Looking past
Fresha?
Fresha is free to start and charges as you go - marketplace fees for new clients, fees on payments. hey.booked charges one flat, predictable price and stays out of your money.
Fresha is a full salon platform: POS, payments, marketplace, inventory. Its pricing follows the platform - free to join, with fees when new clients find you through its marketplace and when you process payments through it.
hey.booked is deliberately smaller: your own booking page, reminders, staff schedules, and calendar sync, for a flat price. If you mostly serve your own regulars and charge at the counter, you may not need the platform - just the page.
side by side
The factual differences, without the marketing gloss:
Details checked against public pricing pages in June 2026. Pricing changes - double-check Fresha's current terms before deciding.
What switching gets you
a bill you can predict
Free, or :currency:monthly/month. The price does not move with how many new clients booked or how you took payment.
no marketplace between you and clients
Your page carries only your salon. Clients bookmark your link, not a marketplace profile next to your competitors.
booking without an account
Clients pick a slot and leave contact details. No marketplace account, no app download, no upsell screens.
reminders included
Email reminders on every plan, SMS with a configurable lead time on Pro.
calendar sync
Two-way Google Calendar sync on Pro, with Apple and Outlook feeds, so double bookings cannot sneak in.
set up in an afternoon
Services, staff, working hours, link in bio. Most shops take their first online booking the same day.
what it costs
Free: 1 staff member, 3 services, 30 confirmed bookings a month, email reminders included.
Pro: $15/month or $150/year, flat, for unlimited staff, services, and bookings, plus SMS and calendar sync.
No card to start, no commission, no fees on your payments - because payments stay yours.
where Fresha still wins
An honest comparison cuts both ways. Stay with Fresha if you rely on:
- Built-in payments and POS - Fresha processes cards, sells products, and handles deposits. hey.booked does not touch money yet.
- Marketplace discovery - Fresha can bring in clients who have never heard of you. hey.booked only serves the clients you bring.
- A one-click migration - there is no automatic import from Fresha; services and staff are re-created by hand.
who should switch
Salons and barbershops with a loyal client base who want online booking and reminders without a platform - and without fees that scale with their success.
Shops that depend on Fresha for card payments, deposits, or a steady stream of marketplace clients should stay put.
Set up your page on the free plan and compare a real week before you decide.