Seglo vs Fresha: pet bookings, marketplace fees and calls

Full disclosure: we build Seglo. This comparison links Fresha’s own pages, and where they are the better answer it says so.

At a glance

Can you book the steps and pets your shop handles?

Try a groom that uses an assistant, a groomer and a dryer at different times. Also try booking two dogs for the same owner, with separate services and pet notes.

Fresha documents processing time that frees the staff member while “the client is still present”. Blocked time is the opposite: “the client is not present, and the team member is unavailable for new bookings.” If your shop needs a dryer reserved while the groomer is free, ask to see that exact booking setup demonstrated.

In Seglo, each dog has its own record and service. Set extra time for size or coat, choose who does each part and add the equipment needed. Assistant time is optional.

What a new client costs, and what leaving costs

Fresha’s subscription is modest and the marketplace is where the model earns: a “20% one-time commission” on a brand new client, with a “minimum fee of A$8 per client”, charged on their first appointment. Returning clients are free forever, and that is a fair deal as far as it goes.

It still applies if “you or your team cancel an appointment on the client’s behalf”, and if the booking is rescheduled or left unmanaged.

The part to know before you build on it: you cannot leave the marketplace and keep your own booking page. “Unlisting your profile will disable online bookings and any booking links you have, appointments will need to be manually added to your calendar.” The website button, the Instagram link and the QR code on your counter all go with the listing. There is no off switch that leaves your own front door open. Seglo takes nothing on a booking, and your booking page is yours either way.

Where Fresha is the better answer

The marketplace is real distribution. If not enough people know you exist, a one-off commission for an introduction is a fair trade, and we do not have a marketplace at all.

Their in-person card rate of 1.29% plus 26 cents is sharper than most salons get on their own account, and they are further along on reviews, campaigns and payment options. On vaccination expiry neither of us keeps you compliant, so do not switch for that.

Keep the details your returning customers expect

Look at how Fresha prices the marketplace and it tells you what they think they sell: 20% of the first appointment, then “no fee ever” on every visit after it. They charge for the introduction. Which is fair, and it is also the smaller half of a grooming business.

For regular customers, the last cut, handling notes and care cycle matter. Check how easily your next groomer can find those details without asking the owner again.

Keep pet notes and history in Seglo, send photos from the optional phone service and offer cancelled times to eligible waitlist customers. With Grooming Care you see which dogs aren't booked yet, and Auto Book books an owner's next visit. None of it guarantees a full diary.

On Fresha the keeping is priced separately too, at A$89.95 a location for loyalty, A$24.95 for rating boost and A$15.95 a member for insights. You pay to be introduced, then you pay again to hold on.

Compare staff answering and AI cover

Fresha answers it with software. AI Concierge is A$229.95 per location a month on top of the subscription, with 200 minutes included and A$1.38 a minute after that. To use the number already on your shopfront you “will need to set up call forwarding”.

And it has a limit worth knowing before you rely on it: “Booking appointments, or making changes to bookings, can only be done by the client themselves on the phone number that’s connected to their client profile.” So the husband ringing about the family dog, or anyone calling from the shop phone, gets a message taken.

Seglo puts the call in front of your own people, on your own number, the pet and the standing note already on screen. The AI is optional you choose whether to add it. The finished groom goes back as a photograph rather than a link. Why that is rare in Australia.

Which should you pick?

Read from Fresha’s own published pages in August 2026. Products and fees change; if something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it. Fresha is a trademark of its owner and Seglo is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Fresha.