{"id":"69ef2a1f9345e463ccef4d4a","title":"Fresha alternatives UK 2026: 7 platforms that won't charge 20% on every new client","slug":"fresha-alternatives-uk-2026","excerpt":"Fresha used to be free. Then in 2025 they started charging 20% commission on every new client. For a busy salon, that adds up fast. Here are 7 alternatives.","category":"salons","tags":["software-comparisons"],"featured_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1560066984-138dadb4c035?w=1400&h=700&fit=crop","featured_image_alt":"UK hair salon interior with styling chairs","author":"ReeveOS Team","author_role":"Platform Operations","published_at":"2026-03-16T05:36:30.581000","updated_at":"2026-04-27T10:16:29.191000","read_time":"4 min","word_count":822,"featured":false,"trending":false,"hero_svg":"\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\nFresha vs No-Fee Options\n\n\n\n \n \n \n Fresha\n \n Charges 20 percent.\n Supports salons.\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Free Alternatives\n \n \n \n No commission fees.\n Supports salons.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n","hero_svg_alt":"Comparison of Fresha and its 2026 UK alternatives for salons, showing fees versus no-fee options in a two-column layout.","content":"# Fresha alternatives UK 2026: 7 platforms that won't charge 20% on every new client\n\nLet me tell you a story that a lot of salon owners recognise.\n\nYou join Fresha because it's free. Your bookings come in. New clients find you on their app. Life is good. Then one day you get an email. Fresha is changing how they charge. From now on, every new client that books through their platform costs you 20% of that appointment's value.\n\nFor a £60 appointment, that's £12 gone before you've said hello.\n\nFor a busy salon bringing in 40 new clients a month, that's £480 a month. Nearly £6,000 a year. Just to receive bookings.\n\nThis is what happened in 2025. Thousands of UK salon owners are now looking for the exit.\n\n## Why Fresha changed\n\nFresha built their business by being free. That attracted millions of salons worldwide. Now they need to make that back. The 20% new client commission is how.\n\nThe more your business grows, the more you pay Fresha. Think about that. Winning new clients now means handing a fifth of that appointment to a platform.\n\nOn top of that: £14.95 per staff member per month. Plus 1.29% plus 20p on every card transaction.\n\nFor a 3-person salon: £538 a year in subscriptions, up to £7,200 in new client commission, plus £2,400 in transaction fees. That's potentially £10,000+ a year.\n\n## What to look for in an alternative\n\n**Do you own your client data?** With Fresha, your clients also sit in Fresha's database. They can recommend other salons to your clients. With a true alternative, your clients are yours.\n\n**What is the real total cost?** Add up subscription, transaction fees, and any commission. The sticker price is never the full story.\n\n**Does it handle deposits?** No-shows cost UK salons £1.6 billion a year. Any platform worth using makes deposits easy.\n\n**Is it built for UK businesses?** GDPR compliance, GBP pricing, UK bank integrations, UK customer support, these matter.\n\n## The 7 best Fresha alternatives for UK salons\n\n### 1. ReeveOS, best for zero commission, UK-built\n\nNo marketplace. No commission. Your clients book through your branded booking page and you keep 100% of every appointment.\n\nFree plan for solo practitioners. Growth plan at £29/month for up to 5 staff includes deposits, automated reminders, and a full CRM. Aesthetics clinics also get digital consent forms, no other platform at this price includes that.\n\nCard payments through Dojo. Rates are personalised on volume, reply for a quote and you'll typically come in well under Fresha's 1.29% + 20p.\n\n**Pricing:** Free to £149/month. Zero commission.\n\n---\n\n### 2. Booksy, best for barbershops and salons wanting a clean app\n\nStrong brand recognition. Clean booking interface clients know how to use. Per-person pricing adds up for larger teams: £29.99/month base + £20 per additional staff member.\n\n**Pricing:** From £29.99/month.\n\n---\n\n### 3. Timely, best for solo practitioners wanting simple booking\n\nNew Zealand company. Clean, simple booking tool. No marketplace, no commission. No built-in consultation forms, no EPOS, limited GDPR features.\n\n**Pricing:** From around £20/month per staff.\n\n---\n\n### 4. Phorest, best for larger salons with 5+ staff\n\n20 years in the industry. Sophisticated marketing and retention features. Expensive for smaller operations, most mid-sized salons pay £100/month or more.\n\n**Pricing:** From ~£99/month.\n\n---\n\n### 5. Treatwell, best for filling last-minute slots via marketplace\n\nConsumer marketplace first, management tool second. High commission (20–30%) and the client relationship sits with Treatwell. Works as a secondary channel for filling gaps, not as a primary system.\n\n**Pricing:** 20–30% commission per marketplace booking.\n\n---\n\n### 6. Square Appointments, best for salons already using Square\n\nIntegrates with Square card readers. The 1.75% transaction fee becomes expensive at volume. For a salon doing £15,000/month in card sales, that's £262/month in processing fees alone, £3,150/year. Dojo through ReeveOS on the same volume costs around £50/month.\n\n**Pricing:** Free to £69/month + 1.75% per transaction.\n\n---\n\n### 7. Acuity Scheduling, best for freelancers needing a quick setup\n\nEasiest to get started. Very limited for multi-staff salons. American product with minimal UK compliance features.\n\n**Pricing:** £14 to £45/month.\n\n---\n\n## The honest cost comparison\n\n3-staff salon, £60 average, 40 appointments/week, 30% new clients:\n\n| Platform | Annual subscription | Commission | Processing | Total |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n| Fresha | £538 | £4,320–£7,200 | £2,400 | £7,258–£10,138 |\n| ReeveOS Growth | £348 | £0 | ~£600 | £948 |\n| Booksy (3 staff) | £840 | £0 | separate | £840+ |\n| Phorest | £1,188 | £0 | separate | £1,188+ |\n| Timely (3 staff) | £720 | £0 | separate | £720+ |\n\n## How to leave Fresha\n\nExport your client list from your Fresha dashboard (Reports → Clients → Export). You get a CSV spreadsheet. Import it into your new platform. Update your Instagram bio, Google Business Profile, and any other booking links. Send your regulars a short message with the new link.\n\nThe whole process takes about a week. The saving starts from day one.","seo":{"meta_title":"Fresha alternatives UK 2026: 7 platforms that won't charge 2","meta_description":"Fresha now charges 20% commission on every new client. Here are 7 UK alternatives that let you keep that money."},"tldr":["Fresha now charges 20% on new clients, leading many UK salons to seek lower-cost alternatives","ReeveOS provides zero commission with pricing from free to £149 per month and features tailored for UK businesses","Other options like Booksy start at £29.99 per month and Timely at around £20 per staff per month","Salons can export their client data from Fresha and switch to a new platform in about a week"],"faqs":[{"q":"Is Fresha still free in 2026?","a":"No. Fresha now charges £14.95 per staff member per month, 20% commission on new marketplace bookings, and 1.29%+20p per card transaction."},{"q":"How much does Fresha cost a UK salon per year?","a":"A 3-staff salon with 30% new clients and £60 average service typically pays £8,000–£11,000 per year in total Fresha fees."},{"q":"Can I export my clients from Fresha?","a":"Yes. Fresha lets you export a CSV of your client data. Import it into any alternative platform, ReeveOS accepts CSV imports as part of setup."}],"lead_magnet_ids":[],"author_url":"https://reeveos.app/about","author_bio":"","reviewer":"ReeveOS Editorial","reviewer_credentials":"Platform Operations Team","reviewer_url":"https://reeveos.app/about","about":[],"mentions":[],"type":"competitor-alternative","direct_answer":"The best Fresha alternatives for UK salons in 2026 that won't charge 20% on every new client are ReeveOS, Booksy, Timely, Phorest, Treatwell, Square Appointments, and Acuity Scheduling. ReeveOS stands out with zero commission and plans starting from free up to £149 per month, including features like deposits and automated reminders. These platforms help salons manage bookings without the high fees, and for a three-staff salon, switching to ReeveOS could reduce annual costs to under £1,000 from Fresha's potential £10,000.","key_facts":["Fresha charges 20% commission on every new client booking","A busy salon with 40 new clients a month pays £480 in commissions","ReeveOS offers a free plan for solo practitioners and a growth plan at £29 per month for up to five staff","No-shows cost UK salons £1.6 billion a year","ReeveOS includes digital consent forms for aesthetics clinics at no extra cost on their growth plan","A three-staff salon using Fresha could pay over £10,000 annually in fees"],"fan_out_queries":[{"q":"What are the top alternatives to Fresha for my salon?","covered_in":"direct_answer"},{"q":"How much do these Fresha alternatives cost per month?","covered_in":"key_facts"},{"q":"Why should I switch from Fresha to something else?","covered_in":"tldr"},{"q":"Is Fresha still free in 2026?","covered_in":"faq"},{"q":"What caused Fresha to change their pricing?","covered_in":"h2:why-fresha-changed"},{"q":"What features should I look for in a booking platform?","covered_in":"h2:what-to-look-for-in-an-alternative"},{"q":"How do the costs of different platforms compare?","covered_in":"h2:the-honest-cost-comparison"},{"q":"How can I move my client data to a new system?","covered_in":"h2:how-to-leave-fresha"}],"cta_title":"","cta_desc":"","cta_link":"https://reeveos.app/tools/fresha-cost-calculator","cta_button":"Calculate your Fresha costs","sidebar_cta_title":"","sidebar_cta_desc":"","sidebar_cta_link":"","sidebar_cta_button":"","schema_offer_items":[],"schema_howto_steps":[],"schema_comparison_items":[],"schema_local_place":{},"schema_case_study_outcomes":[]}