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Software · head to head

Shedul vs Genbook

Shedul logo

Shedul

Software

Free salon scheduling software

From
$14.95/month
Rated
-
Genbook logo

Genbook

Software

Online booking and business growth for salons

From
$29/month
Rated
-

The short version

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

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shedul and Genbook actually diverge.

Attributes where Shedul and Genbook differ
AttributeShedulGenbook
Starting price$14.95/month$29/month
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
Founded20152006

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 Shedul

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

Only in Genbook

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

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.

Shedul

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

Genbook

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Genbook

$29/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Genbook review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Shedul if

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

Choose Genbook if

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

Questions people ask

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

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
Genbook: What does Genbook cost?

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

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
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 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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