Softwr

Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Fresha vs Kitomba

Fresha logo

Fresha

Scheduling & Booking

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kitomba logo

Kitomba

Beauty & Salon

Salon software from New Zealand

From
79/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; Kitomba no plan price is published; pricing depends on package, features and staff count and is only given after a demo and a discovery call with a Kitomba consultant
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Appointment management, Kitomba covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Kitomba actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Kitomba differ
AttributeFreshaKitomba
Starting priceFree79/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
CategoryScheduling & BookingBeauty & Salon
Founded20152001

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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

  • Appointment management
  • Client database
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Reports & analytics
  • Apple Calendar
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Only in Kitomba

  • Appointment booking
  • Stock management
  • Client management
  • Business analytics
  • Mobile apps
  • Xero
  • MYOB
  • Tyro

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Point of sale
  • Marketing tools
  • Google Calendar
  • 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 Kitomba
  • Attracting new clients through the Fresha consumer marketplacenot Kitomba
  • Sending appointment reminders and marketing campaigns to clientsnot Kitomba

Kitomba

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with staff rosteringnot Fresha
  • Salon point of sale and stock managementnot Fresha
  • Client marketing and reporting for hair and beauty businessesnot 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

Kitomba

  • No plan price is published; pricing depends on package, features and staff count and is only given after a demo and a discovery call with a Kitomba consultant
  • Advertised per user pricing is based on 3 staff, so the quoted figure does not apply at other headcounts
  • Xero, Mailchimp, REACH.ai, Salon Pay and Vish integrations all carry separate charges outside the software fee
  • Data migration and live education carry additional charges
  • Kitomba Pay EFTPOS terminal rental is available in Australia only

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

Kitomba

79/month
  • Starter$79/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • Basic reporting
  • Business$149/month
    • All Starter features
    • POS system
    • Stock management

Which should you pick?

Choose Fresha if

  • You need appointment management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client database.
Fresha review

Choose Kitomba if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want stock management.
Kitomba review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Kitomba better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Kitomba at 79/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Kitomba?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fresha and 79/month for Kitomba.
Does Fresha or Kitomba run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Fresha for free?
Yes. Fresha has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kitomba starts at 79/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 Kitomba is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Kitomba cannot?
Fresha covers Appointment management, Client database, Inventory management, Staff scheduling. Kitomba covers Appointment booking, Stock management, Client management, Business analytics. Both handle Online booking, Point of sale, Marketing tools, Google Calendar.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Fresha

More on Kitomba

Keep looking

Other head to heads