FullDiary vs Fresha.
The simpler alternative to Fresha.
FullDiary does the part you actually live in - the booking page, the live diary, deposits - for one flat price per shop, not per team member. Here is the honest comparison, with Fresha's own UK numbers, checked 28 August 2026.
Free for 20 bookings a month. No card, no contract, no commission.
The numbers, side by side
Both columns told straight
Fresha charges per bookable team member; FullDiary charges per shop, and the whole DocMason suite rides on Growth. The table is their published UK numbers next to ours, checked 28 August 2026.
| FullDiary | Fresha | |
|---|---|---|
| Software, one person | 9.99 GBP a month - or free for 20 bookings a month | 14.95 GBP a month after a 7-day trial |
| Software, five staff | 39.99 GBP a month, flat | 49.75 GBP a month (9.95 GBP per bookable team member) |
| Free tier | 20 bookings a month, for as long as you like | None - a 7-day trial, then a subscription |
| Commission on bookings | None, ever | A 20% one-time fee (minimum 4 GBP) when a new client finds you through the Fresha marketplace; none on your own links |
| Card payments | Your own Stripe account: Stripe's standard rates, DocMason adds nothing on top and never holds your money | Processed by Fresha: 1.40% + 25p online, 1.19% + 20p in person |
| Deposits against no-shows | Yes, from Starter - into your own Stripe | Yes |
| Automatic reminders | Yes, on Growth - email the day before and the morning of | Email included; texts 6p each after 20 a month |
| A marketplace between you and your clients | No - your booking page is yours alone, and nobody lists a rival shop next to it | Yes - your profile sits in the Fresha marketplace, and a new client's first appointment there carries the 20% fee |
| The rest of DocMason | Included at Growth: AI invoices and quotes, QuoteChaser follow-ups, the bank statement converter | Not part of Fresha |
Fresha prices and fees are UK rates read from fresha.com/pricing on 28 August 2026; they can change, so check their page before deciding. Fresha is a trademark of its owner. DocMason is an independent company, not affiliated with or endorsed by Fresha.
The FullDiary column
Where FullDiary is better
FullDiary is deliberately smaller: the booking page, the live diary, deposits and reminders, done properly - priced so the software is not a headcount.
One flat price per shop
Growth is 39.99 GBP a month whether you have two staff or five. Nobody's pay rise includes a software line, and hiring chair four costs you nothing extra here.
The rest of your admin, same login
Growth is not just the diary: AI invoices and quotes written from a sentence, QuoteChaser politely chasing the quiet ones, statements converted for your accountant. One bill for the whole back office.
Your own Stripe, our zero
Deposits and payments land in your Stripe account directly. DocMason never holds your money, adds 0% on top of Stripe's standard rates, and takes no commission on any booking, ever.
A free tier that exists
20 bookings a month free, forever - the booking page, the live diary and the QR card included. Quiet months cost nothing, and nothing expires after a week.
Every claim above is the same enforced product the main FullDiary page sells, or the full matrix on the pricing page.
If you switch
An afternoon, start to finish
- 1
Create your shop free
Name, hours, logo. No card, and the free tier does not expire.
- 2
Add services and staff
Each service with its real duration and price; each staff member their own column, colour and hours. Set a deposit on the services no-shows hurt most.
- 3
Put your link where clients already find you
Google Business Profile, Instagram bio, the QR card by the mirror. Your regulars book the same shop at the same address - just without ringing you.
- 4
Run the day on the live diary
Walk-ins typed straight in, drag a booking when someone runs late, and every staff member sees the day on their own phone.
There is no one-click import from Fresha yet - honestly. Clients save themselves the first time they book (or the first time you type them in), and prefill their own details ever after.
FAQs
The switching questions, answered straight
What it costs, what happens to your clients, and what FullDiary does not do - said plainly, so the table above holds up.
Something else on your mind? Ask a human.
Is DocMason affiliated with Fresha?
No. DocMason is an independent UK company and this page is not endorsed by Fresha. The Fresha prices and fees quoted were read from their public UK pricing page on 28 August 2026; prices change, so check fresha.com/pricing before deciding anything.
Does FullDiary have a marketplace like Fresha's?
No. A Fresha marketplace booking from a brand-new client carries their 20% first-appointment fee (minimum 4 GBP). FullDiary is your own booking page for the clients you already reach - Google, Instagram, the QR card, word of mouth - and no booking of any kind carries a fee.
Can I import my client list from Fresha?
Not with one click yet, honestly. Your client list rebuilds itself fast in practice: anyone who books once is saved, anyone you type in once prefills forever, and the diary works fully from day one either way.
What happens to the money when a client pays a deposit?
It lands in your own Stripe account - FullDiary never holds it. Stripe's standard processing rates apply and go to Stripe; DocMason adds nothing on top and takes no commission on bookings, ever.
Is it really free to start?
Yes: 20 bookings a month free, with the booking page, the live diary and the QR card included. No card to start, nothing expires, and paid plans start at 9.99 GBP a month when you outgrow it.
Try the diary next to your Fresha tab
Free for 20 bookings a month. Set your shop up in an afternoon and see which one the front desk reaches for.