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Beauty · head to head

Shedul vs SimpleSalon

Shedul logo

Shedul

Beauty

Free salon scheduling software

From
$14.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SimpleSalon logo

SimpleSalon

Beauty

Powerful yet simple salon software

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; SimpleSalon the $20 Starter plan includes no SMS credits and charges 14 cents per SMS
  • They diverge on capability: Shedul covers Inventory tracking, SimpleSalon covers Stock management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shedul and SimpleSalon actually diverge.

Attributes where Shedul and SimpleSalon differ
AttributeShedulSimpleSalon
Starting price$14.95/month$20/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Founded20152010

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

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

  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing campaigns
  • Reports & analytics
  • Google Calendar
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • GDPR compliant

Only in SimpleSalon

  • Stock management
  • Marketing automation
  • Reporting
  • Xero
  • MYOB
  • Mailchimp

Both cover

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Online booking
  • Client database
  • Point of sale
  • Mobile apps
  • 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 SimpleSalon
  • Appointment schedulingnot SimpleSalon
  • Payment processingnot SimpleSalon
  • Client marketingnot SimpleSalon

SimpleSalon

  • Appointment booking and rostering for hair and beauty salonsnot Shedul
  • Salon point of sale, stock and client historynot Shedul
  • SMS appointment reminders and marketing to salon clientsnot 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

SimpleSalon

  • The $20 Starter plan includes no SMS credits and charges 14 cents per SMS
  • Pricing is charged per operator, capped at 7 operators, so a two person salon pays twice the listed rate
  • SMS remains chargeable on every plan once the included 200 credits per operator on Pro or 300 on Max are used, at 10 and 9 cents each
  • The free trial runs 14 days

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

SimpleSalon

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 0 SMS included
    • Additional SMS: $0.14 each
    • No new client fees
  • Pro$34/month
    • Most Popular option
    • 200 SMS per operator included
    • Additional SMS: $0.10 each
  • Max$41/month
    • 300 SMS per operator included
    • Additional SMS: $0.09 each
    • WhatsApp access included

Which should you pick?

Choose Shedul if

  • You need inventory tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want marketing campaigns.
Shedul review

Choose SimpleSalon if

  • You need stock management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want marketing automation.
SimpleSalon review

Questions people ask

Is Shedul or SimpleSalon better?
Neither clearly leads. Shedul starts at $14.95/month and SimpleSalon at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shedul or SimpleSalon?
Shedul starts at $14.95/month and SimpleSalon at $20/month.
Does Shedul or SimpleSalon run on more platforms?
Shedul runs on Web, iOS, Android. SimpleSalon runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 SimpleSalon is typically brought in for.
What can Shedul do that SimpleSalon cannot?
Shedul covers Inventory tracking, Marketing campaigns, Reports & analytics, Google Calendar. SimpleSalon covers Stock management, Marketing automation, Reporting, Xero. Both handle Appointment scheduling, Online booking, Client database, Point of sale.

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
SimpleSalon: How much does Simple Salon cost?

Simple Salon offers three plans starting at $20/month for Starter, $34/month for Pro (most popular), and $41/month for Max. Yearly billing saves 2 months' cost. Pricing scales with operator count but caps at 7+ operator rates.

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
SimpleSalon: Is there a Simple Salon free trial?

Yes. Simple Salon offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

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
SimpleSalon: What is included in SMS credits?

SMS allowances are pooled account-wide, not locked to individual operators, and can be used for appointment reminders and marketing messages. The Starter plan includes 0 SMS, Pro includes 200 per operator, and Max includes 300 per operator.

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
SimpleSalon: Are there contracts or setup fees for Simple Salon?

No. Simple Salon has no contracts, no fixed-term requirements, and no sign-up fees.

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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