For years Fresha was the default for Irish barbers because it was free. It is not any more: it now charges a monthly subscription, still takes 20% of every new client it finds you, and charges per message once you pass 20 reminders a month. If that change has you looking around, this guide compares the five alternatives worth considering in Ireland in 2027 — what each costs, what you give up, and how to move your clients across. Prices were checked on each provider's own pricing page on 31 October 2026. Barbify publishes this guide and is one of the five.
What Fresha Costs Now
Before comparing alternatives, it helps to be precise about what you are leaving:
- Subscription: €14.95/month for an independent, or €9.95 per bookable team member per month, plus VAT
- New-client fee: a one-time 20% (minimum €5) on each new client who finds you through the Fresha marketplace
- Card payments: 1.29% + €0.20 — competitive, and not a reason to leave on its own
- Messages: 20 texts or WhatsApp messages a month included, then from €0.12 each
What to Look For in a Fresha Alternative
Barbers usually leave Fresha for one of three reasons: the new subscription, the 20% on new clients, or being one listing in a marketplace full of competitors. Check each alternative against the reason that matters to you:
- Does it charge a commission or new-client fee — or a flat price you can predict?
- Do clients book on your own branded page, or inside another marketplace?
- Are WhatsApp reminders included, or charged per message?
- Can you import your existing client list, so nobody is lost in the move?
- Is it priced in euro and set up for Irish mobile numbers?
1. Barbify — Best Fresha Alternative for Independent Barbers
Barbify is the closest thing to what Fresha used to be for a barber, without the marketplace. You get your own booking page on your own subdomain (yourname.barbify.ie), a client list that is yours, and WhatsApp plus email reminders 24 hours and 2 hours before every appointment on PRO — unlimited, not counted against a monthly allowance.
It costs €11.99/month, or €9.99/month billed yearly, and takes 0% of your bookings. Card payments and deposits go through your own Stripe, SumUp or Dojo account. You can import your client list by CSV and be live in about 15 minutes, with a 21-day trial and no card needed. There is also a free plan for up to 30 bookings a month.
The trade-off: Barbify does not bring you marketplace clients. If Fresha's marketplace is where most of your new clients come from, plan how you will replace it — your Google Business profile and Instagram, with your booking link on both, are the usual answer.
2. Square Appointments — Best Free Fresha Alternative
If the subscription is the whole problem, Square Appointments' Free plan is the cheapest answer: free for a single location, with text and email reminders included. It is a general appointment tool rather than a barber one — no WhatsApp and no barbershop walk-in queue — and payments go through Square. Paid plans are €19 and €49/month plus VAT.
3. Booksy — If You Want Another Marketplace
Booksy is the obvious swap if you want to stay on a marketplace with a consumer app, and it is popular with barbers. It is not cheaper: £40/month plus £5 per extra team member, plus VAT, and its optional Boost takes 30% (minimum £5) of a new client's first visit — a higher rate than Fresha's 20%.
4. Vagaro — If You Need More Features
Vagaro has a long feature list and costs around £20/month for one calendar in the UK. It has no Irish site or euro pricing and is built for salons, spas and gyms as much as barbers, so it suits a multi-service business better than a straight barbershop.
5. Treatwell — Not a Cheaper Way Out
Treatwell often comes up as the other big marketplace, so it belongs on the list — but for most barbers it costs more than Fresha, not less. Each new client from the Treatwell marketplace costs 35% + VAT of their first booking (against Fresha's 20%), on top of a subscription; UK plans run from £9.99 to £59/month and Irish prices are not published. Repeat bookings are commission-free.
Fresha Alternatives at a Glance
The same five, side by side:
- Barbify — €11.99/month (€9.99 yearly) or free plan · 0% commission · own branded page · unlimited WhatsApp + email reminders on PRO
- Square Appointments — free for one location, paid from €19/month · no booking commission · own page · text + email reminders
- Booksy — £40/month + £5 per extra member · Boost 30% on new clients · marketplace
- Vagaro — around £20/month (UK) · no booking commission · marketplace and own page
- Treatwell — subscription + 35% + VAT on new marketplace clients · marketplace
How to Switch from Fresha Without Losing Clients
The move itself takes an afternoon. The thing to get right is your client list and your regulars' habits:
- Get your client list out of Fresha first, while your account is still active
- Set up your services, prices and hours in the new app
- Import the client list so names, phones and emails carry over
- Replace the Fresha booking link everywhere it appears — Instagram bio, Google Business profile, WhatsApp status
- Tell your regulars: a short message with the new link, sent before their next booking
- Run both side by side for a couple of weeks so nobody who books the old way is missed