Head to head · UK edition
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Fresha brings marketplace clients and charges for them; Square Appointments is free for one location and makes its money on card payments.
Prices as ofGBP or USD as published
Choose Fresha if
- You want new clients from a marketplace
- You want a full salon suite
- You accept a 20% fee on new marketplace clients
Choose Square Appointments if
- You have a full book and don't need marketplace clients
- You want a free plan with unlimited staff at one location
- You already use Square for payments
Our verdict For an established salon, Square's Free plan is hard to beat on cost. For a new salon that needs clients, Fresha's marketplace may be worth its fee.
Side by side
| Detail | Fresha | Square Appointments |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Salons, barbers and spas, especially in the UK | Salons, barbers, spas and any business taking card payments |
| Free plan | No (7-day trial; Fresha used to be free) | Yes: 1 location, unlimited staff (UK) |
| Entry price | From £9.95 per bookable team member/month ex VAT (£11.94 inc VAT at 20%) Unconfirmed | From £29 per location/month VAT basis not stated |
| Currency and tax | Fresha's UK prices come from third-party guides and still need confirming on fresha.com/en-GB/pricing. | Square publishes UK prices in pounds. Its page, as recorded in our research, doesn't say whether VAT is included. |
| Payments | Own payments | Square payments (built in) |
| SMS reminders | Not checked | Not checked |
| HIPAA option | Not checked | Not checked |
| UK/EU data angle | Not checked | Not checked |
| Teams | Priced per bookable member | Unlimited staff on Free (1 location) |
| AI features | AI Concierge add-on | Not checked |
| Marketplace | Fresha marketplace (20% new-client fee) | Reserve with Google |
| Open source / self-host | No | No |
| Video calls | Not checked | Not checked |
| Integrations | Fresha payments, Google, Instagram and Facebook, Meta Pixel | Square point of sale and payments, Google Calendar, Instagram, Reserve with Google |
| Third-party ratings | Capterra 4.8/5 (1,449 reviews) Third-party figures as listed around 19 October 2026; not our ratings | Capterra 4.5/5 (263 reviews) Third-party figures as listed around 19 October 2026; not our ratings |
| Strengths |
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| Weaknesses |
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| Visit | Visit Fresha | Visit Square Appointments |
Plans and prices
Fresha
| Plan | Price | Billing | Unit | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Unconfirmed | £14.95 | Same (monthly) | per month | ex VAT (£17.94 inc VAT at 20%) |
| Team Unconfirmed | £9.95 | Same (monthly) | per bookable team member/month | ex VAT (£11.94 inc VAT at 20%) |
Square Appointments
| Plan | Price | Billing | Unit | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | £0 | Same (monthly) | per location/month | VAT basis not stated |
| Plus | £29 | Same (monthly) | per location/month | VAT basis not stated |
| Premium | £69 | Same (monthly) | per location/month | VAT basis not stated |
What each costs for a team
| Tool | Free plan | 1 person | 3 people | 5 people | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha | No (7-day trial; Fresha used to be free) | £9.95 Team | £29.85 Team | £49.75 Team | ex VAT (£11.94 inc VAT at 20%) |
| Square Appointments | Yes: 1 location, unlimited staff (UK) | £29 Plus | £29 Plus | £29 Plus | VAT basis not stated |
Monthly list price for the cheapest paid plan that covers that many people, calculated from published per-user, per-staff or per-calendar prices (arithmetic only, no discounts). Tools priced per location or per calendar cost the same within the plan's limits. GBP where the vendor publishes it, otherwise USD. Free plans may cover you instead; see each tool's limits.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Fresha or Square Appointments?
Fresha: From £9.95 per bookable team member/month ex VAT (£11.94 inc VAT at 20%) Unconfirmed. Square Appointments: From £29 per location/month VAT basis not stated. Check how each one charges (per seat, per calendar or per location) using the team cost table on this page.
Do Fresha and Square Appointments have free plans?
Fresha: No (7-day trial; Fresha used to be free). Square Appointments: Yes: 1 location, unlimited staff (UK).
Related
- Fresha vs Booksy
- The best Fresha alternatives for UK salons (2026)
- Compare all 21 tools: prices and feature matrix
Full reviews: Fresha · Square Appointments
Sources
Prices and features as recorded on 2 November 2026 from these pages (research pass 26 October to 2 November 2026). Prices change: check the vendor's page before you buy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- Fresha: https://www.fresha.com/en-GB/pricing
- Fresha: https://theaitill.com/tools/fresha
- Square Appointments: https://squareup.com/gb/en/appointments/pricing