How much does salon booking software cost in Australia?

For per-person plans, from $0 to A$79 per staff member a month (Timely Innovate, excluding GST). For per-location plans, from $0 to $149 or more a month. Card fees and any fee on new clients are extra. For a team, whether you pay per staff member or per location matters more than the headline price.

Which booking software charges a fee on new clients?

Fresha charges a one-time 20% fee (minimum A$8, capped for higher-value services) on a new client who finds you through its marketplace. Timely and Kitomba say they charge no new-client fees. Preen charges no booking commission, new client or returning.

Guides

What booking software costs a salon in Australia

Booking software in Australia is priced in four ways: per staff member, per location, fees on new clients, and card processing. Most providers combine two or three. Here is each, with figures from the providers' own pages.

Facts checked 30 September 2026. Prices change; the sources are listed at the end.

The four ways you pay

Per staff member. Each bookable person adds to the monthly bill. Fresha’s Team plan and all of Timely’s plans work this way.
Per location. One price for the business, whatever the team size, sometimes in bands. Square Appointments and Preen work this way.
Fees on new clients. A share of a new client’s first booking when a marketplace sent them. Fresha charges one; Timely and Kitomba say they don’t.
Card processing. Every option carries a card-processing fee, charged by the provider or by Stripe, and each publishes its own rates. Compare them on your own mix of in-person and online payments.

Published prices

Provider	Subscription (a month)	Fee on new clients
Fresha	Independent A$44.95. Team A$29.95 per bookable team member. Both excluding GST.	20% once on a new marketplace client, minimum A$8, capped for higher-value services
Timely	Build A$42, Elevate A$65, Innovate A$79 per staff member, excluding GST. Currently advertising 50% off for up to 5 months (conditions apply).	“No new client fees”
Square Appointments	Free $0 for a single location. Plus $40, Premium $90 per location, no employee limit. The page doesn’t say whether GST is included.	None listed
Kitomba	Four plans; prices aren’t listed. Kitomba gives tailored pricing after a short questionnaire, or through a demo.	“No new client charges”
Phorest	Prices are not published. Request a quote.	Not stated on the pricing page
Preen	Plans from $0. Solo $19, Studio $49, Growth $89 a month, GST included, per location.	No booking commission, new client or returning

A team of four, subscriptions only

Plan	Working	A month
Fresha Team	4 × A$29.95 + GST	A$131.78 incl. GST
Timely Build	4 × A$42 + GST	A$184.80 incl. GST, before any promotion
Square Appointments Free	One location, no employee limit	$0 (no cancellation fees on this plan)
Square Appointments Plus	One location	$40 (GST treatment not stated)
Preen Studio	Up to 5 bookable staff	A$49 incl. GST

This compares subscriptions only. It leaves out card fees, text messages, add-ons and fees on new clients on every side. On subscription alone, both Square plans shown cost less than Preen Studio for a team this size.

The fee on new clients, properly

Fresha charges a one-time 20% fee (minimum A$8) on a new client who finds you through its marketplace. Returning clients, and new clients who come straight to your own booking link, pay no fee. Fresha says the fee is capped for higher-value services; it doesn’t publish the cap. According to Fresha’s help centre, the fee can also apply when a new client viewed your Fresha marketplace profile first and then booked through your own website.

If the marketplace brings you clients you’d never get otherwise, it can be worth paying. The Fresha fees guide works through an example, and the cost calculator uses your own numbers.

The costs that aren’t on the price tag

Text messages. Some plans include a monthly allowance and charge beyond it.
Add-ons. Reporting, marketing and team tools are sometimes extra.
Hardware. Card terminals are usually bought or rented; some providers include them.
Time to switch. Exporting, importing and telling clients takes a few hours of your own time.

For Preen: card payments go through your own Stripe account. Preen adds nothing on top of Stripe’s rate. Stripe’s fees apply. See stripe.com/au/pricing.

Questions people ask

How much does salon booking software cost in Australia?: For per-person plans, from $0 to A$79 per staff member a month (Timely Innovate, excluding GST). For per-location plans, from $0 to $149 or more a month. Card fees and any fee on new clients are extra. For a team, whether you pay per staff member or per location matters more than the headline price.
Which booking software charges a fee on new clients?: Fresha charges a one-time 20% fee (minimum A$8, capped for higher-value services) on a new client who finds you through its marketplace. Timely and Kitomba say they charge no new-client fees. Preen charges no booking commission, new client or returning.

Sources

Fresha pricing from fresha.com/pricing and Fresha’s help centre, checked 30 September 2026. Timely, Square, Kitomba and Phorest pricing from their own Australian pages, checked 30 September 2026. Example figures are illustrative. Prices change; check each provider’s page before deciding. Preen is not affiliated with Fresha, Timely, Square, Kitomba or Phorest. Fresha® and the other names are trademarks of their respective owners.