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Software · head to head

Fresha vs Boulevard

Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Boulevard logo

Boulevard

Software

Client experience platform for salons

From
$175/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; Boulevard pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Online booking, Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Boulevard actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Boulevard differ
AttributeFreshaBoulevard
Starting priceFree$175/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20152016

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

  • Online booking
  • Appointment management
  • Client database
  • Staff scheduling
  • Marketing tools
  • Reports & analytics
  • Apple Calendar
  • Facebook

Only in Boulevard

  • Intelligent scheduling
  • Client profiles
  • Staff management
  • Gift cards & packages
  • Two-way messaging
  • Business analytics
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

Both cover

  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Google Calendar
  • Instagram
  • 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 Boulevard
  • Attracting new clients through the Fresha consumer marketplacenot Boulevard
  • Sending appointment reminders and marketing campaigns to clientsnot Boulevard

Boulevard

  • Appointment booking and client management for salons, spas and medspasnot Fresha
  • Running point of sale and card payments alongside schedulingnot Fresha
  • Automated client messaging, intake forms and marketing campaignsnot 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

Boulevard

  • Pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site
  • The Essentials plan caps the business at 5 professionals; unlimited professionals require the Premier plan
  • Text and email allowances are metered per plan, with email blasts charged at $0.01 each beyond the plan allocation
  • Forms cost from $65 per month per location unless you are on the top Prestige plan
  • QuickBooks integration is an add on at $45 per month per location
  • ePrescribe is $45 per prescriber on top of the plan
  • Enterprise pricing is by consultation with no published rate

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

Boulevard

$175/month
  • Essential$175/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • Point of sale
  • Premier$325/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Advanced booking
    • Marketing tools
  • Prestige$undefined/month
    • Everything in Premier
    • Multi-location
    • API access

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Boulevard if

  • You need intelligent scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client profiles.
Boulevard review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Boulevard better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Boulevard at $175/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Boulevard?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fresha and $175/month for Boulevard.
Does Fresha or Boulevard run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Boulevard 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. Boulevard starts at $175/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 Boulevard is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Boulevard cannot?
Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Staff scheduling. Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling, Client profiles, Staff management, Gift cards & packages. Both handle Point of sale, Inventory management, Google Calendar, Instagram.
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