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Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Fresha vs Acuity Scheduling

Fresha logo

Fresha

Scheduling & Booking

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Scheduling & Booking

Scheduling made simple

From
$16/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

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

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Fresha and Acuity Scheduling differ
AttributeFreshaAcuity Scheduling
Starting priceFree$16/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20152003

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Scheduling & Booking).

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 Fresha

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

Only in Acuity Scheduling

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

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.

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

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Acuity Scheduling

$16/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

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

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Acuity Scheduling better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Acuity Scheduling at $16/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Acuity Scheduling?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fresha and $16/month for Acuity Scheduling.
Does Fresha or Acuity Scheduling run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Acuity Scheduling runs on Web.
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 Fresha best used for?
Fresha is most often used for running appointment booking and point of sale for salons and spas, attracting new clients through the fresha consumer marketplace, sending appointment reminders and marketing campaigns to clients. Of those, running appointment booking and point of sale for salons and spas and attracting new clients through the fresha consumer marketplace are not what Acuity Scheduling is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Acuity Scheduling cannot?
Fresha covers Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale, Inventory management. Acuity Scheduling covers Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing, Email reminders. Both handle Online booking, Google Calendar, Stripe, PCI DSS.
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