Softwr

Software · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Fresha

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Software

Scheduling made simple

From
$16/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Fresha has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Fresha fresha charges a 50 percent one time commission on each new client booked through its marketplace, subject to a minimum fee per client
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Appointment types, Fresha covers Appointment management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and Fresha actually diverge.

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Fresha differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingFresha
Starting price$16/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20032015

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Acuity Scheduling

  • Appointment types
  • Calendar sync
  • Payment processing
  • Email reminders
  • Client self-scheduling
  • Packages & memberships
  • Timezone detection
  • Squarespace

Only in Fresha

  • Appointment management
  • Client database
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Marketing tools
  • Reports & analytics
  • Apple Calendar

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Google Calendar
  • Stripe
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversionnot Fresha
  • HIPAA-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitionersnot Fresha
  • Multi-location scheduling with multiple staff membersnot Fresha
  • Membership, package sales, and gift certificate managementnot Fresha

Fresha

  • Running appointment booking and point of sale for salons and spasnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Attracting new clients through the Fresha consumer marketplacenot Acuity Scheduling
  • Sending appointment reminders and marketing campaigns to clientsnot Acuity Scheduling

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Starter tier limited to 1 calendar only
  • SMS/text reminders, memberships, and gift certificates require Standard or Premium tier
  • HIPAA compliance (BAA signature) exclusive to Premium tier at $49/month
  • Custom API and CSS access, and Acuity branding removal require Premium tier

Fresha

  • Fresha charges a 50 percent one time commission on each new client booked through its marketplace, subject to a minimum fee per client
  • Online card payments carry a 4.90 percent plus fixed fee per transaction charge on top of the subscription
  • Only 20 SMS or WhatsApp notifications and 50 marketing emails are free each month; everything beyond that is billed per message
  • Team and Enterprise plans are quoted as custom rates with no published figure
  • Add ons such as Team Connect and Insights are billed per team member per month on top of the plan
  • Enterprise pricing applies to businesses with 20 or more team members

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

$16/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.

Fresha

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Unlimited staff
    • Online booking
  • Payments (Add-on)$2.19/transaction
    • Card payments
    • Contactless payments
    • Online payments
  • Marketing (Add-on)$0.01/message
    • Email campaigns
    • SMS marketing
    • Automated messages

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

  • You need appointment types.
  • You also want calendar sync.
Acuity Scheduling review

Choose Fresha if

  • You need appointment management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client database.
Fresha review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Fresha better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Fresha at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Fresha?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $16/month for Acuity Scheduling and Free for Fresha.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Fresha run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Fresha for free?
Yes. Fresha has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month.
What is Acuity Scheduling best used for?
Acuity Scheduling is most often used for client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion, hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners, multi-location scheduling with multiple staff members, membership, package sales, and gift certificate management. Of those, client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion and hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners are not what Fresha is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Fresha cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing, Email reminders. Fresha covers Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale, Inventory management. Both handle Online booking, Google Calendar, Stripe, PCI DSS.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Acuity Scheduling

More on Fresha

Keep looking

Other head to heads