Free booking tools compared: Setmore, Square Appointments and Fresha
“Free” changed shape in the booking world. Here is where each tool stands in 2026, what the free plans actually cover, and how to plug one into a website without a monthly fee of your own.
The short answer: at the time of writing, Setmore’s free plan covers 4 staff and about 200 bookings a month, and Square Appointments is free for one staff member with unlimited bookings. Fresha is no longer free: it moved to paid plans, listed at $19.95 a month for independents, plus a 20 percent new client fee, minimum $6, on bookings that come through its marketplace. All three connect to a website the same way: the site links to the tool, and the tool runs the calendar.
The 2026 picture, side by side
| Setmore | Square Appointments | Fresha | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes4 staff, about 200 bookings a month | Yes1 staff, unlimited bookings | No longer offered |
| Paid entry point | When you outgrow the booking ceiling | When you add a second staff member | Listed at $19.95 a month independent, $14.95 per team member |
| The catch to know | 200 bookings a month is real for a busy business | One staff member means one | 20% new client fee, minimum $6, on marketplace bookings |
| Best fit | Small teams starting out | One person businesses | Businesses that want its marketplace exposure and accept the fees |
All of this is what the vendors publish at the time of writing, and booking tools change their pricing more often than most software. Check the plan page before you commit, and read the transaction fees, because with payments the real monthly cost moves with your volume.
How to choose in two questions
How many people take bookings? One: Square Appointments, free with unlimited bookings and payments built in. Two to four: Setmore free, until the roughly 200 bookings a month ceiling says otherwise. Do you want a marketplace bringing you strangers? That is what Fresha is really selling now, and its 20 percent new client fee is the price of that exposure. Reasonable if new faces are your bottleneck, expensive if your chairs already fill from regulars and referrals.
Where the website fits
This is the part we get asked most: the website should not be the booking system. The site carries your prices, hours, photos and reviews, and its book button opens whichever tool you chose. If you outgrow a free plan, that upgrade is the tool’s bill, priced against real bookings, and the website never needed rebuilding. Building live booking into the site itself means a database and monthly software, which is why our sites have no monthly fee and link out instead.
Common questions about booking tools
Setmore, up to 4 staff and about 200 bookings a month, and Square Appointments for one staff member. Fresha is paid now.
No. Paid plans since 2025, listed at $19.95 a month for independents, plus a 20 percent new client fee, minimum $6, on marketplace bookings.
Square Appointments: unlimited bookings, payments included, free until you add staff.
Setmore, up to 4 staff, with the honest note that a busy business will meet the booking ceiling.
No. Link or embed the tool. The site does the convincing; the tool does the calendar.
Sources
- Setmore vs Square Appointments, plan comparison
- Fresha pricing 2026: plans and fees
- Fresha review 2026, subscription and marketplace fees
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