5 Best Fresha alternatives in 2026 - honest comparison

Why switch away from Fresha?

Fresha is fine software, but a few reasons regularly drive owners to look elsewhere. First, cost: Fresha has no free plan. Per its pricing page, the Independent plan costs €14.95 per month for one person and the Team plan €9.95 per bookable team member per month, after a 7-day trial. Second, the payment model: online payments, deposits and no-show fees run via Fresha Payments. Per Fresha's European pricing page, online payments cost 1% + €0.20 per transaction and in-person payments 0.89% + €0.10, on top of the subscription. Third, the marketplace: brand-new clients who find you via the Fresha marketplace cost a one-time fee (returning clients do not); the amount is not listed on the European pricing page. Fourth, control: you do not process payments through your own Stripe or Mollie account, so you cannot negotiate your own rates. All 5 alternatives in this list approach at least one of these points differently.

1. Salonnare - best for NL free plan and iDEAL flexibility

Disclosure: Salonnare is our own product. We place ourselves at #1 because we believe we are the best pick for Dutch salons that want to save on transaction fees and keep their own payment relationship - but we evaluate ourselves honestly on pricing and features. Pros: forever-free plan (1 staff member, 50 bookings/month, all core features), paid plans starting at €29 (Starter, up to 3 staff) or €59 (Pro, unlimited staff + advanced modules). Where Fresha forces you through Fresha Payments, with Salonnare you connect your own Stripe or Mollie account. That means you negotiate your own transaction fees and receive iDEAL, Apple Pay, and card payouts directly to your account without a middle layer, for Salonnare's own platform fee of 0.5% (min. €0.30). Modern V2 UI, Dutch VAT-correct POS (21% services, 9% retail), audit trail ready for the tax authority, GDPR-compliant EU servers, an encrypted health-data vault (AES-256-GCM, GDPR Art. 9) for allergies and medication, role-based access per staff member (RBAC), and support in Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Turkish. Extras: no-show fee system via pre-authorization, recurring memberships, marketing campaigns (email), SSO (Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook), and a Progressive Web App so staff works on any device. Coming soon: Google review automation and a multi-location dashboard. Cons: younger product than Fresha, so a smaller international community and fewer case studies. Some niche features (advanced inventory forecasting) are still in development. Pricing: €0 Free / €29 Starter / €59 Pro. Annual prepay includes 2 months free. Best for: solo hairdressers, estheticians, nail salons, and chains up to 10 locations looking for a modern, Dutch-first solution with a low, fixed platform fee (0.5%, min. €0.30) on every payment. Start today with the free plan - no credit card required. See all features or the direct Salonnare vs Fresha comparison.

2. Salonized - best for established Dutch salons

Salonized is one of the best-known Dutch salon software packages and a logical Fresha replacement if you deliberately want an NL-first product. Pros: Dutch-language software with a cash register, online booking, client records, stock management and financial reports, Dutch-language support (phone, chat and email) and data stored in the EU (Frankfurt). For payments Salonized works with Mollie and Stripe, plus its own Salonized Pay terminal (from €199 + 1.0% transaction fee). Monthly cancellable, no setup costs. Cons: no free plan (14-day trial). Per Salonized's plan overview the Appointments plan costs €21 per month, Basic €39 and Pro €59, plus €5 to €7.50 per extra employee and a fee per extra location. Marketing tools such as the newsletter builder are only in Pro, and SMS reminders cost extra via credits. The Treatwell marketplace is available as an extra at 35% commission on new bookings. Pricing: from €21/month (excl. VAT), no free plan. Best for: established Dutch salons with an existing client base that value a proven NL vendor and want to choose their own payment provider. Torn between NL-first and starting free? Compare Salonnare vs Salonized.

3. Treatwell - best for marketplace reach

Treatwell is not traditional salon software but a marketplace with a built-in booking tool. Clients find your salon through the Treatwell app and website, and you pay commission on new clients the marketplace brings you. Pros: access to Treatwell's marketplace audience in several European countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium. A strong acquisition channel for new salons without an existing client base. The plan includes online booking, a calendar, a digital POS and unlimited team members. Cons: per Treatwell's pricing page, 35% commission on the first booking of a new client introduced via the marketplace (0% on repeat bookings) plus a 2% processing fee on online prepayments. With many new marketplace clients this adds up fast. Pricing: €35/month + 35% commission on new marketplace clients + 2% on online prepayments (per Treatwell, excl. VAT). Best for: new salons without an existing client base that need acquisition fast, or salons in tourist areas where marketplace traffic delivers many new visitors. Less suited as a pure Fresha replacement - consider a hybrid with Salonnare as backoffice and Treatwell purely for acquisition.

4. Booksy - best for mobile-first

Booksy is a mobile-first booking platform founded in Poland, with apps for both clients and professionals. Per its own website it is active in, among others, the US, the UK, Ireland, Poland, Spain, France, Germany and Brazil. Pros: strong mobile apps (iOS + Android) for staff and clients, one plan with all features included, a built-in marketplace where clients can find you, and Boost for extra visibility. Cons: there is no free plan (free trial of 7 days in the UK and Ireland, 14 days in the US). Booksy has no Dutch-language version and the Netherlands is not one of its markets. Per Booksy's pricing page, Boost charges a one-time 30% fee on the first visit of a new Boost client, with minimums and maximums that differ per country. The price also rises per extra team member. Pricing: differs per country, for example €34.99 + VAT per month in Spain (+ €8 per extra team member), €44 per month in Ireland (+ €5 per extra team member) and $29.99 in the US (+ $20 per extra user). Best for: salons in Booksy's markets that work mainly from a phone or tablet and want marketplace visibility. Less suited to Dutch salons, because there is no Dutch version.

5. Shortcuts - best for enterprise and chains

Shortcuts Software was founded in Australia in 1994 (head office in Brisbane) and, per its own website, is used in more than 14,000 salons in 45 countries. Its main product, Fusion, targets salons, spas and multi-site businesses. Pros: extensive functionality for salon groups (central client database, consolidated reporting, staff shared across locations), more than 50 pre-built reports and custom dashboards, stock ordering, rostering, marketing, and integrated payments via ShortcutsPay. For solo stylists there is a separate app, Shortcuts Aire. Cons: there is no public price list for Fusion; you book a demo for a quote. Shortcuts focuses on Australia/New Zealand, North America and the UK, and its website is English-only. For starters and solo salons the platform offers more than they need. Pricing: on request (via a demo). Best for: larger salon groups and franchise formulas operating in Shortcuts' markets. For most Fresha users it is more than needed.

How do you migrate away from Fresha?

Switching from Fresha to an alternative is less complex than it seems. Step 1: export your data from Fresha. Per Fresha's help center you can export your client list as CSV or Excel, and your appointments list as PDF, CSV or Excel. Do this on a quiet Friday evening so you have the weekend to test. Step 2: pick your new platform and create a free account (Salonnare has a free plan to test with). Step 3: import your client base via CSV - most platforms accept the same column structure (name, email, phone, notes). Step 4: configure services, prices, staff, and opening hours. In Salonnare this setup takes under an hour via the onboarding wizard, including connecting your own Mollie or Stripe account for iDEAL. Step 5: place the new booking widget on your website and update the booking link in your Google Business profile, Instagram bio, and WhatsApp Business. Step 6: inform your regulars via a short email that your booking system has been refreshed - Salonnare can send this automatically on your first campaign. Step 7: keep Fresha running in parallel for 1 month so historical data stays accessible, then cancel. Watch for any pending payouts in Fresha Payments before you close the account. The whole process usually takes less than one business day.

Which alternative fits which type of salon?

The best choice depends on your salon type, size, and growth stage. Solo esthetician or pedicurist (1 person): choose Salonnare Free. It costs €0 as a base and, via your own Mollie account, iDEAL payments go straight to your account for Salonnare's platform fee of 0.5% (min. €0.30) plus your provider's costs. Fresha costs €14.95 per month for one person, plus 1% + €0.20 per online payment. Starting hair salon (2-3 staff): Salonnare Starter (€29 for up to 3 staff). On Fresha's Team plan, three bookable team members cost 3 x €9.95 = €29.85 per month, plus payment fees. Established NL salon (4-8 staff): Salonnare Pro (€59, unlimited staff) or Salonized (from €21 per month plus a fee per employee). Chain (2-10 locations): Salonnare Pro (multi-location dashboard coming soon). Large salon group or franchise: Shortcuts or a comparable enterprise package. International growth or many foreign clients: here Fresha itself is often strong thanks to brand recognition and its marketplace; staying can be a fine choice. Salon with strong marketplace needs: use Treatwell as an acquisition channel alongside Salonnare as backoffice. For Dutch salons with a lot of iDEAL volume, Salonnare is often the cheaper choice, because there is no marketplace commission on your bookings and you pay your own provider's rates plus 0.5% (min. €0.30).

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