How to switch from Fresha to Sammy Booking, step by step.
You can move off Fresha and keep your clients, your history, your booking link, and your Google reviews. Nothing important is lost. Setup is free, we do the import for you, and most salons go live the same day. You land on a flat $29/mo with no commission and no percentage of your payments, plus free new customers from the Sammy Booking directory that Fresha never gave you for free.
What you keep vs what changes
Here is exactly what moves with you, and what gets better once you are on Sammy Booking.
| You keep | What changes (for the better) |
|---|---|
| Your full client list (names, phone, email) | Flat $29/mo for any team size instead of per-staff fees |
| Your appointment history and notes | No 20% commission on new clients from a marketplace |
| Your service menu and prices | Free new customers from the Sammy Booking directory |
| Your booking link and QR code (we redirect them) | A real AI receptionist option (Sammy) that answers your phone |
| Your Google Business Profile and its reviews | You own your data and can export any time |
| Your staff and their schedules | Free done-for-you setup and import |
An honest note on history: Fresha's appointment-history export is limited, so we rebuild your calendar and services and import your client list. We do not promise a field-perfect copy of every past appointment.
Before you start
You do not need to cancel Fresha first. Keep both running until Sammy Booking is live, then cancel Fresha. There is zero downtime because the two systems run in parallel until you flip the link. Have these ready.
- Your Fresha login
- Admin access to your Google Business Profile
- Your Instagram and Facebook login (to swap the booking link)
- About 10 minutes
Six steps, most of them done for you
Reassurance first, then the task. You really only do the first one yourself.
Export your clients from Fresha
Your client list belongs to you. In Fresha, open your Clients area and use the export option to download your clients as a spreadsheet (CSV). Grab your service menu and prices too, a screenshot or a copy is fine. Fresha's export covers client contact details. Its appointment history export is limited, which is exactly why we rebuild your calendar for you in the next step. Exporting changes nothing and does not close your Fresha account.
Send it to us, we import it free
Send us the file and we do the rest, free. We import your client list, rebuild your service menu and prices, set up your staff and their working hours, and lay out your calendar so it matches how you already work. There is no charge and no per-record fee, this is the free setup. We have already moved a full salon team off Belle, so multi-staff imports are routine for us. Email the file to hello@sammybooking.com or upload it during onboarding, and we take it from there.
Keep your booking link and QR code
Worried your regulars have your old link saved, or that it is printed on your cards and window? You get a new Sammy Booking link, and we help you redirect your old Fresha link and QR codes so existing customers still land on your booking page. Your printed QR keeps working and the link in your bio keeps working. Wherever your Fresha booking link lived, on your site, your Google profile, or your Instagram, we swap it for you.
Update your Google Business Profile and Instagram
First, the reassurance: switching booking software does not delete your Google reviews and does not reset your Google ranking. Your reviews live on your Google Business Profile, not inside Fresha, so they stay exactly where they are. The task is small. Change the Book or appointment link on your Google Business Profile to your Sammy Booking link, then swap the link in your Instagram and Facebook bio. We give you the exact links to paste and can sit with you while you do it. Want more 5-star reviews after you switch? Google review management is included free in your core plan.
Get listed in the free Sammy Booking directory
Here is the part Fresha charged you for. Our directory of about 4,000 Ontario nail salons sends listed salons new local customers for free, clearly labeled as ‘came through Sammy’. No commission, no percentage, no per-booking fee. Getting listed is included and we set it up during onboarding, so new faces can find you from day one.
Add the Sammy AI receptionist (optional)
An optional upgrade many salons add after they switch. Sammy answers your phone, books appointments, and handles common questions when your hands are full, starting at $29/mo in usage tiers, with a $79/mo Growth tier and a spend cap so the bill never surprises you. For comparison, Fresha's AI Concierge add-on is CA$139.95/mo. It is completely optional and you can turn it on any time after you go live.
Stop paying 20% every time Fresha's marketplace sends you a new client. On Sammy Booking, new customers from our free Sammy Booking directory cost you nothing. Fresha's 20% applies only to new clients its marketplace sends you, not to your own-link bookings, so this is only about the customers you would otherwise pay Fresha to reach.
How long does it take?
Most salons go live the same day once we have your export file. Both systems run in parallel until you flip the link, so there is no downtime. Here is the usual order.
- 1This morningYou export your client file from Fresha.
- 2Within hoursWe import your clients, services, staff, and calendar, free.
- 3You testYou open your new booking link and try a booking.
- 4You go liveYou point your links to Sammy Booking and cancel Fresha when you are ready.
Why salons move from Fresha to Sammy Booking
Fresha starts cheap, then layers on cost as you grow. Its subscription is CA$29.95/mo for a solo operator, or CA$19.95 per staff member for a team, so a 4-person salon pays roughly CA$80/mo in subscription alone. On top of that sits a 20% commission on each new client the Fresha marketplace sends you (a minimum of CA$6 each). That 20% applies only to those new marketplace clients, not to your own-link bookings, but for a busy salon bringing in new faces every week it adds up.
Sammy Booking is a flat $29/mo for any team size, with $0 commission and $0 percentage of your payments. Instead of charging you to be found, our free directory sends you new local customers at no cost. For the full head to head, read the full Fresha vs Sammy Booking comparison and see the cost example. You can also browse the best nail salon software guide or the flat $29/mo pricing.
Fresha figures are in Canadian dollars, from Fresha's own pricing page, checked July 2026. Fresha localizes prices by country, so US and other regions differ. Prices can change, so check fresha.com/pricing for your country. Card-processing fees are left out on both sides, since you use a processor either way. “Fresha” is a trademark of its owner; this is an independent guide.
When Fresha may fit better
We will be straight with you. If you are a solo operator who leans heavily on Fresha's global marketplace to get discovered and you are fine paying 20% on those new clients, or you specifically need Fresha's own payment terminal hardware, Fresha may suit you.
When Sammy Booking wins
You are a nail salon that wants a flat fee, your own data you can export any time, free local leads from the directory, and an AI receptionist option, with a free done-for-you switch so you never lose your clients or reviews.
Switching from Fresha, answered
Will I lose my clients if I switch from Fresha?+
No. You export your client list from Fresha and we import it for you. Your clients, their contact details, and your notes come with you.
Will I lose my Google reviews if I leave Fresha?+
No. Your reviews live on your Google Business Profile, not inside Fresha. Switching booking software does not touch them, and it does not reset your Google ranking.
Do I have to cancel Fresha first?+
No. Keep Fresha running while we set up Sammy Booking. Once your new booking link is live and tested, you cancel Fresha. There is no downtime.
Can I export my clients from Fresha?+
Yes. Fresha lets you export your client list from the Clients area as a spreadsheet. Fresha's appointment history export is limited, so we rebuild your calendar and services for you and import the client list.
How much does Sammy Booking cost?+
Core booking is a flat $29/mo for any team size, with free setup, no commission, and now includes Google review management and a basic website, free. The AI receptionist is optional, priced in usage tiers starting at $29/mo, with a $79/mo Growth tier and a spend cap.
Does Sammy Booking charge commission like Fresha?+
No. Sammy Booking charges $0 commission and $0 percentage of your payments. Fresha charges 20% only on new clients its marketplace sends you (a minimum of CA$6 each), not on your own bookings. Our directory sends you new customers for free.
How long until I am live?+
Usually the same day. Once we have your export file, we set everything up within hours, you test your booking link, and you go live.
Move off Fresha free. Keep everything that matters.
Free setup, same-day go-live, no commission. Send us your export and we move your clients, services, and calendar for you.