{"id":"69ef2a1f9345e463ccef4d42","title":"How much does Fresha actually cost UK salons in 2026? The real numbers, not the marketing","slug":"how-much-does-fresha-cost-uk-2026","excerpt":"Fresha's pricing page makes it look simple. But there are three separate ways they charge you, and when you add them all up, most salons are paying far more than they realise.","category":"salons","tags":["software-comparisons","pricing-profitability"],"featured_image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1556742049-0cfed4f6a45d?w=1400&h=700&fit=crop","featured_image_alt":"UK salon owner reviewing business costs on a laptop at the front desk","author":"ReeveOS Team","author_role":"Platform Operations","published_at":"2026-03-16T05:20:51.653000","updated_at":"2026-03-16T00:00:00","read_time":"3 min","word_count":659,"featured":false,"trending":false,"hero_svg":"\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\nFresha's Marketing vs Reality\n\n\n\n \n \n \n Marketed Price\n \n Simple pricing claim\n Hidden extra charges\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Actual Cost\n \n \n \n Total fees revealed\n Hidden extra charges\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":"A two-column comparison of Fresha's marketed prices versus the real costs for UK salons in 2026.","content":"# How much does Fresha actually cost UK salons in 2026?\n\nImagine you have a jar on your kitchen counter. Every time a new client books with you through Fresha, someone reaches in and takes 20p out of every pound that appointment earned you.\n\nThat is, roughly speaking, what Fresha's current pricing model does. And it is not the only way they charge you.\n\nThis article walks through all three layers of Fresha's fees so you know exactly what you're paying, or what you'd be paying if you joined today.\n\n## The three ways Fresha charges you\n\n### Layer 1: Monthly subscription\n\nFresha charges £14.95 per staff member per month. Not per business, per person.\n\n- 1 person: £14.95/month = £179.40/year\n- 3 people: £44.85/month = £538.20/year\n- 5 people: £74.75/month = £897.00/year\n\nThis is the predictable fee. The one you can see coming. It feels manageable. But it is only the beginning.\n\n### Layer 2: New client commission\n\nThis is the one that catches salons off guard.\n\nEvery time a new client books with you through the Fresha marketplace, meaning they found you by searching on Fresha's app or website, Fresha charges 20% of that appointment's value.\n\n- £50 colour: £10 commission\n- £80 highlights: £16 commission\n- £120 full head colour: £24 commission\n\nNow multiply that by how many new clients you get per month. A busy salon might get 50 new clients a month. At £60 average and 20% commission, that's £600 per month, £7,200 per year, just for the new client channel.\n\n### Layer 3: Card processing fees\n\nEvery time a client pays by card through Fresha, they take 1.29% plus 20p. For a £60 appointment, that's roughly £1 per transaction.\n\nFor a salon doing 200 appointments a month, that's about £200/month, £2,400/year.\n\n## What a typical UK salon actually pays\n\nA 3-staff salon in a busy town, £60 average appointment, 200 appointments a month, 30% new clients through the marketplace:\n\n| Fee | Monthly | Annual |\n|---|---|---|\n| Subscription (3 staff) | £44.85 | £538 |\n| New client commission (60 × 20% × £60) | £720 | £8,640 |\n| Processing fees (200 transactions) | £200 | £2,400 |\n| **Total** | **£964.85** | **£11,578** |\n\nNearly £12,000 per year. For a booking tool.\n\n## But doesn't Fresha bring you those new clients?\n\nThis is the fair question. Fresha does bring new clients through their marketplace. The question is whether 20% of each appointment is the right price to pay for it.\n\nCompare it to Google Ads, where acquiring a new salon client in the UK costs roughly £8–£20. Fresha's 20% commission on a £60 appointment is £12, similar range. But there's a key difference.\n\nWith Google Ads, once you pay to acquire a customer, they are fully yours, in your database, with your brand. With Fresha, that client exists in Fresha's database. Fresha can recommend other salons to them tomorrow.\n\nYou're not just paying to acquire a client. You're paying to borrow one from Fresha's platform.\n\n## What salons use instead\n\nThe main alternatives charge a flat monthly fee and take zero commission. You pay for the software; you keep all the revenue. Any client you win, through Instagram, Google, word of mouth, or your own booking link, is 100% yours.\n\nReeveOS, for example, charges £29/month for the Growth plan. That same 3-staff salon would pay £348/year versus the Fresha example of £11,578. The difference is £11,230. Per year.\n\nThat is not a rounding error.\n\n## How to find out what you personally pay Fresha\n\nLook in your Fresha dashboard under Reports or Financial Summary. Add up subscription fees, commission charges, and processing fees over the past 12 months.\n\nOr use our free Fresha Cost Calculator, enter your number of staff, average appointment price, and roughly how many new clients you get each month. It calculates your current annual Fresha bill and shows you what you'd pay on alternative platforms.\n\nMost people find the total considerably higher than they expected.","seo":{"meta_title":"How Much Does Fresha Cost UK Salons in 2026? Real Breakdown","meta_description":"Fresha has three fee layers, subscription, 20% new client commission, and transaction fees. Here's what a UK salon actually pays in 2026."},"tldr":["Fresha charges through three layers: a per-staff monthly subscription, 20% commission on new client bookings, and card processing fees.","A typical UK salon with three staff ends up paying nearly £12,000 annually when all fees are added.","Alternatives like ReeveOS provide a flat monthly fee without commissions, allowing salons to keep all revenue from clients."],"faqs":[{"q":"How much does Fresha charge per month?","a":"Fresha charges £14.95 per staff member per month. A 1-person salon pays £14.95/month. A 3-person team pays £44.85/month. A 5-person team pays £74.75/month. These are subscription fees only, commission and transaction fees are charged separately on top."},{"q":"Does Fresha charge commission on bookings?","a":"Yes. Fresha charges 20% commission on the value of every new client booking made through the Fresha marketplace. This is in addition to the monthly subscription. The commission applies to the first booking each new client makes with you via the Fresha platform."},{"q":"What are Fresha's card processing fees?","a":"Fresha charges 1.29% of the payment value plus 20p on every card transaction processed through their payment system. For a £60 appointment this is approximately 97p per transaction."},{"q":"Is there a free version of Fresha in 2026?","a":"Fresha no longer offers a meaningful free tier. Their free plan is very limited and most salons need a paid subscription. Fresha changed their pricing model in 2025 and now charges per staff member plus commission on new client bookings."}],"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":"pricing-intel","direct_answer":"Fresha charges UK salons in three ways: (1) £14.95 per staff member per month subscription fee, (2) 20% commission on every new client booking made through the Fresha marketplace, and (3) 1.29% + 20p card processing fee per transaction. For a 3-staff UK salon with 30% new clients and £60 average service price, total annual costs typically range from £8,000 to £11,000.","key_facts":[{"fact":"Fresha subscription: £14.95 per staff member per month (verified March 2026)"},{"fact":"Fresha new client commission: 20% of appointment value for all marketplace bookings"},{"fact":"Fresha card processing: 1.29% + 20p per transaction"},{"fact":"3-staff UK salon estimated annual Fresha cost: £8,000–£11,000"},{"fact":"Fresha had a free tier until 2025, this has now been discontinued"}],"fan_out_queries":[{"q":"How much do I pay Fresha each month for my salon team?","covered_in":"faq"},{"q":"What commission does Fresha take on new bookings for my salon?","covered_in":"faq"},{"q":"Is the total cost for Fresha really over £11,000 a year for a busy salon like mine?","covered_in":"direct_answer"},{"q":"How does Fresha's pricing compare to other options for my salon?","covered_in":"key_facts"},{"q":"What are the different fees Fresha charges for my salon operations?","covered_in":"h2:the-three-ways-fresha-charges-you"},{"q":"How can I work out exactly what I'm paying Fresha for my salon?","covered_in":"h2:how-to-find-out-what-you-personally-pay-fresha"},{"q":"Does Fresha help bring in new clients for my salon, and is it worth the cost?","covered_in":"h2:but-doesn-t-fresha-bring-you-those-new-clients"}],"cta_title":"","cta_desc":"","cta_link":"https://reeveos.app/tools/fresha-cost-calculator","cta_button":"Calculate your exact Fresha cost","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":[]}