Both take 20% of a marketplace newcomer's first visit. The real gap is how each one prices your team, and Vagaro stops charging at seven people.
On the headline fee, Fresha vs Vagaro is a draw: both take a one-off 20% when their marketplace sends you a first-time client who found you through the app. Where they part ways is the monthly bill, and that comes down to how many people in your salon have their own column in the diary.
Fresha charges a one-person business £14.95 monthly, then £9.95 per team member once you have staff, before VAT. Vagaro's UK page currently shows £20 a month for one bookable calendar, marked down from £30 with no end date given. It adds a charge for each extra stylist up to seven, and then lets you add more staff for nothing. Prices checked on 29 October 2026.
Fresha vs Vagaro, line by line
| Fresha | Vagaro | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | £14.95 solo, £9.95 per team member | £20 for one bookable calendar (shown reduced from £30) |
| Extra staff | £9.95 each, with no ceiling | Charged per calendar up to seven, then free |
| Marketplace newcomer | 20% of the first booking (minimum £4) | 20% of the first appointment |
| Chip and tap in the salon | 1.19% + 20p | 1.15% + 20p |
| Tap to Pay on a phone | 7p on top of the in-person rate | 7p on top of the in-person rate |
| Card keyed in by hand | 2.2% + 20p | 1.4% + 25p |
| Reminders | 20 free texts per team member monthly, then 6p each | Unlimited reminders (channel not stated; text marketing from £15 a month) |
| Free trial | 7 days | 30 days |
| Cancelling | No minimum commitment | Any time, no fee (£100 if card processing stops within 12 months of a free reader) |
Sources: Fresha's UK pricing, Vagaro's UK pricing and its card processing rates.
How much does each one cost for a team?
Fresha's sum is easy to do on the back of a receipt. A salon with eight bookable team members pays £79.60 a month before VAT, and the ninth hire adds another £9.95.
Vagaro's is harder, because its UK page prices the first calendar in pounds but its FAQ quotes each extra calendar licence as $10 (US). Ask Vagaro for the sterling figure, and whether VAT is on top, before you compare. What is clear is the shape: the bill stops climbing at seven licences.
A solo nail tech pays less on Fresha; a busy salon with a long row of chairs could find Fresha's per-head charge keeps growing long after Vagaro's has stopped.
Are the marketplace fees really the same?
Close, not identical. Fresha sets a £4 floor on its 20%, so a £12 fringe trim still costs you £4. Vagaro's FAQ states the 20% on a newcomer's first appointment but mentions no minimum. If marketplace newcomers are a big share of your diary, our breakdown of every Fresha fee is worth reading alongside this.
On cards, Vagaro is a shade cheaper in person: on a £60 cut and colour it takes £0.89 against Fresha's £0.91. The gap widens on cards typed in by hand, where £60 costs £1.09 on Vagaro and £1.52 on Fresha.
One catch in the small print: the free card reader means you keep processing through Vagaro for 12 months, or pay a £100 early cancellation fee.
What if you skipped the marketplace altogether?
We should say up front that this is what we sell. We build booking into a website you own, with no commission and no charge per stylist. For online booking and reminders, Booking Pro is a £2,500 build plus £59 each month; Elite, a £3,500 build plus £79 each month, adds deposits and online payments with a full admin side and CRM. Both are plus VAT, and card fees still apply when clients pay online.
The trade-off is real. Without a marketplace, newcomers have to find you themselves: on Google, on your Instagram or from a friend's recommendation. That last one can be built in. The site we made for Jade at Classica Beauty has a Refer & Save scheme, so the clients Jade already has become a way to reach new ones.
Which salons suit Fresha, and which suit Vagaro?
| Your salon | Better fit |
|---|---|
| You work alone and want the lowest monthly bill | Fresha |
| You have more than a handful of stylists, or plan to | Vagaro |
| You want a month to test it before paying | Vagaro |
Still weighing up the field? Our Fresha vs Treatwell comparison covers the other big marketplace.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Vagaro free trial include every feature?
Nearly. Vagaro says the 30-day trial covers everything except email marketing, text marketing and the branded app. So you can test the diary, online booking and reminders properly, but you won't see what the paid marketing tools would do for you until the subscription starts.
How quickly can I move my data across to Vagaro?
Vagaro says a transfer typically takes one to two business days, and its imports and onboarding team can help at a booked appointment. It recommends doing the transfer once, so tidy your client list and services before you hand them over rather than after.
What does Vagaro charge for its optional extras?
Its UK page lists forms at £10 a month, a Vagaro MySite website at £15, a branded app at £50, the QuickBooks integration at £25 and text marketing from £15. None is needed to take bookings, so price the ones you would really use into your comparison.
Do I need a Vagaro calendar for my receptionist?
No. Vagaro defines a bookable calendar as one for a person performing services who needs their own scheduling, and says admin staff such as the front desk are not included. Count only the people clients actually book in with when you work out your monthly cost.
Where to start
The Fresha vs Vagaro decision mostly comes down to headcount, so count your bookable people first. Then see how clients find you at the moment with the free check: ten points we run over your Google listing and Instagram bio.
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