Comparison / Fresha vs Custom

Is Fresha still
the right fit
for your clinic?

Fresha is the default. Free tier, marketplace discovery, decent UI. It works — until it doesn’t. Here’s the honest math on when Fresha is the right call, when it stops being one, and what the alternative actually costs.

TL;DR

The verdict.

Stay on Fresha if you’re solo, doing fewer than 50 bookings/month, and you actually use the marketplace discovery to find new clients.

Switch to custom if you have 2+ practitioners, 200+ bookings/month, an existing website, or you’ve done the math and the 20% new-client commission is bleeding you. A $12K custom build typically pays back in 8–17 months at that stage and is fee-free forever after.

Don’t switch yet if you don’t have a website at all and don’t want one — though most clinics building a custom booking engine ship the website at the same time.

01 // Side by side

Fresha vs custom build

	Fresha	Custom (Qarbi)
Build cost	$0 upfront	$8K–$18K
Per-booking commission	2–5% existing, 20% new clients	$0
Monthly subscription	$0–$50+	$0
Reminders, intake forms, reports	Paid add-ons	Included
Branded checkout	Limited (Fresha branding)	Full control
Website integration	iFrame / redirect to fresha.com	Native, in-page
You own client data	No (export deliberately gated)	Yes
Custom workflow	No	Anything you need
Tyro / Medicare / PMS	Limited	Full integration
Best for	Solo operators just starting	Multi-practitioner businesses scaling

02 // The math

3-year total cost

Numbers below assume a clinic running existing-client commission only (4%). Add the new-client surcharge (20% on Fresha-marketplace bookings) separately — it’s usually $300–$1,000 extra per month at scale.

100 bookings/mo @ $120

Fresha: $2,880/yr (4% existing) → $8,640 over 3 years

Qarbi build: $12,000 build

250 bookings/mo @ $120

Fresha: $7,200/yr (4% existing) → $21,600 over 3 years

Qarbi build: $12,000 build (saves $9,600)

500 bookings/mo @ $120

Fresha: $14,400/yr (4% existing) → $43,200 over 3 years

Qarbi build: $12,000 build (saves $31,200)

+ 18 new clients/mo (20%)

Fresha: +$6,000/yr → +$18,000 over 3 years

Qarbi build: $0

Run your own numbers in the interactive calculator →

03 // From clinic owners we’ve spoken to

What Fresha users actually say

"I was on Fresha and just accepted the 20% new client fee as part of running the business. Then I sat down and worked it out. $500 gone every month. $6,000 a year." — clinic owner, Sydney

"Fresha gave me a pretty hard time when trying to export my existing customers. After a long struggle I could finally do it." — spa owner, Brisbane

"\"Free\" platforms tied to marketplace discovery make sense early, but once you have steady demand you're paying a growth tax on your own clients." — multi-location salon owner

04 // Honest counter-position

When Fresha is
still the right call.

We build custom booking engines. We’re obviously biased. But we’ll tell you when Fresha is genuinely fine for your stage:

You're a solo operator just starting out, doing under 50 bookings/month. The free tier genuinely covers you.
You don't have a website yet and don't want to build one — Fresha's default booking page is better than nothing.
You explicitly want the Fresha marketplace traffic. (Note: that's where the 20% new-client commission comes from.)

If any of these describe you — keep using Fresha. Come back when you’re past 200 bookings/month, when the 20% new-client fee is making you tired, or when you want a website that actually integrates with your booking flow.

05 // FAQ

Fresha vs custom — common questions

Sort of. The base subscription is free. But the 20% commission on every new-client booking, the 2–5% commission on returning clients (depending on plan), and the paid add-ons for reminders and intake forms add up fast. Most clinics with 200+ bookings/month pay $300–$1,200 a month all-in.

Yes — confirmed across Fresha's public pricing. It applies to clients who find your business via the Fresha marketplace and book within their tracking window. Most growing clinics get 10–25 new clients per month this way, which is exactly when the math gets painful.

Yes, but it's deliberately painful. Most clinics report needing 2–4 weeks of back-and-forth with support to get a clean export. We've done the migration for several clinics — we know the workarounds.

For a clinic doing 250 bookings/month at $120 average with 4% commission, a $12K custom build pays back in 17 months. With the 20% new-client commission factored in, payback drops to 8–10 months. After that, every booking is fee-free forever.

Zero downtime. Your Fresha account stays live until the new system is tested and your team is trained. Existing bookings are imported with all original details. Patients can manage their booking from either side during the transition week.

Is Fresha stillthe right fitfor your clinic?