Fresha vs Timely: Team Costs and Workflow Fit
In short
Fresha vs Timely comes down to new-client fees and team size. Pick Timely if you want no new-client fees: its US selector showed $122 to $191 a month for five staff and flat totals from eight to 19 staff (read September 27, 2026). Pick Fresha if its marketplace fills your book; it charges a one-time fee on qualifying marketplace clients.
- Timely’s US totals stop rising at eight staff: $241 on Elevate and $300 on Innovate up to 19 staff (read September 27, 2026).
- Timely lists no new-client fees; Fresha charges a one-time fee on qualifying marketplace clients and lists none for returning clients (read September 25, 2026).
- Price both for the same country, staff count and billing period, and fill the Fresha column from a US quote.
In this article11 sections
Twizzlo publishes this page and competes with the products compared on it. Every competitor detail stated here as current is read from that vendor's own website, its pricing page or help center, with the qualifier printed there, or recorded as unresolved.
Fresha vs Timely is a choice between two ways of billing a salon. Timely, the salon booking software at gettimely.com, charges by the number of bookable staff and lists no new-client fees; Fresha sells Independent and Team subscriptions and charges a one-time fee when its marketplace brings you a qualifying new client. Twizzlo sells salon scheduling software; where it fits has its own section below.
Verdict
Choose Timely if
- you want no new-client fees, or your team has eight to 19 staff, where Elevate and Innovate totals stop rising.
Choose Fresha if
- its marketplace fills your book and its US quote for your team, including the one-time fee on qualifying new clients, fits your budget.
| Aspect | Timely | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| One staff member | $26, $39 or $47 a month | Independent plan, US price not confirmed |
| Five staff | $122, $155 or $191 a month | Team plan, US price not confirmed |
| 8 to 19 staff | Elevate $241, Innovate $300 flat; Build not offered | Team plan, US price not confirmed |
| New clients | No new client fees | One-time fee on qualifying marketplace clients |
Timely from its US pricing page, read September 25 and 27, 2026; Fresha’s page served Canadian prices on September 25, 2026, so no Fresha figure is printed.
Compare the same business in both systems
Compare Fresha and Timely on one business: the same country, number of bookable staff and billing period.
If the table is wider than your screen, scroll sideways to see every column.
| Platform | US subscription basis | Other costs / limits | Decision check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha | Independent and Team subscriptions; US price not confirmed (the page served Canadian prices on September 25, 2026) | One-time fee on qualifying new marketplace clients; no marketplace fee listed for returning clients | Compare direct versus marketplace bookings and bookable-member billing in the same market. |
| Timely | By number of bookable staff: $26, $39 or $47 a month for one (Build, Elevate, Innovate); $122, $155 or $191 for five; Elevate $241 and Innovate $300 flat from 8 to 19 staff (selector read September 27, 2026) | 100, 200 or 350 SMS per staff member a month (read September 25, 2026), then a per-SMS charge; card processing extra, rate not on the pricing page; Build only for 1 to 7 staff | Record the selector total at today’s headcount and the next one you expect. |
Subscription, card processing, messaging and marketplace fees are separate lines; compare each one, not only the monthly plan.
Use the same country, currency, team size and billing interval for both quotes. Leave unresolved totals uncalculated.
Quote worksheet
Take one US quote from Fresha and check the Timely column against your own selector read. The Timely cells show what its US pricing page listed on September 25 and 27, 2026; the Fresha column stays open until you hold a US quote.
If the table is wider than your screen, scroll sideways to see every column.
| Input | Fresha quote | Timely: US pricing page | What to record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country and currency | Confirm in quote | USA region, US dollars | Record the market and currency shown on the quote; do not convert another region's price. |
| Bookable staff | Confirm in quote | Your count; the selector runs 1 to 19, then 20 or more by call | Record the exact number of bookable staff the quote is priced for. |
| Administrative users | Confirm in quote | Confirm in quote | Record whether non-bookable admin logins are charged or included, and how many. |
| Locations | Confirm in quote | Confirm in quote | Record the number of locations covered and the charge for each additional one. |
| Selected plan | Confirm in quote | Build for 1 to 7 staff only; Elevate and Innovate up to 19 | Record the plan name that is actually selectable at your staff count. |
| Billing interval and commitment | Confirm in quote | Billed monthly; no contract | Record monthly or annual billing, the commitment length and any early-exit term. |
| Regular price and promotion end | Confirm in quote | Confirm in quote | Record the regular price, any promotional price and the date the promotion ends. |
| Reminder allowance and overage | Confirm in quote | 100, 200 or 350 SMS per staff member a month; overage: confirm in quote | Record included SMS/email notifications, the unit they are counted in and the per-message overage. |
| Marketing allowance and overage | Confirm in quote | Confirm in quote | Record included marketing messages, whether the allowance is per business or per staff member, and the overage. |
| New-client fee and eligibility | Confirm in quote | “No new client fees” on every plan | Record which bookings qualify for a marketplace or acquisition fee, the percentage and the amount it is charged on. |
| Payment method and card fees | Confirm in quote | Payments included apart from processing fees; rate not on the pricing page | Record the processor, the published card rate, per-transaction fees and any platform fee charged on top. |
| Stock and client-record tools | Confirm in quote | Build lists stock management; Elevate adds client photos and documents | Record whether retail stock, client records and notes are included on the quoted plan or cost extra. |
| Export scope | Confirm in quote | Confirm in quote | Record which client fields, notes and attachments can be exported and in which file format. |
| Source URL and quote date | Confirm in quote | gettimely.com/ | Record the exact page or quote document URL and the date you read it. |
Team costs from 1 to 19 staff
On September 27, 2026, with the USA region selected, Timely’s pricing selector showed $122, $155 or $191 a month for five bookable staff on Build, Elevate or Innovate, and each staff member after the first added $24, $29 or $36, up to seven staff. From eight to 19 staff, Elevate and Innovate showed flat totals of $241 and $300. Fresha’s US team price could not be read, so its column is yours to fill.
If the table is wider than your screen, scroll sideways to see every column.
| Bookable staff | Timely Build | Timely Elevate | Timely Innovate | Fresha: your US quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $26 | $39 | $47 | Independent: record |
| 2 | $50 | $68 | $83 | Team: record |
| 5 | $122 | $155 | $191 | Team: record |
| 6 | $146 | $184 | $227 | Team: record |
| 7 | $170 | $213 | $263 | Team: record |
| 8 | Not offered | $241 | $300 | Team: record |
| 12 | Not offered | $241 | $300 | Team: record |
| 19 | Not offered | $241 | $300 | Team: record |
| 20 or more | Not offered | Custom quote (book a call) | Custom quote (book a call) | Record |
Source: Timely’s pricing page with the USA region selected, read September 27, 2026. Each total is a monthly price, billed monthly; included SMS scales at 100, 200 or 350 per staff member a month. Subscriptions only: card processing and extra texts are left out. Fresha’s pricing page served Canadian prices on September 25, 2026, so no Fresha figure is printed.
Example from those totals: a salon growing from seven to eight staff pays $28 more a month on Elevate ($213 to $241) or $37 more on Innovate ($263 to $300) and must leave Build; growing from eight to 19 staff then adds nothing on either plan.
Obtain a fresh US quote for your current team and the next headcount you expect to reach. Record the selectable plan, total subscription, billing interval, included messages and any capacity restriction. A plan that cannot be selected for your team is not an available cheaper option.
Why a per-person average can mislead
A total divided by staff count is an average, not necessarily the vendor’s billing rule. The selector on Timely’s pricing page prints that average beside each total: on Elevate, $31 per staff member at five staff, $30.13 at eight, $20.08 at 12 and $12.68 at 19 (read September 27, 2026), while the total stays $241 from eight to 19 staff. Compare the selected total for your team and its eligible plan, not a per-person figure from another team size. Build is not offered past seven staff.
How Fresha bills a team and marketplace clients
Fresha sells separate Independent and Team subscriptions and charges a one-time fee when a qualifying new client finds your business through the Fresha marketplace; Fresha’s pricing page lists no marketplace fee for returning clients (read September 25, 2026, when the page served Canadian prices).
Do not convert the Canadian page into a US offer. Record the US subscription, qualifying marketplace-client fee, included notifications and marketing charges from a single confirmed market before calculating a comparison. Ask Fresha how bookings from your own website and links are counted before you compare acquisition costs. Our Fresha pricing page tracks its plans.
How the comparison was checked
We read Timely’s US pricing page twice: on September 25, 2026, with the USA region selected, for the plans and SMS allowances, and on September 27, 2026, with its staff selector set to 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 19 and 20 or more, recording each plan card. Fresha’s pricing page, read September 25, 2026, served Canadian prices, so no Fresha figure is printed. Nothing here comes from a hands-on account test; the buyer tests below are checks for your own trial.
Where Twizzlo fits
Twizzlo is web-based online booking and appointment scheduling software for appointment-based service businesses. Twizzlo Free costs $0 a month for up to 150 bookings, with no SMS, and is free forever, not a trial. Business Pro is $29.99 a month per business for unlimited bookings, with 50 SMS a month included, then $0.03 per additional SMS, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Both plans include unlimited staff and locations, so a new hire does not change the subscription, and support is available 24/7 by email. Online payments carry your Stripe processing rate plus a 1.5% Twizzlo platform fee.
Twizzlo does not run a consumer marketplace, so it fits businesses that already bring in their own clients. Twizzlo covers the booking side of a salon: an online booking page, email reminders (SMS on Business Pro), client records, staff schedules and shifts, and online payments with tips. See the current plan and payment terms before choosing.
Check specialist requirements before switching
List the salon workflows you need, then check which plan carries them. Timely’s US pricing page (read September 27, 2026) lists stock management and SMS and email reminders on Build; digital consultation forms, client photos and documents, a waitlist and targeted SMS campaigns from Elevate; and automatic consultation forms, staff sales targets and a dedicated SMS number on Innovate. Fresha’s plan features were not read for the US, so ask Fresha to demonstrate each required workflow on the plan it quotes. A feature listed on a pricing page is a claim to test, not a completed test.
Choose with one salon scenario
Test one new-client booking, one returning-client reschedule, a missed visit, a retail checkout if needed, and a client export. If marketplace acquisition is central, establish its fees and attribution first. If the team changes size, obtain the total at the next staff band before buying. Choose the product that completes your required work with an understood bill.
If the table is wider than your screen, scroll sideways to see every column.
| Buyer test | Pass evidence to request | Result |
|---|---|---|
| New-client booking | Correct staff member, service, time and disclosed fee on the confirmation. | Not tested in this comparison |
| Returning-client reschedule | One revised appointment and one reminder, with the sender shown. | Not tested in this comparison |
| Missed visit | The policy setting and the collection mechanism demonstrated separately. | Not tested in this comparison |
| Retail checkout if required | The product, tax and stock workflow shown end to end. | Not tested in this comparison |
| Client export | The actual fields and attachments exported, in a usable file format. | Not tested in this comparison |
If Timely is the product you have already ruled out, the narrower next task is set out in our timely alternative page. If Booksy or Vagaro is the other name on your list, our Fresha vs Booksy and Vagaro vs Fresha comparisons set out those pairs.
Sources and check dates
- https://
www.fresha.com/ : Fresha’s pricing page, read September 25, 2026; it served Canadian prices, so no Fresha figure is used.pricing - https://
www.gettimely.com/ : Timely’s pricing page with the USA region selected; plans and SMS allowances read September 25, 2026; staff selector totals for 1 to 20 or more staff read September 27, 2026.pricing/ - https://
twizzlo.com/ : Twizzlo plan and payment terms, read September 27, 2026.pricing/
Frequently asked questions
Can I multiply Timely’s solo price by my staff count?
No. On September 27, 2026, Timely’s US selector showed $122 a month on Build for five staff, not five times the $26 one-person price, because each staff member after the first adds $24; from eight to 19 staff, Elevate and Innovate show one flat total. Record the selector total for your own headcount.
Can I compare Canadian Fresha prices with a US Timely quote?
No. Use the same country, currency and billing interval. Fresha’s pricing page served Canadian prices when read on September 25, 2026, so this comparison prints no Fresha figure; take Fresha’s price from its US page or a US quote.
Is a lower subscription an equivalent replacement?
Only after the required salon workflow is demonstrated. Compare usage, acquisition and payment costs separately.
Which one charges for new clients, Fresha or Timely?
Timely’s US pricing page lists “No new client fees” on every plan (read September 27, 2026). Fresha’s pricing page lists a one-time fee when a qualifying new client finds your business through the Fresha marketplace, and no marketplace fee for returning clients (read September 25, 2026, when it served Canadian prices; confirm the US terms).
At what team size does Timely’s price stop rising?
At eight staff. On Timely’s US selector, read September 27, 2026, Elevate is $241 a month and Innovate $300 for any team of eight to 19 staff; Build is offered only to salons with one to seven staff, and teams of 20 or more are asked to book a call for a custom quote.
Sources and methodology
Prices read
- Timely’s pricing page (USA region) (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Build, Elevate and Innovate totals for 1 to 19 staff, the flat Elevate and Innovate totals from 8 staff, SMS included per staff member, no contract, no new client fees and the plan feature lines; plans and SMS allowances also read September 25, 2026
- Fresha’s pricing page (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Independent and Team subscription names and the marketplace fee structure for new and returning clients; the page served Canadian prices, so no Fresha figure is used
- Twizzlo pricing page (opens in a new tab)Read . Supports: Twizzlo plans, SMS allowance, 30-day money-back guarantee and online payment fees
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
- : Added Timely’s US team totals (read September 25 and 27, 2026), how Fresha bills teams and marketplace clients (read September 25, 2026), a verdict box and two FAQs; updated the Twizzlo plan details.
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