Square Appointments vs. Fresha
Square and Fresha both let your clients book and pay for appointments but how do they compare? The best way to find out is to break down each system’s features and look for the ones that matter most to your business.
Compare Square Appointments vs. Fresha
While Square and Fresha operate similar appointment booking systems, you’ll see with Square you get a host of extras, such as SEO tools, offline sales mode and physical gift cards, all for one simple monthly fee. This allows users to implement the system that works best for their business.
How Square works
With Square Appointments you can manage your availability through the app and let your clients book appointments online. You get customer email and SMS reminders, as well as a free customisable booking website, multi-location management, waitlist management, as well as Instagram and Google integrations all for a single, fixed monthly fee.
But Square is far more than just a booking system. Our flexible hardware and software lets you go where your customers are and pay in the way they want. Accept any kind of payment, including contactless and chip or send an electronic invoice and payment link through your dashboard.
As well as offering a robust EFTPOS system, Square gives you access to a range of tools to manage every aspect of your business. From inventory management to marketing, loyalty, business loans* and third-party integrations, it gives you everything you need to help your business thrive both now and in future.
How Fresha works
Fresha offers a booking system which lets businesses manage payments and bookings without a monthly subscription. There are optional paid features for payment processing, a marketplace new client fee, automated notifications and marketing.
Trustpilot rating comparison
As at 13/07/2023
4.3/5
4.2/5
Scheduling
| Square | Fresha | |
| Mobile app (iOS/Android) | Yes |
Yes |
| Cancellation and no-show fees | Yes |
Yes |
| Custom availability | Yes |
Yes |
| Automated SMS and email reminders | Yes |
50 free monthly texts. $0.05 per extra text |
| Block personal events | Yes |
Yes |
| Recurring appointments | Yes |
Yes |
| Multiple time zones | Yes |
Yes |
| Waitlist | Yes |
Yes |
| Processing time | Yes |
Yes |
| Automated SMS and email confirmations | Yes |
50 free monthly texts. $0.05 per extra text |
| Daily appointment limit | Yes |
No |
| Resource management | Yes |
Yes |
Online booking
| Square | Fresha | |
| SEO tools | Yes |
No |
| Online booking website | Yes |
Fresha marketplace |
| Book Now button | Yes |
Yes |
| Booking website QR code | Yes |
No |
| Instagram integration | Yes |
Yes |
| Reserve with Google integration | Yes |
Yes |
| Google Calendar sync | Yes |
Yes |
Client management
| Square | Fresha | |
| Attach contracts, documents or other files | Yes |
Yes |
| Custom contract templates | Yes |
Yes |
| Automate contract sends to customers | Yes |
Yes |
| Auto-created customer profiles | Yes |
Yes |
| Customer groups | Yes |
No |
| Customer notes and reminders | Yes |
Yes |
| Import existing customers | Yes |
Yes |
| Card on file | Yes |
Yes |
| Email marketing | From $20/mo | Calculated based on the amount of text messages or emails you choose to send via Fresha’s built-in marketing tools. $0.12 per text and $0.03 per email |
| Loyalty program | From $49/mo | No |
| New client fees | No |
20% fee applied to brand new clients who discover and book services via the Fresha Marketplace |
Retail and inventory
| Square | Fresha | |
| Free online store | Yes |
Yes |
| Sell products in-store or for pickup/delivery |
Yes |
Yes |
| Item search at checkout | Yes |
Yes |
| Barcode scanning at checkout | Yes |
Yes |
| Discounts | Yes |
Yes |
| Unlimited items | Yes |
Yes |
| Stock counts | Yes |
Yes |
| Low-stock alerts | Yes |
Yes |
| Item categories | Yes |
Yes |
| Photo Studio app for item library and online store |
Yes |
No |
Reporting
| Square | Fresha | |
| Appointment and sales history | Yes |
Yes |
| Sales reports | Yes |
Yes |
| Export reports | Yes |
Yes |
| Appointment reports | Yes |
Yes |
| Team sales vs Labour reporting | Yes |
Yes |
| Earned commissions reports | Yes |
Yes |
Payments
| Square | Fresha | |
| Data security (PCI) compliance | Yes |
Yes |
| Free monthly plan | Yes |
Yes |
| Next day and instant transfers* for a small fee | Yes |
Next business day only |
| No chargeback fees | Yes |
No |
| In-person processing fees | 1.6% per tap or insert | 1.29% + $0.26 |
| Tap or insert in person | Yes |
Yes |
| Key-in payments | Yes |
Yes |
| Physical gift cards | Yes |
No |
| Built-in surcharge feature | No |
Yes |
| Offline mode | Yes, with Square Terminal and Square Register |
No |
| eGift cards | Yes |
Yes |
| Payment links | Yes |
Yes |
| Invoicing software | Yes |
Yes |
| Virtual Terminal to take payments over the phone or on your computer |
Yes |
Yes |
| eGift Cards | Yes |
Yes |
| Send professional invoices | Yes |
Yes |
| Afterpay | Yes |
Yes |
| Prepayments | Yes |
Yes |
Hardware support
| Square | Fresha | |
| All-in-one POS system with customer display and built-in software |
Square Register – $1,099 | No |
| Portable EFTPOS machine with built-in receipt printer and free, pre-installed POS software |
Square Terminal – $329 | Fresha S1 |
| Countertop iPad POS stand with built-in card reader |
Square Stand – $149 | No |
| POS Hardware starting price | Square Reader – $59 | Fresha S1 |
Integrations
| Square | Fresha | |
| Integration with hundreds of third-party software, such as Xero, WooCommerce and Zoho |
Yes |
No |
| Seamless integration with first-party software and hardware |
Yes |
Yes |
Why businesses choose Square
Businesses searching for a flexible POS and appointment solution tailored to their specific requirements need to look no further than Square. For appointments-based businesses Square is designed to give you the flexibility to run your business effectively but also to be by your side as you grow.
One single, fixed monthly fee
At Square, we like to keep things simple so you can keep doing what you do best rather than worry about doing admin. We have one single fixed monthly fee for Square Appointments and transparent processing fees for payments. We don’t vary the cost depending on how many new clients you get or how many extra SMS reminders you need to send, so you’ll never get a surprise bill at the end of the month. We also don’t believe in tying you into a lengthy contract – we understand business goes through ups and downs, so you can cancel anytime.
Hardware that looks good and works like a dream
Square’s POS hardware is designed to last. It’s functional yet sleek, beautiful yet robust, allowing you to take bookings and client payments quickly and easily. Whether you opt for the minimalist Square Terminal or countertop iPad POS stand with a built-in card reader, our payment terminals blend seamlessly with your business.
One single integrated POS system
Square comes with everything you need to successfully run your business. From our hardware to booking, payments, marketing and more, you’ll find everything you need in one single, easy-to-use system. Your data is stored in one place and your customer details are kept secure. Square also integrates with many popular third-party platforms, so you can keep using your favourite apps.
Free client booking online
With Square, you can create your own customisable booking website and accept appointments online. You can also integrate with Instagram, Facebook and Google so customers can book with you directly from the platform they’re on. This is important given 39% of appointments are often made outside of regular salon opening hours*. Furthermore, Square won’t charge you for any new clients who book with you via Square Appointments.
Stay organised wherever you are
Manage your availability on the go through the Square Appointments app and reduce the risk of no-shows with automated SMS and email reminders. Manage multiple locations, your waitlist and set up cancellation and no-show fees all in one place.
Pick the plan for you
No hidden fees. Change or cancel at any time.
Custom pricing and discounts are available for qualifying businesses in Australia.
Free
The basics to run your own business while staying ahead of schedule.
for a single location.
Processing rate per transaction:
- 1.6%
Top Free Features:
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Custom booking website and social media integrations
- Integrated payments
- Automatic text and email reminders
- Automated contracts
Plus
More advanced features for growing teams that offer top-notch service.
per location.
Processing rate per transaction:
- 1.6%
Top Plus Features:
- Everything in Free
- Customer confirmation texts and emails
- Cancellation policy and fees
- Schedule classes
- Waitlist
- Appointments reports
Premium
A complete plan that meets complex booking and staff management needs.
per location.
Processing rate per transaction:
- 1.6%
Top Premium Features:
- Everything in Plus
- Advanced Access
- Select rostering features from Square Staff
- Resource management
- Custom staff commissions
- Custom contract fields
Contact sales for custom pricing
If your business processes over $250K in card sales per year, you may be eligible for custom pricing packages. This would include everything in Square Appointments Premium, a dedicated account manager in Australia and discounts on optional business tools, such as Square Online, Square Loyalty and more. Contact sales
Start using Square Appointments today
The all-in-one POS and appointment booking system to support and grow your business.
FAQ
It’s easy to get started. Simply create an account and head to Square Appointments in your Square Dashboard where you’ll be able to set up your online booking site and create staff profiles and services.
Absolutely, our Free Plan will give you access to many features but we also offer a 30-day free trial for our Plus and Premium Plans, so you can try out all the features and see if it’s right for your business before subscribing.
Yes! If you already have a website you can use the Square Appointments widget to create an online booking button. Don’t worry if you don’t have a website, you can create a free customisable online booking website with Square.
You can get up and running quickly with Square by bulk importing your client and inventory lists. We also offer an Appointments Data Import Service.
*Data sourced internally from 1 January to 31 December 2022 for Beauty and Personal Care sellers in Australia.
1.6% card present rate applies for Square Sellers who sign up on or after 30 May 2024, or who signed up prior to this date and subscribed to Square Appointments Plus or Premium. The rate of 1.9% will apply for all other Square Sellers who signed up prior to this date when using Square Reader, Square Stand or Tap to Pay, as listed in the Square Fee Schedule.