Fresha vs WellnessLiving 2026
Fresha vs WellnessLiving in 2026 comes down to operating model. Fresha is usually better for appointment-heavy salons, spas, wellness, and recovery businesses, while WellnessLiving is stronger for class-based studios with memberships, recurring billing, staff workflows, and reporting needs.
Key Takeaways
- Best fit by business model: Fresha is usually easier to justify for appointment-heavy salons, spas, beauty, recovery, and smaller wellness teams, while WellnessLiving is more purpose-built for class-based fitness, yoga, Pilates, martial arts, gyms, and multi-location studio operations.
- Pricing structure: As of July 2026, Fresha lists an Independent plan at $19.95 per month and a Team plan at $14.95 per bookable team member per month, while WellnessLiving lists monthly Starter, Business, and BusinessPro plans at $69, $199, and $349 before promotional discounts.
- Marketplace and discovery: Fresha emphasizes beauty and wellness discovery through the Fresha marketplace and charges a one-time 20% commission, with a $6 minimum, for brand-new clients who discover a business through that marketplace, according to Fresha’s pricing page.
- Fitness studio depth: WellnessLiving’s official fitness software page lists class scheduling, online booking, waitlists, recurring class options, client check-ins, recurring billing, automated reminders, marketing, reporting, and multi-location support, making it the stronger match for membership-based studios that run recurring classes.
- Review signal: Capterra’s 2026 review profiles list Fresha with a higher overall rating than WellnessLiving, but Fresha’s review base is broader across appointment scheduling and beauty categories, while WellnessLiving’s profile is more directly aligned with yoga and fitness studio management.
- Buying caution: Both products can become more expensive than the headline subscription price once payment processing, marketplace commissions, messaging, branded app, website, SMS, or other add-ons are considered.
Fresha vs WellnessLiving: The Short Answer for Studio Owners in 2026
For US boutique fitness studios, Pilates studios, yoga studios, martial arts schools, gyms, and dance studios, WellnessLiving is generally the more specialized studio management platform. Its official fitness software page describes class scheduling, waitlists, client check-ins, automated reminders, recurring class options, memberships, payment management, marketing, reporting, and multi-location support.
For salons, spas, medspas, personal trainers, recovery businesses, and wellness operators that rely more on appointment scheduling than complex class memberships, Fresha may be simpler and lower-cost to start. Fresha’s official feature page lists appointment scheduling, client profiles, forms, waitlists, point of sale, payments, memberships, packages, gift cards, online booking, and marketplace discovery.
Editorial analysis — not reported fact:
The core choice is not which platform has more features. The practical question is whether your business behaves more like a high-volume appointment book or a recurring membership studio. Appointment-led operators should price Fresha carefully around bookable staff, payments, and marketplace acquisition, while class-led studios should evaluate WellnessLiving around memberships, recurring billing, reporting, staff workflows, and onboarding.
How We Compared the Software
We compared Fresha and WellnessLiving using publicly available official vendor pages, support documentation, pricing pages, and recognized review platforms available as of July 2026. We prioritized official sources for feature and pricing claims, and used Capterra and G2 only for review sentiment and review-count context.
- Booking and scheduling functionality
- Memberships, packages, and recurring billing
- Payment processing and POS capabilities
- CRM, automations, and retention tools
- Reporting and multi-location support
- Customer support, onboarding, and ease of use
- Pricing transparency and value for money
- Fit for US boutique fitness, Pilates, yoga, dance, martial arts, gym, and wellness studios
Fresha vs WellnessLiving Compared
| Category | Fresha | WellnessLiving | What it means for studios |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary fit | Beauty, wellness, appointment-based services, salons, spas, recovery, personal training, and some fitness use cases, based on Fresha’s feature page and fitness page. | Fitness, wellness, yoga, gyms, martial arts, and class-based studio operations, based on WellnessLiving’s fitness software page. | Choose by operating model, not by brand recognition. |
| Starting subscription price | Fresha lists $19.95 per month for Independent and $14.95 per bookable team member per month for Team, as of July 2026. | WellnessLiving lists Starter at $69 per month, Business at $199 per month, BusinessPro at $349 per month, and Enterprise as call us, with annual pricing and promotional discounts also displayed. | Fresha has the lower entry subscription, while WellnessLiving bundles more class-studio tools at higher tiers. |
| Booking and scheduling | Fresha lists calendar scheduling, appointments, resources, waitlists, group appointments, online booking, client forms, and automated messages on its features page. | WellnessLiving lists classes, appointments, online booking, waitlists, recurring class options, Achieve Client App booking, and Elevate Staff App workflows on its fitness software page and services help article. | WellnessLiving is better aligned with recurring class schedules; Fresha is strong for appointments and service menus. |
| Memberships and billing | Fresha supports memberships with one-time or recurring payments, according to its membership support article. | WellnessLiving support documentation describes membership payment schedules, past and future payments, modifications, holds, one-time payments, and recurring billing workflows in its membership payment schedule article. | Studios with complex membership rules should test WellnessLiving more deeply during demo and trial workflows. |
| Payments and POS | Fresha lists online payments at 2.79% + $0.20, in-person payments at 2.29% + $0.20 plus $0.10 per Tap to Pay authorization, manual card entry at 3.30% + $0.20, and terminals at $139 per device on its pricing page. | WellnessLiving includes POS and credit card processing in listed plans and describes recurring billing, credit card storage, and mobile sales on its pricing page; public plan pages do not show the same simple card-rate table visible on Fresha’s pricing page. | Fresha is more transparent on public card rates; WellnessLiving buyers should request a written payment-processing quote. |
| Marketing and retention | Fresha lists smart reminders, client CRM, client profiles, two-way communication, loyalty, reviews, marketing tools, deals, promotions, marketplace discovery, and verified reviews on its feature page. | WellnessLiving lists email, text, and push marketing, lead management, rewards and loyalty, review tools, widgets, and integrations such as Reserve with Google, Wellhub, and ClassPass on its pricing page. | WellnessLiving is broader for studio marketing automation; Fresha has stronger marketplace discovery relevance for beauty and wellness appointments. |
| Reviews | Capterra’s Fresha review page lists Fresha at 4.8 overall in 2026 review data. | Capterra’s WellnessLiving review page lists WellnessLiving at 4.4 overall in 2026 review data; G2’s WellnessLiving profile lists 4.6 out of 5 from 197 reviews in 2026 search data. | Review scores are useful, but buyers should read reviews from businesses with the same class, appointment, staff, and billing model. |
Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership
As of July 2026, Fresha’s pricing page lists an Independent plan at $19.95 per month, a Team plan at $14.95 per bookable team member per month, and custom Enterprise rates for high-volume businesses with more than 20 team members. Fresha also lists a 7-day trial for Independent and Team plans.
Fresha’s public pricing page is unusually specific about transaction costs. It lists online payments at 2.79% + $0.20 per transaction, in-person payments at 2.29% + $0.20 per transaction plus $0.10 per Tap to Pay authorization, manual card entry at 3.30% + $0.20, and terminal devices at $139 per device.
Fresha also has acquisition and communication fees that matter for studios. Its pricing page lists a one-time 20% commission, with a $6 minimum, for brand-new clients who discover a business through the Fresha marketplace, while returning marketplace clients are listed as no fee; the same page lists free monthly message allowances and per-message costs after those allowances.
As of July 2026, WellnessLiving’s pricing page lists monthly plans at $69 for Starter, $199 for Business, and $349 for BusinessPro, with Enterprise listed as call us. The page also displays annual pricing at $62, $179, and $314 per month respectively, along with promotional prices for the first two months on some plans.
WellnessLiving’s listed tiers include different operating capabilities. Starter includes classes and appointments booking, Achieve Client App, Elevate Staff App, POS and credit card processing, email and SMS notifications, one staff member, and free data migration, while Business adds unlimited staff, rewards and loyalty, events scheduling, email and text marketing, and lead management, according to WellnessLiving’s pricing page.
Editorial analysis — not reported fact:
Fresha can look less expensive at the subscription level, especially for solo operators or small teams. WellnessLiving can be more cost-effective when a studio needs class scheduling, recurring memberships, staff apps, lead management, rewards, reporting, widgets, and onboarding in one system, but buyers should request a written quote that includes payment processing, SMS, branded app, website, and any add-ons.
Feature Fit: Appointment Businesses vs Class-Based Studios
Fresha’s feature page is strongest around appointment scheduling, service menus, client profiles, forms, POS, payments, retail, marketing, loyalty, packages, memberships, and marketplace discovery. Its support documentation states that memberships can be set up as one-time payments or recurring payments, and its payment policy documentation describes deposits, stored card details, no-show fees, and late cancellation fees through Fresha Payments.
Fresha also publishes a fitness and recovery page that says the platform can handle one-on-one sessions, group classes, open gym hours, recovery appointments, online booking, payments, client management, team management, memberships, and performance tracking. That makes Fresha relevant for certain fitness and wellness operators, especially personal trainers, recovery studios, and appointment-led wellness businesses.
WellnessLiving’s fitness software page is more directly built around fitness-studio operations. The company lists class scheduling, waitlists, recurring class options, the Achieve Client App, client check-ins, automated reminders, client management, payments, marketing, reporting, and multi-location support.
WellnessLiving support articles also show deeper studio-management workflows. Its services documentation describes appointments, classes, events, assets, and client booking methods, while its membership payment schedule documentation describes viewing, modifying, deferring, adjusting, and resetting membership payments.
Editorial analysis — not reported fact:
If a studio sells mostly private sessions, appointments, treatments, consultations, or recovery services, Fresha’s simpler scheduling and marketplace model may be enough. If a studio sells monthly memberships, class packs, family memberships, waitlists, recurring class schedules, staff permissions, branded app experiences, and multi-location reporting, WellnessLiving deserves a closer demo.
Reviews, Support, and Onboarding Signals
Capterra’s Fresha review profile lists Fresha at 4.8 overall in 2026 review data, with high ease-of-use and customer-service scores shown on the review page. G2’s Fresha profile has a much smaller visible review sample, so we would not use G2 alone to evaluate Fresha.
Capterra’s WellnessLiving review profile lists WellnessLiving at 4.4 overall in 2026 review data, while G2’s WellnessLiving profile lists 4.6 out of 5 from 197 reviews. G2’s visible review summary praises support and ease of use but also notes a learning curve due to the platform’s breadth.
WellnessLiving publishes more explicit onboarding language than Fresha on its public pricing page. WellnessLiving says free training and onboarding are included through its White Glove Onboarding experience, including a dedicated Onboarding Specialist, an introductory kickoff call, and two one-hour training sessions.
Fresha’s public pricing page lists email and chat support for Independent and phone, chat, and email support for Team. Fresha’s pricing page also lists included message and marketing email allowances, which may matter for businesses that send high volumes of reminders and campaigns.
Editorial analysis — not reported fact:
Review scores should not decide this purchase by themselves. A 4.8 appointment-scheduling review score may not predict success for a membership-heavy martial arts school, and a studio-management review score may not predict fit for a solo esthetician or recovery provider. Read reviews from operators with the same revenue model, number of instructors, cancellation policy, and membership complexity.
Which Studios Should Choose Fresha or WellnessLiving?
Choose Fresha if your business is appointment-led
Fresha is a stronger shortlist candidate if you run a salon, spa, medspa, beauty business, recovery studio, massage studio, personal training business, or wellness business where most revenue comes from scheduled appointments. Fresha’s public pages support appointment scheduling, online booking, payments, POS, client profiles, forms, waitlists, memberships, packages, gift cards, retail, and marketplace discovery.
- Key strengths: Lower public starting subscription, transparent public card-processing rates, appointment scheduling, payments, POS, marketplace discovery, client wallet, memberships, packages, gift cards, and beauty-wellness positioning.
- Potential drawbacks: Marketplace acquisition fees, per-message costs after allowances, per-bookable-team pricing, and less obvious depth for complex class memberships compared with a fitness-studio-specific platform.
- Who should choose it: Solo operators, appointment-heavy wellness businesses, salons, spas, medspas, recovery providers, personal trainers, and small teams that want booking, payments, POS, and discovery without a high base subscription.
Choose WellnessLiving if your business is class-led or membership-led
WellnessLiving is a stronger shortlist candidate if you run a yoga studio, Pilates studio, boutique fitness studio, martial arts school, gym, dance studio, sports academy, or multi-location fitness business with recurring classes and memberships. Its official pages and help center support class scheduling, waitlists, recurring class options, memberships, client check-ins, apps, marketing, reporting, widgets, integrations, and multi-location management.
- Key strengths: Fitness-studio focus, class and appointment booking, client and staff apps, recurring billing workflows, lead management, rewards, marketing, ClassPass and Wellhub visibility options, reporting, widgets, onboarding, and Enterprise features.
- Potential drawbacks: Higher public subscription prices, promotional pricing complexity, possible add-on costs, and less public transparency on processing rates than Fresha.
- Who should choose it: Studios with recurring memberships, complex class schedules, family or shared purchase options, instructor workflows, multi-location reporting needs, and a desire for structured onboarding.
What This Means for Studio Owners
Editorial analysis — not reported fact:
Fresha vs WellnessLiving is not a universal best-software question. It is a fit question. The safer decision is to map your revenue model first, then test the software around the workflows that create revenue and prevent admin problems.
If your studio depends on recurring memberships, class packs, waitlists, instructor permissions, check-ins, reporting, and membership billing rules, demo WellnessLiving with real examples from your business. Ask the sales team to show how a new student buys an intro offer, converts to a monthly membership, books a waitlisted class, freezes or cancels a membership, and triggers retention automations.
If your business depends on appointments, deposits, no-show fees, POS checkout, client forms, retail, marketplace discovery, and lower monthly software overhead, test Fresha with your actual service menu and team structure. Calculate the impact of bookable team pricing, payment rates, message fees, and marketplace commissions before deciding that the subscription price is the full cost.
For either product, request a written quote before signing. The quote should include subscription tier, payment processing, hardware, SMS or WhatsApp fees, branded app costs, website costs, onboarding, data migration, contract term, cancellation terms, add-ons, and any marketplace or acquisition fees.
Sources & Further Reading
- Fresha pricing page — Official subscription, marketplace, payments, messaging, and hardware pricing information.
- Fresha features page — Official feature details for scheduling, client management, payments, POS, online booking, marketing, reporting, memberships, and packages.
- Fresha fitness and recovery page — Official Fresha positioning for personal trainers, gyms, recovery studios, and class-based fitness professionals.
- Fresha memberships support article — Official documentation for one-time and recurring membership setup.
- Fresha payment policies support article — Official documentation for deposits, stored card details, no-show fees, and late cancellation policies.
- WellnessLiving pricing page — Official plan pricing, included features, annual pricing, promotional pricing, add-ons, widgets, onboarding, and plan comparison information.
- WellnessLiving fitness software page — Official feature overview for class scheduling, online booking, waitlists, check-ins, memberships, payments, marketing, reporting, and multi-location support.
- WellnessLiving services help article — Official documentation explaining service types and booking methods.
- WellnessLiving membership payment schedule help article — Official documentation for adjusting and managing membership payment schedules.
- WellnessLiving ClassPass integration help article — Official documentation for ClassPass setup considerations.
- Capterra Fresha reviews — Recognized review-platform profile for Fresha review ratings and buyer feedback.
- Capterra WellnessLiving reviews — Recognized review-platform profile for WellnessLiving review ratings and buyer feedback.
- G2 WellnessLiving reviews — Recognized review-platform profile for WellnessLiving review ratings and user themes.
- G2 Fresha reviews — Recognized review-platform profile for Fresha, noting a smaller visible G2 review sample.
Editorial coverage based on publicly available sources. Studio Software Advice does not accept paid placement in rankings. Unless stated otherwise, Studio Software Advice has no commercial relationship with any software companies named in this article.