Total cost
The real monthly bill once per-staff fees, commission, SMS credits and card processing are added, not just the headline price.
Alternatives · UK barbershops & salons
Barbershop booking software alternatives.
Weighing up your booking software? Compare the tools most UK barbershops and salons consider, including where each one is strongest, what it costs and how it fits the working day.
How we compare
Four things worth checking before you commit.
Feature lists all start to look the same. What really separates these tools is what you pay as you grow, and whether the customer relationship stays with your shop.
Who owns the customer
Whether bookings and customer relationships belong to your shop, or sit inside a marketplace account.
Data portability
Which customer and report exports are documented, including fields, formats and access routes.
Day-to-day fit
The working day: a real diary, walk-ins, reminders and deposits, built for a busy shop floor.
01
Marketplace & commission tools
List your shop to customers and charge commission on the bookings they bring, discovery in exchange for sharing the customer relationship.
Fresha
Marketplace
A subscription model that can include marketplace commission on new-customer bookings, plus team fees, card processing and SMS.
Watch for: Check which bookings are marketplace-attributed, when commission applies and which customer fields can be exported.
Treatwell
Marketplace
A booking marketplace that lists your shop to customers and can charge commission on bookings it brings in.
Watch for: Discovery leans on the marketplace, and commission applies to the customers it sends you.
Booksy
Consumer app
A strong consumer booking app with a base subscription, per-staff fees and card processing on top.
Watch for: Per-staff fees add up and discovery leans on the app rather than your own page.
02
Subscription tools
Compare the monthly subscription for your team size and feature needs. Some charge per staff member or calendar; others use tiers or a quote.
Nearcut
Barbershop-native
Purpose-built for barbershops. The current Subscription price is quote-based, with a separate Free for You model.
Watch for: Ask for the current quote or customer-charge terms before comparing totals.
Squire
Barbershop-focused
A polished barbershop platform with tiered plans, so check the team size and feature tier you would actually use.
Watch for: Costs rise with team size and the higher tiers, so check the plan you would actually need.
Vagaro
Subscription
A broad salon-and-spa platform priced by the number of calendars, with add-ons layered on for extra tools.
Watch for: The bill grows with each calendar and add-on, so the real monthly cost depends on your setup.
Timely
Subscription
A salon-focused booking tool on tiered subscriptions, with pricing that scales with team size and plan level.
Watch for: Higher tiers unlock the fuller feature set, so map features to plan before you compare price.
Setmore
Freemium
A general appointment scheduler with a free tier and paid plans charged per user for more features.
Watch for: It is general-purpose rather than barbershop-specific, and paid tiers are per user.
Resurva
Subscription
A straightforward booking tool on a subscription, commonly priced around the size of your team.
Watch for: Check how pricing scales with staff and which barbershop-specific tools are included.
03
Payments-first tools
Built around card processing and hardware, with booking bolted on top.
Square
Payments-first
A free single-staff tier and paid per-location plans, tied to Square card processing and hardware.
Watch for: Costs rise with team size and it is payments-first, so it is less barbershop-specific.
04
Quote-based salon suites
Broad salon platforms sold through a demo, where the monthly cost comes from a quote rather than a published rate card.
Phorest
Salon incumbent
A deep salon platform on tiered plans (Starter, Grow, Ultimate, Elite), priced by quote rather than a public rate card.
Watch for: You cannot compare the monthly cost without going through a demo, so budget the sales call before you can budget the software.
Questions
Comparing, in plain English.
What owners ask us most when they are weighing Setora against another tool.
What are the main alternatives to Setora for UK barbershops and salons?
The booking tools UK barbershops and salons most often weigh up are Booksy, Fresha, Nearcut, Square, Timely, Treatwell, Vagaro, Squire, Resurva and Setmore. They fall into a few models: marketplace and commission tools, per-staff subscription tools, and payments-first tools. Setora is £59/month per location with no commission.
How is Setora different from these alternatives?
Setora charges one rate: £59/month per location, unlimited staff, no commission on bookings and no per-staff fees. Many alternatives either take commission, list your shop inside a marketplace, or charge per staff member, so the real monthly cost climbs as you get busier. With Setora the customer relationship, data and brand stay with the shop.
Will I keep my customer data if I switch to Setora?
Setora lets you export the customer list as CSV and download available reports. Data portability varies across alternatives, so check the exact fields and formats before you commit.
How do I compare Setora with a specific tool?
Each alternative has its own comparison page covering how it charges and where it differs from Setora, plus a switch guide showing what moves across if you decide to change. Follow the links above to the tool you are weighing up.