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Beauty & Salon · head to head

Kitomba vs Shedul

Kitomba logo

Kitomba

Beauty & Salon

Salon software from New Zealand

From
79/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shedul logo

Shedul

Beauty & Salon

Free salon scheduling software

From
$14.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kitomba no plan price is published; pricing depends on package, features and staff count and is only given after a demo and a discovery call with a Kitomba consultant; 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: Kitomba covers Appointment booking, Shedul covers Appointment scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kitomba and Shedul actually diverge.

Attributes where Kitomba and Shedul differ
AttributeKitombaShedul
Starting price79/month$14.95/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Founded20012015

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

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 Kitomba

  • Appointment booking
  • Stock management
  • Client management
  • Marketing tools
  • Business analytics
  • Xero
  • MYOB
  • Tyro

Only in Shedul

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Client database
  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing campaigns
  • Reports & analytics
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Stripe

Both cover

  • Point of sale
  • Mobile apps
  • Online booking
  • Google Calendar
  • 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.

Kitomba

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with staff rosteringnot Shedul
  • Salon point of sale and stock managementnot Shedul
  • Client marketing and reporting for hair and beauty businessesnot Shedul

Shedul

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

Where each one falls short

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

Kitomba

  • No plan price is published; pricing depends on package, features and staff count and is only given after a demo and a discovery call with a Kitomba consultant
  • Advertised per user pricing is based on 3 staff, so the quoted figure does not apply at other headcounts
  • Xero, Mailchimp, REACH.ai, Salon Pay and Vish integrations all carry separate charges outside the software fee
  • Data migration and live education carry additional charges
  • Kitomba Pay EFTPOS terminal rental is available in Australia only

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

Kitomba

79/month
  • Starter$79/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • Basic reporting
  • Business$149/month
    • All Starter features
    • POS system
    • Stock management

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 Kitomba if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want stock management.
Kitomba 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 Kitomba or Shedul better?
Neither clearly leads. Kitomba starts at 79/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, Kitomba or Shedul?
Kitomba starts at 79/month and Shedul at $14.95/month.
Does Kitomba or Shedul run on more platforms?
Kitomba runs on Web, Ios, Android. Shedul runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Kitomba best used for?
Kitomba is most often used for salon and spa appointment booking with staff rostering, salon point of sale and stock management, client marketing and reporting for hair and beauty businesses. Of those, salon and spa appointment booking with staff rostering and salon point of sale and stock management are not what Shedul is typically brought in for.
What can Kitomba do that Shedul cannot?
Kitomba covers Appointment booking, Stock management, Client management, Marketing tools. Shedul covers Appointment scheduling, Client database, Inventory tracking, Marketing campaigns. Both handle Point of sale, Mobile apps, Online booking, Google Calendar.

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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