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Software · head to head

Fresha vs Cal.com

Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cal.com logo

Cal.com

Software

Scheduling infrastructure for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Cal.com free plan limited to single user only
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Online booking, Cal.com covers Custom booking pages.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Cal.com actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Cal.com differ
AttributeFreshaCal.com
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile app, Browser extension
Founded20152021

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 Fresha

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

Only in Cal.com

  • Custom booking pages
  • Team scheduling
  • Collective scheduling
  • Routing forms
  • Webhooks
  • Outlook
  • Zoom
  • Google Meet

Both cover

  • Google Calendar
  • Stripe
  • 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 Cal.com
  • Attracting new clients through the Fresha consumer marketplacenot Cal.com
  • Sending appointment reminders and marketing campaigns to clientsnot Cal.com

Cal.com

  • Schedule meetings and manage availabilitynot Fresha
  • Accept payments via Stripe and PayPalnot Fresha
  • Integrate with Salesforce and HubSpotnot 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

Cal.com

  • Free plan limited to single user only
  • Free plan restricted to 1 user account
  • Teams plan requires yearly billing at $12/user/month
  • Organizations plan requires yearly billing at $28/user/month
  • Free plan lacks team collaboration features

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

Cal.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cal.com review.

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 Cal.com if

  • You need custom booking pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension.
  • You also want team scheduling.
Cal.com review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Cal.com better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Cal.com at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Cal.com?
Fresha starts at Free and Cal.com at Free.
Does Fresha or Cal.com run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Cal.com runs on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension.
Can I use Fresha for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Cal.com is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Cal.com cannot?
Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale. Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Team scheduling, Collective scheduling, Routing forms. Both handle Google Calendar, Stripe, Web support.
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Related pages

More on Fresha

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