Working on your own
Cobbtree One
£19+ VAT a month
FREEfor 4 months
Then £19 + VAT a month
Early Founders Access
- 1 team member
- Online booking
- Point of sale
- Cobbtree Sites
- Reports
- Everything in the list below
Makeup
Trials, the day, and a team that can leave the salon.
Makeup is often an event: a bridal trial in March, the day in June, maybe on location. Cobbtree holds the people, the hours and the deposit so a wedding morning is not a spreadsheet.
- Early Founders Access: first 20 businesses, 4 months free
- From £19 + VAT a month
- Every feature included
The day
Trial in spring. The wedding at 7am. On location if that is the job.
A bridal booking is a project, not a 45-minute slot. Cobbtree lets you take a trial, hold the day, take a deposit, and keep look notes on the client so the morning is not a hunt for a screenshot.
The trial
A proper appointment with photos and notes. It is not a 'maybe' in Instagram DMs.
The day
Held in the diary, with travel time if you work on location. The chair at the salon stays honest.
The party
Mother of the bride, bridesmaids: extra people on the same booking if that is how you sell it.
How a makeup booking runs
From the trial to the morning, on one record.
01
They book the trial
A real time, a real artist, a deposit if you take one.
02
Notes and photos stay
The look lives on the client, not in a camera roll you will not find at 6am.
03
The day is held
On-location or in the studio. Travel and extra faces are part of the service if you set them.
04
Pay the balance
Take the rest on the day. Gift cards and retail if you sell them.
Built for makeup
Makeup is a calendar of events, not only a salon chair.
Trials, weddings, editorial, in-salon. Cobbtree is the diary that can leave the building.
Trials that are real bookings
A trial is an appointment with a time, a person and a price. Not a DM.
The day, held
Hold a morning. Add people. Take a deposit so the date is actually yours.
On location
If you travel, the salon chair is not also offered to a walk-in at the same time.
Look notes
Photos and products used sit on the client for the morning.
Deposits and balances
Take a deposit at the trial. Take the rest on the day.
Found by people looking for a MUA
Your listing shows the work, the artist and when they are actually free.
Cobbtree Pricing
Early Founders AccessOne price a month. Every feature on it.
The plans differ by how many people take bookings on the diary - not by holding features back. Pick the size you are, change it whenever that changes.
For a team
Cobbtree Studio
£29+ VAT a month
FREEfor 4 months
Then £29 + VAT a month
Early Founders Access
- Unlimited team members
- Online booking
- Point of sale
- Cobbtree Sites
- Reports
- Everything in the list below
First 20 approved businesses only. This replaces the standard 60-day trial. No setup fee, no onboarding fee and no minimum contract.
What else you would pay.
Your plan is the only thing Cobbtree bills you every month. Everything below is charged when it happens, on the money it relates to - so if you never sell a gift card, you never see that line.
- Card processingStripe's rate
- Card payments run through your own Stripe account, and Stripe charges its own published rate for the card used. Cobbtree adds nothing on top and never holds your takings.
- A genuinely new customer10% + VAT, once
- Charged once after a new customer's first completed, paid visit, whether they booked through a direct link, your website, the marketplace or walked in. Every booking after that is free.
- Gift cards sold on Cobbtree5%, once
- Charged once when a card is sold, on what the buyer paid for it. It never comes out of the balance, so whoever receives the card can still spend its full face value with you.
- Membership payments5%
- Charged on membership money as it is collected - the joining fee and each payment after it - and never on a perk a member uses. A membership bought as a gift is charged on the gift, not again on the visits.
Online appointments
The one-time new-customer fee follows a genuinely new customer, whether they arrive through a direct link, your website, the marketplace or as a walk-in. Once they have completed and paid for their first visit, their return bookings are free.
| What you get | Cobbtree | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Direct booking linksOne link for your website, social profiles and messages. | 10% + VAT once if the customer is new | Free |
| Bookings from your own websiteA booking made through your Cobbtree Site. | 10% + VAT once if the customer is new | Free |
| Walk-insA genuinely new customer added at the till or diary. | 10% + VAT once - half Fresha's 20% rate | No marketplace fee |
| A new marketplace customerThe same one-time new-customer rate, regardless of booking route. | 10% + VAT once | 20% once, with a minimum fee |
| Returning customersEvery booking after that customer's first completed, paid visit. | Free | Free |
Payments
Payments go directly to your own Stripe account. Cobbtree adds no payment-processing markup. The rate depends on the card or payment method your client chooses.
| What you get | Cobbtree | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront payments and depositsTake all or part of the appointment value when a client books. | Included. Stripe processing applies. | Included. Online payments are 1.40% + 25p |
| Late cancellations and no-showsSet your policy, notice window and fee. | Included. Charge the saved card under the policy the client accepted. | Included. Online payments are 1.40% + 25p |
| Cobbtree TerminalA configured card reader delivered ready for the location. | From £99 delivered and set up, per device | From £99 per device |
| Standard domestic cardsConsumer cards issued by Visa, Mastercard and Cartes Bancaires. All cards issued by American Express, Discover, Diners Club, Maestro and UnionPay. | 1.5% + 20p through Stripe | 1.40% + 25p online |
| Premium domestic cardsCommercial, corporate or business cards issued by Visa or Mastercard. | 2.8% + 20p through Stripe | 1.40% + 25p online |
| Apple Pay and Google PayThe wallet uses the underlying card's processing rate. | No separate Cobbtree wallet fee | 1.40% + 25p online |
| Tap to PayAccept a contactless card or wallet on a compatible phone. | Stripe's in-person rate + 10p per Tap to Pay authorisation | 1.19% + 20p, plus 7p per Tap to Pay authorisation |
| Manual card entryKey in card details when the cardholder is not using checkout. | Stripe's manually entered card rate | 2.20% + 20p |
| KlarnaAvailable only when the method is enabled and eligible in your Stripe account. | 4.99% + 35p through Stripe in the UK | 4.49% + 50p |
| PayPalAvailable only when enabled and eligible in your Stripe account. | PayPal's fee + 0.2% + 10p through Stripe | Not listed on Fresha's pricing page |
Stripe standard UK online card rate checked 15/09/2026. Card type, payment method, international card, currency conversion, dispute and Tap to Pay charges can differ. See Stripe's UK pricing and the pricing shown in your own Stripe account before enabling a method.
Fresha UK payment rates checked 15/09/2026: 1.40% + 25p online, 1.19% + 20p in person, 7p per Tap to Pay authorisation, 2.20% + 20p for manual card entry and 4.49% + 50p for Buy Now Pay Later. Fresha geo-prices its own public page, so the GBP rates are cross-checked against this current UK pricing review.
Team management
Profiles, permissions and pay information are part of the same system. Cobbtree calculates pay estimates, but it does not pretend to be payroll software.
| What you get | Cobbtree | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Bookable team membersPeople who take appointments. Fresha Independent is one person. The £9.95 team rate starts at two. | One includes a single bookable person. Studio includes the whole team. | £14.95 Independent for one person, or £9.95 each from two bookable team members |
| Team member profiles | ✓ | ✓ |
| Role permissionsControl what each role can view and change. | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wages and commission ratesStore rates and calculate estimated earnings. | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pay runsCobbtree provides pay estimates and export, but does not run payroll. | Pay overview and export | ✓ |
Communications
Transactional emails are included. SMS allowances and overage follow the live values configured for each Cobbtree plan.
| What you get | Cobbtree | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Automated appointment emails | Free | Free |
| SMSAllowances and overage are controlled in Cobbtree Superadmin. | Coming soon. Cobbtree One: 10 included monthly, then 10p per SMS segment. Cobbtree Studio: 50 included monthly, then 10p per SMS segment | 100 included per bookable team member monthly, then Fresha's local per-message rate |
Features Fresha sells as extras
Cobbtree Studio includes the tools below in one subscription. No second menu of monthly add-ons to assemble.
| What you get | Cobbtree | Fresha |
|---|---|---|
| Client loyaltyPoints, tiers, rewards and Apple Wallet loyalty cards. | Included | £49.95 + VAT per location, monthly |
| Smart websiteA branded website connected to your services, team and live diary. | Included | £12.95 + VAT monthly |
| Business insights and reports69 available Cobbtree reports across sales, finance, appointments, team, clients, inventory and marketing. | ✓ | £7.95 + VAT per bookable team member, monthly |
| Verified client reviewsCollect reviews after a completed, paid visit. | Included | Client ratings and reviews included; Google Rating Boost is a paid add-on |
| Google AnalyticsSend website and booking events to Google Analytics. | Coming soon | Free |
The calculator is software only: Fresha Independent is £14.95 + VAT for one person. The team rate of £9.95 + VAT per bookable person starts at two people. Premium reports are £7.95 per bookable team member, Client Loyalty is £49.95 per location and Smart website is £12.95, all before VAT. It does not include payment processing or marketplace fees. Fresha's public page geo-prices, and prices can change, so check the amount shown in your Fresha account. Rates cross-checked against this current UK pricing review. Fresha is a trademark of its owner. Cobbtree is not affiliated with or endorsed by Fresha.
Compare everything on each plan
| Included | Cobbtree One | Cobbtree Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Team members taking bookings | 1 | Unlimited |
| Unlimited customers | Included | Included |
| Unlimited bookings | Included | Included |
| Online booking | Included | Included |
| Marketplace listing | Included | Included |
| Cobbtree Sites | Included | Included |
| Point of sale | Included | Included |
| Tap to Pay | Included | Included |
| Apple Wallet loyalty cards | Included | Included |
| Retail products | Included | Included |
| Inventory management | Included | Included |
| Reports | Included | Included |
| Gift cards | Included | Included |
| Service packages | Included | Included |
| Memberships | Included | Included |
| Waitlist | Included | Included |
| Reviews | Included | Included |
| Loyalty | Included | Included |
| SMS | Included | Included |
Questions
Common questions
Makeup
Can I take a bridal trial and hold the wedding day?
Yes. They are separate services. Take a deposit on the day booking so the morning is actually held.
Can I work on location without double-booking the salon?
Yes. If the artist is on a booking, that time is gone from the diary, wherever the work happens.
Getting started
How long does it take to set up?
Add your locations, services and team, and most salons are ready to take bookings the same day. Early Founders Access gives the first 20 approved businesses 4 months of Cobbtree free. That replaces the standard 60-day trial - you do not get both.
Can I move from Fresha?
Yes - upload your Fresha export and Cobbtree imports your clients, services, team and appointment history automatically, flagging anything it needs you to check before it goes live.
Payments & fees
How much does Cobbtree charge on card payments?
Card payments cost 1% of the transaction, capped at £3 - the same rate on every payment, on top of Stripe's own processing fee. Cobbtree doesn't set or take a cut of Stripe's fee.
Can I take a deposit or charge for a late cancellation?
Yes - set a deposit on any service, and set a cancellation notice window with a fee. If a client cancels inside the window, Cobbtree charges the card they saved when they agreed to your policy.
Can I take cards without a card machine?
Yes. Tap to Pay in the Cobbtree Business app takes a contactless card or wallet on a compatible iPhone or Android, in the salon or on the go. At the desk, Cobbtree Pay Terminal takes tap, chip and PIN. Both go on the same till ticket and pay out through Cobbtree Pay.
Book. Manage.
Grow.
First 20 approved businesses get 4 months of Cobbtree free. That replaces the standard 60-day trial. Then From £19 + VAT a month. No setup fee.