Fresha vs Booksy vs Custom Booking System: Which Costs Less?

14 July 2026 · Lange Software Solutions

What does Fresha actually cost UK salons?

Fresha's published pricing starts at £49/month for their Basic plan, but that's not what most UK salons pay. The real cost depends on three layers: the monthly subscription (£49–£249), booking fees (1.5–2%), and payment processing (1.5% + 20p per transaction if you use Fresha Payments).

For a salon processing £5,000 in bookings per month via Fresha Payments, you'd pay roughly £49 (base) + £100 (booking fees at 2%) + £95 (card fees), totalling £244/month. That's five times the advertised price.

Fresha also charges extra for SMS reminders (usually bundled, but upsell on lower tiers), staff accounts beyond your first, and integrations with Instagram or WhatsApp sync. Their Standard plan (£99/month) is where most multi-therapist salons actually sit.

How much are Booksy's hidden costs?

Booksy quotes £0–£299/month depending on location and features, but UK salons typically land on their £79 or £149 monthly tier. Like Fresha, Booksy takes a cut of every booking: 5–8% commission on online bookings, plus Stripe processing (1.4% + 20p if you use their payments).

A salon with £4,000 monthly bookings on Booksy's mid-tier plan would pay approximately £79 (base) + £240 (7% commission) + £57 (card processing), totalling around £376/month. Booksy's commission model is steeper than Fresha's upfront, which catches many owners off guard.

Booksy also charges for advanced features: custom intake forms, priority support, and API access all cost extra. Their "free" tier exists but strips out most functionality useful to a real business.

What does a custom booking system cost to build and run?

A custom-built booking system for a small salon typically costs £1,500–£4,000 to build (one-time), then £30–£80/month to host and maintain. This sounds cheap, but the hidden cost is time: someone (usually the owner) handles tech issues, updates, and customer support.

Lange Software Solutions, for example, builds bespoke systems for UK salons at a fixed upfront cost plus a modest monthly fee. You own the system, avoid commission clawback, and integrate with your own payment processor (Stripe, Square, PayPal) at normal rates—typically 1.4–2.2% per transaction with no salon-specific markup.

The payback calculation: if a salon saves £150/month in booking fees (Fresha vs. custom), the system pays for itself in 10–27 months. Beyond that, it's pure margin—no recurring middleman.

However, custom systems require a business stable enough to commit to ongoing updates and technical support. For a solo therapist or small team, Fresha or Booksy's managed service might be worth the cost just for peace of mind.

Which booking system is cheapest for different salon sizes?

Solo therapist (1 treatment room, ~£2,000 monthly bookings): Fresha Basic (£49 + ~£40 fees) = ~£89/month. Booksy equivalent costs ~£100/month due to their higher commission. Custom system overhead isn't worth it at this scale.

Small salon (2–4 therapists, ~£8,000 monthly bookings): Fresha Standard (~£99 + £160 fees) = ~£259/month. Booksy's commission-heavy model hits ~£380/month. A custom system (£50/month maintenance + £112 in card fees) = ~£162/month, breaking even after 20 months.

Multi-location or busy salon (5+ therapists, £15,000+ monthly bookings): Fresha's transaction fees become brutal—easily £300+/month just in booking commissions. Booksy's commission structure worsens at volume. A custom system or negotiated Fresha Enterprise deal suddenly looks attractive.

The feature cost you're not seeing

Neither Fresha nor Booksy includes customer relationship management (CRM) tools by default. Want to email past clients about a promotion? That's a separate tool (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or built into your website). Want automated SMS appointment reminders? Fresha bundles this, Booksy doesn't—you'll add Twilio or similar at £20–40/month.

LUCY, an AI receptionist, automates Instagram and WhatsApp replies and books appointments 24/7—functions Fresha and Booksy don't provide. She costs £99–249/month depending on volume, but if you're currently answering DMs manually or losing bookings because you're asleep, she's saving you time that you'd otherwise spend on admin or losing sales.

The real cost comparison isn't just booking system—it's booking system + messaging + reminders + CRM. Most salons end up paying £200–400/month across three or four tools. A custom site with integrated booking plus LUCY handling DMs consolidates that spend.

What about payment processing—who's actually cheapest?

Fresha Payments and Booksy Payments both take 1.5–2% + 20p per card transaction. If you use your own Stripe account (allowed on most tiers), you'll pay 1.4% + 20p—a tiny saving, but it compounds. On £10,000 monthly turnover, Fresha Payments costs ~£175/month; Stripe independently costs ~£154/month. That's £252/year going to Fresha for the "convenience" of not switching payment providers.

Booksy's Stripe integration is less transparent. Most UK salons using Booksy still route payments through Booksy's partner, paying the higher rate.

Custom systems let you choose your processor entirely. Many UK salons switch to Square (£0 setup, 1.49% + 20p) or Stripe (same rate) and pocket the difference.

The annual cost reality

Fresha Standard (£8,000/month bookings): ~£3,100/year base + processing = realistic £3,500/year.

Booksy mid-tier (£8,000/month bookings): ~£4,500/year due to commission model.

Custom system (same volume, hosted and maintained): ~£2,000/year after the initial build cost is amortised.

By year two, custom systems win on pure cost. But Fresha and Booksy win on "no tech headache." The choice depends on whether your time or money is the constraint.

How to cut costs with Fresha or Booksy right now

If you're already locked into Fresha or Booksy, a few moves reduce bills:

• Negotiate higher tiers: Many Fresha reps will discount £249/month plans for multi-location salons. Booksy won't budge on commission, but they do offer annual discounts (pay 12 months upfront, save ~10%).
• Switch your payment processor: If Fresha or Booksy allows external Stripe, move off their branded payments processor immediately. You'll save ~£100–150/year on a £10,000 monthly salon.
• Cut SMS/push notification costs: Use email (free or near-free) and WhatsApp (free) instead. Fresha's SMS costs add up quickly if you're not capped.
• Reduce staff accounts: Only add therapists who need to edit their own schedules. Admin-only staff can view schedules without a paid seat.

When to build custom instead

A custom booking system makes sense if:

• You're paying more than £250/month on Fresha or Booksy and stable enough to maintain a system.
• You want your own CRM, email marketing, and scheduling all in one place.
• You're operating multiple locations or have unusual business logic (e.g., group classes, deposit requirements, referral tracking).
• You want to own your customer data and not rely on a third-party platform that could change pricing or shut down.

The downside: you need a developer (freelance, agency, or in-house) to handle updates and bugs. If you're a solo salon owner with zero tech confidence, this isn't your path.

The real question: what's your time worth?

Fresha and Booksy cost money, but they cost zero tech time. Custom systems cost less money but need ongoing support. If you're a salon owner earning £40–60/hour, spending 5 hours/month troubleshooting a custom system costs you £200–300—erasing your cost saving.

Conversely, if you're losing 10 bookings a month because Fresha's UX is clunky, or Booksy's commission is eating into margin, that's real opportunity cost that a custom system might recoup.

The honest answer: run the numbers for your salon. Add up 12 months of Fresha or Booksy bills (subscription + fees), then get a quote for a custom system. If custom breaks even within 18 months, it's worth exploring. If your salon is young or finances are tight, Fresha's simplicity is still worth the premium.