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Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Fresha vs Google Calendar

Fresha logo

Fresha

Scheduling & Booking

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Calendar logo

Google Calendar

Calendar & Time Management

Smart scheduling for the modern workforce

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; Google Calendar no AI-driven scheduling assistance or automatic meeting time optimization
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Online booking, Google Calendar covers Event scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Google Calendar actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Google Calendar differ
AttributeFreshaGoogle Calendar
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows
CategoryScheduling & BookingCalendar & Time Management
Founded20151998

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Google Calendar

  • Event scheduling
  • Multiple calendars
  • Reminders and notifications
  • Event sharing
  • Video conferencing integration
  • Gmail
  • Google Meet
  • Google Tasks

Both cover

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

Google Calendar

  • Schedulingnot Fresha
  • Appointment bookingnot Fresha
  • Time trackingnot Fresha
  • Resource managementnot Fresha
  • Team coordinationnot 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

Google Calendar

  • No AI-driven scheduling assistance or automatic meeting time optimization
  • Lacks built-in appointment booking pages or payment integrations for scheduling
  • Limited mobile support for shared calendars and unreliable push notifications on phones
  • No native task management or project tracking features within the calendar interface
  • Limited offline functionality on the web (read-only mode only)
  • Strict usage limits (maximum 60 calendars, 750 shares per time period)

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

Google Calendar

Free
  • PersonalFree
    • Event scheduling
    • Sharing
    • Notifications
  • Google Workspace Business Starter$7/month
    • All personal features
    • Team collaboration
    • 30GB storage

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 Google Calendar if

  • You need event scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want multiple calendars.
Google Calendar review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Google Calendar better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Google Calendar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Google Calendar?
Fresha starts at Free and Google Calendar at Free.
Does Fresha or Google Calendar run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Google Calendar runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
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 Google Calendar is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Google Calendar cannot?
Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale. Google Calendar covers Event scheduling, Multiple calendars, Reminders and notifications, Event sharing. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Calendar: Can I use Google Calendar offline?

Yes. On the web, Google Calendar works in read-only mode offline for cached events. On iOS and Android, the Google Calendar app automatically caches recent events and lets you create, edit, and respond to events offline. Changes sync automatically when you reconnect to the internet.

Source
Google Calendar: Can I export my calendar data?

Yes. Google Calendar exports as ICS files through Settings > Import & export > Export. ICS files are readable by Outlook, Apple Calendar, Thunderbird, and most other calendar applications.

Source
Google Calendar: Does Google Calendar integrate with video conferencing?

Yes. Google Calendar integrates natively with Google Meet and Zoom. When you create an event, you can add a video conference link directly. Other platforms like Webex and GoTo Meeting can be integrated via Zapier or third-party automation.

Source
Google Calendar: Can I share my calendar with teams?

Yes. You can share individual calendars with specific people or make them publicly viewable. However, accessing shared calendars on mobile devices has limitations, and push notifications for shared calendars may not work reliably on phones.

Source
Google Calendar: Does Google Calendar work with Outlook?

No direct integration. You can manually import/export using ICS files or use third-party tools like Zapier to sync events. This is different from Outlook, which integrates seamlessly within Microsoft 365.

Source
Google Calendar: Is there a cost to use Google Calendar?

Google Calendar is free for personal use. Google Workspace plans (which include Calendar) start at $7 per user per month for business use.

Source
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Related pages

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