Fresha vs Ovatu (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Fresha: it is second in our ranking of salon, spa and studio booking apps, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.6.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fresha grades higher on value for money and ease of use. Ovatu grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Fresha
Salon and spa booking with a consumer marketplace for new clients
Which one is for you
Pick Fresha if
- Fits if you're a solo stylist or barber who wants a booking calendar for $19.95 a month
- Works for salons that want new clients from a booking marketplace and accept a fee on each one
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if most new clients find you on Fresha's marketplace, since each costs a one-time 20% commission, at least $6
- Watch out: card fees are 2.79% + $0.20 online, 2.29% + $0.20 in person and 5.99% + $0.30 with Klarna, and terminals start at $139
- Tight if you text a lot: reminder texts past the free allowance are $0.02 each and marketing texts $0.08
- Pricey if you want loyalty ($59.95), Google review prompts ($14.95) or fuller reports ($9.95 a member), each a monthly add-on
- Skip it if you need more than a week to decide: the trial is 7 days and there's no free plan
Pick Ovatu if
- Fits if you are a salon with one or a few bookable staff
- Works for businesses that take cards through Stripe or Square
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as only a 30-day trial exists
- Pricey if you send many texts, at US$0.04 a message on top
- Tight if you want gift cards, campaigns or forms, which need Loaded at $38
- Watch out: the price grows with every bookable employee
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFreshaVery good | 2.6GPAOvatuGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BIndependent is $19.95 a month for one bookable person, and Team $14.95 a member, so five people pay $74.75. That's inside the cheaper quarter of this category ($29.99 or less), but each new marketplace client costs a one-time 20% commission, at least $6. | C$25 a month for one employee, $7 for each extra, so five people pay $53, a little above the $49 middle for booking tools. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, only a 7-day free trial that needs no credit card. A week is short to move a client list and a team across. | CA 30-day free trial. The page does not say whether a card is needed. No free plan. |
| Features | BCalendar and online booking with waitlists, group bookings and resources, deposits and no-show fees, retail stock, memberships, packages, shifts, timesheets, commissions and pay runs. That's the whole booking job, with loyalty and review prompts as add-ons. | BOnline booking, reminders, waitlist, point of sale, marketing, rosters and forms. The gaps named are plan gates and SMS costs. |
| Ease of use | AFresha rates 4.8 on the US App Store from 3,923 ratings, which puts it at A on our ease ladder. | CNo store rating on record. Services, staff and rosters have to be set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with booking from Facebook, Instagram and the Fresha app, plus Klarna, Google Analytics and Meta Pixel. No API on record and no desktop app. | AWeb, iPhone, Android and Mac, with Stripe, Square, SumUp, PayPal, Zoom and Mailchimp links. |
| Best for | low-cost booking for salons, barbers and spas | a salon booking system priced per employee |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Fresha and Ovatu. How we grade
Price against what you get
Fresha starts at $19.95 a month for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ovatu starts at $25 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
Fresha scores higher and starts $5.05 a month lower. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, none scores higher than Fresha for less, and 1 scores higher than Ovatu for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Fresha also covers email campaigns, shift scheduling and review collection.
- Ovatu also covers forms, class booking and sMS marketing.
At a glance
| Fresha | Ovatu | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent) | US$25 per month for the first employee, plus US$7 per additional employee |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card required | 30-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fresha.com SV Ltd | Ovatu Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | fresha.com | ovatu.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Fresha
- Each new client who finds you through the Fresha marketplace costs a one-time 20% commission, with a minimum of $6.
- Card fees: 2.79% + $0.20 online, 2.29% + $0.20 in person, 3.30% + $0.20 keyed in, and 5.99% + $0.30 with Klarna. Terminals start at $139.
- Texts beyond the free allowance cost $0.02 each, marketing texts $0.08 each, and WhatsApp messages $0.04 to $0.11.
- Loyalty ($59.95), Google review prompts ($14.95) and richer reports ($9.95 a member) are monthly add-ons, mostly per location.
Ovatu
- SMS reminders cost extra: the pricing page shows US$0.04 per message on top of the monthly plan.
- Campaigns, gift cards, passes, promo codes, forms, resources and inventory stocktakes need the Loaded plan.
- The price grows with each bookable employee; non-bookable users such as admins are free.
- The pricing page was read from a country selector set to Global; the figures are in US dollars.
Key features
Fresha
- Calendar and online booking
- Clients book through a direct link, Facebook, Instagram or the Fresha app, with waitlists, group bookings, processing times and resources handled on the calendar.
- Fresha marketplace
- Businesses are listed on Fresha's consumer marketplace. New clients found there cost a one-time 20% commission, at least $6; returning clients carry no fee.
- Point of sale and payments
- Take deposits and no-show fees, sell retail stock, gift cards, packages and memberships, and accept cards online, in person on a Fresha terminal or with Klarna.
- Team pay and scheduling
- Shift schedules, clock-in timesheets, commissions, tips, wages and pay runs, with service prices and durations set per team member.
- Reminders and marketing
- Email reminders are free and unlimited. Reminder texts beyond 100 a month (per member on Team) cost $0.02 each, and marketing emails beyond 50 cost $0.02 each.
- AI Concierge and add-ons
- Paid add-ons include an AI Concierge that answers messages ($29.95 a location) or calls and messages ($99.95), client loyalty, Google review prompts and a website.
Ovatu
- Online booking
- Clients book one-to-one appointments and classes through a personal mini website, a booking button for Facebook and Instagram, and website widgets.
- Reminders and waitlist
- Email and SMS appointment reminders, rebooking and review reminders. The automated waitlist is on the Loaded plan; Neat has a simple waitlist.
- Point of sale
- Invoicing, tips, deposits and online payments, with cash drawer and payment terminal integrations on both plans.
- Marketing and loyalty
- Mass email and SMS campaigns, loyalty programs, promo codes, gift cards and passes (service bundles) are limited to the Loaded plan.
- Rosters and resources
- Weekly, fortnightly or four-weekly staff rosters on both plans. Resource booking for rooms and equipment is on Loaded.
- Consultation forms
- A form builder with scheduling, online completion, annotation fields and form locking, included on the Loaded plan.
Plans
Fresha
Independent$19.95
per month for 1 bookable team member
One calendar column, 100 free reminder messages and 50 free marketing emails a month, with email and chat support.
Team$14.95
per bookable team member / month
Several calendar columns and locations, commissions, timesheets and pay runs, with message allowances per member and phone support.
EnterpriseCustom
Quoted rates for high-volume businesses with more than 20 team members.
Ovatu
Neat$25
per month for the first employee, plus $7 per additional employee
Appointments, online booking, point of sale, reminders, waitlist and reviews. Unlimited non-bookable users.
Loaded$38
per month for the first employee, plus $10 per additional employee
Everything in Neat, plus campaigns, passes, gift cards, promo codes, loyalty, forms and inventory control.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Ovatu?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Fresha is cheaper to start with: $19.95 a month for each person, against $25 a month for each person for Ovatu. Fresha starts at $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent), and Ovatu starts at US$25 per month for the first employee, plus US$7 per additional employee.
Which has a free plan, Fresha or Ovatu?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Fresha nor Ovatu has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Fresha and Ovatu run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Ovatu lists a macOS app. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.