas, or a marketplace bringing clients.
Its limit. Cancellation and no-show fees need Plus, at $49 a month per location; Premium is $149. Merchant reviews often mention held payouts, so keep a cash cushion.
How to migrate. Set up your services first, import the client list, and only then publish your new booking link, so regulars find their profile on the first booking.
- Price
- $0; Plus $49/mo per location
- In person
- 2.6% + 15¢
- Best for
- barbers, walk-ins
- Limit
- no-show fees need Plus
Boulevard: for groups with a busy front desk
Multi-locationWhy switch to Boulevard. When Fresha's per-member bill climbs with every new hire across several locations, a per-location plan can be easier to budget. Essentials is $143 a month per location for up to five providers, Premier $293 and Prestige $410, with Enterprise on quote. You get a calendar built for front desks and client profiles that hold formulas and preferences.
Who it's for. Established salons and groups with several locations.
Who it isn't for. A two-chair studio: $143 a month is far more than it needs.
Its limit. The card rate is only shared during a demo, so you can't price the full bill online. Limited-time discounts come and go; budget on the regular prices.
How to migrate. At the end of the demo, ask in writing what their team imports from your Fresha files, the processing rate, and the plan your exact provider count needs.
- Price
- Essentials $143/mo per location
- Up to
- 5 providers on Essentials
- Best for
- groups, busy front desks
- Limit
- card rate at demo only
Phorest: migration done for you
Migration includedWhy switch to Phorest. Setup and data migration are included in the offer. If you have years of client records in Fresha and no time to move them, that's the main reason to look.
Who it's for. Established salons with a team and a large client file.
Who it isn't for. Anyone shopping on price: Phorest quotes per plan and per team member, with no public price.
Its limit. No public pricing and no free trial. You commit after a demo.
How to migrate. During the demo, list exactly what you want moved: client profiles, future appointments, open gift cards, notes. Get in writing what their team handles and what stays with you.
- Price
- quote, per plan and member
- Migration
- included
- Best for
- established salons
- Limit
- no trial
SimplyBook.me: just the booking calendar
Calendar onlyWhy switch to SimplyBook.me. Plenty of salons only used Fresha for online booking. SimplyBook.me does that without a marketplace cut. The Free plan covers 50 bookings a month for one provider. Basic is $13.90 a month ($11.90 billed yearly), Standard $29.90 and Premium $59.90.
Who it's for. A salon that already has a card reader it likes and only needs to replace the calendar.
Who it isn't for. Anyone counting on new clients from a marketplace.
Its limit. It isn't salon software: you keep a separate checkout, and the free tier's 50 bookings go fast.
How to migrate. Recreate your services and durations on the free plan, then check with SimplyBook.me how it imports a client CSV before you upgrade.
- Free
- 50 bookings/mo, 1 provider
- Paid
- Basic $13.90/mo
- Best for
- calendar only
- Limit
- no salon checkout
Fresha and its alternatives side by side
Our default picks: GlossGenius for a solo or small team, Vagaro for a growing salon that still wants a marketplace. For scale, take a three-stylist salon. Fresha costs $44.85 a month before add-ons, Vagaro $50, Boulevard $143, Mangomint $150 with three users, Square $0. Then add the new-client fee: ten Fresha marketplace clients at $70 a visit is $140 more that month. The table gives one row per tool: monthly price on the left, new-client cost and migration help on the right.
| Monthly price | New-client cost and migration | |
|---|---|---|
| FreshaWhere you start | $19.95 solo; $14.95 per bookable member | 20% of first visit, $6 minimum; client and appointment CSV exports |
| GlossGeniusSolo and small teams | $28 ($24 yearly); Gold $56 | No marketplace fee; free data transfer |
| VagaroGrowing salons | $30 + $10 per calendar, free after 7 | Marketplace; ask for the import and card rate in writing |
| MangomintSpas | $120 per location + $10 per user | No marketplace fee; free onboarding and data transfer |
| SquareNo contract | $0; Plus $49 per location | No marketplace; 2.6% + 15¢ in person |
| BoulevardGroups | $143 per location (up to 5 providers) | No marketplace fee; import scope set at demo |
| PhorestDone-for-you | Quote, per member | Migration included; no trial |
| SimplyBook.meCalendar only | $0 (50 bookings); Basic $13.90 | No marketplace; check CSV import first |
Leaving Fresha in eight steps
Order matters. Each step protects something: your client list, bookings already made, gift card money, and your cash flow.
List everything that lives in Fresha
Day 1Write it down: how many clients, which appointments are booked for the coming weeks, gift cards sold and not yet redeemed, open memberships or packages, team members, your service menu, and every place your Fresha booking link lives (Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile, website). Note whether you bought a Fresha terminal.
That list becomes your checklist. By the end, every line has a home in the new tool or in an archive.
Export your client list
Day 1In the partner dashboard, open Clients, then Options, then Export as CSV (there's also an Excel download). Open the file right away and check phone, email and created date. Those columns are how the new tool will recognise your regulars.
Keep a copy on your computer, outside any software. If an import goes wrong, you start again from there.
Export past and future appointments
Day 1Go to Sales, then Appointments. Pick a date range that covers the history you want plus every future booking, then Export to CSV or Excel. The export includes past and future appointments.
Future ones matter most: those clients will walk in believing they're booked. Run this export as late as possible before the switch so it catches the latest bookings.
Export the service menu, gift cards and reports
Day 2Your service menu downloads as a CSV from Catalog, under Options. Sold gift cards export from Sales, then Gift cards sold, as PDF, Excel or CSV. Reports export as PDF, CSV or XLSX: download at least this year's and last year's for your accountant.
The gift card export lists cards sold. Check each remaining balance on screen and write it down if the file doesn't show it.
Check what doesn't come out in a file
Day 2Before leaving, check each of these, because no import guide confirms they export: client notes, consultation forms, before-and-after photos, open memberships and packages, gift card balances. Open two or three client profiles and see whether the information shows up in your exports.
Whatever's missing, copy it or screenshot it for the clients who matter (color formulas, allergies). When in doubt, ask Fresha support for a full export of your data. Billing history is another one: some platforms don't import it at all, so outstanding balances and credits get carried over by hand.
Set up the new tool before anyone books into it
Week 1Rebuild your service menu with durations and prices, then the team. Staff aren't listed as transferable from Fresha, so invite each person by hand with their hours. Then import clients, then future appointments.
Test one full booking and one checkout yourself, deposit included, before you publish anything.
Swap your booking links
Week 2Replace the Fresha link everywhere: Instagram button, Facebook page, Google Business Profile, website, email signature. Text your regulars the new link, ideally from the new tool.
Fresha is still live during this stretch. If you keep it a few days, make sure every client is on your Fresha list: there's no new-client fee for someone already on your list or imported before their first booking.
Cancel in writing, then check your next statement
Week 3Fresha has no contract and can be cancelled anytime. Do it only once the last Fresha booking has passed and your exports are filed. Keep written proof of the request.
The following month, check your statement: some salons report a charge after cancelling. With proof in hand, the dispute is short. Decide what to do with your Fresha terminal, if you have one.
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a Fresha switch go wrong
The same mistakes show up in vendor import guides and in owner reviews. None of them is technical. They're oversights, and each one costs a client, a gift card or a stressful week.
Cancelling before exporting
Once the account is closed, there's nothing to retrieve. Export everything, open each file, and only then cancel.
Forgetting future bookings
A client who booked next month on Fresha will show up. If she isn't in the new calendar, nobody is expecting her. Export upcoming appointments the day before you switch.
Thinking hiding the profile is enough
Hiding your marketplace profile also turns off Fresha online booking. During the transition, keep it visible if clients still book that way, and make sure they're all on your list.
Losing track of gift cards
A sold gift card is money you've already taken and still owe in services. List every card with its balance and recreate it in the new tool, or track it in a sheet.
Moving payments without the card rate
Some platforms don't publish their processing rate. Get it in writing before you switch, and compare it with what you pay now.
Signing up for another cut
If the 20% fee is why you're leaving, check every destination's new-client rules. Ten new clients a month is the simplest test.
- Client CSV opened and checked (phone, email)
- Upcoming appointments exported the day before the switch
- Service menu, gift cards and reports downloaded
- Notes, forms and photos checked profile by profile
- Team invited to the new tool
- Card processing rate confirmed in writing
- Booking link changed on Instagram, Facebook, Google and your site
- Cancellation in writing and next statement checked
Fresha alternative: frequently asked questions
Is Fresha still free?
No. There's no permanent free plan anymore: Independent costs $19.95 a month and Team $14.95 per bookable member. Still free: direct booking links, Facebook and Instagram bookings, and unlimited email and app notifications. There's a 7-day trial, with no card needed on Team.
What's a Fresha alternative with no commission?
GlossGenius, Mangomint, Square, Boulevard and SimplyBook.me don't charge a marketplace cut on new clients. The trade-off is that most of them don't bring you new clients either. Our hair salon software ranking covers them in more depth.
Fresha or Vagaro: which is cheaper?
For one stylist, Fresha ($19.95 against $30). From three stylists it's close ($44.85 against $50), and at six Vagaro wins ($80 against $89.70). Then add Fresha's 20% on new marketplace clients, and check Vagaro's card rate in writing.
How do I avoid Fresha's 20% fee if I stay?
Import your whole client list into Fresha and add new callers by hand before their first visit. Fresha doesn't charge for clients already on your list at booking time. No fee either if you mark a no-show the same day. But if your team cancels the appointment, the fee stands.
Is Square better than Fresha?
For a walk-in shop or a solo who wants to pay nothing monthly, yes: Square's Free plan includes booking and reminders. For a salon that wants a marketplace or deeper salon tools, no. Square's in-person rate (2.6% + 15¢) is also higher than Fresha's 2.29% + $0.20 on most tickets. See our POS system comparison for the checkout side.
Can I cancel Fresha anytime?
Yes, there's no contract. Cancel in writing, keep the confirmation, and check your statement the next month. That habit prevents the most common complaint in negative reviews: a charge after cancelling.
Will my Fresha reviews move with me?
Don't count on it: no import guide mentions reviews. Ask Fresha and your new platform before leaving. Meanwhile, ask regulars to review you on Google. Those reviews belong to you, whatever software you use.
What's the best Fresha alternative for a spa?
Mangomint if you sell memberships and packages, Boulevard if you have several locations. Our spa and beauty salon software page compares rooms, memberships and card fees, and our salon texting guide helps with reminders after the move.
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