OpenChair and Fresha, compared carefully
OpenChair is built for Australian salons and barbershops that want published capped pricing, direct branded booking, no booking commission on OpenChair bookings, and operator-reviewed salon workflows. This comparison uses Fresha's public Australian pricing, product, and help pages checked on 19 June 2026.
Our Take
OpenChair's positioning is direct: capped per-venue pricing, a venue-branded storefront, no booking commission on OpenChair bookings, and operator-reviewed workflows across Smart Replies, Booking Replies, Smart Nudges, Reconnect, Style Match, Processing Gaps, and waitlist opportunities. Fresha is a mature platform with marketplace discovery, client management, payments, marketing tools, POS, inventory, team tools, and AI Concierge. As reviewed on 19 June 2026, Fresha's public Australian pricing listed Independent and Team subscriptions, optional add-ons such as AI Concierge, included communications allowances with pay-as-you-go usage after allowance, and a one-time Marketplace fee for qualifying brand-new clients who discover the business via Fresha Marketplace. Fresha may suit salons that value marketplace discovery or AI phone handling; OpenChair may suit salons that want direct branded booking, capped pricing, and staff-approved salon actions.
Feature Comparison
Fit Notes for Fresha
A practical summary of where Fresha is well represented publicly, and where OpenChair is positioned differently.
- OpenChair publishes capped AU/NZ/GB pricing and does not charge booking commission on OpenChair bookings; teams comparing Fresha should model subscription, optional add-ons, communications usage, payment fees, and any Marketplace new-client fees
- OpenChair Assistant is operator-reviewed and included on Pro; Fresha AI Concierge is positioned as an optional phone and message handling add-on, and OpenChair does not currently answer phone calls
- OpenChair focuses on direct branded booking through the salon's own storefront or custom domain; Fresha also offers marketplace discovery where a one-time new-client fee can apply for qualifying Marketplace clients
- OpenChair Pro includes SMS and email allowances with Wallet overages; Fresha's public pricing page listed included communications allowances and pay-as-you-go pricing after allowance
- OpenChair keeps gap, waitlist, reply, and booking actions operator-reviewed; Fresha's Dynamic Reassignment can move eligible no-preference appointments automatically when enabled
- Fresha publishes marketplace discovery, booking links, client app booking, and social booking channels
- AI Concierge can answer calls and messages, book, reschedule, cancel, transfer calls, and take messages
- Fresha publishes payments, POS, inventory, client management, marketing, team management, and reporting features
- Fresha has mobile apps, mature booking tools, and consumer marketplace recognition
Making the Switch from Fresha
Switching software feels daunting — but it doesn't have to be. Here's exactly how the transition works.
Export your client list
Download your client list from Fresha in Excel or CSV, export any appointment or report data you need, and email the files to support@openchairpro.com. We'll walk you through the migration checklist.
Import into OpenChair
We'll import your Fresha export into OpenChair, map your services, pricing, and client details, then review the setup with you before you go live.
Set up your branded storefront
Add your logo, choose your colours, connect your custom domain on Pro, and share the OpenChair booking link with your clients.
Go live — run both in parallel if you like
There's no hard cut-over required. Many venues run Fresha and OpenChair side by side for a week or two, then switch their booking link once they're confident. No lock-in means no pressure.