Booksy vs Fresha

by Gralio Feb 03, 2025

Booksy and Fresha are both appointment scheduling platforms catering to the beauty and wellness industry. Booksy provides a more robust, paid solution with advanced features, while Fresha offers a free core service with optional paid add-ons. Mid-sized businesses focused on value and customer service may find Fresha's free model and highly-rated customer service appealing, while those looking for advanced marketing and business management tools might prefer Booksy despite its cost.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 510 reviews and 60 websites, saving 3 hours, 20 minutes of reading.

Booksy

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Fresha

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Booksy is an all-in-one business management platform designed for appointment-based businesses, particularly in the beauty and wellness industries. It offers online appointment scheduling, payment processing, marketing tools, and customer management features. Booksy aims to streamline operations, attract new customers, and reduce no-shows. With a strong global presence, serving over 380,000 businesses and 38 million customers, Booksy provides a centralized solution for managing and growing a service-based business.

Fresha is a popular, subscription-free booking software designed specifically for the beauty and wellness industry. It helps salons, barbershops, and spas manage appointments, staff, and client communications. Businesses benefit from a free platform offering unlimited bookings, automated reminders, and online booking options through various channels like Google, Facebook, and Instagram. Fresha also offers paid features, including card processing.

Summary

Main difference

Booksy offers a comprehensive suite of tools, including marketing and business management features, while Fresha focuses primarily on appointment scheduling and booking management. Booksy is better for established businesses seeking growth, while Fresha suits businesses prioritizing a free platform and ease of use.

Relative strengths of Booksy (compared to Fresha)

Stronger marketing tools for attracting and retaining clients.
More comprehensive business management features beyond appointment scheduling.
Wider range of integrations with other platforms.

Relative weaknesses of Booksy (compared to Fresha)

Negative user sentiment regarding customer service and payment processing.
Higher cost compared to Fresha's free core offering.
More complex interface potentially steeper learning curve.

Who should use Booksy VS. Fresha

Booksy is a top choice for appointment-based businesses seeking an all-in-one solution. It simplifies scheduling, payments, and marketing, particularly for beauty and wellness professionals. Users praise the user-friendly interface and effective scheduling tools. However, some have reported issues with fake accounts and customer service. Consider Booksy if you value streamlined operations and client convenience but be prepared to potentially handle account and support issues yourself.

Fresha is a free appointment scheduling and business management software beloved by salons, spas, and barbershops for its user-friendly interface and automation features. Users praise its positive impact on business growth and excellent customer support. While some dislike the marketplace charges and paid review system, many appreciate the free core platform with optional paid features for enhanced functionality.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses in the beauty and wellness industry.
Ideal for businesses in beauty, wellness, and retail, offering flexible solutions for various needs.

Best for small businesses.
Ideal for beauty and wellness businesses.

Booksy and Fresha features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Automated reminders

Supported

Booksy allows automated appointment reminders via SMS and push notifications.

Supported

Fresha can send automated appointment reminders via email and text.
Appointment Scheduling

Supported

Booksy supports online booking, automated reminders, and POS capabilities.

Supported

Fresha supports online booking, automated reminders, and advanced POS.
24/7 Online Booking

Supported

Booksy allows clients to book appointments online 24/7.

Supported

Fresha supports 24/7 online booking, allowing clients to view availability and book at their convenience.
Online booking

Supported

Booksy allows clients to book appointments online 24/7 via their website, Google Search, Google Maps, Instagram, and Facebook.

Supported

Fresha allows clients to easily book appointments online via its platform, accessible through their website or direct links from businesses.
Appointment booking

Supported

Booksy enables customers to book appointments based on the provider’s availability.

Supported

Fresha allows customers to book appointments based on the provider’s availability through its online booking feature, real-time availability updates, and waitlist management.
Payment reminders

Not supported

Booksy primarily focuses on appointment reminders. While it supports various payment features, it doesn\'t explicitly offer automated payment reminders based on the provided information.

Not supported

Fresha does not support sending automated payment reminders to clients.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.29

Neutral sentiment

+0.71

Strongly positive sentiment
Customer Service

-0.24

Neutral sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.69

Rather positive sentiment

+0.83

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0

Neutral sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Implementation

-0.75

Strongly negative sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment
Scalability

+0

Neutral sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

Booksy and Fresha Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

-0.29

See full Pricing page

Fresha offers a comprehensive subscription-free salon software solution with optional paid features like payment processing, marketplace bookings, communications, and add-ons. The platform caters to various beauty and wellness businesses, allowing unlimited usage for bookings, team members, locations, clients, inventory, and reporting.

Plans

User sentiment

Strongly positive

+0.71

See full Pricing page

Booksy and Fresha review insights

368 reviews analysed from and

Users love

The app is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
It effectively streamlines appointment scheduling and reduces no-shows.
The marketing tools are helpful for attracting new clients.
The platform allows 24/7 booking which is convenient for clients.

Excellent and responsive customer support with named representatives (e.g., Sean, Grace, Emma).
User-friendly interface for both businesses and clients.
Positive impact on business growth, revenue, and client management.
Free platform with the option to add paid features for enhanced functionality.

Users dislike

Fake accounts are a serious issue and support does not help to remove them.
Customer service is extremely unhelpful and slow to respond.
Prepayments are often not paid out within the promised timeframe.
The app is prone to crashing.

Marketplace charges 80% of your first client for advertising.
Paid Google review system incentivizes biased reviews.
Client notes feature is not suitable for all professions, such as massage therapists.

Booksy and Fresha Ratings

G2

4.7/5

(9)
Capterra

4.4/5

(360)
TrustPilot

4.5/5

(90)
Glassdoor

2.9/5

(238)

G2

4.2/5

(4)
TrustPilot

4.3/5

(52)
Glassdoor

3.9/5

(199)

Company health

Employee growth

10% increase in the last year

16% increase in the last year

Web traffic

No change in the last quarter

15% increase in the last quarter

Financing

June 2024 - $120M

June 2021 - $185M

How do Booksy's marketing tools compare to Fresha's marketplace visibility?

Booksy provides various marketing tools to attract new clients, but the specifics are not detailed. Fresha offers marketplace visibility, but charges 80% of the first appointment booked through the marketplace. So, while Fresha offers a potentially large audience, it comes at a significant initial cost. Booksy's marketing tools may be more cost-effective in the long run, depending on their efficacy and cost.

Which platform, Booksy or Fresha, offers better customer support responsiveness?

Fresha offers superior customer support responsiveness. User reviews praise Fresha's "excellent and responsive customer support with named representatives." Conversely, Booksy users frequently complain about slow and unhelpful customer service. While both platforms offer various features for businesses in the beauty and wellness industry, Fresha's focus on customer support makes it a better choice for businesses prioritizing quick and reliable assistance.

What are the advantages of Booksy?

Booksy offers a comprehensive suite of business management tools specifically designed for appointment-based businesses, particularly in the beauty and wellness industry. It provides robust marketing tools aimed at attracting new customers and reducing no-shows, a key concern for these businesses. While user reviews mention issues with customer service and fake accounts, the platform is praised for its user-friendly interface and effective streamlining of appointment scheduling. Booksy also boasts a large, established user base and global presence.

What are the disadvantages of Booksy?

Booksy suffers from reports of poor customer service, slow response times, and issues with timely payout of prepayments. Additionally, users have reported problems with fake accounts and a lack of support from Booksy in addressing them. The app itself has also been criticized for its proneness to crashing.

Alternatives to Booksy and Fresha

Vagaro

Vagaro is an all-in-one business management software designed specifically for the beauty, wellness, and fitness industries. It offers tools for online appointment scheduling, payment processing, customer tracking, marketing, inventory management, and more. Vagaro helps businesses attract new customers, manage appointments, reduce no-shows, and streamline operations. It's accessible on any device and offers a free trial period.

Practice

Practice is a client management software designed for coaching and client-based businesses of all sizes. It consolidates scheduling, client communication, file storage, billing, and team management into one platform. Practice aims to streamline operations and reduce reliance on multiple tools. It offers a client portal for appointment scheduling, progress tracking, and communication, while providing business owners tools to manage their team, track payments, and automate administrative tasks.

Goldie

Goldie is a free appointment scheduling software designed for independent beauty, wellness, and lifestyle professionals. It offers online booking, automated appointment reminders, client management, payment processing, and marketing features to help businesses manage appointments, reduce no-shows, and grow their customer base. Goldie is accessible on various devices and offers a free plan with the option to upgrade for additional features.

GlossGenius

GlossGenius is an all-in-one software designed for individual professionals and businesses in the beauty and wellness industry, such as salons and spas. It helps manage various aspects of the business including online appointment booking, processing payments, marketing, client management, and inventory. The software aims to simplify business operations, reduce administrative tasks, and provide a seamless experience for both the business and their clients. GlossGenius emphasizes its user-friendly interface, attractive design, and features intended to save time and increase revenue.

SimplyBook.me

SimplyBook.me is an online appointment scheduling system designed for service businesses of all sizes. It provides a customizable booking website, automated reminders, payment processing, and integrations with popular platforms like Google Calendar and Facebook. The system allows you to manage staff, services, and bookings efficiently, while also offering features like customer management, marketing tools, and business analytics. SimplyBook.me aims to simplify appointment management, reduce no-shows, and help businesses grow.

Mangomint

Mangomint is a cloud-based salon and spa management software designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers a suite of features to manage daily operations such as appointment scheduling, online booking, point-of-sale, customer management, inventory tracking, and employee management. Mangomint stands out with its user-friendly interface, automated workflows, and focus on client experience. It promises to save time, reduce administrative tasks, and help businesses run more efficiently.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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