Fresha vs Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) (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 2.0.
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, the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
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
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)
Salon scheduling and checkout, now sold as DaySmart Salon
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 Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) if
- Fits if you cut hair alone and want booking and card payments in one place
- Works for salons of up to 6 on Premium
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you grow, as users are capped at 1 on Basic, 3 on Deluxe and 6 on Premium
- Pricey if you want text marketing or two-way texting, which need Deluxe Growth at $149 a month
- Watch out: reputation management and the website builder are add-ons on Basic
- Watch out: Premium Growth has no published price
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as only a two-week trial is listed
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFreshaVery good | 2.0GPASalon Iris (DaySmart Salon)Fair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CBasic is $29 a month for 1 user, between the cheaper quarter ($25) and the middle ($49) of the category. Deluxe is $69 for 3 users. |
| 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. | DTwo-week free trial on every plan. No free plan, and card terms are not stated. |
| 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. | CBooking, reminders, payments, team tools and a mobile app. Text marketing, two-way texting and reputation management need Deluxe Growth, and a website builder is an add-on on Basic. |
| 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. You set up services, staff and payments first. |
| 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. | BWeb, iOS and Android apps with Instagram, Facebook and QuickBooks. |
| Best for | low-cost booking for salons, barbers and spas | salon booking and checkout for solo stylists and small teams |
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 Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon). 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. Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) starts at $29 a month and scores 2.3.
Fresha scores higher and starts $9.05 a month lower. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, none scores higher than Fresha for less, and 10 score higher than Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) 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 shift scheduling and inventory.
- Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) also covers reports, time clock and sMS marketing.
At a glance
| Fresha | Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent) | $29 per month for 1 user (Basic) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card required | Two-week free trial on every plan |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fresha.com SV Ltd | DaySmart Software |
| Price read from | fresha.com | daysmart.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.
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)
- The salon-iris address now redirects to DaySmart Salon, so this listing reads the DaySmart Salon pages.
- User counts are capped per plan: 1 on Basic, 3 on Deluxe and Deluxe Growth, 6 on Premium.
- Text marketing, two-way texting and reputation management need Deluxe Growth or above; on Basic, reputation management and the website builder are add-ons.
- Premium Growth has no published price.
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.
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)
- Scheduling and online booking
- Appointment book for online bookings, walk-ins and multi-service visits, with Instagram and Facebook booking from the first plan.
- Reminders and texting
- Automated appointment reminders on every plan; two-way texting and text marketing start at Deluxe Growth.
- Integrated payments
- Card payments and online deposits are built in; the page says funds reach the account the next business day.
- Team management
- Basic payroll starts at Deluxe; sliding-scale commission, overtime rules and commission exceptions appear on the higher plans.
- Marketing and reviews
- Email marketing from Deluxe, text marketing and reputation management from Deluxe Growth, and a website builder as an add-on.
- Mobile app
- iOS and Android apps are linked from the DaySmart Salon page, and the feature list shows a mobile app on every 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.
Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)
Basic$29
per month for 1 user
Online booking, confirmations, Instagram and Facebook booking, payment processing and online deposits; 500 texts and 1,000 emails a month.
Deluxe$69
per month for up to 3 users
Adds online gift cards, digital forms, a client loyalty system, basic payroll and email marketing.
Deluxe Growth$149
per month for up to 3 users
Adds text marketing, two-way texting and reputation management to Deluxe.
Premium$199
per month for up to 6 users
Adds QuickBooks Connect and a larger text and email allowance.
Premium GrowthCustom
Unlimited users, expense tracking, advanced payroll and commission tracking; priced by contacting DaySmart.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Fresha starts at $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent), and Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) starts at $29 per month for 1 user (Basic). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Fresha or Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon)?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Fresha nor Salon Iris (DaySmart Salon) has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
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.