Fresha alternative: a flat monthly price and no fee on new clients
Pick Blyssbook if you want one price per salon ($11 to $49 a month), no fee on new clients, and WhatsApp booking and reminders built in. Pick Fresha if its marketplace brings you new clients and you're happy to pay its one-time fee on each brand-new one. Blyssbook costs less from day one: $11 a month against Fresha's $19.95 for one person. The trial is 14 days, no card.
By Sam Rahman, Salon Operations & Content · Last updated 20 October 2026
Written by Sam Rahman from Blyssbook setups and product testing. Blyssbook facts checked against the app and plan table on 13 October 2026. Fresha US prices are from its US pricing page, read in October 2026; other Fresha terms are from its public pricing page on 13 October 2026 (source below).
What is the best Fresha alternative?
It depends on where your clients come from. If most book through your own Instagram, Google profile or WhatsApp, a flat-price system without a marketplace fee usually costs less. Blyssbook fits salons that live on WhatsApp. If you rely on the Fresha marketplace for new faces, staying may pay off.
Other salons comparing tools also look at Booksy, Vagaro and Zenoti. The pricing page puts their list prices side by side.
How much does Fresha cost compared with Blyssbook?
On Fresha's US pricing (October 2026) one person pays $19.95 a month and a team pays $14.95 per team member a month, plus a one-time fee on brand-new marketplace clients and charges for messages after 20 free. Blyssbook is one flat price per salon: $11, $21 or $49 a month, with no per-person, per-client or per-message fees from us.
| Blyssbook | Fresha (checked 13 October 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | $11, $21 or $49 a month per salon | $19.95 a month for one person (Independent); $14.95 per team member a month (Team). US prices, October 2026; other countries see local currency[1] |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 7 days[1] |
| Fee on new clients | None | A one-time fee on brand-new clients from the Fresha marketplace; the amount isn't shown on the pricing page. No fee on returning clients or on bookings from your own link, Facebook or Instagram[1] |
| Automated reminders | WhatsApp and email, Professional and up; no per-message charge from Blyssbook | Email notifications free; text and WhatsApp notifications 20 free a month, then charged per message[1] |
| Loyalty program | Included on Professional and up | Paid add-on per location[1] |
| Booking website | Included on every plan; your own domain on Professional and up | Smart Website is a paid add-on[1] |
| AI that answers WhatsApp and books | Professional and up | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Staff commissions and payroll with tips | Professional and up | Not verified (needs an account) |
| AI phone receptionist | Enterprise, paid plan only; number and minutes extra | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Accounting integration | None | Xero, paid add-on[1] |
| Consumer marketplace | Directory listing on Enterprise only | Yes, the Fresha marketplace |
Fresha's new-client fee and message charges come on top. To check your own bill, take the new-client fee from your Fresha invoices, multiply it by the brand-new marketplace clients you get a month, then add any messages over the free 20 and any add-ons you use.
What does it cost for 1, 2, 5 or 10 staff?
Fresha's Team plan grows with every person you add: $14.95 each, so $74.75 a month for 5 staff and $149.50 for 10. Blyssbook Starter is $11 for up to 5 staff and Professional is a flat $21 for up to 15 staff, so the gap widens as your team grows.
| Team size | Fresha a month (US, October 2026) | Blyssbook Starter | Blyssbook Professional |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19.95 | $11 | $21 |
| 2 staff | $29.90 | $11 | $21 |
| 5 staff | $74.75 | $11 | $21 |
| 10 staff | $149.50 | Not available (Starter is up to 5 staff) | $21 |
Fresha's figure is $19.95 for one person on Independent (its Team plan would be $14.95) and $14.95 times the number of team members from two people up. It leaves out the new-client fee and message charges. Blyssbook figures are the plan price in US dollars. Starter sends no automated reminders, so compare WhatsApp reminders against Professional. Meta may bill your WhatsApp account directly for some messages.
Does Blyssbook charge commission or a new-client fee?
No. Blyssbook takes no commission on bookings, no fee on new clients and no cut of payments. Clients book on your own booking page, which carries your salon's name and branding, and you share the link on Instagram, Google and WhatsApp. The monthly plan price is the whole bill, apart from optional AI phone minutes.
Can Blyssbook send WhatsApp confirmations and reminders?
Yes, from Professional ($21 a month). Booking confirmations, booking changes, cancellations and the 24-hour and 2-hour reminders go out on your salon's own WhatsApp number, and Blyssbook doesn't charge per message. Starter only replies when clients message you; it doesn't send automated reminders. Setup, Meta fees and the bot's limits are on our WhatsApp booking bot for salons page.
Meta may bill your WhatsApp Business account directly for some template messages under its own rates; that charge is between you and Meta. On Professional the AI assistant also answers WhatsApp chats and books appointments; see the AI receptionist page for the phone version on Enterprise.
Does it track staff commission and tips?
Yes, on Professional and Enterprise. You set commission rates per staff member, and each pay run shows what every person sold, how it was paid, their commission and their tips. You can export it as a CSV for your accountant. Starter records tips at checkout but has no payroll.
Where is Fresha the better choice?
- You want a consumer marketplace to send you new clients. Fresha runs one; Blyssbook only has a small directory listing on Enterprise.
- You use Xero. Fresha sells a Xero add-on; Blyssbook has no accounting integration.
- You want texts built in. Fresha sends text notifications itself; Blyssbook sends them through your own Twilio or Telnyx account.
- Fresha already sends you steady new clients. If the marketplace pays for itself, its fees may be worth it, and you can keep both while you move regulars across.
What doesn't Blyssbook do?
- No gift cards.
- No automated reminders on Starter.
- No built-in card processing. You keep your card machine; online deposits need your own Stripe account (Professional and up).
- No room or equipment calendar; one column per staff member.
- No offline mode.
How do I switch from Fresha to Blyssbook?
Export your clients from Fresha as a CSV, start a Blyssbook trial, import the file in Customers → Import clients, then add services and staff and share your new booking link. Client details and visit totals come across; past appointments don't, and you re-enter upcoming bookings. Most of the work is setting up services.
- In Fresha, export your client list to CSV.
- Start the Blyssbook trial at blyssbook.com/signup; no card needed.
- Open Customers → Import clients, upload the file and check the column matching and preview.
- Add your services, prices and staff, then set each person's working hours.
- Re-enter upcoming appointments in the calendar.
- Replace the booking link on Instagram, your Google profile and WhatsApp with blyssbook.com/s/your-salon.
Running a hair salon? Our hair salon software page shows the same tools set up for stylists.
Questions salon owners ask about leaving Fresha
Does Blyssbook charge commission on bookings?
No. You pay a flat monthly plan price per salon ($11, $21 or $49) and nothing per booking, per new client or per payment.
Can I import my Fresha clients into Blyssbook?
Yes. Export your client list from Fresha as a CSV file, then upload it in Customers → Import clients. Blyssbook recognizes the Fresha column names and brings over names, phone numbers, emails, birthdays, notes, tags, total spend, visit count and last visit. Past appointments don't import, and you re-enter future bookings.
Is Fresha free?
No. On Fresha's US pricing page (October 2026) the Independent plan for one person is $19.95 a month and the Team plan is $14.95 per team member a month. It also charges a one-time fee on brand-new clients who book through its marketplace, and for messages after the first 20 free each month.
How much does Fresha cost for a team of 5?
On the Team plan that is 5 x $14.95 = $74.75 a month, or $897 a year, before Fresha's new-client fee and message charges (US pricing, October 2026). Blyssbook Professional is a flat $21 a month for up to 15 staff.
Does Blyssbook send WhatsApp reminders like Fresha?
Yes, on Professional and Enterprise. You switch on the 24-hour and 2-hour WhatsApp reminders in AI & Automation → Automations. Blyssbook doesn't charge per message. Starter doesn't send automated reminders.
Will I lose new clients from the Fresha marketplace?
Possibly, and you should weigh that. Blyssbook has no consumer marketplace of Fresha's size. On Blyssbook, new clients find you through your own booking link on Instagram, Google and WhatsApp. You can keep a Fresha listing while you move regulars across.
Try Blyssbook free for 14 days
No card needed. Import your Fresha clients and share your booking link the same day.
Start the free trialSources
- [1] Fresha pricing page (US prices of $19.95 and $14.95 read in October 2026; other terms checked 13 October 2026): https://www.fresha.com/pricing, checked 13 October 2026.
Fresha, Xero and Meta are trademarks of their owners and are mentioned only to compare products. Blyssbook is not affiliated with them.