The main Treatwell alternatives for UK salons are Fresha and Booksy if you still want a consumer marketplace at a lower commission, and Timely, SalonIQ or Daviana if you would rather pay a flat price and no commission. Treatwell itself suits a salon with empty columns: it takes 35% plus VAT of a new marketplace client's first booking and nothing on repeat visits. Salons usually look elsewhere once the diary is full of regulars and that first-booking fee stops paying for itself. Here is where each alternative wins.
Superscripts link to the sources at the foot of the page.
| Price | Contract and new-client fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Treatwell (for reference) | Monthly fee not published on its pricing page1 | Contract: 30 days' notice, per its partner terms2 New clients: 35% commission on a new marketplace client's first booking; 0% on repeat bookings; 2.5% on online prepayments; all plus VAT1 |
| Fresha | £14.95 a month on your own; £9.95 a month per bookable team member on Team3 | Contract: None; cancel any time3 New clients: 20% one-time commission on new marketplace clients, minimum £43 |
| Booksy | £40 a month plus £5 a month per extra team member, plus VAT; 7-day free trial4 | Contract: None; cancel any time4 New clients: Only with Boost on: 30% of a new client's first visit, minimum £5, plus VAT4 |
| Timely | From £4, £7 or £9 a week by plan, adjusting with the bookings you take; unlimited team members5 | Contract: None; 14 days' notice5 New clients: No new client fees5 |
| SalonIQ | From £47 a month for a solo stylist; setup fee from £175 plus VAT6 | Contract: Its pricing page says no long-term contracts and 60 days' notice;6 its terms set a 12-month initial term, then 90 days' written notice7 New clients: No marketplace |
| Daviana | £80 a month including VAT for the diary and till; first month free | Contract: None; cancel any month New clients: None. No marketplace and no commission on bookings |
Start with what Treatwell actually cost you last month, not the 35% headline. Take your own numbers:
In that example the month comes to £231.60 before the monthly fee, and most of it is commission. The numbers are only an illustration, so use your own. Now ask how many of those eight clients came back. If most of them did, Treatwell is earning its fee, and the question is whether Fresha at 20% or Booksy with Boost would bring the same people for less. If your diary is full of regulars and few new faces come from the marketplace, you are mostly paying for a diary, and a no-marketplace system may do more for the money. Some salons keep a marketplace listing for new clients and run the salon on something else; if you do, make sure you do not end up with two diaries. Our 12 questions to ask before switching salon software covers the rest, and the UK salon software guide compares the wider field.
Usually because of the commission. Treatwell charges 35% plus VAT on the first booking of each new client it brings from its marketplace, which is 42% of that appointment once VAT is added. Salons with a full diary of regulars often decide they no longer need to buy new clients at that price, and want software that is not built around a marketplace.
Treatwell's UK pricing page says 35% on first bookings made by new clients it brings from the marketplace, 0% on repeat bookings, and a 2.5% processing fee on online prepayments. All commissions and fees are subject to VAT. Bookings made directly with you, or through the Book Now button on your website and social media, carry no commission.
Its pricing page refers to a monthly fee but does not publish the amount for either the Freelancer or the Advanced plan, so ask for it in writing before you compare. The alternatives on this page all publish their prices.
Timely, SalonIQ and Daviana have no marketplace, so they charge no commission on new clients at all. Of the marketplaces, Fresha charges a one-time 20% with a £4 minimum, and Booksy charges 30% with a £5 minimum plus VAT, and only while its Boost feature is switched on.
Treatwell's pricing page says the data remains the property of your establishment, including if you cancel your plan, and its partner terms let you leave on 30 days' notice. Ask any new supplier to look at a real export before you sign, including client notes and colour formulas, which are the easiest data to lose. The Daviana team moves your clients and prices across for you.
Thirty minutes, your services and your numbers. We will tell you if staying on Treatwell makes more sense.
Book a demoTreatwell, Fresha, Booksy, Timely and SalonIQ are trademarks of their owners. We are not affiliated with any of them. Prices and terms change, so check with each company before deciding.