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Software · head to head

CharlieHR vs Fresha

CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

Software

HR software built for small businesses

From
£5/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: CharlieHR limited payroll integration capabilities compared to dedicated payroll platforms; 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: CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Fresha covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and Fresha actually diverge.

Attributes where CharlieHR and Fresha differ
AttributeCharlieHRFresha
Starting price£5/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)Web, Ios, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2015).

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 CharlieHR

  • Employee Database
  • Time Off Management
  • Onboarding
  • Performance Reviews
  • Team Engagement
  • Company Directory
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace

Only in Fresha

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

CharlieHR

No use cases recorded yet. See the CharlieHR review.

Fresha

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

Where each one falls short

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

CharlieHR

  • Limited payroll integration capabilities compared to dedicated payroll platforms
  • Pricing structure geared toward UK and Europe, with limited localization for other regions
  • Add-on services like Charlie Recruit and Charlie Advice incur additional costs
  • Smaller employee base (approximately 30 people) compared to enterprise HR competitors

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

CharlieHR

£5/month
  • Core HR (Teams 1-4)$5/month
    • Employee onboarding
    • Time off management
    • Document storage

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 CharlieHR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android).
  • You also want time off management.
CharlieHR 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 CharlieHR or Fresha better?
Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at £5/month and Fresha at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Fresha?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £5/month for CharlieHR and Free for Fresha.
Does CharlieHR or Fresha run on more platforms?
CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). 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. CharlieHR starts at £5/month.
What can CharlieHR do that Fresha cannot?
CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Time Off Management, Onboarding, Performance Reviews. Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR offer a free plan?

CharlieHR does not have a free plan, but offers a 7-day free trial without requiring a credit card. Pricing starts at £5/month for teams of 1-4 employees.

Source
CharlieHR: What are CharlieHR's core features?

Core features include employee onboarding, time off tracking, performance reviews, document storage, employee engagement tools, and benefits management with access to 30,000+ discounts.

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR integrate with payroll systems?

CharlieHR integrates with major HR tech stacks and offers add-on services like Charlie Recruit for hiring automation. Payroll integration capabilities depend on the specific payroll provider you use.

Source
CharlieHR: Is CharlieHR GDPR compliant?

Yes. CharlieHR is GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified, providing strong data security and privacy compliance for European businesses.

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR support multi-currency?

CharlieHR's pricing is primarily in GBP (British Pounds). International users can access the platform but currency and localization options may be limited.

Source
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Related pages

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