LovingBooking vs Fresha: Which Booking App Is Right for Your Singapore Salon?

Fresha is one of the most widely used booking platforms in the beauty and wellness space globally. It advertises itself as "free forever," which is technically true — but there is a catch that many Singapore salon owners discover only after signing up.

This comparison breaks down Fresha and LovingBooking side by side, so you can make an informed decision for your Singapore business.

The core question: are you comfortable paying a commission on every new client booking, or do you prefer a flat monthly fee with no monthly surprises?

How Fresha's Pricing Actually Works

Fresha's "free" plan charges no monthly subscription fee — but it takes a 20% commission on every booking made by a new client (someone who has not visited your business before). This is called a "new client fee."

For established businesses with mostly repeat clients, this fee is low. But for any business actively growing its client base, this commission adds up fast.

Here is what that looks like in practice:

• You run a hair salon charging $80 per appointment
• 10 new clients book through Fresha in a month
• Fresha's commission: 20% × $80 × 10 = $160 deducted from your earnings

That is $160 a month to attract new clients. Once they return, they become "existing clients" and no longer carry the fee — but growth periods are exactly when you want to keep your margins intact.

LovingBooking's Pricing Model

LovingBooking charges a flat monthly fee with zero booking commissions. No percentage on new clients, no percentage on any client. The money your customers pay goes straight to you.

• Free plan: 1 staff, 1 location, 30 bookings/month — no credit card required
• Base plan: SGD $8/month — up to 3 staff, unlimited bookings
• Plus plan: SGD $12/month — unlimited staff, unlimited locations, PayNow QR payments, custom branding

For a salon doing 60 bookings a month (20 new, 40 returning), the difference is significant: Fresha's commission model could cost you more than LovingBooking's entire monthly subscription, every single month.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Where Fresha Has an Advantage

The Fresha Marketplace

Fresha has a consumer-facing marketplace where people can discover and book salons near them. If you are a new business with no existing client base and no marketing budget, being listed on Fresha's marketplace can bring in clients you would not otherwise find. That is a genuine benefit — but it comes at the cost of that 20% commission on each of those clients.

International Brand Recognition

Fresha operates in over 120 countries and is well known in the global beauty industry. If you have clients who have used Fresha elsewhere and are familiar with it, there is a degree of built-in trust.

Where LovingBooking Has an Advantage

No Commissions

This is the most important difference for most Singapore salon owners. You keep 100% of every booking. Whether a client is brand new or a 10-year regular, you pay nothing extra per transaction.

PayNow Support

Fresha does not support PayNow. For a Singapore business, this is a real limitation. PayNow is how most local customers prefer to pay and has zero fees. LovingBooking lets you upload your PayNow QR code and collect payments directly into your bank account.

Flat, Predictable Costs

With LovingBooking, you always know what you are paying. With Fresha's commission model, your monthly costs go up every time you grow.

Built for Singapore

LovingBooking is built by a Singapore team, priced in SGD, and designed around the way Singapore service businesses actually operate.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Fresha if:

• You are a brand new business with zero client base and want marketplace exposure to get started
• You are willing to pay the 20% new client fee as a customer acquisition cost
• You do not need PayNow support

Choose LovingBooking if:

• You have any existing client base and want to keep your earnings intact
• You want to accept PayNow payments with zero fees
• You prefer flat, predictable monthly costs over variable commissions
• You are growing your business and do not want your software costs to grow proportionally

The Bottom Line

Fresha's "free" label is attractive — but the 20% new client commission means you are paying, just in a less visible way. For a Singapore salon or spa with an established or growing client base, LovingBooking's flat monthly pricing is almost always cheaper and more predictable.

Add in PayNow integration and local SGD pricing, and LovingBooking is built for the Singapore market in a way that Fresha simply is not.

Start free with LovingBooking — no commissions, no credit card required. Try it at lovingbooking.com.