This guide sets out what Fresha charges in the UK, when it's still the right choice, and what to look for in a flat-fee alternative with no commission.
What Fresha charges in the UK
Fresha isn't free any more. Its UK pricing page lists £14.95 a month for an independent professional, or £9.95 a month for each bookable team member on the Team plan, plus VAT (checked October 2026).
On top of the subscription there's the marketplace new-client fee. When a brand-new client discovers you on the Fresha marketplace and books online, Fresha charges a one-time 20% of that first appointment, with a £4 minimum, plus VAT (Fresha help centre, checked October 2026). Returning clients, and clients who book through your own link, Facebook or Instagram without finding you on the marketplace first, aren't charged that fee.
Card payments taken through Fresha are charged separately. Fresha's UK pricing page lists 1.40% + 25p for online payments and 1.19% + 20p in person, plus VAT (checked October 2026).
A worked example
Take a four-chair salon on the Team plan. The subscription is 4 × £9.95 = £39.80 a month before VAT. Say six new clients a month find the salon on the marketplace, each booking a £40 first appointment. That's 6 × £8 = £48 in new-client fees. Before VAT and card fees, the month costs £87.80.
That isn't necessarily a bad deal. Six new clients who keep coming back are worth far more than £48. The real question is whether you need the marketplace to find them, or whether they'd have found you anyway.
When Fresha is still the right choice
Be honest about what you actually use. Fresha is likely the better fit if:
- You're new and want a marketplace to send you clients.
- You sell memberships, packages, gift cards or retail stock.
- You want a till and card terminal from the same company.
- You take card payments and deposits online as standard.
When a flat-fee alternative makes more sense
A simpler, flat-fee system usually makes more sense when:
- Most of your bookings come from regulars.
- New clients find you on Google, Instagram or by word of mouth, not on a marketplace.
- Your team is growing and a per-person price keeps climbing.
- You'd rather your booking page showed only your business, with no other salons a tap away.
What to look for in a Fresha alternative
Whatever you choose, check these before you move:
- Flat pricing. Is the price the same for one person and six? Are there per-staff or per-location charges?
- No commission. Not on new clients, not on regulars, not on any booking.
- Unlimited bookings. Some free and low-cost plans cap bookings each month.
- Easy booking for clients. Can people book without creating an account or downloading an app?
- Reschedule and cancel links. Clients who can move an appointment themselves are less likely to simply not turn up.
- Reminders. Email reminders should be included. Check what text reminders cost.
- Staff diaries. Each person should have their own calendar and hours.
- More than one location, if you need it.
- A monthly plan you can leave when you like.
How Bookupy compares
Bookupy is a UK online booking system for small appointment businesses, run from Warrington. It's one of the UK's lowest-priced options: £8.99 a month flat, unlimited bookings, no commission.
Clients book from your own booking page without an account. They can choose more than one service in a single booking, and confirmations include links to reschedule or cancel. Email confirmations and reminders are included, and text reminders are an optional £5 a month add-on. Each member of staff gets their own calendar, and you can run more than one location from one account. There's a 30-day free trial.
Bookupy isn't a big consumer marketplace. It won't put your salon in front of people browsing for a treatment nearby, and it doesn't pretend to. What it gives you is a clean booking page to share on Instagram, your Google Business Profile and your website, at a flat price that doesn't rise when a new client books. Clients pay you directly, so Bookupy doesn't take card payments or deposits.
| Fresha (UK, Oct 2026, ex VAT) | Bookupy | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | £14.95 independent, or £9.95 per team member | £8.99 for the whole business |
| New marketplace clients | One-time 20%, £4 minimum | No fee |
| Commission on regulars | None | None |
| Text reminders | See Fresha's pricing page | Optional, £5 a month |
| Card payments and deposits | Yes, 1.40% + 25p online, 1.19% + 20p in person | No. Clients pay you directly |
| Consumer marketplace | Yes | No |
| Four-chair example month | £87.80 (with six marketplace clients) | £8.99 |
How to switch without losing clients
- Export your client list from Fresha, if your plan allows it, so you have names, emails and numbers to hand.
- Set up your services, prices, times and staff in the new system, then make a test booking yourself.
- Put the new booking link in your Instagram bio, your Google Business Profile and your website.
- Send regulars a short message with the new link and tell them nothing else changes.
- Run both diaries side by side for a couple of weeks while existing Fresha appointments play out, then close the old one.
Fresha is a trademark of its owner. Bookupy is not affiliated with Fresha. Fresha prices checked October 2026 and shown excluding VAT.
Questions
Is Fresha free in the UK?
No. As of October 2026 Fresha's UK pricing page lists £14.95 a month for one independent professional, or £9.95 a month per bookable team member, plus VAT.
Does Fresha charge commission on every booking?
No. Fresha's one-time 20% fee (minimum £4, plus VAT) applies only to brand-new clients who discover you through the Fresha marketplace. Returning clients and direct bookings aren't charged it.
Which booking systems charge no commission?
Several UK systems, including Bookupy, charge a flat monthly fee and take no commission on any booking. Compare what's in the price, especially text reminders and extra staff.
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