Fresha vs Booksy: The 2026 Pricing and Feature Reality Check
In short
In Fresha vs Booksy, Booksy is the easier one to budget: $29.99 a month plus tax and $20 for each additional member (Booksy's pricing page, read September 25, 2026), with optional Boost at 30% of a qualifying new client's first visit. Fresha charges for marketplace-acquired clients, so confirm its US plan price, then test both marketplaces in your city.
- Judge each marketplace by completed first visits from new clients and the fee you actually paid for them.
- Card processing, marketplace acquisition charges and messaging overages sit outside the subscription, so add them before you compare.
In this article11 sections
This comparison separates subscriptions, marketplace acquisition and payment costs so you can price Fresha and Booksy for your own team and city. The same three costs are worth checking on any salon appointment software you consider, whether or not it runs a marketplace.
Fresha vs Booksy: the quick verdict
Verdict
Choose Booksy if
- you want control over new-client fees: Boost is optional and charges only for first visits booked while it is on.
Choose Fresha if
- its marketplace shows more relevant clients in your city, once you have confirmed its current US plan and acquisition terms.
| Aspect | Booksy | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription, 1 bookable person | $29.99 a month before tax | Independent plan (US price not confirmed) |
| Subscription, team of five | $109.99 a month before tax | Team plan (US price for five people not confirmed) |
| Acquisition program | Optional Boost: 30% of a qualifying new client's first visit | Marketplace acquisition charges (current US terms not confirmed) |
Booksy figures from its pricing page, read September 25, 2026.
What is the real difference between Fresha and Booksy?
Fresha and Booksy both combine booking with marketplace discovery. Fresha uses separate Independent and Team subscriptions; confirm its current US plan and acquisition terms on the country-specific pricing page. Booksy charges a subscription and offers optional Boost at 30% of a qualifying new client’s first visit, according to its pricing page (read September 25, 2026). Compare local discovery and completed acquired visits separately from the subscription. Neither marketplace is proven to bring more suitable clients to every business.
Fresha: team model and booking source
Fresha uses separate Independent and Team subscriptions and charges for qualifying marketplace acquisition, payments and some messaging. Its pricing page changes by country. Select United States and record the currency, billing unit and current fee terms before comparing it with Booksy; do not substitute a Canadian or European price. A US price list could not be read for this comparison, so no Fresha figure appears here, and the tables mark each Fresha price as not confirmed. Owners who still know the platform by its old name can read our guide to alternatives to Shedul, Fresha's former name.
Source and related reading: Fresha’s official pricing page, our own page on Fresha pricing, our roundup of Fresha alternatives and our Vagaro vs Fresha comparison.
Booksy: members and optional acquisition
Booksy’s pricing page lists $29.99 a month plus tax for the first team member and $20 for each additional member (read September 25, 2026). Appointment reminders are included separately from the 2,000 monthly marketing SMS allowance listed on the same page. Optional Boost charges 30% of a qualifying new client’s first visit. Payment processing and any optional payout fees are separate.
Booksy’s pricing page also lists card processing at 2.69% plus $0.30 per transaction for mobile and keyed-in payments, 2.49% plus $0.10 on the Booksy Card Reader and 2.49% plus $0.20 for Tap to Pay, with no monthly processing fee. Next-business-day payouts are free; 30-minute Fast Payouts cost 1.5%. Boost is free to turn on, and the 14-day trial needs no credit card.
Booksy’s Boost page (read September 26, 2026) says the 30% applies only to a client’s first visit booked while Boost is on, excludes the tip and is not charged on that client’s later visits. Booksy’s home page (read September 26, 2026) says that every business gets a free marketplace listing, that marketplace bookings are free unless they come through Boost, and that owners run the calendar, clients, payments and marketing in the Booksy Biz app.
Source and related reading: Booksy’s official pricing page and Booksy’s Boost page, our own page on Booksy pricing, plus Booksy alternatives, apps like Booksy and our Booksy vs Vagaro comparison.
Which marketplace actually brings new clients?
Only a local test can show which marketplace brings you new clients. Global audience counts cannot tell a salon how many suitable clients it will acquire in its own area. Search each marketplace as a client for your service and city, record how many relevant businesses are visible, then test discovery costs against completed first visits. Keep direct-link bookings separate from marketplace-acquired bookings.
Count a client as marketplace-acquired only when the vendor’s rule does: on Booksy that means a first visit booked through Boost, and Fresha’s terms for new marketplace clients are on its pricing page.
Related reading for local demand by trade: barbershop booking software.
Compare acquisition charges on qualifying visits
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Input to record | Fresha | Booksy |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition program | Marketplace acquisition charges (current US terms not confirmed) | Optional Boost |
| Qualifying first visit | Qualifying first-visit definition and minimum (current US page not confirmed) | 30% of qualifying first-visit value |
| Own-marketing booking path | How bookings from your own links are classified (current US terms not confirmed) | Use the business’s Profile Link and check Boost attribution |
| Local result | Completed acquired visits and actual fee invoice | Completed acquired visits and actual fee invoice |
For Booksy alone, a qualifying $80 Boost first visit produces a $24 Boost fee at the 30% rate on Booksy’s pricing page (read September 25, 2026), before separate processing or taxes. This is an arithmetic example, not a forecast of bookings.
Fresha vs Booksy vs Twizzlo: subscription cost by team size
At five bookable people, Booksy’s subscription comes to $109.99 a month before tax at the prices on its pricing page (read September 25, 2026), while Twizzlo Business Pro stays at $29.99 a month per business at any team size; Fresha’s US price for five people is not confirmed.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Bookable people | Booksy subscription, $ a month before tax | Twizzlo Business Pro subscription, $ a month | Fresha US subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29.99 | 29.99 | Not confirmed |
| 2 | 49.99 | 29.99 | Not confirmed |
| 5 | 109.99 | 29.99 | Not confirmed |
| 8 | 169.99 | 29.99 | Not confirmed |
Booksy vs Fresha subscription by team size, with Twizzlo Business Pro for reference. Subscription comparison only: Booksy figures from its pricing page, read September 25, 2026; Twizzlo figures from its pricing page. Feature coverage differs. Processing, marketplace acquisition, taxes and messaging overages are excluded.
Booksy vs Fresha for salons and barbershops: how to price your own team
Booksy vs Fresha for a salon or barbershop comes down to four numbers you can work out before you sign up: how many people take bookings, the subscription for that headcount, the fee on each new marketplace client and card processing.
- Count bookable people. Include everyone who takes appointments under their own name.
- Price Booksy. Take $29.99 a month for the first team member plus $20 for each additional member, before tax, from Booksy’s pricing page (read September 25, 2026).
- Price Fresha. Read Fresha’s US plan price for your team size on its pricing page, noting the billing unit and currency it shows.
- Add the variable costs. Estimate new marketplace clients a month and the fee on each, then add card processing. On Booksy, the new-client fee applies only while Boost is on.
Example, a one-chair barbershop: three new Boost clients a month at a $40 first visit add $36 (30% of $120) to Booksy’s $29.99 subscription, for $65.99 a month before tax and card processing.
Example, a five-person salon: Booksy’s subscription is $109.99 a month before tax. With Boost off, marketplace bookings add no Booksy fee; with five new Boost clients at an $80 first visit, Boost adds $120 (30% of $400), for $229.99 before tax and card processing.
Both examples use Booksy’s published figures with made-up client counts and visit prices, so they show arithmetic, not a forecast. Run the same four steps with Fresha’s US figures for your headcount, then weigh both totals against your local test.
Where Twizzlo fits (and where it does not)
Twizzlo does not run a consumer marketplace, so it fits businesses that already bring in their own clients. Twizzlo is web-based online booking and appointment scheduling software for appointment-based service businesses, with a public booking page, email and SMS reminders, client records, staff schedules and shifts, and Stripe payments and tips.
Twizzlo Free allows up to 150 bookings a month and includes no SMS. Twizzlo Business Pro is $29.99 a month per business for unlimited bookings, with 50 SMS a month included, additional messages at $0.03 each and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Both plans include unlimited staff and locations. Online payments carry your Stripe processing rate plus a 1.5% Twizzlo platform fee. The subscription is one part of the bill; payment volume and messaging can change the total.
No-show fees are supported and applied at your business’s discretion, and money from a skipped prepaid booking (the full service price) is kept or refunded as you choose. Compare Twizzlo’s direct booking workflow with the acquisition tools you use now; a flat subscription does not by itself guarantee a lower total cost.
Related reading: Twizzlo for a salon booking workflow, barbershop booking software, and why per-seat charges compound at appointment software with no seat fees.
Bottom line
Choose the platform that passes your booking workflow and local acquisition test, then price your actual staff count and payment mix. Booksy’s subscription grows with each team member after the first, so line it up against Fresha’s US price for the same headcount before you add new-client fees and processing. Keep acquisition charges, processing and SMS separate from the subscription. No marketplace is the better source of clients for every city.
See how a direct booking workflow is set up on salon scheduling software.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fresha still free in 2026?
Fresha publishes paid Independent and Team plans and a trial. Its pricing page changes by country, so confirm the current US plan before quoting an amount. Do not rely on an older free-forever description.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Booksy?
Compare the subscription for the same team plus qualifying acquisition fees, messaging and payment costs. Booksy’s pricing page listed $29.99 a month plus $20 per additional team member before tax when we read it on September 25, 2026. The current US Fresha price needs a confirmed US page reading; this guide does not declare a universal cheapest option.
Does Booksy charge commission on bookings?
Ordinary Booksy bookings and the optional Boost program have different terms. Boost charges 30% of a qualifying new client’s first visit, according to Booksy’s pricing page as read on September 25, 2026. Use the official Profile Link rules when assessing bookings from your own marketing, and keep payment processing separate.
How do Fresha's marketplace acquisition fees apply?
Check the current country-specific definition of a marketplace-acquired client and direct-booking rules. Use accurate attribution and do not assume importing a client or sharing any link guarantees exemption.
Is Booksy or Fresha better for barbershops?
Neither marketplace is proven better for every barbershop. Inspect local service results and compare completed acquired visits with their actual costs before choosing.
What are the hidden costs to compare?
Separate the subscription, payment processing, acquisition program, SMS or marketing usage and any payout or hardware charges. On Twizzlo, online payments carry your Stripe processing rate plus a 1.5% Twizzlo platform fee, so a flat subscription is not a fee-free service.
Can I switch between Fresha and Booksy without losing clients?
Inventory clients, future bookings, balances and records before switching. Test the permitted export and destination workflow with a small sample, reconcile appointments and retain access to the old records until the move is checked. No transfer is guaranteed by this comparison.
Booksy vs Fresha: which is better for salons?
Neither is proven better for every salon. The choice turns on the subscription for your team size, the new clients you expect from each marketplace and what a local search shows. Fresha charges for qualifying marketplace acquisition; Booksy charges for a new client only while Boost is on. Price both for your headcount, add the fee on each new marketplace client and card processing, then search each marketplace as a client in your city.
Is Booksy Biz the same as Booksy?
Booksy Biz is the business side of Booksy: Booksy’s home page says owners manage the calendar, clients, payments and marketing through the Booksy Biz app, while clients book through a Booksy profile, Instagram, Google or the Booksy consumer app. Booksy’s pricing page lists one subscription with every feature included, so comparing Booksy Biz with Fresha means comparing the same Booksy costs covered here.
Sources and methodology
Prices read
- Booksy pricing page (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Booksy subscription: $29.99 a month plus tax for the first team member and $20 for each additional member; Boost at 30% of a Boost client's first visit, free to turn on; 2,000 marketing SMS a month; card processing and payout fees; 14-day free trial
- Booksy Boost page (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Boost charges 30% of a client's first visit booked while Boost is on, tip not included; no commission on that client's later visits
- Booksy home page (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Free marketplace listing; marketplace bookings free unless made through Boost; the business app is called Booksy Biz
From our editorial policy
- Twizzlo sells online booking and appointment scheduling software, the same category we write about. Twizzlo appears in our comparisons and roundups, and we have a commercial interest in you choosing it.
- We do not publish invented quotes, studies, statistics, customer stories or product tests, and we do not imply hands-on use of a product when the research came from the vendor's public documentation.
- To report an error, email support@twizzlo.com with the subject line "Correction: [page URL]". Tell us what is wrong and, if you can, link a source.
Update history
- : Booksy prices dated to a September 25, 2026 read of its pricing page; Booksy card processing, payout, trial and Boost terms added from Booksy's own pages.
- : New section on pricing a salon or barbershop team, a staff scheduling screenshot and two FAQs added.
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