subba / Compare / Treatwell alternative
Treatwell alternative
A Treatwell alternative without the 35% commission
Treatwell brings salons new clients through its well known UK marketplace, and charges 35% plus VAT on each new marketplace client's first booking. subba has no marketplace and no commission: it answers your calls, chats and enquiries with AI and books clients straight into your diary, from £9.99 a month.
The short answer
Stay with Treatwell if
- The Treatwell marketplace fills appointments you could not fill yourself, and 35% on first bookings is worth it.
- You want card machines and Tap to Pay from the same company.
- Clients already find and book you through the Treatwell app.
Switch to subba if
- Most new clients find you on Google, Instagram or by word of mouth, and you would rather not pay 35% on their first booking.
- You want to see the price before you sign up: subba's plans are published, from £9.99 a month.
- You want every call, chat and enquiry answered and booked, with the deposit in your own Stripe.
subba vs Treatwell at a glance
| Feature | subba | Treatwell |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | From £9.99 a month for the whole team (50 AI enquiries). Pro £49.99 (300) | Not published. Freelancer and Advanced plans, free to start |
| Fee on new clients | None | 35% plus VAT on a new marketplace client's first booking |
| Who counts as new | Not applicable | Includes past clients with no appointment with you in the last 365 days |
| If you cancel late | Not applicable | Commission can still apply if you cancel after midnight before the visit |
| Online payment fee | Stripe's fee only: 1.5% + 20p on UK cards. subba takes nothing | 2.5%, plus VAT |
| Marketplace | No. Clients book on your own website, links and Google profile | Yes, the Treatwell marketplace and app |
| AI receptionist | Website chat and contact forms on every plan. Phone add-on from £29.99 a month (100 minutes) | AI Receptionist from £69 a month, booking into the Treatwell calendar |
| Card payments in the salon | No, payments are taken online | 1.1% + 20p, with a £199 card machine or Tap to Pay |
| Leaving | Monthly, cancel anytime | 30 days notice |
Prices and fees as Treatwell and subba published them on 29 September 2026, before VAT. Treatwell does not publish its monthly plan prices.
How Treatwell's commission works
Treatwell charges 35% commission, plus VAT, on the first booking of each new client it brings you from its marketplace, and 0% on their repeat bookings. Bookings that come to you directly, by phone, text, WhatsApp, clients you add yourself or your social media book buttons, carry no commission (Treatwell pricing).
Two details in Treatwell's partner terms are worth knowing. A past client can count as new again if they have not had a successful appointment with you in the last 365 days. And if you cancel a visit later than midnight before the day, Treatwell may still charge the commission as though it went ahead (Treatwell partner terms).
On a £60 colour, 35% is £21, or £25.20 with VAT. If the marketplace brings you clients you would not otherwise find, that can pay its way. If they mostly already know you, it is a cost you can avoid.
Where subba is different
- No commission. There is no marketplace, so a new client costs you nothing extra, whenever they last visited.
- Prices you can see. subba's plans are on our pricing page: £9.99, £49.99 or £99.99 a month, differing only in how many AI conversations you get.
- Nothing taken from your payments. Deposits go to your own Stripe account. Stripe charges 1.5% + 20p on UK cards, and subba adds nothing.
- AI across your channels. subba answers your website chat and contact forms on every plan, and your phone with the add-on from £29.99 a month, booking straight into your subba diary.
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. Treatwell has all three.
If those matter more to you than having every call and message answered, Treatwell may well suit you better, and that is fine.
Moving from Treatwell to subba
Treatwell's terms ask for 30 days notice, so start subba first and let the two overlap.
- 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 Treatwell 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
How much commission does Treatwell take?
35% plus VAT on the first booking of each new client who books through the Treatwell marketplace, and 0% on their repeat bookings, according to Treatwell's partner pricing page on 29 September 2026. Its terms count a past client as new again if they have not had an appointment with you in the last 365 days.
How much does Treatwell cost a month?
Treatwell does not publish its plan prices. Its pricing page lists a Freelancer and an Advanced plan that you can start for free. subba's prices are on our pricing page, from £9.99 a month.
Does Treatwell have an AI receptionist?
Yes. Treatwell's AI Receptionist costs from £69 a month and books into the Treatwell calendar. subba's AI answers website chat and contact forms on every plan, and phone calls with the add-on from £29.99 a month.
How much notice do I need to give Treatwell?
Treatwell's partner terms give partners the right to end them for any reason with 30 days notice. With subba you pay monthly and can cancel anytime.
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 Treatwell's partner pricing, payments and AI Receptionist pages and its partner terms (last updated September 2026) on 29 September 2026, and compared them with subba's published prices. We are subba, so we have tried hard to be fair: Treatwell does things subba does not, like its marketplace, card machines and client app, and we say so.
- Treatwell partner pricing
- Treatwell partner terms and conditions
- Treatwell payments
- Treatwell AI Receptionist
- Stripe pricing (UK)
Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and we will check it and correct this page.
Treatwell is a trademark of its owner. subba is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Treatwell.