Alternatives · UK edition
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Fresha's 20% fee on new marketplace clients, and the end of its free plan, are the main reasons UK salons look elsewhere. The alternatives split into a marketplace rival (Booksy) and tools with no marketplace fee (Square Appointments, SimplyBook.me, Setmore).
Prices as ofGBP or USD as published
No (7-day trial; Fresha used to be free)Fresha free plan
From £9.95 per bookable team member/month
ex VAT (£11.94 inc VAT at 20%) UnconfirmedFresha entry price
ex VAT (£11.94 inc VAT at 20%) UnconfirmedFresha entry price
5Alternatives compared
No marketplace fee
Keep costs flat if your book is already full.
Square Appointments
The strongest free option for UK salons, barbers and other businesses that take card payments in person: unlimited staff at one location for free, with POS and no-show fees built in. You're tied to Square for payments.
- Free plan
- Yes: 1 location, unlimited staff (UK)
- Entry price
- From £29 per location/month
VAT basis not stated
SimplyBook.me
The most configurable all-rounder for service businesses, with a useful free plan, SMS and WhatsApp reminders, point of sale and a HIPAA option. The 'custom features' model takes some working out.
- Free plan
- Yes: 50 bookings a month, 1 provider
- Entry price
- From $11.90 per month (annual billing)
US dollars; UK VAT may be added
Setmore
The cheapest way for a small team to get started: free for up to four users, with a low-priced Pro plan on annual billing and 24/7 human support. Reporting is basic and SMS needs Pro.
- Free plan
- Yes: up to 4 users
- Entry price
- From $5 per user/month (annual billing)
US dollars; UK VAT may be added
Marketplace rival
If you still want new clients from an app.
Booksy
Barbers and beauty professionals.
- Free plan
- No (trial)
- Entry price
- From £40 per month
ex VAT (£48 inc VAT at 20%)
For appointments with packages
If you sell courses or memberships.
Acuity Scheduling
One of the most complete appointment tools for client-facing service businesses: intake forms, packages, memberships, gift cards and payments, with a HIPAA BAA on Premium. There's no free plan and the interface feels dated.
- Free plan
- No (7-day free trial)
- Entry price
- From $16 per month (annual billing)
US dollars; UK VAT may be added
All Fresha alternatives side by side
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Entry price | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service businesses: coaches, therapists, salons and studios | No (7-day free trial) | From $16 per month (annual billing) US dollars; UK VAT may be added | Review · Visit site | |
| Barbers and beauty professionals | No (trial) | From £40 per month ex VAT (£48 inc VAT at 20%) | Visit site | |
| Salons, barbers and spas, especially in the UK | No (7-day trial; Fresha used to be free) | From £9.95 per bookable team member/month ex VAT (£11.94 inc VAT at 20%) Unconfirmed | Review · Visit site | |
| Budget-conscious small businesses and small teams | Yes: up to 4 users | From $5 per user/month (annual billing) US dollars; UK VAT may be added | Review · Visit site | |
| Service businesses such as salons, clinics, tutors and fitness; EU-friendly | Yes: 50 bookings a month, 1 provider | From $11.90 per month (annual billing) US dollars; UK VAT may be added | Review · Visit site | |
| Salons, barbers, spas and any business taking card payments | Yes: 1 location, unlimited staff (UK) | From £29 per location/month VAT basis not stated | Review · Visit site |
Features compared
| Tool | Free plan | Payments | SMS reminders | UK/EU data angle | Teams | AI features | Marketplace | Video calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha | No (7-day trial; Fresha used to be free) | Own payments | Not checked | Not checked | Priced per bookable member | AI Concierge add-on | Fresha marketplace (20% new-client fee) | Not checked |
| Square Appointments | Yes: 1 location, unlimited staff (UK) | Square payments (built in) | Not checked | Not checked | Unlimited staff on Free (1 location) | Not checked | Reserve with Google | Not checked |
| SimplyBook.me | Yes: 50 bookings a month, 1 provider | Stripe, PayPal; POS | SMS and WhatsApp | EU company (GDPR) | Providers by plan | Not checked | No | Zoom |
| Setmore | Yes: up to 4 users | Square, Stripe, PayPal | Pro only | Not checked | Free for up to 4 users | Not checked | No | Zoom |
| Booksy | No (trial) | Own payments | Not checked | Not checked | +£5 per extra staff (UK) | Not checked | Booksy marketplace (Boost optional) | Not checked |
| Acuity Scheduling | No (7-day free trial) | Stripe, Square, PayPal | From Standard | Not checked | Calendars by plan (1, 6, 36) | AI Booking Assistant (Premium) | No | Zoom |
'Not checked' means our research didn't confirm the feature either way; it doesn't mean the tool lacks it. Features are from vendor pricing pages and documentation as recorded on 2 November 2026.
Questions people ask
Why do people switch from Fresha?
The alternatives split into a marketplace rival (Booksy) and tools with no marketplace fee (Square Appointments, SimplyBook.me, Setmore).
Is there a free alternative to Fresha?
Yes: Square Appointments (1 location, unlimited staff (UK)), SimplyBook.me (50 bookings a month, 1 provider), Setmore (up to 4 users).
Related
- Fresha vs Booksy
- Fresha vs Square Appointments
- Compare all 21 tools: prices and feature matrix
- Prices compared
Read our Fresha review.
Sources
Prices and features as recorded on 2 November 2026 from these pages (research pass 26 October to 2 November 2026). Prices change: check the vendor's page before you buy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- Fresha: https://www.fresha.com/en-GB/pricing
- Fresha: https://theaitill.com/tools/fresha
- Square Appointments: https://squareup.com/gb/en/appointments/pricing
- SimplyBook.me: https://simplybook.me/en/pricing
- Setmore: https://www.setmore.com/pricing
- Setmore: https://www.setmore.com/llms.txt
- Booksy: https://biz.booksy.com/en-gb/pricing
- Acuity Scheduling: https://acuityscheduling.com/pricing