The Best Fresha Alternative for UK Salons & Clinics in 2026
If you've ever stared at your monthly software bill and wondered where the money actually went, you're not the only one. Here's an honest, up-to-date look at the real cost of the big booking platforms in 2026 — and what to weigh up if you're thinking of switching.
“Free” rarely means free
For years, the pitch from the big booking platforms was simple: free software, no monthly fee, ever. It's a brilliant hook. The catch is that the money has to come from somewhere — and it usually comes out of your bookings.
In early 2025, the best-known “free” platform, Fresha, dropped its free tier altogether and moved everyone onto paid subscriptions. What's left across the market in 2026 is a patchwork of three stacking costs that most owners don't fully add up until the first invoice lands: a monthly subscription, a marketplace commission on certain bookings, and payment-processing fees on every card transaction.
None of these platforms are bad. The software is often genuinely good. The question is whether the model works for a small, independent UK business — or quietly works against it.
What the big platforms actually charge in 2026
Let's deal in real numbers rather than vibes. (Pricing changes often, so always check the provider's current page — these are the figures reported across the market in 2026.)
Now a paid subscription — roughly £14.95/month for a solo professional, or about £9.95 per team member on the team plan. On top of that sits the part that catches people out: a 20% commission (minimum around £6) on new clients who find you through the Fresha marketplace. Then payment processing of roughly 1.2% + 20p per transaction in the UK. Reporting and loyalty features are often paid add-ons, and the card terminal is a separate cost.
Around £40/month, plus about £5 per additional team member. Its marketplace commission, charged through the “Boost” feature, is 30% of a new client's first appointment (minimum £5) — so a £25 haircut from a Boosted new client hands roughly £7.50 to Booksy. Processing fees apply on top.
It's worth being fair here: those marketplace commissions only apply to genuinely new clients who discover you through the platform's own marketplace — not to your existing regulars, and not to clients who come from your own website, Google, or Instagram. The commission is the price of the platform acting as a discovery engine that sends you strangers.
That trade can be worth it. But it has a sharp edge that owners mention again and again in reviews: a regular client who forgets their password and rebooks through a fresh account can get counted as “new” — and you pay the commission on someone who was already yours. As one former user put it on a review site, owners simply want a fixed price without surprises.
The real question: marketplace model vs flat model
Strip away the detail and there are really two philosophies.
The marketplace model(Fresha, Booksy) bundles your booking software with a consumer app where clients can discover you — and charges a cut of the new business it sends your way. If you rely on that discovery, it can pay for itself. If most of your clients already come from word of mouth, your own social media, or walk-ins, you may be paying a commission for introductions you'd have made anyway.
The flat modelcharges one predictable monthly price and takes nothing from your bookings. There's no marketplace sending you strangers — you bring your own clients — but every booking, and every penny from it, stays yours. For an established salon or clinic with a loyal client base, that predictability is often worth more than a discovery engine.
Neither is “right.” It depends entirely on where your clients come from.
What to look for in a Fresha alternative
If you've decided the marketplace cut isn't for you, here's what actually matters when comparing flat-rate alternatives:
Predictable, all-in pricing. Look past the headline number to the total: subscription + per-staff fees + add-ons + commission. A plan that’s “cheap” at £14.95 can overtake a £29 flat plan once you add team members, reporting, loyalty and a couple of marketplace commissions.
Reminders clients actually see. No-shows are pure lost revenue — an empty chair you can’t sell twice. Email reminders are standard, but plenty of clients never open email. Reminders over WhatsApp and SMS get read, and that’s the difference between a confirmed booking and a no-show.
Clear ownership of clients and payments. Your client list and your takings should obviously be yours, with no cut skimmed off bookings.
A genuine UK fit. Pricing in pounds, UK workflows, and support from people who understand how a British salon or clinic actually runs.
Flexibility across business types. Whether you run a hair salon, barbershop, nail or beauty studio, spa, gym, yoga studio, or physio clinic, the software should speak your language — clients or patients, stylists or practitioners.
Where Feature fits in
Feature is a UK-built booking platform designed around the flat model, for owners who'd rather have certainty than a commission bill.
We'll be straight about the trade-off: Feature isn't a consumer marketplace, so it won't put your business in front of strangers the way Fresha or Booksy can. You bring your clients; in return, you keep 100% of what they spend, and your monthly cost never moves. For an established business, that's usually the better deal. If your growth depends entirely on a marketplace finding you new faces, a marketplace platform may suit you better — and that's a fair, honest answer.
An honest side-by-side
| Feature | Fresha | Booksy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | £29 flat (whole business) | ~£14.95 solo / ~£9.95 per member | ~£40 + ~£5 per member |
| Commission on bookings | None | 20% on new marketplace clients | 30% on new "Boost" clients |
| Per-staff fees | No | Yes | Yes |
| WhatsApp reminders | Yes | No | No |
| SMS reminders | Yes | Varies | Yes |
| Consumer marketplace | No | Yes | Yes |
| Card payments | Yes (Stripe) | Yes | Yes |
| UK-built | Yes | Global | Global |
Competitor pricing as reported in 2026; always check each provider's current pricing page, as rates change.
“But switching sounds like a hassle”
This is the most common — and most reasonable — worry. If your services, staff and clients are already set up somewhere, the thought of re-entering everything is enough to make most people stay put, even when they're unhappy.
A good alternative should remove that effort, not add to it. With Feature, you don't have to do the setup alone — we'll help get your services, staff and booking page in place so you can see it working with very little lifting. And during a free trial there's nothing stopping you running both systems side by side until you're sure.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to try a Fresha alternative built for you?
If you've ever felt like your booking software was on someone else's side, it's worth seeing how a flat-rate, commission-free platform feels.
Start your 14-day free trial — no card, no commission, no catch.
Start free →Feature is a UK-built booking platform for salons, barbers, gyms, and clinics: online bookings, WhatsApp & SMS reminders, and Stripe payments — one flat price, zero commission.