Fresha combines salon software with a consumer marketplace that can bring in new clients. Calenix focuses on booking pages and professional presence for session-based work. We compare fees, features and fit for beauty and wellness businesses.
Quick answer
Fresha is built for beauty and wellness venues. It offers a booking marketplace with a large consumer audience, in-person and online payments, team pay tools and inventory. Calenix is not a salon management system; it suits wellness practitioners and other professionals whose clients book sessions directly, and who want booking alongside digital cards, landing pages and email signatures.
If you want new walk-in style clients from a marketplace and run a busy floor with several staff, look closely at Fresha. If your clients already come to you through referrals, social media or your website, Calenix may be the leaner choice.
What each tool is built for
Fresha describes itself as software for salons, barbers, nail studios, spas, medspas, massage, fitness, physio, tattoo and pet grooming businesses. Its consumer marketplace lets people discover and book venues, while the business side handles calendars, payments, products and staff.
Calenix is a scheduling and professional presence platform. You create event types with durations, buffers and booking limits, publish service and landing pages, take paid bookings through Stripe and share everything through a digital business card, LinkDock page and email signature. It does not list POS, inventory, payroll, SMS or a consumer marketplace.
Feature comparison
From each vendor's official pages at the time of writing (October 2026):
| Feature | Calenix | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer marketplace | Not listed | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes, 1 user | No free plan on US pricing |
| Upfront payments and deposits | From Individual plan, via Stripe | Yes |
| No-show and cancellation fees | Not listed | Yes |
| In-person payments | Not listed | Yes, including Tap to Pay |
| Automated text messages | Not listed (email reminders) | Yes, with a monthly allowance |
| Inventory and team pay tools | Not listed | Yes (pay tools on Team plan) |
| Digital cards, link-in-bio, email signatures | Included | Not listed |
Understanding Fresha's marketplace fee
The marketplace is Fresha's biggest draw and the part of its pricing most worth understanding. On its US pricing page, Fresha lists a one-time 20% commission on new clients who find you through the marketplace, with a minimum fee of $6 per client. Fresha states that no fee applies to returning clients, and its partner terms say the fee is not charged on bookings made through booking links created in your own profile. Fresha's help centre explains that the fee applies when a brand-new client first discovers you on its marketplace and books online.
Before relying on the marketplace, estimate what a typical first visit is worth to you and what share of new clients you expect from it. That simple sum tells you whether the commission is good value for your business.
In practice, that means the fee is a cost of acquiring a new client, not an ongoing charge. For a busy salon that wants a steady flow of first-time customers, that trade-off can make sense. For a practitioner with a full book of regulars, it may never come into play.
Calenix does not run a marketplace, so it neither brings in new clients from one nor charges a commission. You bring your own traffic from your website, social profiles, referrals and networking, and Calenix gives you the tools to convert it.
Which type of wellness business are you?
The multi-chair venue
Say a Melbourne nail and brow studio has six technicians, sells retail products and fills gaps with first-time customers. It needs a shared calendar, card payments at the counter, deposits, no-show fees and team pay records. Fresha's feature set lines up closely with that day-to-day reality.
The independent practitioner
Now consider a hypothetical Brisbane naturopath who sees clients by appointment in a shared clinic room and online. Most bookings come from referrals and Instagram. They want a clear page for each consultation type, upfront payment, reminders and a simple way to share contact details at health expos. Calenix covers that with booking pages, service pages, a digital business card with a QR code and a LinkDock page for their bio link.
Our guide to booking software for barbers and salons walks through the setup questions that apply to both types of business.
Pricing compared
Fresha shows pricing based on your location. We could only verify its US pricing, so the figures below are in US dollars; Australian and UK businesses should check the pricing Fresha shows for their region, which may differ, including whether a free plan is offered. All figures are from official pages at the time of writing (October 2026).
Fresha, US pricing (USD)
- Independent: $19.95 per month for one team member.
- Team: $14.95 per month per bookable team member.
- Marketplace: 20% one-time commission on new marketplace clients, minimum $6 per client; no fee for returning clients.
- Card fees: 2.79% + $0.20 online and 2.29% + $0.20 in person, plus $0.10 per Tap to Pay authorisation.
- Texts: 100 free automated texts a month (per team member on Team), then $0.02 per text.
- A 7-day trial with no minimum commitment, plus optional paid add-ons.
Calenix (AUD)
- Free: A$0, 1 user, unlimited 1-to-1 bookings.
- Individual: A$12/month billed annually, or A$15 month to month, with paid bookings and deposits.
- Professionals: from A$29/month billed annually, for teams.
- Enterprise: custom quote.
Stripe's processing fees apply to paid bookings taken through Calenix.
Where Fresha is the stronger choice
Fresha is the stronger option for beauty and wellness venues that want marketplace exposure and run a physical front desk. It offers upfront payments, no-show and cancellation fees, in-person payments with Tap to Pay, a client booking app, inventory and marketing tools. On the Team plan it adds commissions, wages, pay runs and timesheets, which matter once you manage several staff.
Calenix does not try to match that depth. If those operational tools are on your must-have list, Fresha or a similar salon platform is the right category.
Where Calenix is the stronger choice
Calenix is the stronger choice for session-based professionals who own their client relationships: massage therapists in private practice, counsellors, nutritionists, personal trainers who run consultations and coaches. You get a free plan, Google, Outlook and Apple iCloud calendar connections, paid bookings and deposits from the Individual plan, and the presence tools that help people find you.
Clear reminders also protect your calendar without SMS. Our guide to appointment reminder email templates has wording you can adapt for wellness clients.
Calenix is a newer platform and does not list SMS reminders, no-show fees, POS or inventory, so be honest with yourself about whether you need them.
Frequently asked questions
Does Fresha charge a commission on bookings?
On its US pricing page, Fresha lists a one-time 20% commission (minimum $6) on new clients from its marketplace. It states that returning clients carry no fee, and bookings through your own profile links are not charged the fee.
Does Calenix have a marketplace for finding new clients?
No. Calenix does not list a consumer marketplace. It focuses on booking pages, service pages, digital cards, LinkDock and email signatures that you share through your own channels.
Is Fresha's pricing the same in Australia and the UK?
Fresha shows pricing based on location, and we could only verify US figures. In some regions its pricing page shows different plans, including free subscriptions, so check the page for your country. Check the pricing page from your region before deciding.
Try Calenix
If your clients book you directly and you want a polished booking page, service pages and a digital card in one place, start free with Calenix. Compare what each plan includes on the pricing page.