Fresha vs Treatwell, and what each really costs.
Two marketplaces charging for the same thing — the client they found you — in two different ways. Treatwell publishes its commission rates outright; Fresha varies its published pricing by country. Figures below are quoted from their own pages.
Run both on your own numbers.
Treatwell charges 35% commission on a new client's first booking through its marketplace and 0% on every repeat booking, with no commission on clients who come to you directly. Fresha charges a one-time fee on the same event, plus a monthly subscription. Treatwell lists salons across Europe; Fresha says it reaches 120 countries.
Side by side
| Feature | Fresha | Treatwell |
|---|---|---|
| New-client commission | One-time fee on first appointment; rate published per country | 35% of the first booking |
| Repeat-booking commission | None | 0%, stated explicitly |
| Commission on direct bookings | None | None |
| Subscription | Per bookable team member | Not published on the partner pricing page |
| Online payment processing | Published separately by country | 2.5% + VAT on online prepayments |
| Where it operates | 120 countries, by Fresha's own count | Europe: 13 country sites |
| Best fit | A salon that wants one system for everything | A salon that wants marketplace footfall and will run its own admin |
What each one actually charges
Fresha
Booking software and a marketplace, sold on subscription plus marketplace fees
What it costs
- Fresha publishes its subscription and marketplace fees on a pricing page that varies by country. We are not reprinting a figure here, because the page we can read does not show one we can verify — check it yourself for your own country before you commit.
- The model: a one-time fee on each brand-new client who discovers you through the Fresha marketplace, charged on the value of their first completed appointment. There is a minimum fee and, Fresha says, a cap for higher-value services.
- Subscription is charged per bookable team member.
- Card processing and messaging billed separately.
Pick it when
- You want the marketplace and the back-office software from the same place.
- You operate outside Europe, where Treatwell does not list salons.
- You are solo, where per-team-member pricing costs least.
- You want stock, reporting and payments in the same system as the marketplace.
Treatwell
A consumer booking marketplace with partner software attached
What it costs
- Treatwell publishes it plainly: 35% commission on first bookings made by new clients from the marketplace, and 0% commission on repeat bookings.
- No commission at all on bookings that come to you directly — phone, text, WhatsApp, social or your own website.
- 2.5% + VAT processing fee on online prepayments. Treatwell states that all commissions and fees are subject to VAT.
- No monthly subscription figure is published on the partner pricing page.
Pick it when
- You are in an area where Treatwell brings real consumer traffic, and you want it.
- You want zero ongoing commission on the clients you keep — 35% once, then nothing.
- You would rather pay for acquisition than for software.
- Your treatments have high repeat rates, so the one-time 35% amortises fast.
Where these figures come from
Quoted from each company's own published pages, on the dates below. Pricing changes and some of it varies by country — check the source before you decide, and tell us if you spot something out of date.
- · Fresha pricing — checked 6 August 2026
- · Fresha help centre: marketplace new client fees — checked 24 October 2026
- · Fresha help centre: types of automated messages — checked 24 October 2026
- · Treatwell partner pricing — checked 6 August 2026
- · Treatwell for partners (Treatwell Connect) — checked 24 October 2026
The difference that actually decides it
These two are closer to each other than either is to a subscription tool, because both make their money the same way: they find you someone new, and they take a cut of that first visit. Everything after that first visit is yours.
So the honest comparison is not really about rates. A 35% one-time fee sounds brutal next to a lower published percentage until you notice they are charged on the same thing — one appointment, once, for a client you did not have. On a £70 first treatment, 35% is £24.50. If that client comes back four times a year for three years, you paid £24.50 to acquire roughly £840 of revenue. Very few marketing channels do better than that.
Where it goes wrong is when the platform classifies someone as "new" who was not, or when a client who would have found you anyway routes through the marketplace because that is where the booking button is. Some salon owners raise exactly this complaint, so ask each of them directly how the classification works before you list.
The other difference is the software. Both pair a marketplace with booking tools, so compare the tools you will use every day, not just the fee.
What neither of them does
Both are acquisition channels first, and keeping the client once acquired is the expensive half.
A client who came once through the marketplace, had a good time, and never rebooked is the most costly outcome in either model — you paid the fee and got one visit. Fresha offers a win-back automation for lapsed clients. Aasure does the same job without a marketplace: it can send a win-back email to regulars who have gone quiet, once you switch it on. It handles the bookings, the waitlist and the email reminders alongside it, on a flat monthly fee with no commission on any booking.
The trade, stated plainly: Aasure has no marketplace, so it will not find you anyone. If footfall is the problem you are trying to solve, list on one of these two — that is what they are good at.
Common questions
How much commission does Treatwell charge?
Treatwell publishes 35% commission on the first booking by a new marketplace client. Repeat bookings carry 0% commission. Bookings that reach you directly carry no commission at all. That covers phone, text, WhatsApp, social media and your own website. Online prepayments carry a 2.5% processing fee. Treatwell adds VAT to its commission and fees.
Is Fresha cheaper than Treatwell?
We cannot give you a number we could verify. Treatwell publishes 35% on a new client's first booking and 0% after. Fresha's pricing varies by country, and we found no rate we would quote. Fresha also charges a monthly subscription; Treatwell publishes no subscription price. Check Fresha's pricing page for your country yourself.
Do I pay Treatwell commission on my regular clients?
No. Treatwell states 0% commission on repeat bookings, and none at all on clients who book with you directly. The 35% applies once, to a new client's first booking made through the Treatwell marketplace. Your regulars never trigger that commission.
Which has more customers, Fresha or Treatwell?
Neither publishes UK customer numbers we could verify. Treatwell says half a million customers search on it every day, across Europe. Fresha says it reaches 120 countries. For a salon, the only figure that matters is traffic in your postcode. Neither will tell you that up front. Ask salons near you which one actually brings people through the door.
What is Treatwell Connect?
Treatwell Connect is Treatwell's app for salons. You run your diary and bookings in it, take card payments on a phone or tablet, and your salon is listed on the Treatwell marketplace. So comparing Fresha with Treatwell Connect is the same as comparing Fresha with Treatwell: two booking apps, each tied to its own marketplace.
Can I be listed on both Fresha and Treatwell?
Yes, and plenty of salons are. The risk is not the listing fee, it is the diary. Two marketplaces writing into one set of availability is how double-bookings happen. Decide which system holds the real calendar before you list on the second.
What happens to my clients if I leave the marketplace?
This is the question to ask before you join. Clients who found you through a marketplace often have the app rather than your number. The relationship can sit with the platform, even where data is exportable. The fix is boring: capture contact details at the first visit, and give every client a direct way to rebook.
Neither one, if you already have the clients.
Aasure is a flat monthly subscription with no commission on any booking and no marketplace. As a launch offer, the first 200 businesses to sign up get a 60-day free trial. After that, every plan starts with a 30-day free trial. Neither needs a card or setup fee. Plans cost £29, £59 or £89 a month, and every plan has every feature — they differ only by how many staff you add. All prices include VAT.
Sign up Or work out your real bill first