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Software · head to head

Genbook vs Shedul

Genbook logo

Genbook

Software

Online booking and business growth for salons

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shedul logo

Shedul

Software

Free salon scheduling software

From
$14.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Genbook limited documentation and onboarding tutorials for new users; 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: Genbook covers Review collection, Shedul covers Appointment scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Genbook and Shedul actually diverge.

Attributes where Genbook and Shedul differ
AttributeGenbookShedul
Starting price$29/month$14.95/month
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20062015

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), 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 Genbook

  • Review collection
  • Client management
  • Payment processing
  • Reputation management
  • Calendar sync
  • Google
  • Yelp
  • QuickBooks

Only in Shedul

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Client database
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory tracking
  • Reports & analytics
  • Google Calendar
  • Instagram
  • GDPR compliant

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Marketing campaigns
  • Mobile apps
  • Facebook
  • Stripe
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • English language support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Genbook

  • Getting more clientsnot Shedul
  • Managing reviewsnot Shedul
  • Online bookingnot Shedul
  • Building reputationnot Shedul

Shedul

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

Where each one falls short

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

Genbook

  • Limited documentation and onboarding tutorials for new users
  • Customer support responsiveness can be slow or unreliable
  • Limited flexibility in rebooking timeframes and appointment management
  • Competitors offer additional features like HIPAA-compliant SOAP notes at lower prices

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

Genbook

$29/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Genbook review.

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 Genbook if

  • You need review collection.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want client management.
Genbook review

Choose Shedul if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want client database.
Shedul review

Questions people ask

Is Genbook or Shedul better?
Neither clearly leads. Genbook starts at $29/month and Shedul at $14.95/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Genbook or Shedul?
Genbook starts at $29/month and Shedul at $14.95/month.
Does Genbook or Shedul run on more platforms?
Genbook runs on Web, Mobile. Shedul runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Genbook best used for?
Genbook is most often used for getting more clients, managing reviews, online booking, building reputation. Of those, getting more clients and managing reviews are not what Shedul is typically brought in for.
What can Genbook do that Shedul cannot?
Genbook covers Review collection, Client management, Payment processing, Reputation management. Shedul covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Point of sale, Inventory tracking. Both handle Online booking, Marketing campaigns, Mobile apps, Facebook.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Genbook: What does Genbook cost?

Genbook starts at $29 per month with different tiers available for businesses with varying needs.

Source
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
Genbook: What support options are available?

Genbook offers email/help desk, FAQ/forum, knowledge base, phone support, 24/7 live representative, and chat support.

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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