Glow vs Fresha: marketplace software, or a book that keeps the file
Fresha built its name on being free. It isn't anymore. Here's an honest comparison for UK treatment businesses deciding between the two in 2026.
Side by side
| Glow | Fresha | |
|---|---|---|
| Patch test enforcement | Blocks the booking, not a reminder | Not published |
| Consent forms | Signed before the appointment, stored against it | Consultation forms listed |
| Product batch traceability | Logged against every treatment | Not published |
| Evidence pack | One PDF if a client claims a reaction | Not published |
| Self-employed staff pay | Money goes direct to the staff member's own account | Not published |
| Built for | Any treatment business carrying liability. Lash, hair, aesthetics, tattoo, mobile. | Salons and spas, as they describe themselves |
| Monthly price | £19 flat, everything included | Independent and Team plans, priced per bookable team member. Their page geo-localises, so use the figure it shows you. |
| New client commission | 0%, ever | 20% one-time commission on brand-new clients who discover you via the Fresha marketplace. Returning clients: no marketplace fee. |
| Staff | Unlimited, no extra cost | Priced per bookable team member |
The real difference
On price and staff the two can look close until you add marketplace commission. The difference that actually shows up in a claim is above those rows: Glow blocks a booking without a valid patch test, keeps the signed consent on the appointment, logs the product batch, and can hand you one PDF if a client says they reacted.
Fresha is a marketplace with software attached. Its business model needs some of your new clients to come through its marketplace so it can take 20% of their first visit. Your listing sits alongside other businesses near you. Glow is your software. Your booking page is yours, your clients are yours, and we take nothing from any booking, first visit or five hundredth.
Where Fresha is genuinely stronger
Honesty matters, so: Fresha's marketplace can bring you brand-new clients you'd never have found, and if discovery is your biggest problem, that 20% might be worth paying. Glow doesn't run a marketplace. We think your Instagram, your Google profile and your referrals are your marketplace, and we build the tools to convert them.
Who each one is for
Glow is for any treatment business that carries liability. Lash, hair, aesthetics, tattoo, mobile. One customer already runs 124 services across 12 categories on the same product, including piercings, laser, facials, hair and waxing.
Fresha publishes itself as software for salons and spas, with a consumer marketplace attached. If that marketplace is doing real work for you, weigh it honestly. The compliance cells above are Not published because those features are not stated on their pricing page.
Do your own diligence
Prices and features change. The table was checked in September 2026 against Fresha's own pricing page. If a cell says Not published, we did not guess. Open their page, ask them the same five questions, and decide.
Questions
- Does Glow take marketplace commission like Fresha?
- No. 0% on every booking, first visit or five hundredth. Deposits go to your Stripe.
- Is Fresha cheaper for a solo tech?
- Their Independent plan can look lower on the subscription line. Add the 20% new-client marketplace commission and do the maths on how many new clients arrive through the app. Check their pricing page for the figure shown in the UK.
- Does Fresha enforce patch tests?
- Not on their pricing page. We do not guess. Glow blocks the booking when the test is missing or out of date.
- Will you import my Fresha book?
- Yes. Free. Clients, services, bookings.
- Does Glow have a marketplace?
- No. Your Instagram and Google profile are the channel. Glow is the book.
We'll import your clients and bookings for you. 14-day free trial