The Fresha alternative built for independent businesses
Fresha's marketplace model charges up to 20% commission on new client bookings. Nextro is £29/month flat — no commission ever, no marketplace, no competitor listings on your page. Just a clean booking link, upfront card payment, and your full income on every appointment.
Nextro
Nextro is a flat-rate booking and payment platform for independent service businesses. £29/month covers everything — branded booking page, upfront card payment, automatic reminders, credit packs, calendar management, and client tracking. Zero commission on any booking, ever.
Fresha
Fresha offers a free plan with no monthly fee, but charges approximately 20% commission on every booking made through its marketplace by a new client. It is a large consumer-facing marketplace — your business is listed on Fresha's app alongside competitors, and Fresha takes a cut every time a new client books through their discovery platform.
Key differences
20% commission vs £0 commission
Fresha's free plan takes approximately 20% of every booking made by a new client through its marketplace. On a £60 nail appointment that's £12 per booking — before the client has even been with you twice. On a £120 colour appointment that's £24. Nextro charges zero commission on any booking regardless of how the client found you, ever.
Your booking page vs a marketplace
Fresha's app is a consumer marketplace — clients browse businesses and pick from a list. Your profile sits next to your competitors. Nextro gives you a standalone booking page at nextroapp.com/book/yourname that belongs entirely to you. No competitor listings. No Fresha branding. Clients who land on your page are there for you.
Upfront payment that actually eliminates no-shows
Nextro takes full card payment at the moment of booking — every confirmed appointment is a paid appointment. No-shows become essentially zero because clients who have already paid don't just not show up. Fresha supports multiple payment methods including pay-at-appointment, which means the financial risk of a no-show stays with the business.
Flat monthly fee vs cost that scales with your revenue
Fresha's commission means your platform cost scales directly with your income — the more you earn, the more Fresha takes. Nextro's cost is fixed at £29/month regardless of how many appointments you take or how much each one is worth. For any established business with a consistent diary, a flat fee typically costs significantly less.
Built for independents vs built for chains
Fresha is a full salon management suite — POS, payroll, inventory, multi-location staff scheduling. It is designed for salons with teams and tills. Nextro is built for independent and small-team operators who need a professional booking and payment setup without the complexity of enterprise salon software.
UK-based company vs global platform
Nextro is a UK-registered company (NEXTROUK LTD, Companies House #17276330) built specifically for the UK service business market. Fresha is a global platform headquartered in London but operating primarily as an international marketplace. Support, compliance, and pricing are all UK-focused on Nextro.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Nextro | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | £29/month flat | Free plan available |
| Commission on bookings | None — ever | ~20% on new marketplace clients |
| Your own branded booking page | ||
| Listed on competitor marketplace | ||
| Upfront card payment at booking | Optional | |
| Apple Pay & Google Pay | Coming soon | |
| Booking credit packs | ||
| 24-hour appointment reminders | ||
| Automated rebooking nudges | ||
| Client revenue tracking | ||
| Group class bookings | ||
| Team / multi-staff scheduling | ||
| POS / till system | ||
| UK company — UK support | ||
| No minimum contract | ||
| 14-day free trial |
Nextro may be a better fit if…
Switch from Fresha in an afternoon
14-day free trial · £29/month flat · No commission · No contract
Common questions
Answers about booking, payments, and getting started with Nextro.
How much commission does Fresha actually charge?
Fresha charges approximately 20% commission on bookings made by new clients who discover your business through the Fresha marketplace app. This applies per booking — so if a new client books five appointments through Fresha, you pay commission on all five. On a £60 nail appointment that's £12 per booking. On a £100 treatment that's £20. Clients you direct to Fresha yourself via your own links are not subject to commission.
Is Nextro cheaper than Fresha?
For most established independent businesses, yes. Fresha's free plan has no monthly fee but takes ~20% commission on new marketplace bookings. If you take just two £60 appointments per week through the Fresha marketplace, that's approximately £240 in commission per month — far more than Nextro's £29/month. For a full diary of existing clients, Nextro is significantly cheaper.
Can I switch from Fresha without losing my clients?
Yes. Your clients belong to you, not Fresha. You can export your client list from Fresha (Settings → Export), set up your Nextro booking page in about 20 minutes, and send the new link to your clients via Instagram, WhatsApp, or email. Most businesses complete the switch in an afternoon. There is no minimum contract on Nextro and your clients can rebook through your new link immediately.
Does Nextro have a marketplace?
No — deliberately. Nextro gives you a standalone booking page (nextroapp.com/book/yourname) that is entirely yours. There is no consumer discovery app, no competitor listings, and no Fresha-branded experience. Clients who reach your page are there specifically for you. This is a core product decision: Nextro is a tool for your business, not a marketplace that profits from your client relationships.
What does Nextro not have that Fresha does?
Fresha is a full salon management suite built for larger businesses — multi-location staff scheduling, payroll integration, inventory management, and a point-of-sale till system. Nextro does not have these features and does not aim to. If you run a multi-location salon with a team on a rota and need payroll integration, Fresha may be the better fit. If you are an independent practitioner or small studio focused on bookings and payment, Nextro is built for you.
How long does it take to set up Nextro?
Most businesses are live and taking bookings within 20–30 minutes. You add your services and prices, set your availability, and share your booking link. There is no migration complexity — Nextro is a fresh start with a clean booking page. Your clients get a link they can bookmark and use forever.
Is Fresha free?
Fresha's subscription is free, but the platform makes money through its marketplace commission model (~20% on new client bookings), payment processing fees, and premium features. 'Free' describes the monthly subscription — not the total cost of using the platform. Many businesses find the commission significantly outweighs a flat monthly fee once they have a consistent client base.
Can I use Nextro for nail technicians, barbers, or lash techs?
Yes — Nextro is built specifically for these niches. Nail technicians, lash techs, barbers, hairdressers, massage therapists, personal trainers, and wellness practitioners all use Nextro. The booking flow handles service-specific durations, upfront payment, reminders, and credit packs — the things that matter most to independent appointment-based businesses.