Fresha vs StyleSeat (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 12, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fresha grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, 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
StyleSeat
Booking, payments and a client marketplace for beauty pros
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 StyleSeat if
- Fits if you work alone or in a small team as a stylist, barber or similar and want clients to book and pay a deposit
- Works for a pro who wants to be found through a marketplace profile
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if the marketplace sends you a new client, as it keeps 30% of that first appointment, up to $50
- Watch out: the join page says $19 a month and the help centre says $35
- Watch out: card payments cost 2.5% + $0.30 in person or 2.6% + $0.30 for a card on file
- Tight if you turn on its pricing add-on, which takes 5.5% of the extra booking total, up to $16.50
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFreshaVery good | 2.6GPAStyleSeatGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | B$19 a month after the trial, which is inside the cheapest quarter of the category and just above 60% of it. The help centre lists $35 for the same plan, so we cannot be sure. Card fees and marketplace cuts come on top. |
| 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 free trial with no card needed, then a paid plan. There is 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. | CBooking, deposits, payments, marketing and team calendars. The marketplace takes 30% of a first visit from a client it brings you, which is a cost the listing shows in the core job. |
| 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. | BThe page quotes 4.9 from over 350,000 ratings across both app stores. We did not check that against the stores themselves, so it sits at B. |
| 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 plus iOS and Android apps. No integrations are listed. |
| Best for | low-cost booking for salons, barbers and spas | booking and marketplace for solo beauty pros |
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 StyleSeat. 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. StyleSeat starts at $19 a month and scores 2.7.
Fresha scores higher, and starts $0.95 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, none scores higher than Fresha for less, and none scores higher than StyleSeat 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 inventory.
- StyleSeat also covers sMS marketing.
At a glance
| Fresha | StyleSeat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent) | $19 per month after a free trial (help center says $35) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card required | Free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fresha.com SV Ltd | StyleSeat, Inc. |
| Price read from | fresha.com | styleseat.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
StyleSeat
- The join page shows $19 a month after the trial, while the help center lists a $35 monthly subscription; confirm at sign-up.
- Payments cost 2.5% + $0.30 card present, or 2.6% + $0.30 on card on file, per the help center.
- New Client Connection keeps 30% of a first appointment with a client the marketplace brings you, capped at $50.
- Smart Pricing, when used, takes 5.5% of the increased booking total, capped at $16.50.
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.
StyleSeat
- Online booking and deposits
- Clients book open slots online, with deposits, kept late-cancellation fees and automatic reminders.
- Payments
- StyleSeat Payments handles checkout, tips and card on file, with payouts to a linked bank account. Cash and outside methods are also allowed.
- Marketplace profile
- A profile and portfolio that clients can find through StyleSeat search. A New Client Connection fee applies to clients the marketplace sends you.
- Marketing tools
- Email and text marketing, rebooking reminders, loyalty, promotions, packages, AI social posts and review management.
- Smart Pricing and waitlist
- Optional higher rates for busy slots, and a waitlist that offers a cancelled slot to clients waiting for that time.
- Team calendars
- Staff calendars, roles and permissions, with no extra charge per team member according to the join page.
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.
StyleSeat
Premium$19
per month, after a free trial
One flat plan with staff calendars, marketing tools and marketplace profile. Help center, dated Oct 2, 2026, still lists $35 a month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fresha or StyleSeat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Fresha starts at $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent), and StyleSeat starts at $19 per month after a free trial (help center says $35). 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 StyleSeat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Fresha nor StyleSeat 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.