Selecting the optimal salon management platform can transform your beauty business from chaotic to streamlined in no time. Fresha has become a go-to solution with its zero-commission booking system tailored for beauty professionals, but smart entrepreneurs always research multiple options before committing to such an important business tool.
Fresha provides robust scheduling and client relationship tools that work well for independent beauty pros and multi-staff establishments alike. Yet the market offers numerous alternatives, each with distinctive advantages worth considering. Join us as we compare Fresha with seven top competitors to guide your decision-making process and help you find the perfect software match for your salon's unique needs
Why Consider Alternatives to Fresha?
Fresha is an attractive, (very) competitively priced and robust platform that excels in basic salon management. However, there are certain limitations that certain business owners may find significant. For example, the platform's lack of custom branding in its free tier and limited offline functionality are commonly cited drawbacks.
For salons with complex scheduling needs, such as multiple service providers sharing stations or equipment, Fresha's calendar functionality might not offer the level of sophistication found in some alternatives.
Are these issues? That depends on your needs. So, you should broaden the field of software choices based on your business-type, size and goals. This is especially true if you employ many service providers, occupy a certain niche, and need a comprehensive list of features.
The field is wide, so we'll help you narrow it. Read on for a list of top Fresha Competitors, and what they can bring to your business."
Top 7 Fresha Alternative Software Summaries
There are literally dozens of booking & management software options out there that claim to help you run a more efficient business. For your sanity, we’ve narrowed our list to seven of the top Fresha competitors.
Pricing: $30 to $90/mo.; 7 pricing editions based on number of users
Target Audience: Hair & Beauty Salons, Nail Salons, Spas, Barbershops, Medspas, Tatoo Studios and Fitness Studios of all sizes.
Supported Countries: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia
Overall Score: 4.60
Pricing: Provided on request; 4 pricing tiers
Target Audience: Small and medium-sized salons, spas, medspas and barber shops
Countries Available: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Finland
Overall Score: 4.26
Pricing: From $165 to $375 per month; 3 pricing tiers w/additional add-ons available
Target Audience: Beauty and wellness businesses; Small to medium-sized salons and spas.
Countries Available: United States, Canada
Overall Score: 4.55
Pricing: From $30/mo.; $20 per additional user
Target Audience: Small to medium beauty & wellness businesses
Supported Countries: 40 countries across North, Central and South America, Europe and Africa
Overall Score: 4.46
Pricing: Variable based on business vertical
Target Audience: Large Salons, Spas, Medspas, Fitness Centers, and Barbershops
Supported Countries: 47 Countries across North, Central & South America, The Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Africa
Overall score: 4.50
Pricing: Three pricing tiers; Standard Plan: $24/mo.; Glod Plan: $48/mo.; Platinum Plan: $148/mo.
Target Audience: Focuses on small and mid-size businesses in beauty and wellness. This includes hair salons, barbershops, beauty salons, and spas.
Supported Countries: Currently only available for use in the United States.
Overall Score: 4.35
Pricing: Standard subscription pricing. 1 service provider: $39/mo. 2 service providers $49/mo.; 3 service provers: $85/mo.; 4+ service providers: $99/mo**.**
Target Audience: Small to medium Salons and Spas
Supported Countries: Primarily the United States and Canada
Overall Score: 4.6
Detailed Fresha Alternative Software Reviews
Modern salon software does more than just book appointments. It provides complete business solutions for many areas. Calendar management is only a small part of it.
When you compare Fresha to other systems, consider how their extra tools impact your revenue, customer loyalty, and efficiency. Don’t forget to consider the total cost of these added features.
Alternative #1: Vagaro | The “#1 Appointment Scheduling Software”
Vagaro is a complete software solution for more than 220,000 beauty and wellness businesses around the globe. Its scalable design suits both solo practitioners and multi-location businesses. It offers a solid toolkit for scheduling, managing clients, and optimizing revenue.
The platform helps professionals build a strong online presence. They can create customized profiles and branded websites. Here, they can display their services, portfolio images, and staff details.
Booking appointments is easy for clients on both web and mobile. They get automated reminders and can message service providers directly. Vagaro's revenue protection measures help cut lost income. These include deposit requirements and no-show policies.
Administrators will value Vagaro's strong client tracking features. It offers detailed service histories and includes payroll functions. The flexible point-of-sale system helps with online sales, product retail, mobile sales, gift certificates, and service packages.
Vagaro works great for beauty and wellness businesses. Its features also fit service providers in many other industries. That said, this breadth of functionality comes with a steeper learning curve than some alternatives on our list
Key Features at a Glance
Essential Booking Features* Online Booking/Appointment Scheduling (web/mobile)
- Calendar management
- Automated reminders and notifications
- No-show protection & Client Deposits
Core Business Management Features
- Point of sale/payment processing
- Client database/history tracking
- Staff scheduling and management
- Basic reporting
- Vagaro Marketplace
Premium Features
- Payroll processing
- Marketing tools
- SOAP Notes
- 2-Way Client Messaging Platform
- POS Integration
- Custom branded website
Ratings:
Capterra: 4.7/5 (3445 reviews) Score: 98/100
G2: 4.5/5 (223 reviews)
Trustpilot: 4.5/5 (298 Reviews)
Alternative #2: Mangomint | The “Highest-Rated” Software for Salons & Spas
Mangomint offers a complete salon and spa management solution. It combines scheduling, point-of-sale features, and client relationship tools. All of this is found in a smooth, easy-to-use interface. The platform helps beauty businesses with their daily challenges. It automates routine tasks and cuts down on admin work.
Mangomint stands out from competitors because of its easy-to-use design. It also has strong automation features that manage repetitive tasks in the background. The clean and simple interface hides a lot of complexity. This makes it great for busy salon owners who value efficiency.
Mangomint charges monthly fees between $165 and $375. This pricing shows that it targets the premium market segment. This pricing structure suits established businesses with steady cash flow. It’s not as good for startups or independent practitioners who face tight budgets.
Fresha is great for solo artists or new businesses on a budget. On the other hand, Mangomint provides a complete toolkit. Its time-saving automations can lead to a strong return on investment for growing operations that can afford the higher cost.
Key Features at a Glance
Essential Booking Features
- Online Booking
- Appointment Management
- Client Management
- Automated Appointment Reminders
Core Business Management Features
- Integrated Point-of-Sale (POS)
- Staff Management
- Inventory Management
- Reporting & Analytics
Enhanced/Premium Features
- Automation Capabilities
- User-Friendly Interface
- Business Efficiency Tools
- Client Retention Features
- Seamless Integrations
Review Ratings:
Capterra: 4.9/5 (164 Reviews). Score: 85/100
G2: 4.9/5 (55 Reviews)
Trustpilot: 3.9/5 (9 Reviews)
Alternative #3: Booksy | The Mobile-Focused Booking App to Build Your Business
Booksy is a cloud-based tool. It helps businesses book appointments easily. It also handles payments and manages client relationships. A standout feature is the digital portfolio. It lets service providers show off their work and attract new clients easily.
What distinguishes Booksy from many competitors is its mobile-first philosophy. The Booksy Biz app puts key business tasks right in your pocket. This smartphone method helps service providers manage appointments, process payments, and update client info from nearly any location.
The web interface offers extra tools for better management. It helps with staff scheduling, inventory control, and performance analytics.
The mobile-focused design represents both Booksy's greatest strength and main limitation. The ability to run a business from a smartphone offers great flexibility for professionals who aren't desk-bound. Accessing some advanced features needs you to switch to the browser version. This can make the experience feel a bit disconnected.
Booksy offers good functionality to satisfy most operational needs while maintaining simplicity through its mobile interface. It's great for freelancers and small businesses that need mobility and simple tools.
Larger operations with complex management needs may find the platform's mobile focus limiting. In contrast, traditional desktop options like Fresha's dashboard offer more flexibility.
Key Features at A Glance
Essential Booking Features
- Appointment scheduling
- Calendar management
- Client profiles
- Mobile booking capabilities
Core Business Management Features
- Payment processing
- Basic client management
- Staff scheduling
- Mobile app for business operations (Booksy Biz)
Enhanced/Premium Features (web platform)
- Online portfolio/showcase
- Inventory tracking
- Business analytics
- Staff oversight tools
- Advanced client management
Review Ratings:
Capterra: 4.4/5 (365). Score: 90/100
G2: 4.8/5 (8 Reviews)
Trustpilot: 4.2/5 (16,154)
Alternative #4: Zenoti | AI First All-in-One Salon, Spa and Medical Spa Software
Zenoti stands out as the enterprise-focused heavyweight, specifically engineered for multi-location operations and larger businesses. Zenoti stands out by starting where most competitors stop. While others begin with solo practitioners, Zenoti aims higher.
Zenoti provides a wide range of tools. You can use them for appointment booking and point-of-sale tasks. They also include advanced inventory tracking and automated marketing campaigns. Their strong analytics provide useful insights. They offer detailed performance metrics that help improve operations in many locations.
Zenoti's staff management features provide granular performance tracking and intelligent scheduling tools. These are important for businesses juggling large teams spread across different sites. The unified customer database gives clients a consistent experience, no matter where they go. It also gives management a complete view of customer relationships.
Zenoti starts at about $200 a month, so it's not for solo artists or new businesses. This investment level shows the platform's enterprise-grade features. But it may be too high for smaller operations. They might prefer Fresha's pricing, which fits their needs better.
What you're paying for here is sophisticated multi-location coordination and advanced business intelligence. These features are great for larger businesses. But for smaller, single-location ones, they might add extra complexity.
Key Features at A Glance
Essential Booking Features
- Appointment scheduling
- Calendar management
- Client booking
- Basic client management
Core Business Management Features
- Point-of-sale system
- Payment processing
- Staff scheduling
- Basic inventory management
Enhanced/Enterprise Features
- Advanced reporting capabilities
- Marketing automation
- Detailed employee performance tracking
- Centralized customer data system
- Cross-location inventory management
Review Ratings:
Capterra: 4.4/5 (1176 reviews). Score: 85/100
G2: 4.4/5 (176 Reviews)
Trustpilot: 4.7/5 (100 Reviews)
Alternative #5: Phorest | The “Complete Software Solution” For Salons, Spas and Medspas
Phorest delivers a robust salon management ecosystem designed to tackle operational challenges from multiple angles. It has a complete toolkit. This includes online scheduling, automated client messages, review collection, and easy digital tipping options. The system effectively balances administrative efficiency with enhancing the overall client journey.
Phorest’s data migration service makes onboarding easier. It reduces the pain of switching from another platform. Their business advisory service offers expert advice tailored to each industry, not just basic software support.
Phorest has many features. However, its value depends on your business type and finances. Some users might see the learning curve as steep. Also, think carefully about the pricing. Phorest has a responsive customer support team. Their commitment to improving the platform also makes it a great choice.
When considering Phorest, scale becomes an important factor. The platform is great for established salons that want to grow. They can use all its advanced features to their advantage. Smaller operations or independent artists may find Fresha easier to use. It offers a better balance of cost and benefits.
Key Features at a Glance
Essential Booking Features
- Online Booking
- Automated Appointment Reminders
- Waitlist Management
- Client Notes & History
Core Business Management Features
- Integrated Point-of-Sale (POS)
- Inventory Management
- Memberships & Packages
- Advanced Reporting & Analytics
Enhanced/Premium Features
- Client Reviews & Reputation Management
- Automated Marketing Campaigns
- Loyalty Program (Phorest Treats)
- Social Media & Google Integration
- Data Migration Service
Ratings:
Capterra: 4.8/5 (380 Reviews)
G2: 4.4/5 (30 Reviews)
Trustpilot: 3.6/5 (58 Reviews)
Alternative #6: GlossGenius | “The #1 Salon & Spa Software”
GlossGenius is an all-in-one booking and client management software. They are famous for their appealing and easy-to-use interface. Their features mainly focus on the beauty and wellness industry.
GlossGenius offers an easy-to-use, color-coded booking system. It includes key features such as waitlists, appointment reminders, and client notes. Their calendar features compete with those of Fresha. However, to sync team calendars, you need to upgrade to the Gold Membership.
Their "No-Show Protection Stack" offers comprehensive cancellation safeguards comparable to Fresha's protection features. GlossGenius offers a good business management app. However, it does not have a mobile app for clients. This is like Fresha, which only has a web-based booking system.
Team management features include staff calendars, customizable permissions, and commission reports. However, many advanced options need a Gold Plan subscription. GlossGenius offers competitive pricing. Their Standard Plan includes many essentials. This is different from Fresha's freemium model.
GlossGenius shines with its dedicated human support. You can reach them through live chat or email during business hours. This gives you more direct help than Fresha, which mainly offers email support.
GlossGenius has a flat transaction rate of 2.6%. This is simple, but it costs more than Fresha, which has no commission fees. Marketing tools in the Standard Plan offer automated email and text messaging. Higher tiers have AI-enhanced features.
Key Features at a Glance:
Essential Booking Features
- Intuitive Color-Coded Calendar
- Online Booking Widget
- Automated Appointment Reminders
- Client Waitlist Management
- Detailed Client Notes & History
- No-Show Protection Stack
Core Business Management Features
- Integrated Payment Processing (2.6% flat rate)
- Mobile Business Management App
- Customizable Service Menu
- Smart Pricing Tools
- Revenue & Performance Analytics
- Digital Receipts & Invoicing
Enhanced/Premium Features (Gold Plan)
- Synchronized Staff Calendars
- Team Commission Reports
- Advanced Client Filtering
- AI-Powered Email Marketing
- Automated Text Marketing
- Custom Branding & Website Link
- Instagram & Google Integration
- Customizable Staff Permissions
- Complimentary Card Reader (first device)
Review Ratings:
Capterra: 4.7/5 (195)
G2: 4/5 (4)
Trustpilot: N/A
Alternative #7: Rosy Salon Software | “Powerful. Trusted. Loved. Salon Software.”
Rosy Salon Software sits in a unique spot in salon management. It provides a simple but effective platform designed for hair and beauty businesses. Rosy may not have all the flashy features of premium brands, but it offers a strong core experience. Its focus is on practical functionality.
The platform's interface is simple yet deep. It offers key tools like online booking, inventory tracking, and marketing automation. Users won't feel overwhelmed by complexity. Rosy's product reservation system really stands out. It solves the inventory management issues many salons face. Plus, it includes a point-of-sale system that manages transactions well.
Rosy offers value-oriented pricing. Subscription plans start at $29 a month. Prices increase with more users and feature add-ons. This tiered approach helps businesses match costs to their needs. However, potential users should think carefully about which premium features they really need.
User feedback highlights that Rosy excels in two important areas that competitors often overlook: fast customer support and frequent platform updates. Don't overlook these factors when thinking about long-term software partnerships. They greatly affect daily use and future readiness.
Rosy may not have the advanced features of larger systems, but that's okay. Its simple approach gives small to mid-sized salons what they need. It avoids extra frills and keeps things easy.
Key Features at a Glance
Essential Booking Features
- Appointment Calendar
- Online Client Scheduling
- Appointment Reminders
- Waitlist Management
- Client Records & History
- No-Show Reduction Tools
Core Business Management Features
- Integrated Point-of-Sale System
- Inventory Management
- Product Reservations
- Financial Reporting
- Digital Receipts
- Mobile App Access
Enhanced/Premium Features
- Staff Scheduling & Management
- Commission Tracking
- Email Marketing Tools
- Text Message Communication
- Custom Website Integration
- Social Media Booking
- Employee Performance Metrics
Review Ratings
Capterra: 4.6/5 (145)
G2: 4.6/5 (15)
Trustpilot: N/A
Recap: Choosing the Best Fresha Alternative
There you have it—a comprehensive look at Fresha's leading competitors in the salon management space.
The market offers impressive options to suit various business needs. Each platform has its own strengths. This lets you choose the best solution for your salon's needs, budget, and growth goals.
A quick recap for your convenience:
Vagaro
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Target: Beauty, wellness, and fitness businesses, big or small. This includes solo practitioners and those with multiple locations.
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Strengths: Versatile feature set, affordable pricing ($30-90/mo.), strong client management tools
Phorest
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Target: Small and medium-sized salons, spas, and barbershops
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Strengths: Comprehensive management system, data migration service, business advisory support
Mangomint
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Target: Established salons and spas with consistent revenue
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Strengths: Powerful automation capabilities, intuitive interface, robust efficiency tools
Boulevard
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Target: Established small to medium salons seeking premium solutions
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Strengths: Sophisticated client experience features, scheduling optimization, multi-location support
Booksy
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Target: Small to medium businesses prioritizing mobile operations
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Strengths: Mobile-first approach, user-friendly interface, basic functionality with good accessibility
Zenoti
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Target: Enterprise-level, multi-location salons and spas
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Strengths:Advanced analytics, cross-location management, sophisticated employee tracking**
GlossGenius
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Target: Independent beauty professionals, small salons, and boutique studios
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Strengths: Easy-to-use interface, competitive pricing ($24-$148/month), integrated marketing tools with AI features
Rosy
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Target: Small to medium salons and spas seeking reliable core functionality
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Strengths: Easy inventory management, product reservation system, affordable pricing (from $39/mo.), quick customer support
When picking salon management software, look closely at each platform's features. Check the pricing and read user reviews. Make sure it fits your business needs. Research each platform carefully. Test free trials if you can. Also, check recent user experiences. This will help you make a better decision.