Fresha vs Zolmi (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 2.2.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fresha grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
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
Zolmi
Salon booking and checkout priced per staff member, no commissions
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 Zolmi if
- Fits if you run a salon of 1 to 3 and want to pay for each chair
- Works for owners who want no commission on online bookings
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: text messages are charged on top and the page doesn't list the rate
- Tight if you need commissions, forms, loyalty or memberships, which are Pro at $25 a month
- Skip it if you need an iOS or Android app, as no store listing is shown
- Watch out: card processing fees are separate from the plan
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there isn't one
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFreshaVery good | 2.2GPAZolmiFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$15 a month for the first staff member and $2 for each extra on yearly billing, which is inside the category's cheaper quarter. Commissions and memberships need Pro at $25. |
| 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. | C14-day trial, no card, and no free plan after it. |
| 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. | CCalendar, online booking, client records, checkout, deposits and gift cards. Start caps stock at 10 products, and wages, commissions and forms are Pro only. |
| 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, and a salon calendar and checkout needs setting 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. | CWeb only. The site describes a mobile salon app but lists no store pages, and no integrations are on record. |
| Best for | low-cost booking for salons, barbers and spas | small salons paying per staff member |
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 Zolmi. 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. Zolmi starts at $15 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
Fresha scores higher, and starts $4.95 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 2 score higher than Zolmi 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 and shift scheduling.
- Zolmi also covers reports and sMS marketing.
At a glance
| Fresha | Zolmi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent) | $15 per month for the first staff member, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial, no card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fresha.com SV Ltd | Umov Sp. z o.o. |
| Price read from | fresha.com | zolmi.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.
Zolmi
- Text messages are charged separately from the plan; the pricing page does not list the rate.
- Wages, commissions, consultation forms, loyalty and memberships need the Pro plan.
- Card processing fees are separate from the subscription.
- The site describes a mobile salon app but lists no iOS or Android store pages.
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.
Zolmi
- Calendar and online booking
- Team appointments in one view, with clients choosing service, stylist and time online and confirming through reminders.
- Client records
- Colour formulas, visit notes and preferences stay on the client record, with digital consultation forms on Pro.
- Checkout and deposits
- Services, retail products and tips in one sale, plus booking deposits, gift cards and vouchers.
- Stock tracking
- Retail and backbar stock with quantities updated as product use is recorded; Start allows up to 10 products.
- Staff pay and reports
- Working hours and permissions on every plan; wages, commissions and end-of-day or staff reports on Pro.
- Marketing and reviews
- SMS marketing, loyalty programs, memberships and review requests, listed on the features page; texts are charged separately.
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.
Zolmi
Start$15
per month + $2 per extra staff, billed annually ($20 + $3 monthly)
Calendar, online booking and reminders, client records, checkout and deposits, gift cards, up to 10 stock products and basic reports.
Pro$25
per month + $4 per extra staff, billed annually ($30 + $5 monthly)
Adds wages and commissions, product usage, staff reports, consultation forms, Google review requests, loyalty and memberships.
Ways to pay less
Fresha
No public discounts listed.
Zolmi
- Annual discount
Lower rates on annual billing
The pricing page shows Start at $15 plus $2 per extra staff and Pro at $25 plus $4 when billed annually, against $20 plus $3 and $30 plus $5 monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Zolmi?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Zolmi is cheaper to start with: $15 a month for each person, against $19.95 a month for each person for Fresha. Fresha starts at $19.95 per month for one bookable team member (Independent), and Zolmi starts at $15 per month for the first staff member, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Fresha or Zolmi?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Fresha nor Zolmi has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Fresha and Zolmi run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Fresha lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web 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.