Here is something I have watched play out in salon after salon. An owner signs up for free booking software, fills the diary, and then notices a line item they did not expect: a commission on every new client who found them through the software’s own marketplace. The booking was free. The customer was not.
That is the heart of this comparison of AppBuild.diy vs Fresha. Fresha is salon and spa booking software with a marketplace at its centre, and AppBuild.diy is a no-code builder for your salon’s own branded app, where booking sits alongside loyalty, content and push. Both put your name in front of clients. They disagree about who owns the client and who takes a cut. Here is my honest take.
The 30-second version
- Fresha is salon and spa software: appointment scheduling, online booking, point of sale, inventory and a consumer marketplace, with a low headline price but commission on marketplace-sourced new clients and payment processing fees.
- AppBuild.diy is a no-code builder that publishes a native iOS and Android app under your brand, with booking, loyalty, content and unlimited push, a free tier and AI-assisted setup, across 17 business types.
- Pick Fresha if you want full salon management with a marketplace bringing you new bookings, and you are comfortable with its commission model.
- Pick AppBuild.diy if you want to own a branded client-facing app yourself, with no marketplace commission, starting free.
What Fresha does well
Fresha is a capable, popular platform, and it earns its place for a lot of salons. Its strengths:
- Appointment scheduling and online booking, with recurring appointments and automated SMS and email reminders that cut no-shows.
- Point of sale and inventory, so checkout, stock and retail sit in one system.
- A consumer marketplace that actively markets your salon to new clients searching for an appointment nearby.
- Client profiles, reporting and multi-location support, with a low headline subscription cost.
If you want a single system to run scheduling, payments and stock, and you value a marketplace that puts you in front of new clients, Fresha does that well and the entry price is genuinely low.
Where AppBuild.diy goes further
The thing to understand about Fresha is the marketplace model. It is brilliant for discovery, but it means the platform sits between you and the client, and it charges a commission on new clients who book through it, on top of payment processing. That is fine if discovery is your priority. But the clients you already have, the regulars who should book directly with you, are exactly the relationship a branded app protects. AppBuild.diy starts there.
1. Your salon’s own app, no marketplace in the middle. AppBuild.diy publishes a genuinely native iOS and Android app under your salon’s name, and the client books with you, not through a marketplace that takes a cut. That matters because Mobiloud reports app conversion rates running roughly three times higher than mobile websites, so owning the icon on a regular’s home screen is worth more than a listing among competitors.
2. Loyalty and push that keep regulars coming back. A salon lives on repeat clients, and a digital loyalty card plus a timely nudge is what brings them back on schedule. Loyalty research compiled by Queue-it shows repeat customers spend significantly more than first-timers and drive the majority of many businesses’ revenue, and AppBuild.diy puts loyalty at the centre with unlimited push included, so reminding a client it has been six weeks since their last colour costs nothing.
“A marketplace is great at finding you a new face, and quietly expensive at keeping one,” says Ian Naylor, Founder of AppBuild. “After fifteen years I am certain the money is in the regular who rebooks without being chased. Your own app, with their loyalty card and a gentle push, is what protects that relationship, and no one takes a commission on it.”
3. A free tier and no-code control. You build and preview your app before spending a penny, and you change it yourself in minutes, no marketplace rules to work within. Fresha’s headline price is low, but the real cost depends on marketplace commission and processing fees once they stack up.
4. It travels beyond the salon chair. AppBuild.diy serves 17 business types and can wrap existing Base44 and Lovable projects into native store-ready apps, so a salon that adds retail, a second location or a training arm is not starting over.
“Plenty of salons do not want to live inside someone else’s marketplace, they want their own front door,” adds Becky Halls, Strategist at AppBuild. “Booking, a loyalty card and a push when a slot opens up. That is the daily relationship, and you can own it outright without paying a finder’s fee on your own regulars.”
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | AppBuild.diy | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A full branded client app | Salon software + marketplace |
| Native iOS & Android app under your brand | Yes | Marketplace app, not yours |
| Primary job | Owning client relationships | Scheduling + marketplace bookings |
| Online booking | Yes | Yes (a core strength) |
| Point of sale & inventory | Via integrations | Yes, built-in |
| Digital loyalty rewards | Yes, native | Limited |
| Unlimited push notifications | Yes, included | Reminders & marketing |
| Commission on new clients | None | Yes, on marketplace bookings |
| Free tier | Yes, build and preview free | Low base price + fees |
| Build approach | No-code DIY + AI setup | Managed platform |
| Who makes changes | You, instantly | Within the platform |
| Range | 17 business types; wraps Base44/Lovable | Salons, spas & beauty |
Features and pricing change frequently, so confirm current details with each provider before deciding.
The honest take
If you want full salon management with a marketplace actively bringing you new clients, and the commission on those new bookings feels worth it for the discovery, Fresha is a strong, well-priced platform and a legitimate choice. I would not pretend AppBuild.diy is a marketplace that finds you new faces.
But if your priority is owning the relationship with the clients you already have, keeping regulars booking directly, with loyalty and push at the core and no commission on your own bookings, that is AppBuild.diy’s lane. Many owners want their front door to be their own, not a listing inside someone else’s app.
AppBuild.diy vs Fresha – FAQ
Does AppBuild.diy do booking like Fresha? Yes, booking is built in, alongside loyalty, content and push. Fresha goes deeper on full salon management like point of sale and inventory, and adds a marketplace, so weigh that if discovery and back-office operations are your core need.
Is it a real native app? Yes, published to the App Store and Google Play under your brand, not a web wrapper.
Does AppBuild.diy charge commission on bookings? No. There is no marketplace taking a cut of your clients. Fresha charges commission on new clients sourced through its marketplace, plus payment processing fees, so always check current pricing.
Which is cheaper to start? AppBuild.diy has a free tier so you can build and preview before paying. Fresha has a low headline price but real cost depends on marketplace commission and processing fees.
Do I need a developer? No. AppBuild.diy is no-code with AI-assisted setup, so you build and edit it yourself.
AppBuild.diy vs Fresha, But could I use both? Yes. Keep Fresha for scheduling and the marketplace if it suits you, and use AppBuild.diy for your branded client app, loyalty and push.
AppBuild.diy vs Fresha – The bottom line
So… AppBuild.diy vs Fresha?? Well, Fresha is strong salon software with a marketplace that finds you new clients, at the cost of commission on those bookings. AppBuild.diy is the better fit when you want to own a branded client-facing app, with booking, loyalty and push together, no commission on your own regulars, starting free.
The marketplace finds the client. Your own app keeps them. Start free with AppBuild.diy →
Last Updated on June 9, 2026 by Becky Halls
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