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Software · head to head

Fresha vs Hive

Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hive logo

Hive

Software

Project management built for speed

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; Hive the free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Online booking, Hive covers Tasks.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Hive actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Hive differ
AttributeFreshaHive
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreefreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2015).

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 Hive

  • Tasks
  • Gantt view
  • Kanban
  • Time tracking
  • Forms
  • Slack
  • Zoom
  • Google Drive

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

Hive

  • Project and task management with multiple project viewsnot Fresha
  • Coordinating work, proofing and resourcing for teamsnot 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

Hive

  • The free plan is capped at 200 MB of storage
  • The Starter plan at $5 per user per month is limited to 10 projects
  • Eight capabilities are sold as $5 per user add ons on the Teams plan, including CRM, timesheets, proofing, resourcing, advanced dashboards, external users and SSO
  • Buying SSO plus a few of those add ons therefore costs more than the $12 base seat itself
  • AI credits are metered monthly at 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 by plan

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

Hive

On request
  • FreeFree
    • Basic features
    • 10 users
  • Teams$12/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Time tracking
    • Automations

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 Hive if

  • You need tasks.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want gantt view.
Hive review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Hive better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Hive at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Hive?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fresha and On request for Hive.
Does Fresha or Hive run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Hive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Fresha for free?
Yes. Fresha has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hive 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 Hive is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Hive cannot?
Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale. Hive covers Tasks, Gantt view, Kanban, Time tracking. Both handle Web support.
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