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Software · head to head

Fresha vs Shedul

Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Shedul logo

Shedul

Software

Free salon scheduling software

From
$14.95/month
Rated
-

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; Shedul hidden costs beyond subscription including 20% marketplace commission, payment processing fees (2.19% + 20 cents), SMS fees (5-15 cents each), and $500 card terminal requirement
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Appointment management, Shedul covers Appointment scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Shedul actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Shedul differ
AttributeFreshaShedul
Starting priceFree$14.95/month
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Free tierYesNo

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

  • Appointment management
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Marketing tools
  • Apple Calendar
  • Google Maps
  • SumUp

Only in Shedul

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing campaigns
  • Mobile apps
  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • English language support

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Client database
  • Point of sale
  • Reports & analytics
  • Google Calendar
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Stripe
  • 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 Shedul
  • Attracting new clients through the Fresha consumer marketplacenot Shedul
  • Sending appointment reminders and marketing campaigns to clientsnot Shedul

Shedul

  • Free salon managementnot Fresha
  • Appointment schedulingnot Fresha
  • Payment processingnot Fresha
  • Client marketingnot 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

Shedul

  • Hidden costs beyond subscription including 20% marketplace commission, payment processing fees (2.19% + 20 cents), SMS fees (5-15 cents each), and $500 card terminal requirement
  • Premium support (phone and live chat) requires additional paid add-on, base plan only includes email support
  • Limited customization and branding options in free tier compared to competitors
  • Complex pricing structure with many add-on fees makes true cost of ownership difficult to calculate upfront
  • Card payment terminal ($500) must be purchased separately for in-person payments instead of supporting third-party terminals

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

Shedul

$14.95/month
  • Independent$19.95/month
    • Single calendar
    • Single login
    • Appointment scheduling
  • Team$14.95/month per team member
    • Multiple calendars
    • Multiple team logins
    • All Independent features

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 inventory management.

Choose Shedul if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want inventory tracking.

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Shedul better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Shedul at $14.95/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Shedul?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fresha and $14.95/month for Shedul.
Does Fresha or Shedul run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Shedul runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Fresha for free?
Yes. Fresha has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shedul starts at $14.95/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 Shedul is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Shedul cannot?
Fresha covers Appointment management, Inventory management, Staff scheduling, Marketing tools. Shedul covers Appointment scheduling, Inventory tracking, Marketing campaigns, Mobile apps. Both handle Online booking, Client database, Point of sale, Reports & analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shedul: Is Shedul/Fresha free to use?

No. Shedul, now rebranded as Fresha, charges $19.95 USD per month for the Independent plan (one person) and $14.95 per month per team member for the Team plan. However, there are additional costs beyond the base subscription including 20% commission on marketplace bookings, payment processing fees of 2.19% + 20 cents per transaction, SMS messaging fees of 5 to 15 cents per message, and a $500 card payment terminal if processing in-person payments.

Source
Shedul: What features are included in Shedul/Fresha?

Shedul/Fresha includes appointment scheduling, client management with history and preferences, automated appointment reminders, online booking through website or Facebook, point-of-sale (POS) system, inventory and product management, client loyalty programs, and basic reporting and analytics. All features are available on all paid plans without additional feature-based tiers.

Source
Shedul: What are the hidden costs beyond the subscription price?

Shedul/Fresha charges 20% commission on new client bookings through the Fresha marketplace, 2.19% plus 20 cents for card payment processing, SMS messaging at 5 to 15 cents per message, and requires a $500 card payment terminal for in-person credit card processing. According to industry analysis, true annual costs run approximately 70% higher than the published subscription price.

Source
Shedul: Does Shedul/Fresha work on mobile devices?

Yes, Shedul/Fresha is available as a web platform and has native mobile apps for iOS and Android. Clients can book appointments through the mobile apps, and staff can manage appointments from their phones.

Source
Shedul: What support options are available?

Free and Team plans include email support only. Live chat and phone support (24/7) are only available with an optional premium add-on that costs extra per month. The Fresha Plus premium support is required to access phone and chat support.

Source
Shedul: Can I export my salon data from Shedul/Fresha?

While Shedul/Fresha provides reporting and analytics features, the platform does not clearly document export options for bulk data transfer. Users should contact support to determine data export capabilities and formats.

Source

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