Fresha isn’t so fresh any more — it’s £14.95/month and still takes 20% of new clients.
Fresha dropped its free plan in 2025. A solo business now pays £14.95 a month, and Fresha still charges ~20% commission on new clients (minimum £4). Bee-booked is £10 a month, flat, with 0% commission — cheaper on the subscription and no per-booking cut.
What changed at Fresha
The "free booking software" everyone recommended now has a monthly bill.
The free plan is gone
Since 2025 there’s no free tier — just a 7-day trial. Solo (Independent) is £14.95/month; Team is £9.95 per staff per month.
Commission didn’t go away
Even on a paid plan, Fresha still takes ~20% on new clients from its marketplace (£4 minimum). So you pay a subscription and a cut.
You don’t own the channel
Those marketplace clients are introduced on Fresha’s terms. With Bee-booked you get your own page and your own client list — and you keep 100%.
Bee-booked vs Fresha, side by side
| Fresha | Bee-booked | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✗ removed in 2025 (7-day trial only) | 30-day free trial |
| Solo monthly price | £14.95/month | £10 flat |
| Adding staff | £9.95 per staff/month | Still £10 — flat for everyone |
| Commission on new clients | ~20% (min £4) | 0% — always |
| Commission on returning clients | 0% | 0% |
| Markup on card payments | Fresha Pay processing fees | £0 markup — pay Stripe direct (~1.5% + 20p) |
| Price-lock | ✗ (just raised prices) | ✓ the price you join on, forever |
| Your own marketplace listing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Online booking, diary, reminders | ✓ | ✓ |
| No-show & late-cancel protection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gift vouchers & loyalty | ✓ | ✓ |
| Native app | ✓ | Coming soon |
The honest take: Fresha is a bigger, more feature-packed platform. But for a solo UK therapist who just wants bookings without a per-booking cut or a price that creeps up, Bee-booked is cheaper (£10 vs £14.95), commission-free, and price-locked.
Fresha alternative — your questions
- Is Fresha still free?
- No — Fresha removed its free plan in 2025. Solo is £14.95/month, Team is £9.95 per staff/month, with a 7-day trial. It also still charges ~20% on new clients from the marketplace.
- Is Bee-booked cheaper than Fresha?
- Yes — £10/month flat vs Fresha's £14.95, with 0% commission vs Fresha's 20% on new clients, and a price-lock so it won't rise.
- Does Fresha still charge commission?
- Yes, even on a paid plan — about 20% on new marketplace clients (£4 minimum UK), 0% on returning. Bee-booked is 0% on everything.
- Do I keep my own clients?
- Yes — your clients, their history, your relationship, your locked-in price.