Fresha vs Owning Your Salon System
Subscription software vs owning your system. Fresha charges for every team member, every month. With your own system you pay for the build once, then hosting once a year. Put in your numbers and see which costs less.
What each option costs you
- § Fresha, over 3 years
- KSh 146,880
- KSh 4,080 a month
- § Your own system, over 3 years
- KSh 121,000
- KSh 70,000 once, then KSh 17,000 a year
Owning costs KSh 25,880 less over 3 years.Owning pays for itself after 30 months (2 years 6 months).
How we work it out
- Fresha: KSh 510 × team members × 12 months × years (Team plan). A one-person business is on the Independent plan instead: KSh 770 a month. Branches don't change this number.
- Your own system: the KSh 70,000 build + KSh 10,000 for each branch after the first, paid once, + KSh 17,000 hosting at the start of each year. [TODO: confirm hosting stays the same for several branches]
- Break-even: the month from which Fresha has cost you more in total, and keeps costing more.
- Left out: local taxes, message costs, and add-ons other than branches. These are starting prices; your quote can differ.
Fresha prices as of 23 Oct 2026 (Kenya pricing, excluding local taxes). Check the provider's current pricing at fresha.com/pricing (opens in a new tab).
What you get with each
| Fresha (subscription) | Your own system | |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | You pay for access to the provider's software, month by month. | Built for your business and run on your own server and web address. |
| Per-staff fees | KSh 510 per bookable team member, every month (Team plan). | None. Hire as many people as you like. |
| Branding | Your booking page runs on the provider's platform, in its design. | Your name, logo and colours on your website, bookings and dashboard. |
| Branches | Priced by team member. [TODO: confirm Fresha's pricing for several locations] | KSh 10,000 one-time per extra branch, each with its own technicians and bookings. |
| Customization | The same features for every business. You work within them. | Built around how you work. New features are quoted separately. |
| Support | Through the provider's own support channels. | A response within an hour, 5am to 8pm, every day. Bug fixes included while hosting is paid. |
| Setup time | Sign up and start the same day. | A build of [TODO: e.g. 2–4 weeks], then launch. |
When a subscription tool is the better choice
If you work alone or run a single chair, and you want to start taking bookings today with zero setup, a subscription is likely the better deal. Fresha's Independent plan is KSh 770 a month, which is KSh 9,240 a year: less than our yearly hosting on its own.
Owning starts to make sense when you have a team, more than one branch, or want the system to carry your own brand. Try your numbers in the calculator above.
Questions about switching
Something else? Call or WhatsApp us.
Is the Fresha price in the calculator current?
It uses KSh 510 per bookable team member per month on the Team plan, and KSh 770 a month on the Independent plan for a one-person business. That's Kenya pricing, excluding local taxes, as of 23 Oct 2026. Prices change, so check fresha.com/pricing for the current figures.
What does the calculator leave out?
On the subscription side: local taxes, WhatsApp reminders beyond the 20 free per team member each month (KSh 4.30–13 each after that) and marketing texts (KSh 116 each).
On the owning side: add-ons other than extra branches, and SMS or WhatsApp message costs, which you pay to the provider directly.
What happens to the cost when I hire?
With your own system, nothing: hosting stays from KSh 17,000 a year. With a per-team-member subscription, each bookable team member adds KSh 510 a month.
What does opening another branch cost?
A one-time KSh 10,000 per extra branch. Each branch gets its own technicians and bookings in the same system. [TODO: does yearly hosting stay the same however many branches you have?]
Can you move my clients over from Fresha?
Yes. Moving your existing client data in is a one-time KSh 5,000. It works for data from Fresha, Excel or a book.