A Fresha alternative that earns from a flat subscription, not from your revenue. No per-staff fee on the base, no 20% marketplace commission, no surcharge on Stripe card payments. From £12/month, 7-day free trial.
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What 'free' at Fresha really costs
Fresha now earns from three streams: per-member subscription, transaction fee on every card payment, and marketplace commission on new clients. The 'free' label is gone. Here is what the bill actually looks like.
Fresha's October 2025 pricing change moved every team to per-member billing: roughly £15 per stylist per month. A solo stylist pays around £15. A team of four pays £60. Avana's Pro plan covers up to 3 stylists for £39/mo flat, with each extra stylist at +£4.95 — for 4 stylists that's £43.95 versus Fresha's £60.
Fresha charges 2.29% plus £0.20 on every online card transaction. At an average £45 ticket, that is £1.23 per payment. At 200 payments per month: £246/month, £2,952 per year. Under UK and EU rules you cannot pass that on to your client. Avana adds 0% to Stripe's standard rate of 1.5% + £0.20.
If a client finds your salon through Fresha's marketplace search, Fresha takes 20% of that booking. The catch: a 'new client' includes anyone who books via your Fresha profile for the first time, even if they already knew you offline. Avana has no marketplace, so no marketplace fee.
Once your client base is on Fresha, switching feels hard. We export your client list as CSV and import it into Avana for you, free of charge. Migration typically takes 30 minutes and your clients keep their booking history.
“After the October 2025 pricing change, my Fresha bill jumped from £15 to £80 a month before transaction fees. Switching to Avana took 30 minutes. I now pay £39 for the same number of stylists.”
Sevda, Beauty Lab Sevda, London
Calculate what you saveWhat you get
These are not features — these are the things that change in your daily salon life from day one.
They see your availability and pick their time, even at night and weekends. You only get the confirmation in your inbox.
Every appointment gets an automatic email and SMS reminder at 24 hours and 2 hours before. Clients stop forgetting you.
Avana takes no commission on your bookings. You pay a flat monthly subscription from £12. Card payments run at Stripe's standard rate with nothing added on top. A small booking fee applies to your client when they reserve online.
Drop it in your Instagram bio, send it via SMS or print it as a QR on your business card. Clients book directly, no account required, no app to download.
For longer or pricier services, take a deposit automatically at booking. If the client doesn't show up, you keep the deposit.
Phone numbers, emails, treatment history, photos and notes — all in one place. Not on a marketplace. With you, exportable any time.
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How it works
Step 1
Add your services, prices and opening hours. Done in around 15 minutes, no install required.
Step 2
You get your own booking link. Drop it in your Instagram bio, send it by SMS or print it as a QR on your business card.
Step 3
No phone tag, no DMs at midnight. Clients book without an account. Confirmation and reminder go out automatically.
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Avana vs Fresha
Based on Fresha's official pricing page and marketplace help-centre articles. Tariffs may vary by market.
| Avana | Fresha | |
|---|---|---|
| Solo stylist | £12/mo flat | ~£15/mo per person |
| 3 stylists | £39/mo (Pro) | ~£44.85/mo per-staff |
| 5 stylists | £48.90/mo (£39 + 2×£4.95) | ~£74.75/mo per-staff |
| Marketplace commission | None (no marketplace) | 20% on new-client bookings |
| Card transaction fee | 1.5% + £0.20 (Stripe pass-through, 0% to Avana) | 2.29% + £0.20 (Fresha adds to Stripe) |
| Booking fee paid by client | £1.49 per online booking | None |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card | Limited |
| Setup time | ≈ 15 minutes | 30-60 minutes |
Sources: fresha.com/pricing, October 2025 pricing change announcements. Last verified: May 2026.
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What salons say
“My loyal client googled my name and landed on my Fresha marketplace page. Per Fresha that's a 'new client' — 20% gone. On someone I'd known for years.”
NaomiStudio Naomi, Manchester
“October 2025 the email arrived: 'free plan ending'. My entire client base was on Fresha. Avana migration took 30 minutes and I now pay £39 flat for my whole team.”
KarinKarin Hair, Dublin
“Waited 9 weeks for a Fresha support reply on a £240 chargeback. No answer. With Avana, a real person responded within one working day.”
LaraLara Beauty, London
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Pricing
Most salon software takes 2 to 3 percent of every payment you take. Avana doesn't. A small booking fee applies when clients book online — the same way any ticketing or reservation platform works. You pay standard card processing at Stripe's rate. Nothing added on top. Plans from £12 per month.
Solo
Solo stylists who want bookings, reminders and client records without the admin.
£12per month
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Pro
Growing salons with a small team who need separate calendars and team-level tools.
£39per month
Cancel anytime
Team
Multi-staff salons or multi-location operators who want one central dashboard.
£69per month
Cancel anytime
Card payments run at Stripe's standard rate of 1.5% + £0.20 per transaction. On a £55 payment you receive £53.97. Avana adds nothing on top.
FAQ
Fresha moved from a free software plan to per-member subscription pricing of around £15 per team member per month, on top of the existing 2.29% + £0.20 transaction fee and the 20% marketplace commission on new clients. The 'free for everyone' positioning is gone.
On the subscription line they look similar (Fresha ~£15, Avana £12). The difference is in transaction fees: Fresha adds 2.29% + £0.20 to card payments, Avana passes Stripe's 1.5% + £0.20 through with nothing on top. On a typical month with £4,000 in card payments, Avana is £30-50 cheaper.
The definition of 'new client' is loose. A returning client who googles your name and lands on your Fresha marketplace page counts as a 'new Fresha client' — even if you've known each other for years. Avana has no marketplace, so clients book directly on your own page with no marketplace in between.
2.29% + £0.20 per online payment via Fresha Payments. At an average £40 ticket, that's £1.12 per payment. At 200 payments/month: £224, £2,688 per year. Under EU/UK rules you cannot pass these on to your client — they come straight off your margin.
Fresha lets you export client data and bookings as CSV. We help free of charge with the import into Avana and with a switch message for your loyal clients via Instagram and SMS. Total migration time is typically 30 minutes.
If you're a brand-new salon with no client base, no Instagram following and no Google presence, Fresha's marketplace can give you visibility you can't yet create yourself. The 20% per new client is essentially an acquisition cost. Once you have a steady base of repeat clients, every month with Fresha gets more expensive than Avana's flat plan.
Card payments run at Stripe's standard processing rate: 1.5% + £0.20 in the UK. Avana adds nothing on top. On a £55 payment you receive £53.97. You can see the exact breakdown for every transaction in your dashboard.
When a client books online, a small £1.49 fee applies — the same way a booking fee works on any reservation platform. It's shown to the client at the time of booking and is non-refundable if the client cancels. It does not come out of your service revenue.
Yes. Every plan includes a 7-day free trial, no credit card required. You can set up your booking page, add your services and test the full calendar before deciding.
Yes. Monthly plans, no contract, cancel from your dashboard.
From £12/month flat. No per-staff fees, no 20% marketplace commission, no 2.29% on top of Stripe. 7-day free trial, no credit card.
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