Bookatu vs Fresha
Bookatu vs Fresha: the 0% commission alternative
In short
Fresha now charges a monthly subscription: in New Zealand, NZ$44.95 a month for one calendar or NZ$29.95 per team member a month, plus a one-time 20% fee on each new client its marketplace sends you and card fees of 2.49% + NZ$0.30. Bookatu is from US$9 a month after a 90-day free trial, takes 0% commission on every booking, and prices by the clients you serve rather than by staff. Choose Fresha if its marketplace fills your book; choose Bookatu if most of your clients already know you.
Many owners still think of Fresha as the booking app with no monthly fee. Its pricing page now lists paid Independent and Team plans with a 7-day trial. This page puts the current numbers side by side, with a link to the page each one came from, so you can check them yourself.
Prices and fees, side by side
| Product | Price model | Starting price | Commission and card fees | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BookatuOur pricing page | One monthly plan, sized by how many clients you served in the last 90 days, never per staff member. US$9 to US$179 a month. | US$9 a monthAfter a 90-day free trial. US$8 a month billed yearly. | 0% on every booking. Stripe's card fees apply to deposits. | Independent salons, barbers, spas, studios and trainers who want their own booking page and a price that does not rise with staff. |
| FreshaCountry: New Zealandfresha.com/pricing | Monthly subscription. Independent is NZ$44.95 a month for one calendar; Team is NZ$29.95 per team member a month. 7-day trial. | NZ$44.95 a month | A one-time 20% fee on each new client from its marketplace, at least NZ$7. None on returning clients. Card fees 2.49% + NZ$0.30. | Businesses that want new clients from a large marketplace and are happy to pay per team member. |
Competitor prices are as each company's own pricing page showed them on the date under each source, for the country named, before tax. They change and vary by country, so check the linked page before you decide.
Bookatu vs Fresha at a glance
| Topic | Bookatu | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Booking commission | 0% on every booking. | A one-time 20% fee on each new client from the Fresha marketplace, at least NZ$7 in New Zealand. None on returning clients. |
| What the price follows | How many clients you served in the last 90 days. Adding staff does not change it. | On the Team plan, the number of team members: NZ$29.95 each a month in New Zealand. |
| Card payments | Deposits go into your own Stripe account, at Stripe's card fees. | Fresha's own payments: 2.49% + NZ$0.30 per online or in-person payment in New Zealand. |
| Free trial | 90 days. | 7 days. |
Who should not pick Bookatu
- Fresha's marketplace already brings you a steady flow of new clients. Bookatu has no marketplace of that size, so Fresha's one-time fee on those clients may be worth paying.
- You want card readers and payments from the same company as your booking software. Bookatu does not sell card readers: deposits go through your own Stripe account, and card payments taken on your own terminal are recorded in Bookatu.
- You run a medical or health clinic that must keep clinical records under health privacy law. Bookatu is not built for that yet.
The bottom line
A five-person team on Fresha's Team plan in New Zealand pays 5 × NZ$29.95 = NZ$149.75 a month before tax, plus 20% of the first booking of each new marketplace client. On Bookatu the same team pays US$35 a month if it served up to 600 clients in the last 90 days, with nothing taken from bookings.
If Fresha's marketplace fills your book, its fee buys you something real. If most of your bookings come from regulars and your own link, you are paying per team member for reach you do not use. Prices change, so check both pricing pages before you decide.
Ready to go independent?
Bookatu gives you a branded booking page, deposits, memberships, gift cards and reminders, with 0% commission on your bookings and deposits paid into your own Stripe account.
Start freeCommon questions
Is Fresha still free?
No. Fresha's pricing page now lists paid plans. In New Zealand, Independent is NZ$44.95 a month and Team is NZ$29.95 per team member a month, before tax, with a 7-day trial. New clients from its marketplace carry a one-time 20% fee, at least NZ$7.
Does Bookatu charge commission on bookings?
No. Bookatu takes 0% commission on every booking. You pay one monthly price, from US$9 after a 90-day free trial, based on how many clients you served in the last 90 days.
Can I move my clients from Fresha to Bookatu?
Yes. Export your client list as a CSV file, import it into Bookatu under Clients, then send your clients your new booking link. Your clients came for you, so they follow.
Where do deposits go with Bookatu?
Into your own Stripe account. When a client pays a deposit, Stripe pays it out to your bank. Bookatu never takes a cut of your bookings.