Fresha-Style Booking Platform Development Cost and Features

Fresha-Style Booking Platform Development Cost and Features – Everything You Need to Know

What is Fresha?

Fresha is a global appointment-booking and business-management platform focused on the beauty, wellness and self-care industry (salons, spas, barbershops, nail studios, therapists and the like). Today it serves businesses in over 120 countries and is used by tens of thousands of venues.

For end-customers (consumers) Fresha provides the ability to discover nearby stylists/spas, book appointments online (via web or mobile), select time slots, choose staff, pay (or pay later) and leave reviews.

For businesses (salons/spas) Fresha offers an all-in-one software suite: online booking, calendar/appointment management, point-of-sale (POS) or checkout, client database / CRM, team/staff scheduling, inventory management, marketing/loyalty tools, analytics/dashboard, integrations (e.g., social media/book-a-widget) and in many cases the marketplace exposure through Fresha’s consumer-facing app.

Originally the company launched under the name “Shedul” and re-branded to Fresha. It has raised significant funding and is valued at over USD 640 million.

In short: Fresha connects service-providers (beauty/wellness businesses) to consumers, and gives those businesses a digital platform to run their operations more efficiently, while giving consumers a convenient “find-and-book” experience.

How Fresha Helps People Do Business

Let’s look at how Fresha supports the business side (salons/spas/beauty).

Efficiency & digital transformation

Many small to medium salons previously operated with pen-and-paper appointment books, phone calls, manual staff scheduling, cash or card payments at checkout, manual reminders and limited CRM/marketing. Fresha digitalises and automates much of that: online bookings 24/7, automatic notifications (email/SMS) to clients and staff, calendar management, integrated payments, staff/room management, inventory tracking, analytics. For example, Fresha’s “help centre” mentions clients, services, team, shifts, calendars.

By automating repetitive tasks (confirmations, reminders, cancellations), the business reduces no-shows, improves utilisation of staff time, improves client retention, and has better visibility of revenue, service mix, staffing levels, product inventory, and marketing outcomes.
In addition, by being on a marketplace (the Fresha consumer-app) or via integrations (Facebook/Instagram/Google) they gain exposure to new clients they might not otherwise attract.

One-stop operations & growth

Fresha positions itself as not just a booking tool but the full stack for beauty/wellness business operations: from appointments to POS to payments to team/staff to marketing to loyalty. As one article says: “Fresha offers all essential and advanced salon management features, including seamless online booking, robust CRM, integrated payments, real-time inventory management, and powerful analytics.”

For business owners that means fewer disparate tools (booking system + separate POS + email tool + CRM + payroll) and more of an integrated platform. That saves cost, reduces complexity, improves data consistency, and gives greater leverage (for example cross-selling, loyalty programmes, targeted marketing).

Increased visibility & customer acquisition

Because Fresha has a consumer-facing marketplace/app, businesses using Fresha can benefit from the platform’s network effect: when consumers search for salons/spas on Fresha’s app, partnered venues get discovered. That means business growth potential via the platform, not just via the business’s own marketing.
Also, integrated booking via Instagram/Facebook/Google means businesses can capture clients from social channels more easily.

Scalability & multi-location support

For businesses with multiple locations or larger teams, Fresha supports multi-user calendars, team management, location management, multi-currency/multi-language (for global deployments). For instance, Fresha now supports nine languages for its global footprint.

Summary

In short: Fresha helps service-businesses (beauty/wellness) to digitise, streamline operations, manage clients and staff effectively, acquire more clients, track performance & grow. For consumers it makes it easy to find, book, pay, review. It forms a win-win: businesses get improved operations and demand, consumers get convenience.

What is Fresha’s Business Model?

Understanding how Fresha makes money (or can make money) is critical when planning to build a similar platform. Below are the key components of Fresha’s business model.

Freemium / no-subscription core

One of Fresha’s main differentiators is that they offer the core booking and business-management software free (or subscription-free) for many businesses. For instance MarketBox reports: “Fresha is the only* subscription-free salon and spa management software available for wellness businesses … Plans are free; however, you will pay a 20% one-time commission for every new booking made via the Fresha marketplace.”

Another source: “Fresha operates on a commission-based model, charging no upfront monthly fee but taking a 20% cut on new client bookings through their marketplace.”

Commission on bookings & transaction fees

Fresha generates revenue by taking a commission on bookings made through its marketplace (i.e., when consumers discover a business via Fresha’s network). It may also charge for payment processing. For example: one article says they charge a small commission for every booking.

MarketBox mentions that Fresha charges 2.29% + US$0.20 per transaction for payment processing (on top of booking commission) and 20% on new client bookings via marketplace.

Premium features / add-ons / value-added services

Beyond the free core, Fresha offers (or will offer) premium features: advanced marketing tools, loyalty programs, advanced analytics, multi-location enterprise features, integrations. These are monetised via subscription or per-feature usage. For example: “Explore paid features” on Fresha website.

Marketplace and product sales

In its business model canvas, Fresha’s revenue streams include partnerships with product suppliers (beauty/wellness product marketplace).

Scale & network effect

With many businesses and consumers on its platform, Fresha benefits from network effects: more consumers → more businesses join, more businesses → more consumers. That drives volume of bookings, which drives commission revenue, and allows cross-selling value-added services. The business model leverages value captured from both sides of the marketplace.

Summary of business model

In Summary

Core business software offered either free or very low cost to attract many service-businesses.
Monetisation through commission on bookings via its consumer marketplace.
Payment processing fees and add-ons (marketing tools, loyalty, enterprise features) provide additional revenue.
Marketplace and product partnerships provide further revenue streams.
The freemium/zero-subscription model lowers barrier to adoption, accelerates network growth; monetisation is transactional and value-based.

How to Run a Fresha-style Business

If you intend to build and operate a business similar to Fresha (marketplace + business-software for service providers), here are key operational levers and how you’d run it.

Value Proposition to Service-Businesses

You must clearly articulate and deliver value to the service providers (salons/spas/beauty businesses). That value includes:

Easy online booking (24/7) to reduce phone calls and administrative burden.
Calendar/appointment management, staff scheduling, resource (rooms/equipment) management to optimise utilisation.
Integrated payments / POS / checkout to simplify revenue capture.
Client management (CRM): history of services, preferences, contact details, reviews.
Marketing & client-retention tools: automated reminders, loyalty programmes, upsell/cross-sell, referral campaigns.
Analytics & insights: KPIs on bookings, revenue, staff utilisation, no-shows, client acquisition/retention, service mix.
Multi-location/team support + integrations with social media/Google listings for discoverability.

Providing this end-to-end software means the service-business sees the platform as a core operating tool, not just a booking portal.

Value Proposition to Consumers

Simultaneously, you must win the consumer side:

A simple discover-and-book experience (search by location/service, filter by staff, see availability, price, book online).
Mobile app (and/or responsive web), with payment integration, reviews/ratings, reminders.
Convenience features: reschedule/cancel easily, notifications, loyalty rewards, discover new venues.
Trust — quality verified businesses, secure payment, transparent pricing.

Customer Acquisition & Marketplace Creation

To run the business you need to build and balance both sides of the marketplace (supply – service-businesses; demand – consumers). Key steps include:

On-board service-businesses: initially target a specific geography/vertical, drive adoption by offering the free software and marketplace exposure.
On-board consumers: marketing (digital ads, partnerships, social media), SEO, referral programmes, user incentives, mobile app.
Ensure service-businesses deliver good experience (so consumers trust the platform) by vetting, support/training, review system.
Provide integrated payments and booking flow so that the transaction remains within platform → generates commission.
Monitor, optimise liquidity (availability vs demand), reduce friction in booking and operations.
Build network effect: as more businesses join, consumers find more options → as more consumers come, more businesses want to join.

Monetisation & Revenue Management

Commission on bookings: define what bookings via the marketplace count as “new” vs “existing client.”
Payment processing fees: integrate payment gateway and negotiate rates.
Subscription/premium add-ons: build tiered plans for advanced features.
Marketing/advertising: allow businesses to pay for featured placement or promotions.
Product sales/marketplace: sell physical goods or partner with suppliers.
Data & insights: monetise anonymised data for vendors or partnerships.

Operations & Business Support

Running the platform involves:

Customer support (for both businesses and consumers).
Sales/business-development for partnerships.
Marketing & growth (consumer and business acquisition).
Technology & platform operations (scalability, security, localisation).
Fraud & payment operations (refunds, chargebacks).
Analytics & product-iteration (tracking KPIs, improving features).
Legal/compliance/regulation (data protection, taxes).
Localization & global rollout (multi-language, multi-currency, compliance).

Metrics You Must Monitor

Number of service-businesses onboarded & active.
Number of consumer users.
Number of bookings per business per month.
Gross booking value (GBV).
Commission take-rate.
Average revenue per business.
Business and consumer retention/churn.
Customer acquisition cost (CAC).
Lifetime value (LTV).
Utilisation metrics.
Operational costs.

Running in Your Region (UAE / MENA Context)

Localise for Arabic/English, AED, VAT, local payments.
Cultural marketing (regional salons/spas, gender-specific services).
Tap into tourism (international consumers).
Keep mobile first.
Comply with UAE data protection laws.
Partner with malls, hotels, and premium salons.
Support multi-location chains and Arabic UI/UX.

What Needs to Be Built: Technology Stack, Features and Platform Components

Platform Components

Consumer-facing web portal & mobile app

Responsive web and mobile apps for browsing, booking, payments, reviews, profiles.
Booking widget integration for websites and social media.

Business (service provider) dashboard / app

Service listing, staff/time slot management, POS, marketing tools, analytics, payments.
Multi-location and team management support.

Admin / marketplace management back-office

Onboarding, verification, commission tracking, dispute management, support tools.

Payments & transactions infrastructure

Payment gateways, in-app payments, refunds, PCI-DSS compliance.

Booking & scheduling engine

Real-time availability, rescheduling, cancellations, calendar sync.

Discovery & listings engine

Profiles, filters, reviews, SEO, map integration.

Marketing, loyalty & retention modules

Email/SMS reminders, promotions, referral programmes, loyalty rewards.

Analytics & reporting

Dashboards for bookings, revenue, staff utilisation, marketplace growth.

Inventory and product marketplace (optional)

Product listings, inventory tracking, retail or partner sales.

Multi-tenant, multi-language, multi-currency support

Localization for global rollout and role-based access.

Integration & APIs

Social media integration, booking widgets, Zapier, open APIs.

Infrastructure / DevOps / Security

Cloud hosting, microservices, database scaling, encryption, monitoring.

Recommended Technology Stack

Frontend (web + mobile):

Angular / React / Vue for web.
Flutter for iOS & Android.

Backend / API:

ASP.NET Core, Node.js, or Laravel.

Database:

MSSQL, PostgreSQL, or MySQL.

Caching & Real-Time:

Redis, WebSockets.

Payment Gateway:

Stripe, Adyen, PayTabs, Network International.

DevOps:

AWS / Azure / GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD.

Push Notifications:

Firebase, APNS.

Geolocation:

Google Maps API.

Analytics:

PowerBI, Tableau, Looker.

Marketing & Messaging:

Twilio, WhatsApp Business API.

Security:

OAuth2/JWT, AES-256 encryption, audit logs.

Development Phases & Timeline

Phase 1 (Weeks 1–4): Discovery & Planning

Business discovery, requirements gathering, architecture, UI/UX wireframes, project planning.

Phase 2 (Weeks 5–10): Core Functionality Build

Consumer and business portals, admin setup, backend, payments, basic marketing tools.

Phase 3 (Weeks 11–14): Feature Expansion & Quality

POS, analytics, multi-language, admin enhancements, testing.

Phase 4 (Weeks 15–16): Polishing, Deployment & Launch

UI refinements, beta testing, monitoring, documentation, marketing launch.

Development Cost Estimate

Assumptions:

Team of 7 (PM, designer, 2 frontend, 2 backend, QA, DevOps).
Duration: 4 months (16 weeks).
Average rate: AED 250/hour.

Estimated Range:

AED 85,000 (Lean MVP): Limited scope, minimal integrations, one language.
AED 150,000 (Robust MVP): Full mobile/web, bilingual, analytics, admin portal, marketing tools.

Why this cost makes sense:

Mature stack, focused region, agile sprints, limited scope, faster MVP.

What New Features You Could Add to Make It Better

Why Royex Technologies Is the Best Company to Build a Platform like Fresha

Technical Expertise & Full-Stack Capabilities

Royex Technologies has end-to-end capability across web, mobile, backend, and cloud infrastructure.

Domain Understanding & Business Transformation Mindset

Royex focuses on delivering business outcomes, not just code.

Scalable Architecture & Future-Proofing

Expertise in multi-tenant, global-ready architectures ensures scalability.

Regional Presence & Localization Advantage

Deep understanding of UAE/GCC market, local gateways, and bilingual UX.

End-to-End Support & Post-Launch Services

Royex provides ongoing support and marketing growth assistance.

Proven Framework & Process Discipline

Structured 7-step process ensures transparency, quality, and alignment.

Cost Efficiency & Local Advantage

Delivers within the AED 85,000–150,000 range with strong local coordination.

Trust & Long-Term Partnership

Royex supports evolution, scaling, and future AI-driven enhancements.

Established in 2013, Royex Technologies is a leading app development company in Dubai, that provides innovative solutions for small, medium, and large-scale companies. We specialize in responsive web development, mobile app development, CRM integration, AI solutions for website & mobile applications, and many more. Our extensive experience in mobile app development will help you to take your business to a high level.

Article Summary & Final Thoughts

Building a platform “like Fresha” is ambitious but achievable with clear scope and execution.

Key Takeaways:

Fresha = booking marketplace + business-management platform.
Model = freemium core + commission + premium add-ons + marketplace.
Success = balance supply & demand, strong operations, clear monetisation.
MVP = ~4 months, ~AED 85,000–150,000 (UAE-focused).
Differentiate via AI, loyalty, AR, chat integration, and corporate wellness.
Royex Technologies is ideally positioned to build and scale such a platform successfully.

About the Author

Rajib Roy

Rajib Roy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Royex Technologies, a leading software and AI solutions company based in Dubai. With over a decade of experience in digital innovation, his insights bridge technology, marketing, and AI-driven discovery—guiding businesses to build machine-readable ecosystems that drive real growth. A thought leader in AI transformation and digital strategy, Rajib continues to shape how organizations adapt and succeed in the new era of intelligent search.