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Software · head to head

Fresha vs Phorest

Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phorest logo

Phorest

Software

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/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; Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Online booking, Phorest covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Phorest actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Phorest differ
AttributeFreshaPhorest
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20152003

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
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Marketing tools
  • Reports & analytics
  • Google Calendar

Only in Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports
  • Mailchimp

Both cover

  • Point of sale
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Stripe
  • SumUp
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • GDPR compliant
  • 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 Phorest
  • Attracting new clients through the Fresha consumer marketplacenot Phorest
  • Sending appointment reminders and marketing campaigns to clientsnot Phorest

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot Fresha
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for 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

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite 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

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

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 Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.
Phorest review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Phorest better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Phorest at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Phorest?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fresha and $99/month for Phorest.
Does Fresha or Phorest run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Phorest 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. Phorest starts at $99/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 Phorest is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Phorest cannot?
Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Inventory management. Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Marketing automation, Reputation management. Both handle Point of sale, Instagram, Facebook, Stripe.
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