Fresha vs Shore (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 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 2.2.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fresha grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and 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
Shore
German-made booking and marketing software for salons and studios
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 Shore if
- Fits if you run a small salon and want a booking page without building a website
- Works for owners who want reminders sent for them, and Google review requests too on Booking + Marketing
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your staff or clients use Android, as Shore lists only the browser and iOS
- Watch out: yearly billing starts a 12-month term, and monthly plans need 14 days' notice to cancel
- Tight if you need campaigns or staff management, which start on Booking + Marketing at $69.90 a month
- Pricey if you want a managed website ($100 a month) or a branded app ($80 a month) on top of the package
- Watch out: the pricing page doesn't say whether a package covers one location or several, and over 10 locations get a quote
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFreshaVery good | 2.2GPAShoreFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CBooking is $49.90 a month billed yearly ($59.90 monthly), right at this category's middle of $49.90, and Booking + Marketing is $69.90. A managed website ($100) and a branded app ($80) are monthly extras. |
| 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. | CNo free plan, but a 14-day free trial. The listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. |
| 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. | CThe basics: booking from your site, Google, Instagram and Facebook, deposits, a card reader, reminders and customer records. The listing shows gaps: no memberships, packages or gift cards, and staff management needs Booking + Marketing. |
| 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 app store rating on record. Shore makes a mini-website for bookings automatically, but you still set up services, staff, deposit rules and payments. |
| 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 and iPhone, with Google Calendar, Reserve with Google, Instagram, Facebook, PayPal, Stripe and WhatsApp. No Android app is named, there's no desktop app, and no API is on record. |
| Best for | low-cost booking for salons, barbers and spas | online booking for small salons and studios |
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 Shore. 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. Shore starts at $49.90 a month and scores 2.3.
Fresha scores higher and starts $29.95 a month lower. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, none scores higher than Fresha for less, and 6 score higher than Shore 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.
- Shore also covers marketing automation and whatsApp messaging.
At a glance
| Fresha | Shore | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent) | $49.90 per month, billed annually ($59.90 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fresha.com SV Ltd | Shore GmbH |
| Price read from | fresha.com | shore.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 24, 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.
Shore
- Shore lists use in a browser and on iOS; its pricing page names no Android app.
- Yearly billing commits you to a 12-month initial term; monthly contracts can be cancelled with 14 days' notice.
- A managed website costs $100 a month and a branded customer app $80 a month on top of either package.
- The pricing page does not say whether a package covers one location or several; businesses with more than 10 locations get a quote.
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.
Shore
- Online booking everywhere
- Clients book from an automatic mini-website, an embedded widget, Google, Instagram or Facebook, and get confirmations and reminders by WhatsApp, email or text.
- Calendar and staff planning
- See which staff member has which appointments, plan shifts, vacations and absences, and limit what each person sees with user roles.
- Deposits and payments
- Ask for a deposit or full payment at booking by card, Google Pay, Apple Pay or PayPal, refund it in a few clicks, and take in-person payments with Shore's card reader.
- Customer records
- Each booking builds a customer history with notes, preferences, custom fields such as allergies, and uploaded files and images.
- Campaigns and review requests
- Send email or WhatsApp campaigns to customer segments and automatic birthday messages; feedback requests pass good reviews on to Google and keep bad ones internal.
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.
Shore
Booking$49.90
per month, billed annually ($59.90 billed monthly)
Online calendar and booking from your website, Google and Instagram, card prepayment, reminders, customer records and statistics.
Booking + Marketing$69.90
per month, billed annually ($79.90 billed monthly)
Adds email marketing, Google review requests, employee management, birthday reminders, PayPal and bookable add-ons.
Ways to pay less
Fresha
No public discounts listed.
Shore
- Annual discount
Save $120 a year with yearly billing
Shore's US pricing page says yearly billing saves $120: $49.90 instead of $59.90 a month for Booking, and $69.90 instead of $79.90 for Booking + Marketing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Shore?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Fresha starts at $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent), and Shore starts at $49.90 per month, billed annually ($59.90 billed monthly). 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 Shore?
As of Oct 24, 2026, neither Fresha nor Shore has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Fresha and Shore run on?
As of Oct 24, 2026, only Fresha lists an Android app. Both list a web app and an iOS app. 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.