Business Growth
❓ Question
Is it worth paying for Fresha premium or is the free plan enough?
Evan Harris
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Beauty Academy · Cardiff · 4mo ago
Right, I need some honest opinions. I've been using a paper diary for 5 years and my husband thinks I'm mad for not going digital. I've looked at Square Appointments and Appointy but I honestly can't figure out which one is better for a small mobile therapist. I don't need anything fancy — just something that sends reminder texts, takes deposits and lets clients book online without ringing me at 11pm. What would you go for?
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For a mobile nail studio I'd go with Jane App every time. You can set a service area rather than a fixed address, clients can see your availability, and the automated confirmations include all the details they need. Works perfectly without needing a physical premises.
#1
Honestly? Just go with BookPin. I know there are loads of options but for a solo aesthetics clinic in the UK it covers everything you actually need — online booking, SMS reminders, deposits, basic reporting. Don't overthink it. Half the features on the premium plans you'll never use.
#2
My clients were pretty resistant at first — a few of them are older and not very tech-savvy. What helped was walking them through the booking link in person the first time. Once they'd done it once they were completely fine. Now I get booking confirmations at 11pm from people I would have thought would never manage it.
#3
I switched from Phorest to Square Appointments about 3 months ago and the main thing I noticed was the client-facing booking page. Square Appointments's is just cleaner and clients seem to complete the booking without getting confused halfway through. If you're worried about looking professional, that matters more than you'd think.
#4
I tested Appointy and Shedul side by side for a month. Appointy won on price, Shedul won on features. For a solo waxing salon just starting out, Appointy's free plan is hard to argue with. You can always switch later once you know exactly what you need.
#5
I had the same concern about GDPR when I first started with Acuity Scheduling. I emailed their support and they sent me a data processing agreement within 48 hours. They're UK-compliant and store data in Europe. Worth emailing them directly if you want the formal paperwork.
#6
I've been using SimplyBook.me for a year and honestly I'd recommend it for a small nail studio. The setup took me about half a day but once it's done it just runs. Clients get automatic reminders, you can take deposits, and the calendar view is really clear. Give the free trial a go — you'll know within a week if it works for you.
#7