Online Booking for Salons (2026): Fresha, Booksy, Cal.com or Your Own Website
Short answer: if you work alone and are just starting out, a free or low-cost booking tool is enough. If you have three or more staff, an established client base and most bookings already come from Instagram or phone, a commission-free booking page on your own website usually costs less over time. Below we compare the options by monthly fee, commission and who keeps the client data.
Option 1: Booking marketplaces (Fresha, Booksy)
These apps are both booking software and a marketplace where clients search for salons. Setup is fast and new clients can discover you. In return you pay a monthly subscription and a commission on new clients who find you through the marketplace.
- Fresha: team plan about $14.95 per team member per month; 20% fee on new marketplace clients ($6 minimum). Source: Pabau, Fresha pricing 2026
- Booksy: subscription from $29.99 per month; typically a 30% commission on a new client's first booking from the app. Source: Slotcut, Booksy pricing 2026
- Card payments add processing fees on both platforms.
These are US prices; rates differ by country, so check the platform's own site. Keep in mind that clients who find you on a marketplace also see competitors listed next to you, and much of your client list and history lives inside the platform.
Option 2: General scheduling tools (Cal.com and similar)
Tools like Cal.com are not salon-specific but work well for a single professional. Cal.com's free plan covers one user, unlimited event types and an embeddable booking widget; team plans cost $15 per user per month. Source: Zeeg, Cal.com pricing 2026.
Option 3: Your own website and booking page
Here the booking page runs on your own domain: clients only see your services, prices and free slots. There is no marketplace commission, the client list is yours, and the site appears on Google under your own name. You pay a one-off setup fee and a monthly care plan for hosting, updates and support.
Which option fits which salon
- Solo and just starting: Cal.com's free plan or Fresha's individual plan.
- New-client discovery is the priority and the commission is acceptable: a marketplace such as Fresha or Booksy.
- Three or more staff, regular clients and a strong Instagram: your own commission-free website and booking page.
- Whatever you choose: add your booking link to your Google Business Profile. Google does not charge for it. Source: SimplerBook
At WoodstoneStudio we build commission-free salon websites with online booking that appear on Google under your own name; see our online booking page or estimate your project with the pricing calculator.