A simpler, fairer alternative to Phorest
Phorest is a powerful, sales-led platform built for growing salons and multi-location groups — with quote-only pricing and a demo before you can start. If you’re a solo or small wellness practitioner, Bee-booked gives you the booking essentials for a flat £10 a month, with 0% commission and a price locked for life.
Where we’re different
A price you can see
Phorest is quote-only — you book a sales demo to find out what you will pay, and it scales by location and feature tier. Bee-booked is £10 a month, in plain sight, for the whole practice.
Built for solo & small
Phorest is aimed at growing salons, spas and multi-location groups (it suggests 3+ staff). Bee-booked is built for solo and small wellness practitioners — the features you need, none of the weight you don’t.
Start today, no demo
There is no free trial with Phorest and you have to sit through a demo first. With Bee-booked you sign up and set up your booking page yourself, in an afternoon, with a 30-day free trial.
0% commission, flat forever
Neither of us takes a cut of your bookings. But Phorest adds SMS charges and a small per-online-booking fee, and the price rises as you grow. Our £10 is flat and locked for life.
The honest comparison
Fresha dropped its free plan, Timely’s price climbs with your bookings, and Phorest only quotes you after a demo. We’re a flat £10 — and we take 0% of your bookings. Here’s the whole picture.
| Best value Bee-booked | Fresha | Timely | Cliniko | Phorest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | £10 flat | £14.95 solo | From £17 (£4/week) | £29 · 1 practitioner | Custom quote |
| Commission on your bookings | 0% — always | 20% on new clients, min £4 | None | None | None |
| Added on top of card fees | Nothing — 0% | Fresha Pay rates | 1.85% + 30p online | Nothing added | SMS & booking fees |
| Price-locked-for-life promise | |||||
| Price never moves, whatever your size or volume | |||||
| A website included | |||||
| Marketplace listing | Free · 0% fee | Yes · with commission | |||
| Free trial | 30 days | 7 days | 14 days | 30 days | Demo only |
| Made for solo & small | Built for salons | Priced by bookings | Clinical / allied health | For 3+ staff |
Competitor pricing read off each provider’s own UK pages, October 2026. We keep this current. Full Fresha comparison · Full Timely comparison · Full Phorest comparison
When Phorest is the better fit
We’d rather be honest than oversell. If you run a larger salon or a multi-location group and want a branded client app, advanced marketing automation, deep stock and payroll tooling and a hands-on onboarding team, Phorest is a serious, well-built choice and worth the investment.
Bee-booked is for the other end: the solo therapist or small team who wants a beautiful booking page, a diary they can trust, reminders and card-on-file — without a sales call, a contract, or a bill that climbs as they grow.
Phorest alternative FAQ
- How much does Phorest cost in the UK?
- Phorest does not publish its prices — you book a demo and get a custom quote, across several salon and clinic tiers. Independent sources put the entry point at roughly £80–£120+ a month for a single location, rising with locations and features. Bee-booked is a flat £10 a month, published and locked for life.
- Does Bee-booked take commission like a marketplace?
- No. We take 0% of your bookings — always. You pay your card provider’s standard transaction fee, and we add nothing on top. Phorest also doesn’t take booking commission, but it does charge for SMS and a small per-online-booking fee.
- Is there a free trial?
- Bee-booked gives you a 30-day free trial and you can set up yourself — no sales call. Phorest does not offer a free trial; you book a demo first.
- Can I move to Bee-booked from Phorest?
- Yes, and your clients barely notice. Set up your booking page, point new bookings at it, export your client contacts, and switch your links over on the same day. We’re month to month, with no contract to trap you.
- Do you do SMS reminders?
- We send email confirmations, reminders and calendar invites — included, no per-message charge. We’ve deliberately left SMS out for now to keep the price at a flat £10, rather than passing per-text costs on to you.
Phorest details from its UK pages and independent reviews, 2026 — pricing is quote-based, so figures are indicative. We keep this current.
Booking that doesn’t cost you as you grow
Flat £10 a month, 0% commission, locked for life — and your first 30 days are free.
Start your 30-day free trial