Comparing Fresha vs Boulevard? One is cheap to start but takes a commission on every new client, the other is premium and priced for high-end spas. Neither gives you a real website you own that wins new clients. Instinctor is the all-in-one third option: a site that ranks on Google, plus booking, reminders and payments, from $79 a month flat.
WHAT FRESHA AND BOULEVARD BOTH MISS
No website you own. Fresha lists you inside its marketplace app, and Boulevard gives high-end tools but still leaves the real website to you. Neither hands you a site that ranks on Google and turns searchers into booked clients. Instinctor is built around that website.
The pricing traps differ. Fresha looks cheap at about $20 a month, then takes a 20% cut on every new client from its marketplace plus card fees. Boulevard runs from $176 to $410 a month per location. Instinctor is $79 flat, everyone included.
They keep the relationship. Fresha pushes your clients through its marketplace and rents them back to you, and Boulevard locks your data and your site inside its platform. With Instinctor your client list and your site are yours, with no marketplace in the middle.
ONE SYSTEM
Instinctor gives your salon or spa a professional website plus online booking, reminders, memberships, deposits, branded checkout and smart chat, all in one place. It does what Fresha and Boulevard do, and adds the client-winning website they leave you to build or list.
WHAT YOU GET
No marketplace commission, no premium per-location bill, no website left for you to build. Each piece is built in and works with the rest.
Everything in one place
Your website, booking, payments, smart chat and marketing run from one dashboard. No five separate tools to wire together.
Online booking that fills your chair
A client books an appointment right from your own site: the service and a time that works. It lands on your calendar and sends automatic reminders, so your chairs stay full and no-shows drop.
Online booking
Customers book and pay on your own site, around the clock. Your calendar fills itself, no phone tag.
A calendar your whole team can see
Put every chair and station on a shared schedule. Clients pick a time that works, your team sees the whole day, and everyone stays in sync.
Invoices and payments
Send branded invoices and take card payments in a tap. The money lands in your account, with no per-booking fees.
Branded checkout, deposits and tips
Take a deposit at booking to end no-shows, and let clients pay and tip by card. The money lands straight in your account, with no marketplace taking a cut of new clients.
Smart chat, 24/7
A chat assistant trained on your services and prices, answering questions and booking customers while you sleep.
Smart chat that answers 24/7
A chat assistant greets every visitor, answers questions about your services, prices and availability, and books the appointment, even after hours.
Built to rank
Every site is built for Google from day one: clean structure, local SEO, page titles and sitemaps done right.
A website that ranks locally
A fast, professional site built to show up when someone nearby searches for your services in your area. This is the piece Fresha and Boulevard leave you to list or build.
One flat price
Everything above for $79/mo flat. No setup fee, no per-booking fees, and no cut of your revenue.
One system, and you own it
Your site, bookings, calendar, checkout and chat share one login. Your client list is yours, never the marketplace's.
HEAD TO HEAD
Fresha runs bookings cheaply but bills you through commission and card fees, and Boulevard runs bookings beautifully but at a premium price. Neither hands you a website you own. Here is how all three compare.
InStudio by InstinctorFresha & Boulevard
A website you own that wins clientsBuilt in, and built to rank on GoogleFresha lists you in its marketplace; Boulevard leaves the site to you
Who builds your websiteWe design it for you, freeYou build it yourself on either
Online booking and remindersBuilt inYes, both do this
What you pay each month$79 flat, all inFresha about $20 plus fees; Boulevard $176 to $410 per location
Commission and card feesNoneFresha takes 20% on new marketplace clients plus card fees; Boulevard adds processing fees
Who it is built forAny salon or spa, one flat priceFresha for budget marketplace listings; Boulevard for high-end spas that can pay a premium
Smart chat that answers 24/7Built inNot offered by either
Who owns your site and clientsYou doTheir platforms keep the relationship
PRICING
$79
per month, flat. No setup fee, no per-location premium, and no commission on your new clients. We design your site for you, free.
In the Fresha vs Boulevard choice, one is a cheap marketplace app and the other is premium salon software. Both run bookings, but neither gives you a website you own that ranks on Google. Instinctor does the booking and adds that website. It is the all-in-one third option.
On the sticker, yes: Fresha is around $20 a month while Boulevard runs $176 to $410 per location. But Fresha adds a 20% commission on new marketplace clients plus card fees, so the real cost climbs. Instinctor is $79 flat with no commission.
No. We design your whole site for you, free, and you can ask for changes any time. You are never left with a blank template or a marketplace listing.
Yes. Clients book from your own site, pay a deposit to hold the slot, and tip by card. The money lands straight in your account.
No. Fresha takes 20% on new clients from its marketplace. Instinctor takes nothing. Every new client is yours, and you keep every dollar.
Yes, and for everyday salons too. You get a premium, professional site and the same booking, deposits and memberships, without Boulevard's $176 to $410 per-location price.
You bring it with you and it stays yours. Your clients are never rented back to you through a marketplace.
Most sites are ready within a few days. We build it, you review it, and we adjust until it is right.
Yes. Your site is built to rank for your services in your area, instead of hiding inside a booking app or marketplace.
A short three-month minimum, then month to month. No long lock-in.
Skip the Fresha vs Boulevard debate. We design your all-in-one salon and spa site for you, free, and it is yours from day one. Book a call and see it before you decide.