Fresha alternatives UK 2026: 7 platforms that won't charge 20% on every new client

Let me tell you a story that a lot of salon owners recognise.

You 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.

For a £60 appointment, that's £12 gone before you've said hello.

For a busy salon bringing in 40 new clients a month, that's £480 a month. Nearly £6,000 a year. Just to receive bookings.

This is what happened in 2025. Thousands of UK salon owners are now looking for the exit.

Why Fresha changed

Fresha 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.

The 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.

On top of that: £14.95 per staff member per month. Plus 1.29% plus 20p on every card transaction.

For 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.

What to look for in an alternative

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.

What is the real total cost? Add up subscription, transaction fees, and any commission. The sticker price is never the full story.

Does it handle deposits? No-shows cost UK salons £1.6 billion a year. Any platform worth using makes deposits easy.

Is it built for UK businesses? GDPR compliance, GBP pricing, UK bank integrations, UK customer support — these matter.

The 7 best Fresha alternatives for UK salons

1. ReeveOS — best for zero commission, UK-built

No marketplace. No commission. Your clients book through your branded booking page and you keep 100% of every appointment.

Free 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.

Card payments through Dojo at 0.3% debit / 0.7% credit — substantially cheaper than Fresha's 1.29% + 20p.

Pricing: Free to £149/month. Zero commission.

2. Booksy — best for barbershops and salons wanting a clean app

Strong 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.

Pricing: From £29.99/month.

3. Timely — best for solo practitioners wanting simple booking

New Zealand company. Clean, simple booking tool. No marketplace, no commission. No built-in consultation forms, no EPOS, limited GDPR features.

Pricing: From around £20/month per staff.

4. Phorest — best for larger salons with 5+ staff

20 years in the industry. Sophisticated marketing and retention features. Expensive for smaller operations — most mid-sized salons pay £100/month or more.

Pricing: From ~£99/month.

5. Treatwell — best for filling last-minute slots via marketplace

Consumer 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.

Pricing: 20–30% commission per marketplace booking.

6. Square Appointments — best for salons already using Square

Integrates 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.

Pricing: Free to £69/month + 1.75% per transaction.

7. Acuity Scheduling — best for freelancers needing a quick setup

Easiest to get started. Very limited for multi-staff salons. American product with minimal UK compliance features.

Pricing: £14 to £45/month.

The honest cost comparison

3-staff salon, £60 average, 40 appointments/week, 30% new clients:

How to leave Fresha

Export 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.

The whole process takes about a week. The saving starts from day one.