Softwr

Software · head to head

Fresha vs Zendesk

Fresha logo

Fresha

Software

Free salon and spa software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk logo

Zendesk

Software

Champions of customer service

From
$19/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; Zendesk aI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
  • They diverge on capability: Fresha covers Online booking, Zendesk covers Ticket management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fresha and Zendesk actually diverge.

Attributes where Fresha and Zendesk differ
AttributeFreshaZendesk
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20152007

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
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff scheduling
  • Marketing tools
  • Reports & analytics

Only in Zendesk

  • Ticket management
  • Omnichannel support
  • Knowledge base
  • Live chat
  • Call center
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Automation
  • Customer satisfaction

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

Zendesk

  • Help desk and ticketing system managementnot Fresha
  • Omnichannel customer supportnot Fresha
  • Knowledge base and self-service portalsnot Fresha
  • AI-assisted customer servicenot 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

Zendesk

  • AI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
  • Copilot and Contact Center features available as separate add-ons at £50+/agent/month
  • Advanced routing, workforce engagement, and approval workflows limited to Enterprise tier
  • Highest tier requires sales consultation and custom pricing

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

Zendesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Zendesk review.

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 Zendesk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You also want omnichannel support.
Zendesk review

Questions people ask

Is Fresha or Zendesk better?
Neither clearly leads. Fresha starts at Free and Zendesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Zendesk?
Fresha has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fresha and $19/month for Zendesk.
Does Fresha or Zendesk run on more platforms?
Fresha runs on Web, Ios, Android. Zendesk runs on Web.
Can I use Fresha for free?
Yes. Fresha has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zendesk starts at $19/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 Zendesk is typically brought in for.
What can Fresha do that Zendesk cannot?
Fresha covers Online booking, Appointment management, Client database, Point of sale. Zendesk covers Ticket management, Omnichannel support, Knowledge base, Live chat.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Fresha

More on Zendesk

Keep looking

Other head to heads