Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear vs Fresha

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fresha logo

Fresha

Scheduling & Booking

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: Bear built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client; Fresha fresha charges a 50 percent one time commission on each new client booked through its marketplace, subject to a minimum fee per client

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and Fresha actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and Fresha differ
AttributeBearFresha
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryProductivityScheduling & Booking
FoundedUnknown2015

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

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 Bear

Nothing recorded that Fresha does not also cover.

Only in Fresha

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

What people use each for

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

Bear

No use cases recorded yet. See the Bear review.

Fresha

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

Where each one falls short

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

Bear

  • Built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client
  • Free tier is limited to 3 themes, 1 app icon and restricted export formats; iCloud sync requires Bear Pro
  • Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year after a 7 day free trial

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

Bear

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bear 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 Bear if

Nothing in the data separates Bear from Fresha on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Bear review

Choose Fresha if

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

Questions people ask

Is Bear or Fresha better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear starts at On request and Fresha at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bear or Fresha?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Bear and Free for Fresha.
Does Bear or Fresha run on more platforms?
Bear 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. Bear starts at On request.
What can Bear do that Fresha cannot?
Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale.
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