For barbers · Alternatives
Fresha alternatives for barbers (2026)
Fresha is no longer free. Here is what to run instead, what each one costs, and when the better move is to keep Fresha as the diary.
Prices checked 23 September 2026 · UK and US prices
TrimCheck is not a booking app. We connect barbers to every channel on top of whichever app they run, so we have no favourite here. Every number is from the platforms’ own pricing pages on the date shown, and we say plainly which one wins.
What you are leaving
Fresha charges £14.95 a month for a solo barber in the UK ($19.95 in the US), £9.95 per bookable person on the team plan ($14.95, minimum two), and 20% of the first visit of any client who found you in its marketplace, with a $6 minimum in the US. Card fees are 1.99% + 20p online and 1.29% + 20p in person in the UK, 2.79% + 20¢ and 2.29% + 20¢ in the US. In return: a clean diary, two-way Google Calendar sync and a marketplace that is large but salon-first. Fresha fees in full.
The alternatives
| App | Monthly, solo | New-client fee | Marketplace | Two-way calendar sync | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booksy | £40 · $29.99 | 30% with Boost on, else 0% | Yes, barber-heavy | One-way import only | You want the app to bring barber clients |
| Square Appointments | Free · $49 · $149 per location | None | No | Yes | You want a free diary with payments |
| Setmore | Free to 4 users, Pro from $5 per user | None | No | Yes | You are a small team on a budget |
| Squire | $30 · $50 per shop | None | No | Not published | You run a US shop with several barbers |
| Treatwell | None stated (UK) | 35% + VAT of first booking | Yes, UK consumer | Partner integrations | You want UK reach with no monthly bill |
| Vagaro | $23.99 for six months | None | Listing only | Yes | You want payroll, forms and memberships in one suite |
| GlossGenius | $24 · $48 · $148 billed yearly | None | No | Yes | You are solo in the US and want a flat card rate |
| Acuity | $16 to $49 | None | No | Yes | You need intake forms and packages |
Prices checked on 23 September 2026. Vagaro’s $23.99 is an introductory rate for the first six months. GlossGenius prices are billed yearly. Squire is US, Treatwell is UK.
Fresha against the marketplace alternatives, for your month
Boost is assumed on for Booksy. Set new clients to zero to compare the diaries alone: Fresha £14.95, Booksy £40, and the free apps at nothing.
Subscription plus new-client commission plus card fees at the platform’s published online rate. Marketplace clients are counted once, at their first visit, as each platform’s fee rules state. Tax not included. Your own regulars never carry a commission on any of these platforms.
Each one, for a barber
Booksy
The barber marketplace. £40 a month, 30% of a new client’s first visit while Boost is on, 0% with it off. Calendar import is one way. Costs more than Fresha and sends more barber clients in most UK and US cities. Booksy vs Fresha in full.
Square Appointments and Setmore
The free diaries. Square is free for one location and takes card fees (2.6% + 15¢ in person on the free plan); Setmore is free to four users with Pro from $5 per user. Both sync with Google Calendar both ways. Neither brings a single client.
Squire
US barbershop software: $30 for an independent barber, $50 for a shop, $150 and $250 per shop for marketing, rent collection and a branded app. No marketplace and no commission. Fresha vs Squire.
Treatwell
UK only. No monthly fee stated, 35% plus VAT on a new client’s first booking, 0% on repeats. Bigger consumer audience than Fresha in the UK, salon-first like Fresha. Fresha vs Treatwell.
Vagaro, GlossGenius, Acuity
Paid diaries without a marketplace. Vagaro bundles payroll, forms and memberships at $23.99 for six months then its standard price. GlossGenius is US-only with a flat 2.6% card rate. Acuity is the forms-and-packages scheduler at $16 to $49. All sync calendars both ways.
The other option: keep Fresha
Fresha’s weak point for a barber is new clients, not the diary. Its two-way Google Calendar sync is the reason it works so well as the base under a channel manager: a booking from Google, Instagram, a home-visit request or any other channel blocks the Fresha slot the moment it lands. TrimCheck does not replace any of them. It sits on top of the app you run, pushes your profile to every channel and keeps one calendar true. Connect your app.
Moving without losing clients
- Export your client list from Fresha’s settings as a CSV and import it into the new app.
- Screenshot the reviews you want to quote.
- Put the new booking link in your Instagram bio and Google Business Profile the same day.
- Keep the Fresha profile live for a month with a note on where to book.
- Tell regulars on WhatsApp.
Keep your app. Add every channel.
Whichever app you pick, TrimCheck sits on top of it: your profile goes out to every channel, one calendar stays true, and every request lands on your WhatsApp. No monthly fee, no commission.
Questions barbers ask
Why do barbers leave Fresha?
Fresha stopped being free: £14.95 a month solo ($19.95), £9.95 per person on the team plan ($14.95), 20% of a new marketplace client’s first visit, and add-ons from $9.95 to $295 a month per location. The marketplace is salon and spa-first, so barbers in the UK and US see fewer new clients from it than from Booksy. Barbers who mainly wanted a free diary are the ones moving.
What is the best free alternative to Fresha?
Square Appointments, free for one location with card fees only, or Setmore, free for up to four users. Neither has a marketplace. Both sync with Google Calendar in both directions, which was the thing many barbers liked most about Fresha.
Which alternative brings more barber clients?
Booksy. Its marketplace is barber-heavy in most UK and US cities, at £40 a month ($29.99) and 30% of a new client’s first visit while Boost is on. In the UK, Treatwell has a bigger consumer audience than Fresha but is salon-first too and takes 35% plus VAT.
Can I take my clients with me?
Yes. Export the client list from Fresha’s settings as a CSV; every alternative imports one. Reviews and history stay on Fresha. Give regulars the new link on WhatsApp and keep the Fresha profile live for a month.
Should I keep Fresha and add something?
Often, yes. Fresha’s diary is cheap and its two-way Google Calendar sync is the best of the big apps, which makes it a good base under a channel manager. Keep it, connect the channels that carry no commission, and let one calendar stay true across all of them. TrimCheck does that for free.