✓ Key takeaways
- Fresha is not free — expect ~$19.95/mo (Individual) or ~$14.95/mo per team member plus payment fees and optional marketplace commission.
- Square Appointments offers a genuine free plan for solo providers; team/multi-staff features move to paid Square plans.
- Fresha is salon-first (marketplace, deposits, multi-chair). Square is payments-first (POS, readers, invoicing) with booking attached.
- Choose Square for solo + existing Square hardware; choose Fresha when you run 2+ bookable staff and want beauty-industry workflows.
Fresha
Starting price
From ~$14.95/mo
Team plan per member + payment fees; marketplace commission on new clients — verify fresha.com
Square Appointments
Starting price
Free
Free plan available; payment processing fees apply
Capterra ratings are third-party reviews and may change over time.
Feature comparison
Categorized like Capterra — ✓ supported · ~ partial · — not listed / limited
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment scheduling | ||
| Online booking page | ✓ | ✓ |
| Per-staff calendars | ✓ | ✓ |
| Variable service durations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Buffer time between appointments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Walk-in + online mix | ✓ | ~ |
| Automated SMS/email reminders | ✓ | ✓ |
| Client management | ||
| Client profiles & history | ✓ | ✓ |
| Client mobile app | ✓ | ~ |
| Card on file | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deposits / no-show fees | ✓ | ✓ |
| Loyalty / packages | ~ | ~ |
| Payments & POS | ||
| Integrated payment processing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Point of sale (retail) | ~ | ✓ |
| Commission / tip tracking | ✓ | ~ |
| Invoicing | ~ | ✓ |
| Marketing & growth | ||
| Consumer marketplace / discovery | ✓ | — |
| Promotions & blast marketing | ~ | — |
| Social / Google booking integrations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Push notification rebooking | ~ | — |
| Staff & operations | ||
| Multi-location support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staff permissions / roles | ✓ | ✓ |
| Inventory management | ~ | ✓ |
| Mobile app for staff | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reporting | ||
| Sales & revenue reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staff performance reports | ✓ | ~ |
Feature ratings last verified June 11, 2026. Levels reflect published vendor capabilities — confirm on official sites before buying.
What the dashboards look like
Side-by-side booking dashboards so you can compare layout and workflow at a glance.
Fresha
Square Appointments
Pricing as of June 2026 — verify on fresha.com/pricing and squareup.com/appointments/pricing.
Salon owners comparing Fresha vs Square Appointments often start with “which one is free?” — but that question is outdated for Fresha. Square still offers a free solo plan; Fresha uses paid subscriptions plus processing. The real decision is salon growth model vs payments ecosystem.
Summary comparison
| Fresha | Square Appointments | |
|---|---|---|
| Software cost (solo) | ~$19.95/mo Individual plan (many markets) | $0 on free individual plan |
| Software cost (team) | ~$14.95/mo per bookable team member | Paid team plans — verify current Square pricing |
| Payment model | Fresha payments + processing fees | Square payments + processing fees |
| Marketplace / discovery | Fresha consumer marketplace (commission on new clients) | No beauty marketplace |
| POS / retail | Limited vs full salon POS | Strong Square POS integration |
| Best fit | 2+ chair salon, beauty workflows | Solo stylist, Square POS users |
Pricing: subscription vs truly free
Fresha pricing for salons
Fresha is not a zero-subscription platform anymore in most markets:
- Individual plan: around $19.95/month for a solo bookable provider
- Team plan: around $14.95/month per bookable team member
- Plus: card processing fees on payments
- Plus (optional): marketplace commission on new clients from Fresha’s discovery channel (~20% with minimums in many regions — verify locally)
Implication: Fresha can still undercut Booksy’s flat ~$29.99 + $20/staff model at scale, but it is not comparable to Square’s $0 solo software.
Square Appointments pricing
Square’s advantage is the free individual plan for one provider:
- $0/month for core online booking (individual)
- Payment processing when clients pay through Square
- Team / multi-staff / advanced features require paid Square Appointments tiers — check current US/EU pricing before assuming “free forever” with 4 stylists
Cost example: solo stylist vs 3-person salon
| Scenario | Fresha (estimate) | Square (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Solo stylist | ~$19.95/mo + processing | $0/mo software + processing |
| 3 bookable staff | ~$44.85/mo (3×$14.95 team) + processing | Paid team plan + processing — verify squareup.com |
| Marketplace new clients | Variable commission | N/A |
Takeaway: Square wins solo software cost. Fresha competes when you need salon-native multi-chair tools and may accept subscription + marketplace trade-offs.
Scheduling and salon workflows
| Capability | Fresha | Square Appointments |
|---|---|---|
| Per-stylist calendars | ✓ | ✓ (paid tiers for teams) |
| Variable service durations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deposits / card on file | ✓ Strong | ✓ |
| Consumer marketplace | ✓ | — |
| Commission / tip tracking | ✓ Salon-oriented | Partial |
| Retail product sales | Limited | ✓ via Square POS |
Square handles checkout and retail better if you sell products at the chair. Fresha handles beauty appointment flow and client discovery better if you want marketplace exposure.
Fresha: full breakdown
Fresha for salons
★ 4.9/5 on Capterra
Strengths
- + Salon-native booking and staff calendars
- + Built-in payments, deposits, and card on file
- + Consumer marketplace for new client discovery
- + Strong mobile experience for clients and staff
Limitations
- − Marketplace commission on new marketplace clients
- − Pricing model changed — no longer purely subscription-free
- − Payment stack less flexible if you use external POS
Best for
Fresha targets hair, beauty, and wellness businesses — not generic retail scheduling.
When Fresha wins:
- You run 2+ bookable staff and want per-seat pricing (~$14.95/mo) vs paying for a heavy POS suite
- Salon deposits on color services and card-on-file matter
- Fresha marketplace actively sends clients in your city
- You want one stack for booking + payments without stitching Square + third-party tools
When Fresha struggles:
- You’re solo on a tight budget — Square’s free plan beats ~$20/mo subscription
- You’re all-in on Square hardware and don’t want a second payment processor
- You rely on Square POS inventory for retail-heavy checkout
Square Appointments: full breakdown
Square Appointments for salons
Strengths
- + Free tier for individuals
- + Integrates with Square payments
- + Simple setup
Limitations
- − Fewer salon-specific marketing features
- − Advanced features on paid plans
Best for
Square Appointments is booking inside the Square payments universe — ideal when Square already runs your money.
When Square wins:
- Solo stylist or one-chair studio wanting $0 booking software
- You use Square readers, POS, or invoicing daily
- You want simple, trusted US/EU checkout without learning salon-specific marketplace rules
- You sell retail products alongside services through Square POS
When Square struggles:
- You need Booksy/Fresha-level client app marketing and beauty marketplace discovery
- Multi-chair salon workflows feel secondary to retail POS patterns
- You want predictable salon-native reporting for stylist commissions without Square workarounds
Who should choose Fresha vs Square
Choose Fresha if:
- 2+ stylists and salon-first calendars, deposits, and payments
- Marketplace discovery is part of your growth plan
- Per-staff ~$14.95/mo fits your budget better than Square team pricing
- You’re not deeply invested in Square POS hardware
Choose Square if:
- Solo provider optimizing for $0 software
- Square terminals, POS, or invoicing already power your business
- You want the simplest booking add-on, not a beauty marketplace
- Retail + service checkout happens on Square hardware
Choose neither if:
- Marketing-first barber shop → Square vs Booksy
- Enterprise spa + classes → Mindbody vs Fresha
The decision in 30 seconds
| Your situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| Solo stylist, minimize fixed costs | Square |
| Already on Square POS + readers | Square |
| 3+ chair salon, beauty-native stack | Fresha |
| Want marketplace new-client channel | Fresha |
| Still comparing Booksy | Fresha vs Booksy |
Frequently asked questions
Is Fresha or Square Appointments cheaper?
For a solo stylist, Square's free individual plan usually wins on software cost. For a 3+ person salon, compare Fresha's ~$14.95/mo per team member against Square's paid team plans plus processing — totals depend on staff count and card volume.
Is Fresha free like Square?
No. Fresha moved to tiered subscriptions in many markets. Square still offers a free plan for individual service providers. Both charge payment processing when clients pay by card.
Can I use Square card readers with Fresha?
No — Fresha uses its own payment stack. Square Appointments integrates with Square POS, terminals, and readers. If Square hardware is central to checkout, that integration is a major factor.
Which is better for a solo stylist?
Square Appointments — free individual plan, simple setup, trusted checkout. Fresha works for solos but adds subscription cost and shines more with staff and marketplace discovery.
Which handles multi-staff salons better?
Fresha — built for per-stylist calendars, salon deposits, and beauty marketplace exposure. Square supports teams on paid plans but feels more retail/POS-oriented than salon-native.
