The True Cost of "Free" Booking Software
Free booking platforms make their money somewhere. Here is what the actual costs look like across the major free options in Australia.
"Free" is one of the most successful marketing words in software. In booking platforms, it means a few different things — none of them actually free.
Model 1: Marketplace commission
The largest "free" platform takes 0% subscription but 20–35% commission on bookings made through their public marketplace. For a salon doing $30,000/month with half of bookings flowing through the marketplace, that's $3,000–$5,000/month in commission. Compared to a $40/month subscription, this model is 75–100x more expensive.
The kicker: clients booked through a marketplace are exposed to your competitors (the marketplace shows them other salons too). You're paying to acquire customers who have one click to leave.
Model 2: Free with their card processor only
Some platforms (notably Square Appointments) are free if you use their built-in card processing. Their rate is around 1.6–1.9% in-person AU. That's competitive — but you're locked in. If you find a cheaper processor (Tyro often beats Square at scale), you can't switch without losing the booking software.
Model 3: Free with paid add-ons
The booking is free, but SMS reminders cost $30/month, deposit collection costs $15/month, multi-staff costs $25/month per staff. By the time you're using the features that matter, you're at $80–$120/month — more than a Trimsy Growth plan.
Model 4: Genuinely free, but unmaintained
Some open-source booking systems are free forever, but require self-hosting, manual updates, and security patching. The "cost" is your weekend, every weekend, plus a server bill. Realistic for technical owners; impractical for the rest.
What Trimsy charges
$19.99/month Essential, $39.99/month Growth. No commission on bookings, ever. Card processing through your own Stripe Connect or Square Terminal at your direct rate. SMS at Twilio cost (~3c per message). No add-on fees.
For a $30k/month salon: $40 for Trimsy + $50 for SMS = $90/month total. Compared to the marketplace model: $3,000–$5,000/month. The math is uncomfortable for the marketplace.
When "free" actually wins
If you're a brand-new salon with zero existing clients and you genuinely need marketplace traffic to get off the ground, the commission model can be worth it for the first 6–12 months. After that, switch.
If you do less than 20 bookings a month or are a hobbyist, free is fine — the savings on a paid subscription don't justify the upgrade.
Everyone in between — the vast majority — is paying more for "free" than they would for a flat subscription.