If you run a service business in the UK, you have almost certainly come across Fresha. It is the biggest name in booking software for salons, barbers, and beauty professionals, and for good reason. But is it the right fit for every type of service business?
We put together this honest comparison so you can make the best decision for your business. No spin, no agenda. Just a clear look at what is out there.
Fresha (formerly Shedul) is a booking platform aimed primarily at beauty and wellness businesses. It used to be known for its "no subscription" model, but that has changed. Fresha now charges a monthly subscription alongside transaction fees on every payment. It has grown rapidly and serves businesses in over 120 countries.
Fresha offers two main plans:
On top of the subscription, you pay transaction fees on every payment:
There is also a 20% one-time commission (minimum £4) on new clients who find you through the Fresha marketplace.
Optional add-ons push the cost higher. Client Loyalty is £49.95/month per location. Google Rating Boost is £12.95/month per location. Insights costs £7.95/month per team member. Text and WhatsApp messages cost £0.05 to £0.10 each after your free monthly allowance runs out.
No platform is perfect, and it is worth being upfront about the trade-offs.
Best for: UK service businesses outside of beauty (window cleaners, dog groomers, car detailers, house cleaners, and more).
Serveasy is built specifically for the types of service businesses that Fresha was not designed for. If you have ever tried to set up a window cleaning round or a dog grooming schedule inside a salon booking tool, you will understand the frustration.
Where Serveasy is not the right fit: If you run a hair salon or beauty clinic with complex multi-service appointments and in-chair upselling, Fresha or one of the salon-specific tools below will be a better match.
Best for: Salons and wellness businesses that want a premium feel.
Timely is a subscription-based booking platform from New Zealand that has gained a strong following in the UK. It charges a flat monthly fee rather than transaction-based pricing.
Trade-off: Monthly fees start from around $25 and increase with staff count. The salon and wellness focus means it shares many of Fresha's limitations for non-beauty businesses.
Best for: Businesses that already use Square for payments.
Square offers a free tier for solo operators and integrates tightly with its own payment hardware and ecosystem.
Trade-off: The free tier is limited. Paid plans start at $29/month. Like Fresha, you are locked into Square's payment processing. The platform is designed broadly, so it does not go deep on features for any specific industry.
Best for: Barbers and grooming businesses.
Booksy has carved out a niche in the barbershop market with a strong consumer app and features tuned for men's grooming.
Trade-off: Monthly subscription required. Heavily focused on barbers and beauty, so it is not ideal for other service types.
Best for: Budget-conscious businesses that want a simple online booking page.
Setmore offers a free plan with basic booking functionality and integrates with tools like Zoom and Slack.
Trade-off: The free plan is basic. Premium features require a paid plan. It is a general-purpose tool, so it will not have the depth of features that industry-specific platforms offer.
The best booking software depends entirely on what kind of business you run.
If you run a salon, spa, or beauty business, Fresha has the features and the marketplace reach to back you up, though the combined cost of subscriptions, transaction fees, and add-ons is worth calculating carefully before you commit. Timely and Booksy are strong alternatives if you want simpler pricing or a different feature set.
If you run a service business outside of beauty (cleaning, dog grooming, car detailing, gardening, mobile services), look at Serveasy. These industries have different needs: rounds, recurring jobs, field-based teams, and location-based scheduling. A tool built for your world will save you time and frustration compared to forcing a salon platform to do something it was not designed for.
If you just need the basics, Square Appointments or Setmore will get you a booking page quickly without much commitment.
Fresha is a great product. It has earned its reputation in the beauty industry, and for many salon owners it is the right choice. But "most popular" does not always mean "best for you."
Take 15 minutes to try a couple of options. Book a demo, set up a free trial, and see which one actually fits the way your business works. That small investment of time will pay off every single day you use the platform.
If your business is in the service sector and you have been trying to make a beauty-focused tool work for you, give Serveasy a look. It was built for exactly that problem.