Compare / The evidence room

Compare honestly.

The right software depends on how you work. Read where each alternative wins, and what you give up.

FILE 01 The Fresha alternative without the commission Looking for a Fresha alternative? Your own booking page and client list for a flat monthly fee — and an honest note on when Fresha is still the better call.

FILE 02 The Vagaro alternative built for independent salons, not chains Looking for a Vagaro alternative? Software shaped around a single operator and their client list, rather than a chain platform scaled down.

FILE 03 The Square Appointments alternative for service businesses Looking for a Square Appointments alternative? Software built around the client relationship rather than the till.

FILE 04 The Calendly alternative that runs the whole job Looking for a Calendly alternative? What happens after the slot is booked — client records, reminders and follow-up in one place instead of three.

FILE 05 The Acuity alternative that goes past the calendar Looking for an Acuity alternative? What happens after the slot is booked — the client record, the reminder and the follow-up.

FILE 06 The Booksy alternative without the marketplace Looking for a Booksy alternative? Your own branded booking page and client list on a flat monthly fee — and an honest note on when Booksy still wins.

FILE 07 The Treatwell alternative that lets you keep the client Looking for a Treatwell alternative? Keep the regulars you already earned, on a flat monthly fee instead of a marketplace commission.

FILE 08 The Mindbody alternative sized for solo studios Looking for a Mindbody alternative? Studio scheduling and client management for solo instructors and small teams, without the enterprise pricing.

THE HONEST VERSION

A marketplace can be worth its commission when discovery is what you need. A standalone scheduler can be enough when all you need is a link. Read each comparison for its actual trade-offs — every file says plainly when the alternative is the better call.

Head to head / 2 files

Two of them, side by side.

FILE 09 Booksy vs Fresha Both are marketplace-plus-software platforms, and the feature lists barely differ. The decision is about how each one charges you, and how much of it you can avoid. Figures below are quoted from their own pricing pages.

FILE 10 Fresha vs Treatwell Two marketplaces charging for the same thing — the client they found you — in two different ways. Treatwell publishes its commission rates outright; Fresha varies its published pricing by country. Figures below are quoted from their own pages.