If you’re a solo hair stylist reconsidering Fresha, or wondering whether to start there, here’s the complete picture.
Quick comparison
| Feature | bookyour.hair | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $19/month flat | $19.95/month (solo plan) |
| Previously free? | No | Yes, until October 2025 |
| Client login required to book | No | Yes |
| Commission on new clients | None | 20% on marketplace new clients (min. $6) |
| Custom branded URL | Yes (yourname.bookyour.hair) | No custom domain |
| Payment processing | Stripe (direct, no markup) | 2.29 to 2.79% + $0.20 (Fresha only) |
| Competitors shown on your page | No | Yes, Fresha marketplace |
| Phone support | Included | $14.95/month extra (solo plan) |
| Card terminal cost | N/A | $139 (solo) |
| Client owns the relationship | You do | Fresha does |
| Marketing emails/month | N/A | 50 free (was unlimited) |
Pricing: what you actually pay
bookyour.hair is $19/month. The price has been $19/month since launch, and there are no add-ons, tiers, or features held back for higher-paying customers.
Fresha built its entire user base on a “100% free, free forever” promise. That promise ended in October 2025, when Fresha introduced paid plans. The solo Independent plan is now $19.95/month, slightly more than bookyour.hair. But the headline number understates the full cost.
Phone support on the solo plan costs an extra $14.95/month. Client loyalty features cost $59.95/month per location. Analytics tools run $9.95/month per team member. A physical card terminal costs $139.
Most significantly, Fresha charges a 20% commission (minimum $6) on every new client who finds you through the Fresha marketplace, meaning the “affordable” platform can get expensive fast if it’s also supposed to help you grow.
Fresha also requires stylists to use Fresha’s own payment processing. No Stripe, no Square, no third-party options.
What Fresha does better
Fresha is a genuinely full-featured platform. It has a marketplace for new client discovery, full POS with physical card terminal support, client appointment history and profiles, automated SMS and email reminders, marketing campaigns, no-show and cancellation fee enforcement, and team and multi-location scheduling.
Fresha also integrates with Google, Instagram, and Facebook for direct booking. If you want all your booking touchpoints synchronized and want to grow your clientele through the Fresha marketplace, it’s a capable platform.
The real complaints about Fresha
The trust issue is the defining problem with Fresha, and it’s not minor. Fresha’s growth was built on a “free forever” promise that thousands of stylists relied on. When Fresha reversed that promise in 2025, it angered its most loyal users.
The second major complaint is that Fresha’s marketplace model turns your booking page into a lead source for your competitors. When a client visits your Fresha profile to rebook with you, Fresha’s interface surfaces other nearby stylists.
Every client who books with you through Fresha must first create a Fresha account. That friction reduces conversions, and more importantly, it means Fresha, not you, owns the client relationship. If you leave Fresha, your clients’ accounts and booking history stay on Fresha’s platform.
Fresha also does not offer a custom domain or a real website. Your booking presence lives at a Fresha URL, not at yourname.anything.
Who should use Fresha
Fresha makes the most sense for multi-stylist salons or teams that want a scalable scheduling platform with marketplace discovery, and who were not among the users affected by the pricing change.
Who should use bookyour.hair
bookyour.hair is the right choice for solo stylists who want a professional branded booking page at a predictable price, and who learned a lesson from the Fresha bait-and-switch. At $19/month with no hidden add-ons, no marketplace competitors on your page, and no login friction, bookyour.hair keeps the focus on your business. Your clients book directly at yourname.bookyour.hair without creating an account. Your payments flow through your own Stripe account. If you ever leave, your Stripe transaction history goes with you.
Frequently asked questions
Did Fresha actually go from free to paid?
Yes. Fresha operated as a “100% free, free forever” platform and built a large user base on that promise. In October 2025, Fresha introduced paid plans. The solo Independent plan is now $19.95/month.
Do clients have to create an account to book through Fresha?
Yes. Clients must create a Fresha account before completing a booking. bookyour.hair requires no client account. Your clients click your link and book in seconds.
Does Fresha show my competitors on my booking page?
Yes. The Fresha marketplace surfaces competing stylists to clients who visit your Fresha profile. bookyour.hair pages show only your services and your booking calendar.
Can I use Stripe or another processor with Fresha?
No. Fresha requires all payments to go through Fresha’s proprietary processing system. bookyour.hair is built on Stripe. Your account, your money, processed directly.
Pricing data sourced from official platform pricing pages and third-party breakdowns. User complaints sourced from Reddit r/hairstylist, r/smallbusiness, BBB complaint databases, and beauty industry review sites. Data current as of March 2026.