Online booking for hairdressers
Online booking for a UK hairdresser or barber costs from nothing (Square Appointments has a free plan for one location) to £40 a month or more, depending on the system and the size of your team, plus VAT and card fees. The cost to watch is commission on new clients who find you through a booking app's marketplace: 20% at Fresha, 30% with Booksy's Boost, 35% at Treatwell. Bookings from your own website, Instagram or regulars are usually commission-free.
We checked every price below on 18 October 2026.
Checked 18 Oct 2026
What the main systems cost
| System | Monthly fee | Commission on new marketplace clients | Online card fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha | £14.95 on your own, or £9.95 per team member | 20% of the first booking, minimum £4 | 1.40% + £0.25 |
| Booksy | £40, plus £5 per extra team member | None, unless you switch on Boost: 30% of the first visit, minimum £5 | 1.29% + 20p, plus VAT |
| Treatwell | Not published | 35% of the first booking. 0% on repeat bookings | 2.5% on online prepayments |
| Square Appointments | Free for one location, or £29 or £69 per location | None (no marketplace) | 1.4% + 25p for UK cards |
| Phorest | Quote only | Not published | Not published |
Fresha's prices exclude 20% tax. Booksy and Treatwell add VAT to their fees. If you're not VAT registered, add 20% to any price shown without VAT (GOV.UK).
The marketplace question
Fresha, Booksy and Treatwell each run a public app or website where people search for salons near them. If a brand new client finds you there and books, Fresha and Treatwell charge commission once. Booksy only charges if you have Boost switched on. Returning clients don't trigger it again. Fresha says "no fee ever applies to your returning clients", and Treatwell charges 0% on repeat bookings.
So the real question is: where do your new clients come from? If most find you on Instagram, Google or by word of mouth, send them to your own booking link and you'll pay little or no commission. If the marketplace brings you clients you wouldn't otherwise get, a one-off fee may be worth paying. Check your booking reports after a month or two.
What to set up first
Whichever system you choose, these four things matter most for a salon:
1. Service lengths and staff
Put in each service with its real time, including processing time for colour, and who can do it. This stops double bookings and gaps you can't fill. On Square, processing time needs the Plus or Premium plan.
2. Deposits or card on file
Each system above lists deposits, prepayments or no-show protection, though Square only includes cancellation fees on its paid plans. Any deposit or no-show fee must be clear before the client books. The CMA's guidance on unfair terms says a deposit should normally be a small percentage of the price, with clear and narrow conditions for keeping it.
3. Reminders
Automatic reminders are included or cheap on most systems. Fresha gives 20 free texts a month (per team member on team plans), then charges £0.06 per text. Booksy says reminders are always free. Square includes text and email reminders on all plans. Our guide to appointment reminder texts has wording you can copy.
4. A Book button on Google
Fresha, Booksy, Treatwell and Square all appear on Google's Reserve with Google partner list. That lets clients book from your Google listing. See our Reserve with Google guide for the set-up and the catches, such as Square not applying prepayment or no-show protection to Google bookings (Square).
Already using a booking system?
Before you switch, check whether the one you have is set up properly: service times, staff hours, deposit rules, reminder timing, and a booking link on your website, Instagram and Google profile. Moving systems means moving client records and future bookings, so only do it for a clear reason, like high marketplace fees or a missing feature you need.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What's the monthly fee per person, and does it include VAT?
- Is there commission on new clients, and can you turn it off?
- What do card payments and reminder texts cost?
- Can you take deposits and charge for no-shows on your plan?
- Does it connect to Google, and to your website?
- Can you export your client list if you leave?
Common questions
What is the best booking system for a UK hairdresser?
There's no single best one. It depends on your team size, where your new clients come from and whether you want a marketplace listing. Compare the total cost: monthly fee, commission, card fees and texts.
Is there a free salon booking system?
Square Appointments has a free plan for a single location, with card fees on payments. Cancellation fees need a paid plan.
Does Fresha charge commission?
Only on brand new clients who find you through the Fresha marketplace: 20% of the first booking, minimum £4. Bookings from your own links and returning clients are free of commission.
Where we help
We set up online booking for salons and other small businesses across the UK. If you already have a booking system, we start with it, and set up the booking rules, confirmations and reminders around it. We agree your cancellation rules with you before anything goes live, and check any text-message costs with you before reminders are switched on.
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Monthly work from £375. Setup is quoted after the free call, once James knows what your business needs.