SupaDay vs Fresha for Spas: Which Is Better?

Spas run on commissions. Massage therapists earn one rate, estheticians another, body treatment specialists a third. Every service type has a different split, and a single therapist might do a 60-minute massage, a hot stone upgrade, and a facial in the same shift — each with different commission rates. The software has to track all of that without manual entry at the end of the day.

Fresha handles commissions and does it on every plan — that's a genuine strength. But the 20% marketplace cut hurts spas more than most businesses. Spa services are high-ticket. A nail salon loses $12 on a $60 gel set. A spa loses $24 on a $120 massage, $40 on a $200 couples package, $60 on a $300 half-day retreat. The same percentage takes a much bigger dollar amount.

SupaDay charges a flat rate per user. No marketplace cut, no per-booking fees. The bill is the same whether you see 20 clients a week or 200.

Head-to-head comparison

What you actually pay

Solo therapist

SupaDay Grow: $14/month — booking, SMS, commissions, POS, turn tracking, audit trail. No per-booking fees. Fresha Independent: $19.95/month — booking, commissions, POS. Plus 20% on new marketplace clients.

SupaDay is $6 cheaper per month before marketplace fees. A solo massage therapist who gets 6 new marketplace clients a week at $100 average? That's $480/month going to Fresha — more than 24x the subscription.

5-therapist spa

SupaDay Grow: 5 x $14 = $70/month — commissions, POS, SMS, turn tracking. No per-booking fees. Fresha Team: 5 x $14.95 = $74.75/month — commissions, POS. Plus 20% on new marketplace clients.

Subscription is close. But a 5-therapist spa attracting 15 new marketplace clients a week at $100 average? That's $1,200/month going to Fresha. Add reviews ($14.95/month), loyalty ($59.95/month), and insights ($49.75/month for 5 therapists) — the actual bill is nowhere near $74.75.

SupaDay stays at $70. Next month, still $70.

10-therapist spa

SupaDay Grow: 10 x $14 = $99/month (hits the cap) — up to 10 staff SupaDay Business: $149/month cap — unlimited staff, adds website, reviews, multi-location Fresha Team: 10 x $14.95 = $149.50/month — plus marketplace cuts and paid add-ons

SupaDay Grow caps at $99. Business at $149 includes website, reviews, and multi-location. Fresha is $149.50 before any marketplace fees or add-ons.

Where SupaDay wins

No marketplace cut — the 20% hits harder on high-ticket services

This is the biggest difference between the two. Fresha's 20% marketplace fee is the same percentage whether it's a $30 haircut or a $300 spa package — but the dollar amount is dramatically different.

A spa that gets 15 new marketplace clients a week at $120 average? That's $1,440/month going to Fresha. A location that books 5 couples packages a week at $200? Another $800/month. These are per-booking fees on top of the monthly subscription, and they scale with your prices.

SupaDay charges $14/user/month. A $50 service costs the same as a $300 service — nothing extra. No marketplace commission, no per-booking fees.

Free POS with automatic commissions

Spas have the most complex commission structures in the industry. A massage therapist might earn 50% on a Swedish massage, 45% on a deep tissue, and 40% on a hot stone because the spa covers the stone setup. An esthetician earns a different rate on facials vs. body wraps vs. microdermabrasion. Keeping track of all of that manually is a spreadsheet nightmare.

SupaDay's POS is free on every plan, and commissions calculate automatically at checkout. Therapist checks out a client, commission calculates based on who did the service and what service it was. No manual entry, no end-of-day reconciliation. Pull the report, run payroll, done.

Fresha has commissions and POS too — and handles them well. The difference is the 20% marketplace cut that comes off every new client booking before your commission split even applies.

Walk-in turn tracking for day spas

Not every spa runs purely on appointments. Day spas, resort spas, and mall locations get same-day walk-ins looking for a massage or a quick facial. When multiple therapists are available, someone has to decide who takes the next client.

SupaDay's turn tracker handles rotation automatically. A quick 30-minute facial counts as a half turn, a 90-minute deep tissue counts as a full turn. Fair rotation, visible to the whole team.

Fresha has no walk-in management — no turn tracker, no walk-in queue, no rotation on any plan.

QR check-in

Clients arrive, scan the QR code, check in. The front desk sees them in the queue without interrupting a consultation. Particularly useful for spas with waiting areas and multiple service rooms.

Fresha has no check-in system.

Website builder

SupaDay includes a website builder on Business at $22/user/month. Fresha has an online store for products but no way to build a spa website.

Reviews included, not $14.95/month extra

SupaDay includes review management on Business. Fresha charges $14.95/month per location for their "Google Rating Boost" add-on. Spas depend on reviews for trust — a first-time client booking a $150 service wants to see ratings before they commit.

Audit trail

Every appointment change is logged — who modified it, when, what changed. The audit trail settles commission disputes and cancellation claims. If a therapist says a client no-showed and the client says they cancelled, the log shows exactly what happened. Fresha doesn't have it.

Capped pricing

SupaDay caps at $99/month on Grow (up to 10 staff) and $149/month on Business (unlimited). A busy month doesn't change the bill.

Fresha has no cap. More new clients through the marketplace = higher bill. More add-ons = higher bill.

Where Fresha wins

Built-in marketplace

Fresha puts your spa in front of people searching for services nearby. If you just opened or moved to a new location and need clients to find you, the marketplace helps.

The trade-off: 20% of every new client booking (minimum $6). For spas with an established reputation and referral network, you're paying for exposure you don't need. For new spas that need visibility, it's a marketing cost — but on high-ticket services, that cost adds up faster than it would for a $30 haircut.

Multi-location on the base plan

Fresha supports multiple locations without an upgrade. SupaDay's multi-location is on Business at $22/user/month.

Product retail and inventory

Fresha has a built-in online store with inventory sync and purchase orders. Spas that sell skincare lines, essential oils, or treatment products get more retail tools with Fresha.

Where they're equal

Both handle scheduling and commissions well:

• Online booking — clients pick their therapist, choose their service, book 24/7
• Calendar management — color-coded, day/week/month views
• Client profiles — service history, notes, preferences, allergies
• Commission tracking — both track commissions (SupaDay calculates through POS automatically)
• Staff scheduling — shifts, time off, availability
• Recurring appointments — regulars on a set schedule

Which one should you pick?

Pick SupaDay if:

• You don't want to pay 20% on every new client — especially on high-ticket spa services
• You want commissions to calculate automatically through the free POS
• Your day spa takes walk-ins and needs turn tracking (Fresha doesn't have it)
• You want reviews and a website builder included, not as paid add-ons
• You need an audit trail for commission and scheduling disputes
• You want capped pricing ($99 Grow, $149 Business) that stays flat

Pick Fresha if:

• You just opened and need marketplace visibility to attract your first clients (and accept the 20% cut)
• Retail product sales are a significant revenue stream
• You need multi-location on the base plan

The bottom line

Fresha's 20% marketplace cut hits spas harder than any other business type. Spa services are high-ticket — $100 massages, $200 packages, $300 half-day retreats — and 20% of those numbers adds up fast. A 5-therapist spa paying $1,200/month in marketplace fees on top of a $74.75 subscription isn't saving money. SupaDay includes commissions through free POS, walk-in turn tracking, QR check-in, SMS, and an audit trail on Grow at $14/user/month, capped at $99. No marketplace cut, no per-booking fees, no paid add-ons for reviews. Fresha has commissions on every plan and a marketplace that helps new spas get found — both real strengths. But the 20% cost scales with your prices, and spa prices are the highest in the industry. If your services average $100+ and you don't need a marketplace to fill your rooms, SupaDay is significantly cheaper. See how SupaDay works for spas →. For a full breakdown, check the comparison page →.