Fresha vs SalonBoost
SalonBoost costs ₹1,499 a month, everything included. Fresha’s software is free, but its add-ons — loyalty, per-staff reports, reviews and messaging — cross ₹7,000 a month for a 5-staff salon. SalonBoost also sends WhatsApp reminders and issues GST invoices, which Fresha in India can’t.
Fresha vs SalonBoost: The Verdict
SalonBoost costs ₹1,499 a month for a 5-staff salon, everything included. The same salon on Fresha pays ₹7,106–₹8,276 a month once you add the loyalty tool (₹5,000), Insights reporting (₹250 per staff), the Google rating tool (₹376) and messaging (₹480–₹1,650) — a gap of ₹70,000–₹80,000 a year. Fresha’s software itself is free in India, with no subscription and no booking commission, though the same software is priced in other countries, so that could change. SalonBoost’s real edge is WhatsApp: automatic reminders plus win-back and birthday messages that bring clients back — Fresha has none of this in India. SalonBoost also issues GST-compliant invoices, which Fresha can’t in India. Fresha’s real strength is discovery: its app lets new clients browse and book salons they’ve never used, an audience built over years. SalonBoost has no equivalent marketplace — clients book through your branded page once they already know your salon. Choose Fresha if you rely on its app for new-client discovery and don’t need WhatsApp retention or GST billing. Choose SalonBoost if bringing back the clients you already have is what actually grows your revenue.
Fresha vs SalonBoost: Feature-by-Feature
The difference is what Fresha’s add-ons cost, and what Fresha doesn’t do at all. Same salon throughout: 1 location, 5 staff, ~200 appointments a month. Every Fresha figure is from its India pricing page (2026) — see sourcing below.
| Feature | Fresha | SalonBoost |
|---|---|---|
| Software subscription | ₹0 (genuinely free) | From ₹799/mo |
| Booking commission | 0% | 0% |
| GST billing (CGST/SGST) | No | Yes |
| UPI payments | No | Yes |
| WhatsApp retention automation | No | Included (AI Growth) — Meta msg rate only |
| Client messaging (email/SMS, ~300/mo) | ₹480–₹1,650 (metered) | Included |
| Client loyalty program | ₹5,000/mo per location | Included |
| Google rating / review tool | ₹376/mo per location | Included |
| Insights / reporting | ₹250/mo per staff (₹1,250 for 5) | Included, no per-head fee |
| Client-facing app | Yes — established for years | No — clients book via web link |
| Support | Self-service — raise a ticket, wait days for a human | Direct human help on WhatsApp + guided setup |
| Realistic all-in (5 staff) | ₹7,106–₹8,276/mo | ₹1,499/mo |
Pricing and feature data reflect each vendor’s public pricing and marketing pages as of 2026. See the full salon software comparison.
How we compared — and what we left out
- The scenario: 1 location, 5 staff, about 200 appointments a month — a typical single-location Indian salon.
- Every Fresha number here is from its India pricing page, in rupees. The same add-ons cost the same in other countries, just in a different currency.
- We counted four Fresha add-ons: Client Loyalty (₹5,000), Insights (₹250 per staff), the Google Rating Boost (₹376) and messaging (₹480–₹1,650).
- We left out three Fresha add-ons most Indian salons don’t need: Data Connector (₹14,500 — a technical export tool) and Team Connect (₹279 per member). We also skip Xero (₹920) since most Indian salons already run Tally or Zoho.
- Fresha’s software and its Team plan are free in India, with no booking commission. GST billing, UPI and WhatsApp automation are compared straight from each company’s own public feature pages.
Source: Fresha’s official India pricing page, verified August 2026.
Don’t Take Our Word For It
These are straight from Fresha’s own India pricing page, so you can check every figure above yourself.
Pricing at a Glance
Fresha
₹0 + paid add-ons
The software is free — no subscription, no booking commission. Loyalty (₹5,000/mo), Insights (₹250/mo per staff), a Google rating tool (₹376/mo) and messaging (₹480–₹1,650/mo) are paid add-ons. A 5-staff salon using them pays ₹7,106–₹8,276/month. Source: Fresha India pricing page, 2026.
SalonBoost
₹1,499/mo flat
SalonBoost’s ₹799/mo Essential already bundles loyalty, gift cards, automatic review collection, inventory, payroll, online booking and reporting — no per-staff or per-feature charges. AI Growth ₹1,499/mo adds the WhatsApp automation layer: appointment reminders and confirmations are unlimited from a shared number at no per-message cost, and WhatsApp marketing from your own number (win-back, birthday, offers) carries only Meta’s standard per-message rate paid directly to Meta, with nothing added by SalonBoost and the WABA setup waived on the yearly plan. No setup fee, 0% commission, free trial.
💰 Same salon — 1 location, 5 staff, ~200 appointments a month. Fresha: free software plus add-ons = ₹7,106–₹8,276/month. SalonBoost: flat ₹1,499. Difference: ₹70,000–₹80,000 a year.
An Honest Look at Both Sides
No software is right for everyone. Here is where each one genuinely wins.
Where Fresha Wins
Free in India, for now
No subscription and no booking commission today. The same software is not free in other countries, so India pricing could change.
A dedicated consumer app, built up over years
Fresha has a native app where clients browse, book and manage appointments across salons, and it has been in the Indian market long enough to have a real, established audience on it. SalonBoost has no separate consumer app — clients book through a shared web link (book.salonboost.online/your-salon) instead.
Good for basic billing and inventory
If you don’t need to send clients a formal invoice and just want scheduling, billing and inventory, Fresha’s free plan covers that.
Where SalonBoost Wins
Bundled, with nothing metered by SalonBoost
Review collection, loyalty, reporting, inventory and payroll are all in the ₹799 Essential plan, and the price does not rise when you hire staff. The ₹1,499 AI Growth plan adds WhatsApp automation: appointment reminders are unlimited from a shared WhatsApp number, and WhatsApp marketing from your own number carries only Meta’s standard per-message rate — paid to Meta directly, with nothing added by SalonBoost.
No per-staff charge for reporting
Fresha charges ₹250 per staff member for Insights, so reporting costs more with every hire. SalonBoost includes reporting for the whole team at no per-head charge.
Same price as you grow
SalonBoost is ₹1,499 whether you have 3 staff or 15. Fresha’s per-staff and per-feature add-ons rise as you grow.
GST billing, UPI and WhatsApp — Fresha has none of it
SalonBoost issues GST-compliant invoices with UPI at the counter, and runs WhatsApp reminders, win-back and birthday campaigns from your own number. Fresha does not do Indian GST billing, UPI or WhatsApp automation.
A person to talk to, not a ticket queue
Fresha in India is self-service: you sign yourself up, pay to switch on each add-on before you can use it, and reach a human only by raising a support ticket and waiting days for a reply. SalonBoost sets you up personally and answers on WhatsApp the same day — no ticket queue.
What Fresha costs a 5-staff salon
Fresha’s software costs ₹0. For a salon with 1 location, 5 staff and ~200 appointments a month, the add-ons are: messaging ₹480–₹1,650, client loyalty ₹5,000, the Google rating tool ₹376, and Insights reporting at ₹250 per staff (₹1,250 for five). Total: ₹7,106–₹8,276 a month. SalonBoost includes the same four features for ₹1,499 — about ₹70,000–₹80,000 less a year.
See the flat pricingReporting priced per staff member
Fresha’s Insights add-on is ₹250 per bookable staff member per month. Reporting shows which stylist and which service make money — on Fresha, that cost rises with every hire. SalonBoost includes reporting for the whole team with no per-head charge.
See the salon CRMWhat is free, and what is a paid add-on
Fresha has two plans, both free: Independent for solo operators and Team for multi-staff salons. Commissions, staff wages and timesheets come with the free Team plan. The paid part is the add-ons: loyalty (₹5,000 per location), Insights (₹250 per staff member), the Google rating tool (₹376 per location) and metered messaging. We exclude Fresha’s Data Connector (₹14,500) and Xero (₹920) — most salons do not need them, and counting them would overstate the gap. Full sourcing and methodology are below.
Compare full pricingWho Should Choose Which
Choose Fresha if…
Choose Fresha if you only need scheduling, billing and inventory, do not need to send clients a formal invoice, and are fine without WhatsApp automation — its free India plan covers that today, though the same software is not free in other countries.
Choose SalonBoost if…
Choose SalonBoost if you want GST-compliant billing, UPI payments and WhatsApp retention automation alongside scheduling — with messaging, loyalty, reviews and reporting bundled at a flat ₹1,499 a month and no per-staff or per-feature charges.
Switching from Fresha Is Simple
We import your client list and service menu during onboarding, so nothing is lost. There is no setup fee and no lock-in, so you can run SalonBoost alongside Fresha while you switch. Many salons keep their Fresha marketplace listing for discovery and move billing, payments, reminders and reporting to SalonBoost. Most are fully live within 1–2 days.
500+ Indian Salons Already Made the Switch
“Billing, follow-ups, and customer management are now super easy. Great value for money — it does everything a big system does at a fraction of the cost.”
Subha
Eden Roses Salon, Bengaluru
“One of the best features is the automatic WhatsApp invoice with a review link. Clients leave reviews easily and we can track how they find us.”
Rachna
XING Premium Salon, Bengaluru
“Billing is done in seconds and any staff can use it. It is not complicated at all — the whole team picked it up in a day.”
Saching
Express Cuts Premium Salon, Bengaluru
One Price. Every Tool That Brings Clients Back
An AI Receptionist that books and follows up, automated WhatsApp messages, online booking, Google review protection, GST billing — everything you saw above. One price.
Price Increases In
Everything Included • One Price
SalonBoost Software
Calendar, Billing, GST, POS & Reports
WaBoost
Unlimited Bulk Messaging
WhatsApp Utility Messages
Auto-Invoices & Reminders
One-time setup FREE
WhatsApp API integration + installation & training
AI Growth Price
₹5,299/mo of services for ₹1,499 — plus ₹12,000 of setup free
✓ free trial · Cancel anytime · No contracts
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Compliant CGST/SGST invoices, SAC codes and UPI — included from the Essential plan.