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Software · head to head

Fresha vs Cloudbeds

Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cloudbeds logo

Cloudbeds

Software

Cloud-based hospitality management platform unifying PMS, channel management, and booking engine

From
On request
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; Cloudbeds pricing requires custom quote; no published pricing tiers visible, making budgeting and comparison difficult

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Cloudbeds actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Cloudbeds differ
AttributeFreshaCloudbeds
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, API
Founded2015Unknown

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
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Marketing tools
  • Reports & analytics

Only in Cloudbeds

Nothing recorded that Fresha does not also cover.

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

Cloudbeds

  • Independent hotels and boutique hospitality businesses automating PMS and distributionnot Fresha
  • Vacation rental hosts (Airbnb, VRBO) consolidating multi-channel bookings and messagingnot Fresha
  • Hostels and backpacker accommodations using commission-free booking engine to reduce dependency on OTAsnot Fresha
  • Small-chain hospitality operators managing multiple properties from one interfacenot Fresha
  • Properties seeking revenue management and dynamic pricing without enterprise-level PMS costsnot Fresha
  • Hospitality businesses using AI-driven guest messaging and support automationnot 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

Cloudbeds

  • Pricing requires custom quote; no published pricing tiers visible, making budgeting and comparison difficult
  • Per-property pricing model means costs scale rapidly for multi-property management; portfolio growth increases operational expenses
  • Revenue Intelligence (AI pricing) locked behind premium tier; base offering lacks dynamic pricing automation
  • Limited offline functionality; properties with poor connectivity face operational challenges
  • Chatbot and messaging automation require configuration; setup complexity increases for non-technical operators

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

Cloudbeds

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cloudbeds 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 Cloudbeds if

  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Cloudbeds review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Cloudbeds better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Cloudbeds at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Cloudbeds?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fresha and On request for Cloudbeds.
Does Fresha or Cloudbeds run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Cloudbeds 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. Cloudbeds starts at On request.
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 Cloudbeds is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Cloudbeds cannot?
Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloudbeds: Does Cloudbeds have a commission-free booking engine?

Yes. Cloudbeds provides a commission-free booking engine allowing guests to reserve directly on the property website without OTA transaction fees. This reduces distribution costs compared to Booking.com and Airbnb.

Source
Cloudbeds: What channels does Cloudbeds distribute to?

Cloudbeds distributes to 450+ booking channels including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, and regional OTAs, all managed from one interface.

Source
Cloudbeds: Does Cloudbeds provide revenue management?

Yes. Revenue Intelligence uses AI-powered demand forecasting (95% accuracy) to recommend dynamic pricing, maximising revenue per available room (RevPAR).

Source
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Related pages

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