Alternative Guide
“Free” Isn't Free. It's Commission.
Every new client the Fresha marketplace sends you comes with a commission - on top of payment processing fees. Here's what estheticians move to: one flat fee, your own website, zero marketplace, zero commission.
The short version
SpaSphere is a flat $139/mo platform for solo estheticians, with treatment plans, AI rebooking, branded website, and SOAP notes included - zero commission, zero per-booking marketplace fees. Fresha is a freemium marketplace platform whose base software is free, but every new client the marketplace sends you comes with a commission plus payment processing fees. Fresha is cheap upfront and expensive over time; SpaSphere is the opposite - predictable monthly fee, bookings stay yours.
Switch from Fresha to SpaSphere if:
- You want zero commission on bookings
- You want clients you keep, not marketplace leads
- You want predictable monthly pricing instead of per-booking fees
Why estheticians leave Fresha
Fresha's base software is free, but every new client the marketplace sends you comes with a commission - plus payment processing fees. The moment you grow, 'free' stops being free.
Commission on new marketplace clients
20% one-time fee on the first appointment of new clients found via Marketplace ($6 minimum); direct and repeat bookings are free
Marketplace-first booking
Your listing sits next to paid placements and competitor providers
Built for general beauty
No skin-specific SOAP, no skin-progress treatment plans, no esthetician-specific workflows
The economics behind “free”
“Free” software is not the same as free
Fresha charges no monthly subscription. But every new client the marketplace sends you carries a 20% commission, and every appointment carries a card-processing fee. Here's a simplified, deliberately conservative example.
The example scenario
- 1,000 appointments / year
- $100 average ticket
- ~100 new clients/year via the Fresha marketplace
| Payment type | Fee | Est. annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Card processing (1,000 appts) | ≈ 2.29% + 20¢ | ~$2,490 |
| New-client marketplace commission (100 clients) | 20% of first appt · $6 min | ~$2,000 |
| Estimated total | ~$4,490 / year | |
| Payment type | Fee | Est. annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| In-person processing (500 appts) | 2.7% + 30¢ | ~$1,500 |
| Online processing (500 appts) | 2.9% + 30¢ | ~$1,600 |
| New-client commission | None | $0 |
| Estimated total | ~$3,100 / year | |
Fresha's card processing is competitive - even a touch lower than SpaSphere's. The catch was never the processing. It's the commission: add it in and Fresha's “free” software costs ~$4,490/year in this conservative example, versus ~$3,100 for SpaSphere - and the gap widens with every new client the marketplace sends you.
Fresha's 20% new-client commission and $6 minimum are from Fresha's public pricing as of Q2 2026; the processing rate shown is an approximate US figure - confirm current rates on each platform's pricing page. Costs vary with payment mix, volume, and how many new clients arrive through the marketplace. This compares processing and commission only - monthly software fees (Fresha $0, SpaSphere a flat fee) are a separate line item.
The bigger question isn't “what's free?”
It's whether your software is growing a practice you own - or renting you clients.
Fresha was built as a marketplace that sells you clients. SpaSphere was built to help estheticians grow a practice they keep:
- Keep 100% of every booking - new clients included
- Build organic discovery on your own domain
- Sell more treatment packages
- Improve rebooking rates
- Guide long-term treatment plans
- Raise average ticket size
The real cost of software isn't the monthly line item. It's whether you're building your own client base - or paying commission on someone else's marketplace.
Free until Fresha finds you a client.
Quick side-by-side comparison
Pricing model
SpaSphere
One flat fee, no commissions on any booking
Fresha
Free base; commission applies to first appointment of new clients found via Marketplace
Commission on new marketplace clients
SpaSphere
None
Fresha
20% one-time fee on the first appointment of new Marketplace clients ($6 minimum); repeat and direct bookings are free
Client marketplace
SpaSphere
None - clients see only you
Fresha
Built-in consumer marketplace with other providers
Website on your own domain
SpaSphere
Full SpaSphere-built site with SEO and service pages on your own domain
Fresha
Fresha-hosted profile page; custom-domain mapping not currently supported
Skin SOAP notes
SpaSphere
Skin-specific SOAP and concerns library, included
Fresha
Generic Forms and basic charting; no skin-specific SOAP workflow
Multi-session treatment plans
SpaSphere
Skin-care progress tracking across sessions
Fresha
Packages and memberships (no skin-progress workflow)
AI rebooking + recommendations
SpaSphere
AI rebooking and per-client product/service recommendations
Fresha
Automated reminders only; no AI rebooking engine
Solo esthetician focus
SpaSphere
Purpose-built for skin care
Fresha
General beauty and wellness
Competitor pricing, plan names, and feature availability verified against each platform's public pricing page and help center as of Q2 2026. Vendors update plans and pricing without notice - confirm current details on the competitor's site before making a buying decision.
You earned your clients.
Not a marketplace. Not a commission funnel.
The difference every solo esthetician should see
Fresha puts your clients in a marketplace. SpaSphere puts them on your website.
On Fresha, your booking lives inside their marketplace - surrounded by other estheticians, paid listings, and cross-sell offers - with commission on every new marketplace booking. On SpaSphere, you get your own website on your own domain. One flat fee, no marketplace, no commission.
- Your own branded domain - not fresha.com/yourname.
- SEO-ready pages that rank on Google for your city and services.
- No marketplace, no competitor listings, no commission on new clients.
- One flat fee - keep 100% of every booking, including new clients.
When Fresha can still be a good fit
- Good fit: You want $0 upfront software and are comfortable paying per new client.
- Good fit: You actively rely on marketplace discovery for client acquisition.
- Good fit: You don't need esthetician-specific tools like SOAP notes or treatment plans yet.
When SpaSphere is a better fit
- Better fit: You want a flat fee with zero commission on any booking - new or returning.
- Better fit: You want your own website on your own domain, not a marketplace profile.
- Better fit: You want esthetician-specific tools - SOAP notes, treatment plans, skin profiles - included.
Money-making tools to compare
- Add up the real cost - commission on new clients plus payment fees can beat a flat fee fast.
- Check whether your booking page builds your brand or the marketplace's.
- See if SOAP notes, treatment plans, a real website, and AI are included or absent.
Also see simple pricing for clear plan details.
If you remember one line from this page:
Fresha takes a cut of every new client. SpaSphere takes none.
FAQ
Is Fresha really free?
Fresha has no monthly subscription, but charges a 20% one-time commission on the first appointment of any new client found through their Marketplace ($6 minimum) - plus payment processing fees on every transaction. Direct and repeat bookings are free of commission. Depending on how much of your new-client volume comes from the Marketplace, a flat-fee platform like SpaSphere is typically cheaper once you're acquiring clients through it.
Will I lose clients if I switch from Fresha?
Existing clients follow you, not the platform - especially once you have your own branded website on your own domain. SpaSphere supports client data migration so your history moves with you.
How do I get new clients without the marketplace?
SpaSphere gives you a real website on your own domain with SEO tools, service pages, and Google-ready content. Instead of paying commission on marketplace traffic, you build organic discovery to your own brand.
Does SpaSphere include features Fresha doesn't?
Yes. Skin-specific SOAP notes (Fresha has generic Forms and basic charting, no skin-specific SOAP workflow), structured multi-session treatment plans built around skin progress (Fresha has packages and memberships), AI rebooking and per-client product/service recommendations, and a full first-party website on your own domain (Fresha is profile pages on fresha.com).
Can I still accept online bookings without a marketplace?
Yes. Your SpaSphere website is a full online booking flow on your own domain. Clients book directly with you, you keep 100% of every booking, and nothing points them to a competitor.