Termeva or Fresha: what free actually costs
Fresha gives the software away and earns on what flows through it: card payments and clients who come from its marketplace. Whether that is cheap depends entirely on how your bookings arrive.
Where the two differ
| Termeva | Fresha | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay monthly | A flat fee, from zero | Nothing for the software itself |
| Where their revenue comes from | Your subscription only | Payment processing and new client fees |
| Predictability | The same number every month | Depends on your turnover and client mix |
| Your own site | Included | A marketplace profile |
| Taking card payments | Optional, through your own Stripe account | Central to the model |
When Fresha is the better answer
- You want a full salon platform with stock, staff and payments in one place, at no monthly cost.
- You are happy to process payments through the platform and accept its fees.
- The marketplace brings you enough new clients to justify what it charges for them.
When Termeva makes more sense
- You want to know what you will pay next month before the month starts.
- Your clients are your own and you do not want to pay a fee when they book.
- You want a site that looks like your studio rather than a listing that looks like everyone else's.
Free software is not free, it is funded differently. Fresha is a good deal for a studio that wants payments and new clients from one platform, and an expensive one for a studio that already has its clients and just needs a calendar and a site.
Competitor details checked on 2026-09-13. Their terms change, so check the current ones before deciding.