Fresha vs GlossGenius: Which Salon Booking App Is Better in 2026?
Fresha is free-forever with marketplace discovery. GlossGenius is a polished, paid platform built for independent beauty professionals. Here's which one fits your business.
GlossGenius wins for established solo operators who value a polished brand experience and strong client retention tools. Fresha wins for new or budget-conscious operators who need marketplace discovery and zero monthly cost.
Fresha and GlossGenius are both popular choices for independent beauty professionals — stylists, estheticians, nail techs, and lash artists. But they take very different approaches to how they price, how they position your brand, and what tools they give you to grow.
Fresha is free to use as software. It makes money through a 20% commission on new clients you acquire through the Fresha marketplace, and through payment processing fees. Your business gets listed on a global discovery platform with no subscription cost.
GlossGenius charges a flat monthly fee (starting around $24/month) with no commissions. It’s focused on the independent beauty professional who wants a sleek, branded client experience — think polished booking pages, strong client management, and automated retention campaigns.
The right choice depends heavily on whether you’re building a brand or just filling your calendar.
Quick Verdict
| Fresha | GlossGenius | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Budget-conscious operators, new businesses | Established soloists focused on brand and retention |
| Monthly fee | $0 | ~$24/month (Standard) / ~$48/month (Gold) |
| Commission | 20% on new marketplace clients | None |
| Marketplace | Global Fresha marketplace | No external marketplace |
| Booking page | Standard | Branded, customizable |
| Client marketing | Basic | Advanced (automated campaigns) |
| Instagram booking | No | Yes |
| Card reader | Yes | Yes |
Choose Fresha if: You want zero monthly costs and marketplace-driven client discovery.
Choose GlossGenius if: You want a premium branded experience, automated client retention, and no per-client commission fees.
Fresha Overview
Fresha launched in 2015 and has grown into one of the largest global salon booking platforms. It’s particularly strong in the UK, Australia, and Europe, with significant US presence.
What Fresha Does Well
Zero subscription fee removes friction. For stylists just starting out or those with tight margins, not paying $24–$48/month in software fees is a real benefit. The platform handles appointments, client management, payments, and product inventory with no monthly cost.
The global marketplace drives discovery. When someone searches for salons near them on Fresha, your business appears. For a new salon trying to build a client base, this organic discovery is valuable.
Point of sale is solid. Fresha handles card payments, cash, and contactless well. Their card readers integrate cleanly with the platform.
Multi-location and staff management works well for small-to-medium businesses scaling beyond a single chair.
Inventory management for retail products is more robust than GlossGenius.
Where Fresha Falls Short
- The 20% new-client commission adds up fast. A $120 color service from a Fresha marketplace client costs you $24. For most solo stylists, this quickly exceeds what they’d pay in monthly software fees.
- No personal booking page with your own branding. Clients booking through Fresha land on Fresha — not your branded experience.
- Marketing tools are minimal. No automated retention sequences, no personalized campaigns.
- No Instagram booking integration.
GlossGenius Overview
GlossGenius launched in 2016 with a clear target: the independent beauty professional who takes their brand seriously. It’s been praised for its design-first approach and has built a loyal following among stylists, estheticians, and nail artists.
What GlossGenius Does Well
The booking experience is genuinely beautiful. GlossGenius gives you a branded booking page with your own URL, customizable colors, photos, and service menus. When a client books you, it feels like they’re booking you — not a generic platform.
Instagram and Google booking integration lets clients book directly from your Instagram profile or Google Business listing — no redirect friction.
Client management and retention are a strength. Automated appointment reminders, rebooking nudges, client notes, and targeted campaigns make it easier to keep clients coming back.
No commission model. Pay the monthly fee, keep every dollar you earn. This becomes financially superior to Fresha as soon as you’re regularly acquiring new clients.
Card reader and payments are clean and fast with competitive rates.
Smart Pricing (Gold plan) allows automated surge pricing during peak times — a feature no competitor offers at this price point.
Where GlossGenius Falls Short
- No external marketplace. All your clients come from your own marketing — GlossGenius doesn’t surface you to new clients organically.
- Inventory management for retail products is limited compared to Fresha.
- Multi-staff management is less robust — better suited to soloists than teams.
The Commission Math
Before deciding, understand Fresha’s true cost at different business volumes:
| Monthly new marketplace clients | Avg service | Monthly Fresha commission | GlossGenius Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 new clients | $100 | $40 | $24 |
| 3 new clients | $100 | $60 | $24 |
| 5 new clients | $80 | $80 | $24 |
The crossover is fast. Even at modest acquisition levels — 3 new marketplace clients per month — GlossGenius’s flat fee is cheaper.
The catch: Fresha commissions only apply to new clients from the marketplace. Existing or returning clients, and clients you bring in yourself, don’t trigger the commission. If you’re already established with a full book, Fresha’s actual cost may be near zero.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Pricing Model
Winner: Depends — GlossGenius wins if you regularly acquire new clients. Fresha wins if your book is mostly existing clients.
Brand Experience
Winner: GlossGenius — Branded booking pages, Instagram integration, and polished design. No comparison.
Marketplace Discovery
Winner: Fresha — GlossGenius has no marketplace. This is Fresha’s core differentiator for newer operators.
Client Retention & Marketing
Winner: GlossGenius — Automated campaigns, rebooking sequences, and smart analytics are far more developed.
Inventory Management
Winner: Fresha — Better retail product tracking.
Ease of Use
Tie — Both are intuitive and mobile-friendly. GlossGenius has a slight edge in visual polish.
Who Should Choose Fresha?
✅ New stylists building a client base — Marketplace discovery is a genuine asset when you’re starting out.
✅ Established salons with mostly returning clientele — If you rarely rely on new Fresha marketplace clients, commissions are minimal.
✅ Multi-service businesses with retail — Fresha’s inventory management is stronger.
✅ Budget-first operators — Zero monthly fee means zero fixed overhead.
Who Should Choose GlossGenius?
✅ Independent stylists with an established following — If you’re booking through Instagram, word of mouth, and direct referrals, GlossGenius’s branded experience converts those visits into bookings.
✅ Professionals who care about brand — Your booking page is your digital storefront. GlossGenius makes it look good.
✅ Operators focused on retention — Automated campaigns and rebooking nudges work. Retention is more profitable than acquisition.
✅ Anyone regularly acquiring new clients — GlossGenius’s flat fee will be cheaper than Fresha commissions above a certain volume.
Final Verdict
GlossGenius wins for established independent beauty professionals — particularly stylists, estheticians, and nail artists who have an existing following and want to convert social traffic and referrals into bookings with a premium, branded experience.
Fresha wins for newer operators or those in markets with strong Fresha penetration — the marketplace discovery is real, and zero monthly cost reduces risk when you’re building a client base.
The pivot point: Once you’re consistently acquiring 3+ new marketplace clients per month, GlossGenius becomes cheaper and more brand-appropriate. If you’re below that threshold, Fresha’s cost advantage is real.
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