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Beauty · head to head

Shedul vs Zen Planner

Shedul logo

Shedul

Beauty

Free salon scheduling software

From
$14.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zen Planner logo

Zen Planner

Sports

Member management for fitness businesses

From
$99/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; Zen Planner limited staff app features compared to desktop version
  • They diverge on capability: Shedul covers Appointment scheduling, Zen Planner covers Member management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shedul and Zen Planner actually diverge.

Attributes where Shedul and Zen Planner differ
AttributeShedulZen Planner
Starting price$14.95/month$99/month
CategoryBeautySports
Founded20152006

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

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
  • Online booking
  • Client database
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing campaigns
  • Reports & analytics
  • Mobile apps

Only in Zen Planner

  • Member management
  • Automated billing
  • Class scheduling
  • Workout tracking
  • Marketing tools
  • Mailchimp
  • SugarWOD
  • Wodify

Both cover

  • Stripe
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Shedul

  • Free salon managementnot Zen Planner
  • Appointment schedulingnot Zen Planner
  • Payment processingnot Zen Planner
  • Client marketingnot Zen Planner

Zen Planner

  • Workout trackingnot Shedul
  • Nutrition managementnot Shedul
  • Health monitoringnot Shedul
  • Fitness coachingnot Shedul
  • Wellness improvementnot 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

Zen Planner

  • Limited staff app features compared to desktop version
  • System crashes and occasional bugs reported by users
  • Integration difficulties with certain third-party platforms
  • Customers report continued charges after completed cancellation

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

Zen Planner

$99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Zen Planner review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Shedul if

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

Choose Zen Planner if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated billing.
Zen Planner review

Questions people ask

Is Shedul or Zen Planner better?
Neither clearly leads. Shedul starts at $14.95/month and Zen Planner at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shedul or Zen Planner?
Shedul starts at $14.95/month and Zen Planner at $99/month.
Does Shedul or Zen Planner run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Zen Planner is typically brought in for.
What can Shedul do that Zen Planner cannot?
Shedul covers Appointment scheduling, Online booking, Client database, Point of sale. Zen Planner covers Member management, Automated billing, Class scheduling, Workout tracking. Both handle Stripe, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

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
Zen Planner: Does Zen Planner have a free tier?

No, Zen Planner does not offer a free tier. Pricing starts at $99 per month with no free trial mentioned in their standard offerings.

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
Zen Planner: Can Zen Planner integrate with ClassPass?

Yes. ClassPass seamlessly integrates with Zen Planner, allowing gyms to sync their schedule and avoid overbooking when offering ClassPass to members.

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
Zen Planner: Does Zen Planner work with SugarWOD?

Yes. Zen Planner integrates with SugarWOD, making it a popular choice for CrossFit gym owners who want to manage both WOD tracking and gym operations in one system.

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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