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Software · head to head

Fresha vs Booker by Mindbody

Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Booker by Mindbody logo

Booker by Mindbody

Software

Complete spa management solution

From
$129/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; Booker by Mindbody only the Starter plan carries a published price, from $139 per month; Accelerate, Ultimate and Enterprise are quote only
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Appointment management, Booker by Mindbody covers Client management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Booker by Mindbody actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Booker by Mindbody differ
AttributeFreshaBooker by Mindbody
Starting priceFree$129/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20152001

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 Fresha

  • Appointment management
  • Client database
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Marketing tools
  • Reports & analytics
  • Google Calendar
  • Apple Calendar

Only in Booker by Mindbody

  • Client management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing automation
  • Gift cards
  • Packages & memberships
  • Reporting & analytics
  • QuickBooks
  • Mailchimp

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Point of sale
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Stripe
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

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 Booker by Mindbody
  • Attracting new clients through the Fresha consumer marketplacenot Booker by Mindbody
  • Sending appointment reminders and marketing campaigns to clientsnot Booker by Mindbody

Booker by Mindbody

  • Booking and managing appointments for spas and salonsnot Fresha
  • Running point of sale, payments and staff scheduling in one systemnot Fresha
  • Listing a business on the Mindbody consumer app to attract clientsnot 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

Booker by Mindbody

  • Only the Starter plan carries a published price, from $139 per month; Accelerate, Ultimate and Enterprise are quote only
  • The Starter plan limits staff logins and provides basic reporting only
  • Marketing automation, reviews and referrals, and unlimited two way text messaging are restricted to the Ultimate tier
  • The Messenger AI chatbot is a paid add on even on the higher tiers

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

Booker by Mindbody

$129/month
  • Essential$129/month
    • Online booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Accelerate$259/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Advanced marketing
    • Inventory management
  • Ultimate$399/month
    • Everything in Accelerate
    • Premium support
    • Advanced analytics

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 Booker by Mindbody if

  • You need client management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want inventory tracking.
Booker by Mindbody review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Booker by Mindbody better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Booker by Mindbody at $129/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Booker by Mindbody?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fresha and $129/month for Booker by Mindbody.
Does Fresha or Booker by Mindbody run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Booker by Mindbody runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Fresha for free?
Yes. Fresha has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Booker by Mindbody starts at $129/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 Booker by Mindbody is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Booker by Mindbody cannot?
Fresha covers Appointment management, Client database, Inventory management, Staff scheduling. Booker by Mindbody covers Client management, Inventory tracking, Marketing automation, Gift cards. Both handle Online booking, Point of sale, Instagram, Facebook.
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