Timma, Fresha or your own site?

Short answer: they solve different problems. A SaaS platform is a client acquisition channel you pay for continuously. An owned site is an asset you pay for once. The question isn't which is better but which you need right now — and for many businesses the answer is both.

Pricing in 2026

Below are publicly available prices as of July 2026. Plans change often, so verify the figures on the provider's own site before deciding. If you want the wider picture of what a website costs in Finland generally, we compiled market prices into a separate guide.

Note the two rows where the blue sits on the other side: marketplace visibility and setup speed. SaaS wins those, and there's no point dressing it up.

What you're paying for with a monthly fee

A monthly fee isn't just software rent. It's access to a stream of clients. Timma and Fresha run marketplaces where people browse providers in their area — and if you're found there, you've gained a client you wouldn't otherwise have had.

So Fresha's 20% commission on new marketplace clients is precisely the price of acquisition. It isn't unreasonable if the platform genuinely brings you new people. It becomes unreasonable when your clients arrive from your own site, your Google profile and word of mouth — then you're paying for an engine you aren't using.

This is the single most important question in the whole comparison: where do your clients come from now? If you don't know, find out before deciding anything.

What you're paying for with a one-time fee

An owned site doesn't bring you clients by itself. It appears in no marketplace and nobody browses it by chance. Its value is of a different kind.

First, the client list is yours. When you want to message the regulars who haven't been in for six months, you can. Second, search authority accumulates on your domain: every article, every link and every search for "barbershop Tampere booking" grows your site rather than the platform's. Third, the price doesn't rise when you hire a third member of staff.

And fourth, less often mentioned: leaving a platform gets more expensive every month. The longer your client list sits on someone else's server, the larger the share of your business that lives there. Ask before signing what format you can get the data out in.

Which one fits your situation

Choose SaaS if: you're starting out and don't yet know whether the concept works; you need POS and inventory from the same package; the marketplace measurably brings you new clients; you have one chair and ten bookings a week.

Choose an owned site if: your client flow is established and comes from your own channels; you want to build search visibility under your own name; you have several staff and per-user pricing starts to bite; you're planning in years rather than months.

Take both if: you want the marketplace as an acquisition channel and your own site as the place returning clients go directly. That way commission is paid only on new people, and your established base stays in your hands. For many service businesses this is the most honest answer.

One figure that applies to every option

Timma itself reports that over half of all bookings are made outside normal working hours. That isn't an argument for any particular system — it's an argument against having no system at all. If your only booking method is a phone during opening hours, half the demand never reaches you, whoever's software you use.

Run your own numbers in the calculator — two minutes, and you'll see how monthly fees and a one-time investment compare in your specific situation.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Timma cost?

Around €20 per month per user, with a discount for larger salons from six users up (Softia, 2025). Older sources mention a €17 base price plus €8 for the POS module. Check current pricing on Timma's own site — these plans change.

Is Fresha free?

Sources disagree. Some report the free tier was removed in 2025, others say it still exists. 2026 price lists consistently show Independent at $19.95/month and Team at $14.95/month per bookable team member. On top of that sits a one-time 20% commission on every new client who finds you through the Fresha marketplace (minimum $6), plus card processing fees.

When is SaaS the better choice?

When you're starting out and don't yet know whether the concept works; when you need POS and inventory in the same package; when the marketplace measurably brings you new clients. For a single chair with ten bookings a week, an owned site may never pay for itself.

When does an owned site make more sense?

When your client flow is established and comes from your own channels; when you want search authority accumulating on your domain; when per-user pricing starts to bite across several staff. €790–2,490 one-time works out to roughly €20–80/month over three years.

Can you use both at once?

Yes, and for many businesses that's the most sensible answer. The marketplace works as an acquisition channel, your own site as where the client relationship lives. They solve different problems and don't exclude each other.

What happens to client data if I switch systems?

Worth establishing before you commit. Ask whether you can export the client list and in what format. GDPR gives you the right to the data, but implementation varies by platform, and the longer you've been on one, the more expensive leaving becomes.