subba / Compare / Fresha alternative
Fresha alternative
A Fresha alternative with no new-client fees
Fresha is a solid salon system with a big marketplace, and it charges 20% of a new client's first booking when that client found you through Fresha. subba has no marketplace and no commission. It answers your calls, chats and enquiries with AI and books people straight into your diary, from £9.99 a month.
The short answer
Stay with Fresha if
- The Fresha marketplace sends you a steady flow of new clients, and the new-client fee is worth it to you.
- You take most payments in the salon and want Fresha's card machines and till.
- Your clients like booking through the Fresha app.
Switch to subba if
- Most of your clients find you on Google, Instagram, your website or by word of mouth, and you would rather not pay a marketplace for them.
- Calls and messages go unanswered while you work, and you want every one answered and booked.
- You want one monthly price for the whole team, and to keep every penny of your card payments apart from Stripe's fee.
subba vs Fresha at a glance
| Feature | subba | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | From £9.99 a month for the whole team (50 AI enquiries). Pro £49.99 (300) | £14.95 for one person, or £9.95 per bookable team member |
| Free trial | 30 days free | 7 days |
| Fee on new clients | None | 20% of the first booking (minimum £4) when they found you through Fresha |
| Card fee online | Stripe's fee only: 1.5% + 20p on UK cards. subba takes nothing | 1.40% + 25p |
| Marketplace | No. Clients book on your own website, links and Google profile | Yes, the Fresha marketplace and app |
| AI receptionist | Website chat and contact forms on every plan. Phone add-on from £29.99 a month (100 minutes) | AI Concierge for calls and messages: £79.95 per location a month (200 minutes, then 48p a minute) |
| Text reminders | Email reminders free. Texts from £9.99 for 250 | 20 free a month per team member, then 6p each |
| Google reviews and loyalty card | Review requests and a loyalty card, included | Paid add-ons: Google Rating Boost £12.95 and Client Loyalty £49.95, per location a month |
| Card payments in the salon | No, payments are taken online | Yes, 1.19% + 20p |
| Contract | Monthly, cancel anytime | No minimum commitment |
Prices as each company published them on 29 September 2026, before VAT. subba's plans differ only in how many AI enquiries you get a month; bookings are unlimited on every plan. Fees change, so check the links under How we compared before you decide.
What Fresha's new-client fee covers
Fresha charges a one-off fee of 20% of a new client's first booking, with a minimum of £4, before VAT, when that client discovered you through the Fresha marketplace. Returning clients are free. On a £40 cut and finish that is £8; on a £15 trim it is the £4 minimum.
The fee is not only for bookings made in the Fresha app. Fresha's own help centre says it also applies to people who view your Fresha marketplace profile first and then book through another online channel, including your website or social media pages (Fresha help centre).
If the marketplace sends you people you would never have met, that can be money well spent. If most of your new clients already know your name, it is a cost you can avoid.
Where subba is different
- No commission, ever. There is no marketplace, so there is nothing to charge you for. A new client costs the same as a regular: nothing.
- Nothing taken from your payments. Deposits and payments go to your own Stripe account. Stripe charges its standard fee, 1.5% + 20p on UK cards, and subba adds nothing on top.
- A receptionist, not just a diary. subba's AI answers your website chat and contact forms on every plan, and your phone with the add-on. It knows your services and prices, checks your real availability and books the appointment.
- One price for the whole team. Every plan includes unlimited team members, bookings and locations. The plans differ only in how many AI conversations you get a month.
- Reviews and loyalty included. Automatic Google review requests and a digital loyalty card come with every plan, not as extras.
What subba does not do
subba has no marketplace, so it will not put your business in front of people browsing an app for somewhere new. It has no card machine or till for payments in the shop: payments are taken online, when people book or from a payment link. And there is no consumer app for your clients to download. Fresha has all three.
If those matter more to you than having every call and message answered, Fresha may well suit you better, and that is fine.
Moving from Fresha to subba
Most businesses move over in an afternoon, and you can run both side by side while you do.
- Start your 30 days free
Pick your trade and subba sets up typical services, prices and opening hours for you to adjust. Add your team, each with their own hours.
- Connect Stripe for deposits
Connect your own Stripe account, or set one up in a few minutes. Deposits and payments land with you, and subba takes nothing from them.
- Put your booking link everywhere
Swap the book button on your website, Instagram bio and Google Business Profile for your subba booking page, or add subba to your site with one line of code or the WordPress plugin.
- Bring your regulars with you
Keep a copy of your client list and add your regulars in subba's Customers tab. Everyone who books through subba is added automatically, with their history in one place.
- Let the booked-ahead appointments finish
Keep Fresha open until the appointments already booked there are done, or add them to your subba diary by hand. The two diaries do not sync, so block out times in both while they overlap.
Frequently asked
Does Fresha charge commission?
Fresha charges a one-off new client fee of 20% of the first booking (minimum £4, before VAT) when a client discovers you through the Fresha marketplace, including when they view your Fresha profile and then book on your website or social pages. Returning clients are free. subba has no marketplace and charges no commission at all.
Is subba cheaper than Fresha?
It depends on your team and where your clients come from. subba starts at £9.99 a month for the whole team; Fresha is £14.95 a month for one person or £9.95 per team member, before VAT. On top of that, Fresha charges its new client fee on marketplace clients, and its AI Concierge is £79.95 per location a month, where subba's phone add-on starts at £29.99 a month.
Can subba take deposits like Fresha?
Yes. subba takes a deposit or the full amount when someone books, straight into your own Stripe account, and applies your cancellation policy automatically. subba takes nothing from those payments; Stripe charges its standard fee of 1.5% + 20p on UK cards.
Can I keep my phone number?
Yes. You can forward your existing number to subba's AI phone line, or use the new UK number it gives you.
Does subba have a marketplace like Fresha?
No. Clients book with you on your own website, your social links and your Google profile. If you rely on a marketplace for new clients, that is a real difference to weigh up.
Try subba free for 30 days.
Set it up in an afternoon, run it alongside what you use now, and keep it only if it books you more work. No contract, cancel anytime.
How we compared
We read Fresha's UK pricing page and its help centre article on the new client fee on 29 September 2026, and compared them with subba's published prices. We are subba, so we have tried hard to be fair: Fresha does things subba does not, like its marketplace, card machines and client app, and we say so.
- Fresha pricing (UK)
- Fresha help centre: marketplace new client fees
- Fresha AI Concierge
- Stripe pricing (UK)
Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and we will check it and correct this page.
Fresha is a trademark of its owner. subba is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Fresha.