Qualivo vs Fresha (2026): Free Booking + Marketplace vs Monthly Fees and New-Client Commissions

Qualivo Team · Sat Jul 18 2026

Qualivo vs Fresha (2026): The Honest Head-to-Head

Fresha is one of the most recognized names in salon and wellness booking software, and for good reason — it has a polished interface, a large consumer marketplace, and a wide install base. But "free" in Fresha's marketing deserves a closer look. Once you factor in the monthly subscription, the 20% commission on new marketplace clients, and additional SMS and processing fees, the true cost of running on Fresha grows quickly. Qualivo takes a different approach: free booking software with a built-in marketplace listing, no monthly fee, and no commission on the clients you win through discovery.

This article breaks down both platforms honestly so you can decide which actually fits your business.

Pricing: What You Actually Pay

This is where the two platforms diverge most sharply.

Fresha charges $14.95–$19.95 per month for its subscription tier. On top of that, when a new client books you through the Fresha marketplace — someone who found you because Fresha surfaced your listing — Fresha takes a 20% commission on that booking. You also pay standard card processing fees and SMS notification fees separately.

Qualivo's free plan includes a fully bookable business profile, online booking for clients, staff and service management, calendar sync, and a marketplace listing where potential clients can discover and book you — all at no monthly fee and with no per-staff charge. There are no commissions on clients who find you through the Qualivo marketplace. The Pro plan adds payments, analytics, and growth tools for businesses that want to scale further.

For a solo operator or small team just getting started, that difference is immediate. A salon with three staff members paying Fresha's subscription would spend roughly $180–$240 per year before a single new-client commission is collected.

The Marketplace Model: Free Discovery vs. 20% Commission

Both Qualivo and Fresha offer a consumer-facing marketplace where people searching for salons, barbers, med spas, or wellness studios can find and book local businesses. The difference is in what happens when a new client converts.

With Fresha, if a client discovers your business through their marketplace and books for the first time, Fresha charges 20% of that appointment's value as a commission. If that new client spends $100 on a first visit, you net $80. The logic is that Fresha sourced the client — but it also means every new face you attract through the platform carries a recurring acquisition tax on that first booking.

Qualivo's marketplace listing is included in the free plan with no commission on bookings. A new client who finds you through Qualivo and books a $100 appointment is a $100 appointment. You're listed, you're discoverable, and you keep what you earn. If you're curious how this compares to other platforms taking commissions, the full breakdown of the Fresha alternative model goes deeper on how the math plays out over a year of new-client growth.

Head-to-Head Comparison Table

Feature	Qualivo (Free)	Fresha
Monthly fee	$0	$14.95–$19.95/mo
Per-staff fee	None	Included in subscription
Marketplace listing	Included free	Included
New-client marketplace commission	None	20% per new client booking
Online booking	Included free	Included
Staff & service management	Included free	Included
Calendar sync	Included free	Included
Payments	Pro plan	Available (processing fees apply)
SMS fees	See Pro plan	Additional fee
Analytics & growth tools	Pro plan	Available on subscription
Platform maturity	Newer	Established, large user base

Where Fresha Has a Real Advantage

Fairness matters here. Fresha is not the wrong choice for every business.

Its marketplace has significantly more consumer traffic than Qualivo's at this point — Fresha has been building its audience for years and has strong brand recognition among clients searching for beauty and wellness appointments. If you're in a dense urban market and want immediate visibility in front of a large existing consumer base, Fresha's reach is genuinely valuable.

Fresha also has a more mature product with years of polish, a larger feature set at the subscription tier, and a broader track record of integrations and support resources. For businesses that have been on the platform for years and have built their return-client base there, switching carries real friction.

The 20% commission stings more when you're growing fast and winning lots of new clients through the marketplace — that's precisely when the cost compounds. For a business with stable, repeat clientele and minimal reliance on marketplace discovery for new client acquisition, Fresha's ongoing monthly cost may be manageable.

Where Qualivo Has a Real Advantage

Qualivo's core proposition is straightforward: you get a bookable profile, staff and service management, calendar sync, and a marketplace listing — all without a monthly fee or commission. For any business that's cost-conscious, just launching, or tired of watching new-client revenue get trimmed by commissions, that's a structural advantage that compounds over time.

There's no per-staff fee on the free plan, which matters for multi-chair salons and barbershops where per-seat pricing from other tools adds up fast. If you want to see how that compares to another per-professional pricing model, the Qualivo vs Booksy comparison walks through the math for teams of different sizes.

For wellness businesses — massage therapists, med spas, holistic studios — the combination of free scheduling and marketplace discovery without commissions is also worth a look. The best booking software roundup for massage therapists and wellness practitioners covers how different tools serve that vertical specifically.

Qualivo's honest caveat: it's newer and smaller. Consumer traffic on its marketplace is growing but isn't at Fresha's scale yet. If raw marketplace volume is your primary acquisition channel today, that's a real consideration.

Which One Is Right for Your Business?

Choose Fresha if: you're already established on the platform with a strong return-client base, you value its mature feature set and large consumer marketplace, and the monthly subscription plus new-client commissions fit comfortably within your margins.

Choose Qualivo if: you want booking software and marketplace discovery without monthly fees or new-client commissions, you're starting out or cost-conscious, you run a multi-staff business where per-seat fees would otherwise add up, or you want to see whether a free model with genuine marketplace listing can grow your business before committing to a subscription.

The Bottom Line

Fresha is a credible, established platform — but its "free" positioning requires a closer read. A monthly subscription plus a 20% cut of every new marketplace client is a meaningful ongoing cost, especially for businesses actively trying to grow their client base. Qualivo offers a genuinely different model: free booking software, free marketplace listing, no commissions. It's newer, and that comes with tradeoffs in marketplace traffic and product maturity. But for service businesses that want to keep more of what they earn from day one, it's worth trying before committing to a subscription elsewhere.

If you want to explore what free booking software options look like across salons, barbers, and spas in 2026, that roundup covers the full landscape.

Ready to see the free plan in action? Claim your Qualivo business profile at no cost — get a bookable page, manage your staff and services, sync your calendar, and appear in the marketplace where clients are searching. No monthly fee, no new-client commission. Get started free at Qualivo.

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