Fresha Alternative: Online Booking Without Commissions
Fresha charges 20% on the first appointment of every new client that comes through their marketplace. If you have a salon, barbershop, nail studio, or spa and want to accept online bookings without paying that commission — CalenMe is the alternative.
Quick verdict
Fresha has more beauty-specific features: product inventory, team tips, its own marketplace. But it charges 20% on the first appointment of each new marketplace client (min. $6 — repeat visits are 0%) and $19.95/month for the Individual plan. CalenMe is simpler — no marketplace, no inventory — but also no commissions. For a salon or barbershop that already has a client base and wants to take online bookings without losing revenue to commissions, CalenMe is enough and cheaper.
The real cost of Fresha: more than the price list suggests
A professional with 20 new clients/month via Fresha pays up to $120 extra in first-appointment commissions alone — on top of the base plan and card fees. Repeat visits from those same clients are commission-free. The list price doesn't reflect the real cost. Prices verified May 2026 — confirm at fresha.com.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | CalenMe | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | $3.99/mo · $2.99/mo (annual) | $19.95/mo per user |
| First-appointment commission (new client, marketplace) | 0% — none | 20% first visit (min. $6) — repeats: 0% |
| Card payment fee | No own commission | 2.29%–2.79% + $0.20 depending on channel |
| Interface language | Spanish, English, Portuguese | Spanish + 29 more languages |
| Google Calendar sync | Yes (two-way) | Yes |
| Automatic reminders | Yes — 24h before | Yes (email + SMS) |
| Custom booking link | calenme.app/YourName | Yes (via Fresha marketplace) |
| Own marketplace | No | Yes (with 20% commission) |
| Mobile app for clients | No (responsive web) | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes, no expiration | No |
Fresha has more features. CalenMe has lower costs.
Fresha is full-featured beauty software: product inventory, team tip management, point of sale, its own marketplace. If you need all of that, it's a solid platform.
CalenMe focuses on the essentials: publish your availability, accept bookings, send automatic reminders. No inventory, no POS, no commissions. For a salon, barbershop, or nail studio that already has its client base and needs to organize bookings online — it's enough.
The question isn't which has more features. It's how many features you actually use — and how much you're willing to pay for the ones you don't.
The 20% commission: the detail that changes everything
Fresha has a marketplace where clients search for nearby salons. If a new client finds you there and books, Fresha charges you 20% of that first appointment (minimum $6). Subsequent visits from the same client are commission-free — but that first one costs you.
As more new clients come through that channel, the first-appointment costs add up.
CalenMe has no marketplace and no commissions. Your booking link is yours — share it wherever you want (Instagram, WhatsApp, your website) and 100% of what you charge is yours.
Up and running in minutes, not days
CalenMe is built for independent professionals who need to go online fast: create your schedule, set up your services, and share your booking link in under 10 minutes. No inventory to configure, no point-of-sale to learn, no team management to set up.
Fresha has many more features — product inventory, POS, team tip management, its own marketplace. If you need them, they're valuable. If you don't, they're complexity you didn't ask for and a higher price tag than necessary.
Who should use each?
Choose CalenMe if...
- You have a salon, barbershop, nail studio, spa, or any appointment-based business
- You already have a client base and don't need a marketplace to find new clients
- You don't want to pay 20% commissions on each client
- You prefer a simple tool that works from day one
- You want to start free without a credit card
Choose Fresha if...
- You need to appear in Fresha's marketplace to attract new clients
- You use point of sale and beauty product inventory
- Your team has multiple stylists and you need advanced per-person booking management
- You need team tip and commission management
Try CalenMe free
No credit card. No commissions. Your first agenda in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
Does CalenMe work for beauty salons, barbershops, or nail studios?
Yes. You can create agendas per service (haircut, color, treatment, manicure), set different durations and prices for each, and accept online bookings. It doesn't have inventory or POS like Fresha, but for appointment management it works just as well — without commissions.
Does Fresha always charge the 20% commission?
No. The 20% commission applies only to the first appointment of new clients who find you through Fresha's marketplace (min. $6). Repeat visits from those same clients are commission-free. If a client books directly from your own link, there's no commission at all. But that first appointment from each new marketplace client does carry the fee.
Does CalenMe have its own marketplace to find new clients?
No. CalenMe has no marketplace. Your booking link (calenme.app/YourName) is yours to share wherever you want. Client acquisition is in your hands — no intermediaries, no commissions.
Can I migrate my appointments from Fresha to CalenMe?
Historical appointments stay in Fresha. Creating your agenda in CalenMe takes seconds — define your services, available hours, and publish. Share the new link from that moment on.
Does CalenMe work in Spanish and Portuguese too?
Yes. CalenMe's interface is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Both you and your clients see everything in the appropriate language.