How to Switch from Fresha to Free Booking Software (Step-by-Step)

Qualivo Team · Tue Aug 25 2026

Why Businesses Are Leaving Fresha

Fresha has a lot going for it: polished software, a recognizable marketplace, and a base plan that costs nothing upfront. But there's a catch that catches many salon and spa owners off guard — a 20% commission on every new client who books you through the Fresha marketplace, stacked on top of standard card-processing fees and optional SMS charges. Once your marketplace volume picks up, that 20% adds up fast.

If you're ready to explore alternatives, this guide walks you through switching to Qualivo — a genuinely free booking platform with its own discovery marketplace, no monthly fee on the free plan, and no new-client commission on your free listing.

Before You Switch: What to Understand

Switching platforms doesn't have to be painful, but a few realities are worth knowing upfront:

Your Fresha marketplace profile and reviews stay on Fresha. They belong to the platform, not to you. You'll be building a fresh presence elsewhere, which takes a little time to grow.
Your clients are yours. You can export your client list from Fresha and bring it with you — that data belongs to your business.
Qualivo's Free Starter plan is genuinely free forever — no credit card required, no trial clock, no monthly fee, and no commission when new clients book you through the Qualivo marketplace.

Fresha is a more established platform with more marketplace users built up over time — be realistic about that tradeoff. If marketplace commissions aren't affecting you yet, weigh the switching cost honestly. If they are, the math gets simple quickly.

Step 1: Export Your Client List from Fresha

Before you touch anything else, get your data out. In Fresha, navigate to Reports → Clients and download your client list as a CSV. This gives you names, contact details, and booking history — the foundation for re-establishing those relationships on your new platform.

Also save a record of any outstanding gift cards, packages, or deposits. Those won't transfer automatically and you'll need to honor them manually during the transition.

Step 2: Claim Your Qualivo Business Profile

Head to Qualivo and search for your business by name. Your salon, barbershop, nail studio, or clinic may already have a listing you can claim in one click. If not, creating a new profile takes under ten minutes and no credit card is required.

Once you're in, you're on the Free Starter plan — $0 forever. Your business gets a public booking page and appears in the Qualivo marketplace immediately, so new clients can find and book you even while you're still getting set up.

Step 3: Add Your Services, Pricing, and Staff

Qualivo places no limit on services or staff members on the free plan. Add every service you offer with accurate pricing and duration. Add your team, assign their schedules, and configure your booking rules — lead time, cancellation policy, buffer time between appointments.

Accurate service listings are what show up in marketplace search and what clients actually book, so take your time here. This is the foundation everything else sits on.

Step 4: Import Your Clients

Upload the CSV you exported from Fresha directly into Qualivo's client list. Names, contact details, and any notes you saved will be in the system and bookable from day one. For your most loyal regulars, add a personal note in their profile — preferences, past services, anything that helps your team pick up where you left off.

Step 5: Enable Two-Way Google Calendar Sync

Two-way Google Calendar sync is included on Qualivo's free plan. Enable it in your settings so bookings made through Qualivo appear in your Google Calendar, and personal events automatically block time so you can't be double-booked. Each staff member can sync their own calendar independently.

Step 6: Post Your First Looks

This is where Qualivo's marketplace discovery works differently from Fresha's. Book the Look lets you post real photos or short videos of your actual work — a cut and color, a nail set, a lash lift, a brow shape — attach the exact bookable service with price and duration, and have it surface in the Qualivo marketplace. Clients tap "Book this look" and land directly in your calendar to book that exact result.

It's inspiration-first discovery rather than scrolling a text menu. If your business is in lash and brow, see how lash and brow artists are using Book the Look to turn their best sets into more bookings. Aim to post at least three to five Looks in your first week to give your new marketplace listing some visual depth from the start.

Step 7: Update Your Booking Links Everywhere

Once your Qualivo profile is live, replace your Fresha booking link everywhere it appears:

Instagram and TikTok bio
Google Business Profile (your booking button)
Facebook page
Your website or Linktree
Email signature and any printed materials

You also get a mini-site at yourbusiness.qualivo.app — a clean, bookable standalone page that's worth linking to and submitting to Google so it gets indexed as its own destination for your business.

Step 8: Let Your Clients Know

Your regulars are used to booking a certain way. A quick message goes a long way: an Instagram story, a text, or an email telling them you've moved to a new system and sharing your new booking link. Keep it short — "Hey! We've updated our online booking. You can now book directly at [your Qualivo link]."

On Qualivo's Pro plan ($19/month) you can send marketing campaigns to up to 500 clients per month and set up automated appointment reminders and follow-ups. Pro includes an optional 30-day free trial — and if you cancel after, your free features keep working.

What You Keep at $0 per Month, Forever

After the switch, here's what your free Qualivo plan includes — no credit card, no trial clock:

A bookable listing in the Qualivo marketplace, with no commission on new clients who book you
Unlimited services and staff scheduling
Client CRM and full calendar
Two-way Google Calendar sync
Your own mini-site at yourbusiness.qualivo.app
Book the Look visual discovery in the marketplace

If you're comparing multiple platforms before deciding, it's worth reading how Qualivo stacks up as a free alternative to Booksy with a marketplace and as a free alternative to Vagaro with a marketplace — both cover the feature and pricing differences in detail.

Claim Your Free Profile and Start Fresh

Switching booking software feels bigger than it is. Most businesses are fully live on Qualivo within a day: profile claimed, services added, clients imported, booking link updated. The marketplace listing and Book the Look discovery kick in immediately — no waiting period, no approval queue.

Claim your free Qualivo profile today. No credit card, no trial clock, no commission when new clients discover and book you through the marketplace.

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