At its core, the perfect salon management platform revolutionizes how you operate, managing routine tasks while you focus on what matters most: boosting bookings, delivering outstanding customer service, empowering your team, and achieving long-term profitability. With countless salon software solutions saturating the market, finding the right match for your unique needs can feel overwhelming.
Fresha and Boulevard emerge as top-tier options among the competition, especially for beauty businesses, wellness centers, and salons. But what sets these robust systems apart from each other, and how do they measure up in a direct comparison?
Who Is Fresha?
Fresha is a cloud-based appointment booking and business management platform serving salons, spas, and wellness businesses in over 120 countries. Originally launched as "Shedul" in 2015, it was rebranded to Fresha in 2020.
The platform's standout feature is its user-friendly 24/7 online booking system, accessible through mobile apps and websites, which reduces no-shows and streamlines scheduling. Fresha integrates scheduling, payment processing, and client management into one ecosystem, with seamless connections to Google, Instagram, and Facebook for direct appointment booking.
The platform includes automated communication tools (email, SMS, mobile app), marketing capabilities, client data management, and payment processing. It scales from independent practitioners to multi-location businesses.
Who Is Boulevard?
Boulevard positions itself as premium salon management software designed to enhance customer satisfaction while streamlining operations. Starting at $176 monthly ($158/month with an annual commitment), the basic plan includes scheduling and payment processing, with Business and Enterprise tiers offering expanded features through custom pricing.
The platform balances operational efficiency with client experience, providing intelligent booking systems that optimize staff utilization and comprehensive customer databases. Clients benefit from streamlined self-service booking, easy membership management, and convenient payment options.
Boulevard's customer retention tools, particularly its loyalty program features, are key differentiators, though these typically require upgrading from the basic package.
While Boulevard offers comprehensive solutions that can transform salon operations, significant investment may be prohibitive for smaller businesses and independent practitioners.
Key Features
Here we’ll break down key features that business owners and service providers should expect from their software, and how the two companies match up.
Online Booking & Scheduling
24/7 appointment scheduling fills your schedule automatically, eliminating endless phone tag. Customers want immediate booking availability while you need to reclaim your valuable time.
-Intuitive online booking accessible through business websites or direct links.
-Advanced appointment scheduling includes automatic email/SMS notifications and Google Calendar integration.
-Comprehensive client management capabilities.
-Boulevard’s Precision Scheduling™ automatically surfaces the best booking times for optimal calendar optimization.
-Features on-brand online booking that integrates seamlessly with websites and social media.
-Includes advanced features like selective service visibility and real-time booking alerts.
Client Facing App
A custom, branded app makes booking easy for clients while projecting professionalism and credibility, while marketplace visibility attracts fresh customers without active effort on your part.
-Highly rated mobile app.
-Allows business owners and staff to manage bookings, view schedules, and handle operations from smartphones.
-Particularly valuable for small and medium-sized businesses.
-Offers "Boulevard Professional," a companion mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android that's designed for service providers.
-Allows them to review client profiles, manage schedules, and deliver enhanced client experiences on-the-go.
-No dedicated client app; clients primarily book through Boulevard's web-based self-booking experience.
Pricing & Value
Your technology should grow alongside your business, not outpace it or fall behind it. Clear, adaptable pricing models support expansion without surprise charges or restricted access to essential features.
-Free basic app w/ optional paid features & add-ons
-Two-tier structure: free for independent professionals, $9.95 per month per bookable team member for teams
-Marketplace commission model: 20% one-time commission (minimum $6) only on new clients acquired through Fresha's marketplace
-No charges for bookings from your own website, Google, or social media channels
-Optional payment processing fees and communication costs (text/email) as usage-based add-ons
-Four-tiered subscription model: Essentials ($158/month), Premier ($263/month), Prestige ($369/month), and custom Enterprise pricing.
-Limited-time promotional pricing available (normally $176, $293, and $410 respectively).
-Per-location pricing structure with team member limits on entry tier (up to 5 professionals on Essentials, unlimited on higher tiers).
Marketing & Client Retention
Consistent marketing brings clients back and keeps your books full. Automation saves hours of manual outreach every month.
-Features include automated reminder emails.
-Comprehensive loyalty programs designed to boost retention and repeat bookings.
-Automated messages that keep clients informed about their points balance and tier status.
-Client care tools that allow businesses to enhance their client experience while giving customers control over marketing communications.
-Comprehensive marketing and client retention features.
-Loyalty programs with special offers and packages.
-Auto-renewing memberships.
-Pre-built automated campaigns that boost bookings and improve retention.
-Integrated client referral program that manages rewards and tracks usage across locations.
Payment Processing
Payment processing should be swift and secure, creating a seamless experience. An effective POS system effortlessly manages transactions, gratuities, memberships, and booking changes.
-Fresha Payments™ allows businesses to accept online payments, process transactions, and manage financial records directly within the platform.
-Integrated POS system processes payments directly from appointment views with next-business-day payment processing.
-Supports upfront payments to reduce no-shows.
-Enhanced item search functionality across all categories for efficient checkout experiences.
-Offers integrated payments platform called Boulevard Payments™
-Boulevard Duo point-of-sale hardware accepts dip, tap, swipe, and contactless payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
-Customer card info storage.
-Dashboard and mobile app checkout.
-Discreet tipping.
-Multi-merchant accounts, and a sleek, that provides seamless checkout experiences.
Reports
Knowing which strategies succeed (and which fall short) enables strategic growth. From service revenue and product sales to inventory reports, live analytics drive informed decision-making and streamlined business operations.
-Standard reporting with free access to core business performance data
-Optional premium insights featuring 8 additional detailed reports and custom reporting tools.
-Advanced permissions for controlling team member access to specific reports.
-Customizable reports on service popularity, staff productivity, inventory turnover, client retention and more.
-Visual dashboards that make complex data accessible and help identify booking patterns and revenue opportunities.
Inventory & Product Sales
An effective inventory management system monitors stock levels for both retail items and service supplies, handles vendor relationships, and ensures your top-selling products and essential materials stay available.
-Stock quantity tracking to monitor inventory levels.
-Complete stock takes for accurate inventory management.
-Stock orders for seamless restocking.
-Inventory tracking through live dashboard across multiple locations.
-Product pricing and inventory management dashboard.
-Automated product tracking with sales.
-Inventory adjustments and stock receiving.
Customer Support
Effective support ensures minimal downtime, helps staff quickly resolve issues that could otherwise disrupt service delivery, and provides the training and guidance needed to maximize the software's features for optimal business performance.
-Comprehensive help center with business software resources.
-Premium support with expert assistance via live chat or phone.
-Customer experience team that handles topics regarding Fresha for both clients and businesses.
-Live customer support and live Help Chat features for instant communication with Boulevard representatives.
-Boulevard Academy for on-demand training.
Long Term Growth
Growth-enabling features in booking software are important because they allow businesses to expand without technology constraints. Multi-location management, scalable automation, integrated marketing, and flexible user permissions ensure the platform supports rather than limits business expansion.
-Seamless integrations with major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Google to attract more clients.
-Automated marketing tools to boost sales.
-Online booking capabilities that allow businesses to be discovered 24/7.
-Supports scalable operations for short- and long-term growth.
-Multi-location management capabilities.
-Client experience platform designed to streamline bookings and optimize schedules. and drive growth with features specifically built for expanding businesses.
Final Thoughts
Fresha and Boulevard both offer comprehensive salon and spa management solutions, but they position themselves differently in the market.
Fresha, while offering competitive core functionality, distinguishes itself through unique advantages and broader accessibility. Its standout feature is a global marketplace that helps businesses discover new clients (though with commission fees), plus multi-language support for international expansion. Fresha emphasizes social media integration for booking, QR code payment capabilities, and comprehensive multi-location inventory monitoring. The platform offers tiered customer support options and standard reporting with optional premium features.
Boulevard appears to target the premium segment with more sophisticated features across multiple areas - it provides advanced business intelligence with customizable dashboards, world-class customer support with minutes-response times, and Precision Scheduling™ for optimal calendar optimization. The platform emphasizes sleek design in its POS system, more automated inventory integration with sales data, and sophisticated loyalty programs with automated campaigns.
Overall, Boulevard appears positioned as a premium solution with more advanced features ideal for established businesses with substantial revenue rather than smaller, newer operations on tight budgets. Fresha offers competitive functionality with unique marketplace advantages. The choice, ultimately, depends on specific business needs.