Softwr

Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Fresha vs Salonist

Fresha logo

Fresha

Scheduling & Booking

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salonist logo

Salonist

Beauty & Salon

Complete salon software from India

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; Salonist free plan limited to 50 appointments per month
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Online booking, Salonist covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Salonist actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Salonist differ
AttributeFreshaSalonist
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
CategoryScheduling & BookingBeauty & Salon
Founded20152017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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

  • Online booking
  • Appointment management
  • Client database
  • Point of sale
  • Staff scheduling
  • Marketing tools
  • Reports & analytics
  • Google Calendar

Only in Salonist

  • Appointment booking
  • Billing & invoicing
  • Loyalty programs
  • Staff management
  • GST compliance
  • Marketing automation
  • Business analytics
  • Razorpay

Both cover

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

Salonist

  • Indian salon managementnot Fresha
  • GST billingnot Fresha
  • Customer loyaltynot Fresha
  • Inventory controlnot 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

Salonist

  • Free plan limited to 50 appointments per month
  • Pricing listed in AED (UAE currency) with regional variations
  • Offline capabilities not clearly documented for mobile app
  • Advanced AI features (AI Automation Marketing) only on Expert 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

Salonist

Free
  • Marketplace ListingFree
    • 50 appointments/month
    • Online booking
    • Staff scheduling
  • Essential$2900/year
    • Point of Sale
    • Sales reports
    • Customer history
  • Advance$4180/year
    • All Essential features
    • Customer surveys and loyalty
    • Gift cards and campaigns
  • Expert$6580/year
    • All Advance features
    • Multi-branch management
    • Dedicated account manager

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 Salonist if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want billing & invoicing.
Salonist review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Salonist better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Salonist at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Salonist?
Fresha starts at Free and Salonist at Free.
Does Fresha or Salonist 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?
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 Salonist is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Salonist cannot?
Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale. Salonist covers Appointment booking, Billing & invoicing, Loyalty programs, Staff management. Both handle Inventory management, SSL encryption, Cloud deployment, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Salonist: Does Salonist offer a free plan?

Salonist offers a free Marketplace Listing plan with 50 appointments/month, online booking, staff scheduling, and marketplace access. Unlimited staff are included on every plan.

Source
Salonist: What features are included in the Essential plan?

Essential ($2,900 AED/year or approximately $59/month) includes Point of Sale, sales reports, customer history, coupon management, retail product and expense tracking, automated reminders, memberships, e-wallet, and staff commission tracking.

Source
Salonist: Does Salonist support multiple locations?

Multi-branch management is available on the Expert plan ($6,580 AED/year) with centralized reporting and a dedicated account manager.

Source
Salonist: What payment gateways does Salonist support?

Salonist integrates with multiple payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, and other regional providers. The Advance plan and above include multiple payment integration options.

Source
Salonist: Does Salonist have a mobile app?

Yes, Salonist offers mobile apps for iOS and Android allowing clients to browse services, check prices, view customer reviews, and book appointments.

Source
Salonist: What is included in the Advance plan?

Advance ($4,180 AED/year or approximately $109/month) adds customer survey management, loyalty rewards, gift cards, SMS/email campaigns, inventory management, lead management system, and advanced onboarding to Essential features.

Source
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