Fresha vs Treatwell 2026: Which Is Better for UK Salons?

If you run a UK salon, you've probably weighed up Fresha and Treatwell. Both are popular, but they work very differently. Here's an honest comparison for 2026.

Treatwell: the marketplace model

Treatwell works as a marketplace. Customers browse salons and book through the Treatwell app. The upside is discovery. The downside is commission: typically 30-35% on new customers and around 20% on repeats, plus a monthly fee. (Full breakdown in our Treatwell fees guide.)

Fresha: the "free" model with payment fees

Fresha markets itself as free salon software — no monthly subscription, no commission for your own customers. Instead, Fresha makes money through payment processing fees (around 1.5-2.5%), new client fees if customers find you through their marketplace, and add-on costs for marketing and reminders.

So Fresha isn't truly free — but for a salon using mostly its own customers, it's cheaper than Treatwell.

Head to head

For your own regulars, Fresha wins (just payment fees vs Treatwell's commission). For new marketplace customers, both charge. Neither lets you fully own your customer data — both sit between you and your clients.

The catch with both

With either platform, you're building on someone else's land. They control the relationship and can change fees whenever they like.

The third option: your own website

A growing number of salons use their own booking website with a flat monthly fee and zero commission. You might still use a marketplace for discovery, but your regulars book directly where you keep 100%.

Which should you choose?

Just starting and need discovery? A marketplace helps. Established with loyal regulars? Your own website saves the most and builds your brand. Best of both? Use a marketplace for new clients, your own site for regulars.

The smartest beauty and nail salons own their booking and use marketplaces only as a top-up.

See how a commission-free booking website works.