Comparisons · · by the BittaFlow team
The short answer
Choose Fresha or Booksy if you want a marketplace to bring you new clients and you accept a 20–30% fee on their first visit, or if you are solo and want the lowest monthly price. Choose BittaFlow if your clients already find you on Google, Instagram and WhatsApp and you want one flat price with no commission on any booking, plus an AI receptionist for the phone.
What is the main difference between BittaFlow, Fresha and Booksy?
Fresha and Booksy are booking apps with a consumer marketplace: clients browse salons near them and book in the app. That marketplace is how they find you new clients, and it is what the new-client fee pays for.
BittaFlow has no marketplace. Clients book on your own booking page, from your WhatsApp, or from the link on your Instagram and Google listing — so there is nobody to decide a client was "new", and no commission on any booking. The trade-off is plain: BittaFlow brings you no browsing traffic.
How much commission do Fresha and Booksy take?
As of October 2026, Fresha charges a 20% fee on a new client's first visit when they come through its marketplace, and Booksy's Boost charges 30% of a Boost client's first visit. Owners' most common complaint on both companies' review pages is about attribution: the fee charged on a client who found them elsewhere, or kept after a cancellation.
BittaFlow charges no commission at all — on new clients, regulars or anyone else. You pay the plan, plus messages and call minutes above its allowance.
How does pricing compare for a five-stylist salon?
Fresha's Independent plan is $19.95 a month and Booksy's single plan is $29.99, so for one person working alone both cost less than BittaFlow. The gap closes as the salon grows. For a five-stylist US salon on Fresha Team, the seats come to about $75, the AI Concierge receptionist adds $99.95 per location, Client Loyalty $59.95 and Team Connect $2.95 per member — roughly $250 a month before metered WhatsApp, marketing texts or the 20% new-client fee. The same salon on Booksy pays about $110 in subscription plus 30% of every Boost client's first visit.
On BittaFlow, Small Team is $149/mo with no setup fee: 1 location and 5 users, the AI voice receptionist (120 minutes a month), 1,000 SMS and 1,000 WhatsApp messages and marketing campaigns. Automatic reminders and review requests run on automation workflows, a $39/mo add-on on Small Team.
Put plainly: under five stylists with mostly regular clients, BittaFlow is one flat price. At a sixth stylist or a second location, the next BittaFlow plan is Starter CRM at $499/mo plus $1,500 setup, and per-seat pricing from Fresha or Booksy may then cost less.
| Fresha (as of October 2026) | Booksy (as of October 2026) | BittaFlow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Independent $19.95/mo | $29.99/mo, one plan | Solo $49/mo; Small Team $149/mo, no setup fee |
| Five stylists, typical total | About $250/mo with AI Concierge and loyalty, before metered messages | About $110/mo | $149/mo, AI receptionist included |
| New-client commission | 20% of the first marketplace visit | 30% of a Boost client’s first visit | None, on any client |
| AI receptionist | AI Concierge $99.95 per location, 200 minutes | Free in beta for the first 500 businesses | Included on Small Team, Pro Growth and Business Plus; 120 min/mo on Small Team |
| Marketplace that finds you new clients | Yes | Yes | No |
How do booking, deposits and rebooking compare?
All three cover the salon basics. The differences, using what each company publishes and what BittaFlow does today:
| Fresha and Booksy | BittaFlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking | Service menu with prices, in the app and on your profile | Your real menu with price, length and processing time; only slots long enough for the whole service |
| Patch tests | Fresha lists patch tests on every plan | A colour that needs one shows a notice before booking; the patch-test record lives on the Colour & Style card |
| Deposits and no-show fees | Payment policies and no-show protection | A deposit per service or location sent as a pay link on booking; fees charged to the saved card or sent as a link |
| Rebooking | Automated reminders | The next visit opens pre-filled at checkout — same stylist, the date the service is due; standing appointments that repeat |
| Staff on the go | Staff apps | A morning text and a read-only link to each stylist’s day — nothing to install |
| Phone calls | AI receptionist, priced as above | AI receptionist that books at the real length and price; missed calls text back |
When are Fresha or Booksy the better choice?
They are the better fit in these cases:
- Most of your new clients come from browsing a marketplace app, and you are happy to pay for them
- You work alone and want the lowest monthly price
- You need group bookings, add-on services or a different price per stylist
- You want a card reader or tap-to-pay at the desk from the same company
- You have six or more stylists and per-seat pricing works out cheaper
- You want the software, its prices and its screens in your local currency and language
What does a salon day look like in BittaFlow?
From the first booking to the next one, with no commission anywhere in it:
- 1Each stylist gets a morning text with a link to their day
- 2A client books a colour online from your menu; the slot is the length of the service and the deposit link is sent
- 3A cancellation is offered to the waitlist by text, and the first to accept takes the slot
- 4When the desk is busy, the AI receptionist answers and books, or a missed call texts back with open times
- 5At checkout the next visit opens pre-filled with the same stylist, and tips and commission are written to each stylist’s pay