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Scheduling · head to head

Fresha vs Square Appointments

Fresha logo

Fresha

Scheduling

Free salon and spa software

From
149.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Scheduling

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fresha team and Enterprise pricing not publicly displayed; custom quotes required; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Appointment management, Square Appointments covers Client management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Square Appointments differ
AttributeFreshaSquare Appointments
Starting price149.95/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Founded20152009

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Scheduling).

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
  • Marketing tools
  • Reports & analytics
  • Apple Calendar
  • Facebook

Only in Square Appointments

  • Client management
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app
  • Square POS
  • Google My Business

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Point of sale
  • Google Calendar
  • Instagram
  • 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

  • Salon managementnot Square Appointments
  • Spa schedulingnot Square Appointments
  • Appointment bookingnot Square Appointments
  • Beauty service businessesnot Square Appointments
  • Wellness centersnot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Fresha
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Fresha
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot Fresha

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fresha

  • Team and Enterprise pricing not publicly displayed; custom quotes required
  • All pricing excludes 5% sales tax; actual cost will be higher

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

Pricing, plan by plan

Fresha

149.95/month
  • Independent$149.95/month
    • Single calendar column
    • For one-person businesses
    • 7-day trial available
  • Team$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Multiple calendar columns
    • For businesses with multiple team members
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • For high-volume businesses with 20+ team members
    • All core features

Square Appointments

On request
  • Solo Professional Plan$null/transaction
    • Processing fees apply
    • For solo professionals taking payments and managing schedules
    • Top appointments features
  • Plus Plan$null/transaction
    • Processing fees apply
    • Free trial available
    • For growing teams needing more advanced tools
  • Premium Plan$null/transaction
    • Processing fees apply
    • Free trial available
    • For large salons with complex staff management
  • Square Pro$null/month
    • Custom pricing for businesses processing over $250,000 annually
    • Hardware discounts
    • Onboarding support

Which should you pick?

Choose Fresha if

  • You need appointment management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client database.
Fresha review

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need client management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payment processing.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at 149.95/month and Square Appointments at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Square Appointments?
Fresha starts at 149.95/month and Square Appointments at On request.
Does Fresha or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Fresha best used for?
Fresha is most often used for salon management, spa scheduling, appointment booking, beauty service businesses. Of those, salon management and spa scheduling are not what Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Square Appointments cannot?
Fresha covers Appointment management, Client database, Inventory management, Staff scheduling. Square Appointments covers Client management, Payment processing, Automated reminders, Instagram booking. Both handle Online booking, Point of sale, Google Calendar, Instagram.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fresha: How much does Fresha cost?

Fresha's Independent plan starts at AED 149.95 per month (excludes 5% sales tax), which includes a single calendar column for one-person businesses. A 7-day free trial is available. Team and Enterprise plans use custom pricing based on business needs and team size.

Source
Square Appointments: How much do Square Appointments plans cost?

Square Appointments pricing is based on processing fees rather than monthly subscription fees. Specific percentages are not listed online. The Solo Professional, Plus, and Premium plans all charge processing fees on transactions. For businesses processing over $250,000 annually, Square Pro offers custom pricing including hardware discounts, onboarding support, and account management.

Source
Fresha: What does the Fresha Team plan add?

The Team plan offers multiple calendar columns for businesses with multiple team members. Pricing is customized based on team size and needs. It includes all core features like scheduling, point of sale, client management, online store, and marketing tools, with a 7-day trial available.

Source
Square Appointments: Is there a free trial for Square Appointments?

Yes, the Plus and Premium plans offer free trials for an unspecified number of days. The Solo Professional plan does not appear to offer a trial period.

Source
Fresha: Does Fresha charge additional fees beyond the subscription?

Yes, Fresha offers optional pay-as-you-go add-ons including SMS messaging (AED 0.15 per message after 20 free monthly), marketing emails (AED 0.08 each after 50 free monthly), and premium features like Google Rating Boost (AED 35.95/location monthly), Team Connect, and Xero Accounting integration. Payment processing charges 4.90% plus AED 0.75 per transaction.

Source
Square Appointments: What features does the Premium plan add compared to Plus?

The Premium plan includes all Plus features plus Future Bookings Report for tracking upcoming appointments, Service Cost Tracking to monitor service profitability, and Resource Management for scheduling equipment and facilities across multiple staff members.

Source
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