Switching booking software doesn't mean starting over. Fresha and Vagaro let you export your client list yourself in a few clicks; Booksy makes you ask support for it. Once you have the file, Pronto's built-in importer maps the columns and adds your clients in a few minutes — duplicates get merged automatically by phone number.
Why businesses leave Fresha, Vagaro, or Booksy
The reasons differ by business — marketplace fees on new clients, per-staff pricing that scales awkwardly as a team grows, or simply wanting to own the client relationship instead of renting it from a platform. Whatever the reason, the client list is the one thing every owner worries about losing in the move. It shouldn't be — we compared free plans across platforms here. Below is exactly how to get your client list out of each platform and into Pronto without losing a single phone number.
Before you start: what to bring with you
- Name and phone number — the only two fields Pronto requires to create a client record.
- Email — optional, but useful if you send email confirmations too.
- Notes or tags — carry these over if your old platform lets you export them; they won't auto-populate otherwise.
If your old platform flags duplicate profiles before export (Fresha does this), merge them first. A clean file in means a clean client list out.
Exporting your client list from Fresha
- Go to Clients in the left menu.
- Click Options in the top right (or the three-dot Actions menu on mobile).
- Select Export and choose CSV or Excel format.
The file downloads immediately to your device. This is fully self-service — no waiting on anyone.
Exporting your client list from Vagaro
- Go to Settings in your Vagaro dashboard.
- Find Export Customer List.
- Download the file — Vagaro exports as Excel or PDF, not CSV directly.
If you receive a PDF, that won't import anywhere. Open the Excel version instead and use "Save As" or "Export" to convert it to CSV before uploading it to Pronto.
Exporting your client list from Booksy
Booksy is the one platform in this list without a self-service export button.
- Log in to your Booksy Biz account on desktop.
- Click the ? (Help) icon in the left menu, then Support.
- In the live chat, ask the agent to send your client list — specifically request it as a CSV file.
Turnaround depends on support response time, so this is the step to start early if you're planning a move.
Importing into Pronto — step by step
- Open CRM in your Pronto dashboard.
- Click Import CSV, next to "Add client."
- Choose the platform your file came from — Fresha, Vagaro, Booksy, Mindbody, Square, or "Other" for anything else.
- Preview the mapped columns and confirm name and phone landed in the right place.
- Confirm the import. Clients with a phone number that already exists in your account are skipped automatically, so re-running an import is safe.
On the Free plan, the client cap is 100 total. If your list is bigger, upgrade before importing the full file — the import button disables itself once you'd go over the limit.
What doesn't come across automatically
Be realistic about what a CSV import can and can't do. It brings over the client relationship — name, phone, email, notes. It does not bring over appointment history, past payments, or loyalty point balances from your old platform; those stay where they are. Your booking calendar in Pronto starts empty and fills up from your next appointment onward.
Your client list is the part that actually matters — a name and a phone number are what let you keep messaging that person on day one. Appointment history is nice to have. It isn't what keeps a business running.
After the import: turn on reminders before your first booking
Once your clients are in, go to Settings → Notifications and connect Telegram, WhatsApp, and Viber. That way your very first booking under Pronto sends an automatic confirmation, not just the ones you set up manually.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export my client list from Fresha myself?
Yes. Go to Clients in the left menu, click Options (or Actions on mobile), and choose Export. Fresha lets you download the file as CSV or Excel immediately — no need to contact support.
Does Vagaro give me a CSV file directly?
Not always. Vagaro's Export Customer List feature under Settings produces an Excel or PDF file. If you get Excel, open it and save it as CSV before importing — Pronto's importer reads CSV files.
Why can't I export my clients from Booksy without contacting support?
Booksy doesn't have a self-service export button on the client list. You have to open the Help chat inside your Booksy Biz account, ask a support agent for your client list, and specifically request it as a CSV file.
Will my appointment history transfer to Pronto too?
No. A client list export only contains client records — name, phone, email, and sometimes notes. Past appointments, payments, and loyalty balances stay in your old platform. Your booking history in Pronto starts fresh from the day you import.
What happens if the same client appears twice in my file?
Pronto matches clients by phone number. If a phone number already exists for your business, the duplicate row is skipped instead of creating a second profile.
Is there a limit to how many clients I can import?
On the Free plan, your total client count is capped at 100. If your exported list is bigger than that, you'll need to upgrade to Starter or above before importing the full file.
Can I import from a platform that isn't Fresha, Vagaro, or Booksy?
Yes. Pronto's importer has built-in presets for Fresha, Vagaro, Booksy, Mindbody, and Square, plus a generic "Other" option that works with any CSV file as long as it has name and phone columns.
Do I need to reformat my file before uploading?
Just make sure it's a CSV file with a name column and a phone column — those are the two required fields. Everything else (email, notes) is optional and gets mapped in the preview step.
How long does the import actually take?
For a typical list of a few hundred clients, the upload, preview, and confirmation take about five minutes total. The bigger time cost is usually waiting on Booksy support to send the export file.
See how it looks before you import real clients
Try the live demo — a working Pronto account with sample data, no sign-up needed. When you're ready, importing your real list takes about five minutes.
Try the live demo →