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Software · head to head

Census vs Fresha

Census logo

Census

Software

The reverse ETL infrastructure for data activation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Census census was folded into Fivetran Activations, per the vendor: "Previously, this was called a sync in Census", and its own pricing page redirects to Fivetran pricing rather than showing Census plans; 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: Census covers Reverse ETL, Fresha covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Census and Fresha actually diverge.

Attributes where Census and Fresha differ
AttributeCensusFresha
Pricing modelusage-basedfree
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20202015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Census

  • Reverse ETL
  • Data syncing
  • Transformation
  • Real-time activation
  • Error handling
  • Monitoring
  • Analytics
  • 150+ destinations

Only in Fresha

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

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Census

  • Syncing customer data from a warehouse into marketing and sales tools (reverse ETL)not Fresha

Fresha

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

Where each one falls short

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

Census

  • Census was folded into Fivetran Activations, per the vendor: "Previously, this was called a sync in Census", and its own pricing page redirects to Fivetran pricing rather than showing Census plans
  • Free Fivetran Activations tier caps at 3,500 monthly active rows

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

Census

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic syncing
    • Limited destinations
  • Pro$250/month
    • Advanced syncing
    • Email support
  • Enterprise$1500/month
    • Unlimited syncing
    • Dedicated support

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 Census if

  • You need reverse etl.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want data syncing.
Census 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 Census or Fresha better?
Neither clearly leads. Census starts at Free and Fresha at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Census or Fresha?
Census starts at Free and Fresha at Free.
Does Census or Fresha run on more platforms?
Census runs on Web, Api. Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Census for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Census best used for?
Census is most often used for syncing customer data from a warehouse into marketing and sales tools (reverse etl). Of those, syncing customer data from a warehouse into marketing and sales tools (reverse etl) is not what Fresha is typically brought in for.
What can Census do that Fresha cannot?
Census covers Reverse ETL, Data syncing, Transformation, Real-time activation. Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.
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