The short answer: as of June 2026, Pronto and Square Appointments are the only major salon booking platforms with a genuinely free forever plan. Fresha removed its free tier in 2025, Vagaro never had one, and Booksy only offers a 14-day trial. Below is a feature-by-feature comparison of what each platform actually costs today, not what their marketing pages implied a year ago.
Quick answer: what's free right now
- Fresha — no free plan. Starts at $19.95/mo (solo) or $14.95/mo per staff member, plus 20% commission on new marketplace clients.
- Vagaro — no free plan. Starts at $23.99–$30/mo for one calendar, plus $10/mo per extra staff member.
- Booksy — no permanent free plan, only a 14-day trial. $29.99/mo plus $20/mo per staff member.
- Square Appointments — genuinely free, but limited to 1 staff member with no automated reminders, no waitlist, and no inventory tools.
- Pronto — free forever for 1 staff member, 100 clients, and 50 bookings/month, with all four reminder channels (Email, Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber) included at no cost.
Full comparison table
| Platform | Free plan | Cheapest paid | Commission | Reminders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresha | ❌ None | $14.95–19.95/mo | ❌ 20% new clients | Paid plan only |
| Vagaro | ❌ None | $23.99–30/mo | ✅ 0% (paid add-ons) | Add-on cost |
| Booksy | ❌ 14-day trial | $29.99/mo +$20/staff | ⚠️ 0%, 30% w/ Boost | Included, paid |
| Square Appts | ✅ Yes, 1 staff | $49/mo (Plus) | ⚠️ 0%, locked processor | Email only, free |
| Pronto | ✅ Yes, forever | $19/mo (5 staff) | ✅ 0%, always | 4 channels, free |
Pricing verified against each platform's public pricing page in June 2026. Rates change — always confirm on the vendor's site before switching.
Fresha
Verdict: strong marketplace exposure, but no longer free. Fresha built its reputation on a $0 subscription, but that changed in 2025. As of 2026 it charges $19.95/mo for a solo provider or $14.95/mo per staff member on the Team plan, on top of a 20% commission (minimum $6) on any new client who books through the Fresha marketplace, plus card processing of roughly 2.19–2.9% per transaction.
Good for: salons that rely heavily on marketplace discovery and don't mind the layered fees.
Watch out for: the marketplace commission can apply even to clients you consider "your own," and Fresha locks you into its own payment processor.
Vagaro
Verdict: predictable pricing, no marketplace commission, but no free option. Vagaro starts around $23.99–$30/mo for a single bookable calendar and adds roughly $10/mo per additional staff member. Core features like text marketing, a branded booking website, and payroll are separate paid add-ons.
Good for: businesses that want a flat, commission-free subscription and are comfortable paying for add-ons individually.
Watch out for: a 5-person team commonly ends up at $70–100+/mo once add-ons are included.
Booksy
Verdict: marketplace-driven, no permanent free tier. Booksy costs $29.99/mo for the first user plus $20/mo per additional staff member. There's no ongoing free plan, only a 14-day trial. The optional Boost feature can bring marketplace clients but takes 30% of that client's first visit.
Good for: solo barbers and stylists who want marketplace visibility and don't need a team plan.
Watch out for: per-staff pricing scales fast, and Boost's 30% commission is higher than Fresha's 20%.
Square Appointments
Verdict: the only other genuinely free plan, but bare-bones. Square's Free plan really is $0/mo with no subscription fee — but it's capped at one staff member and excludes automated SMS reminders, waitlists, cancellation policies, and inventory tools. Upgrading to unlock a second staff member requires the Plus plan at $49/mo per location, and payments are locked to Square's own processor at 2.6–3.5% per transaction.
Good for: a true solo operator already using Square for other parts of their business.
Watch out for: the free plan has no automated reminders — arguably the single feature that reduces no-shows the most.
Pronto
Verdict: free forever plan built around zero commission and free multichannel reminders. Pronto's Free plan includes 1 staff member, 100 clients, and 50 bookings per month, with online booking, POS, client cards, and — unlike every other platform on this list — all four reminder channels (Email, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Viber) at no extra cost, since each business connects its own messaging credentials. There is no commission on any booking, ever, on any plan. Starter unlocks 5 staff and unlimited clients/bookings for $19/mo. Pronto is also available self-hosted under an MIT license for businesses that want to run it on their own server for $0, permanently.
Good for: salons and barbershops that want free automated reminders across multiple channels without a marketplace commission attached.
Watch out for: Pronto doesn't have a consumer marketplace app like Fresha or Booksy, so new-client discovery relies on your own marketing rather than platform traffic.
How to choose
If marketplace discovery matters more than cost predictability, Fresha or Booksy's paid plans still deliver real foot traffic in dense urban markets. If you want a flat commission-free subscription and don't mind paying for add-ons separately, Vagaro is a reasonable fit. If you need a permanently free plan with no commission and free reminders across the channels your clients actually use, Pronto and Square Appointments are the only two options left standing in 2026 — and between them, Pronto is the only one that includes automated multichannel reminders on its free tier.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free salon booking software in 2026?
As of 2026, only Square Appointments and Pronto offer a genuinely free forever plan. Fresha, Vagaro, and Booksy all require a paid subscription. Pronto's free plan additionally includes automated reminders across Email, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Viber, which Square's free plan does not.
Does Fresha still have a free plan?
No. Fresha removed its free subscription tier in 2025. As of 2026, pricing starts at $19.95/month for a solo provider or $14.95/month per staff member on the Team plan, plus a 20% commission on new marketplace clients.
Is Square Appointments really free?
Yes, Square Appointments' Free plan has no monthly subscription cost, but it's limited to one staff member and excludes automated SMS reminders, waitlists, and inventory management. A second staff member requires the $49/month Plus plan.
Which booking software has zero commission?
Vagaro, Square Appointments, and Pronto do not charge a commission on bookings. Fresha charges 20% on new marketplace clients, and Booksy's optional Boost feature charges 30% on a new client's first visit.
Can I switch from Fresha or Vagaro without losing my client list?
Yes. Fresha and Vagaro both allow the account owner to export a client list as CSV. Pronto includes a built-in CSV importer that maps client data from Fresha, Vagaro, Booksy, Mindbody, or Square directly into your new account in a few minutes.
Ready to try a free plan with zero commission? Start free on Pronto — no credit card required.