The short answer
Use Fresha for appointments, checkout, and getting found by new clients. Use NailNote for what happens in the chair: which exact bottle a regular wore last time, the photo of her set, the custom mix your senior tech invented, and getting the right tech to the front desk. NailNote has no booking or payments, so the two don't overlap much.
Side by side
| NailNote | Fresha | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Client, color, and team app for nail salons | Booking, POS, payments, and a client marketplace |
| Booking and calendar | No - keep your booking app | Yes |
| POS and card payments | No | Yes - in person 2.29% + $0.20, online 2.79% + $0.20 |
| Client notes | Client profiles with visit history, allergies, and notes | Free-text client notes with file/image attachments; appointment notes |
| Visit photos | A photo on every visit; compare two sets side by side (Pro) | Before/after photos saved as files on the client profile |
| Polish colors linked to each visit | Yes - every visit links to bottles in your polish inventory, with bottle codes | Not listed - colors can be typed into free-text notes |
| Color recipes / formulas | Color recipes; steps, coats, variants, and salon-standard recipes on Pro | Not listed as a feature - Fresha names "color formulas" as an example of note text |
| Inventory | Polish inventory per shade: stock in/low/out, shelf location, import from a polish library | Product inventory (SKU, stock levels, reorder); per-shade tracking not listed |
| Team chat | Included on every plan (Free keeps 90 days of history) | Team Connect, a paid add-on at $2.95 per team member/mo |
| Call a tech to the front desk | Yes - Buzz, on every plan | Not listed |
| Vietnamese | Yes - the whole app, chosen per person | App Store lists English only; Fresha's website and help center are in Vietnamese |
| Platforms | iPhone (Android coming soon) | iOS, Android, web |
| Price (as of November 5, 2026) | Free plan; Pro $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr; Business $24.99/mo | Independent $19.95/mo (1 member); Team $14.95 per bookable member/mo; 20% one-time fee (min $6) on new marketplace clients |
"Not listed" means we could not find the feature on the vendor's own website, pricing page, help center, or App Store listing as of November 5, 2026. Prices are US list prices on that date and change often - check the vendor's pricing page before deciding.
Where Fresha is stronger
- Booking and a marketplace. Clients can find and book you through Fresha, and new marketplace clients are charged only once (20%, minimum $6); returning ones are free.
- Payments in one place. Card terminals, online payments, and checkout are built in.
- Before/after photos on the client profile, plus appointment notes.
- Android and web as well as iPhone.
If you need any of these, keep Fresha. NailNote does not replace it.
Where NailNote is different
Colors are records, not notes. Fresha's client notes are free text: you can type "OPI GCH39" into a note, but nothing connects that note to the bottle on your wall, its stock, or the other clients who wore it. In NailNote every visit is linked to real bottles in your polish inventory, with brand, line, and bottle code, so "same color as last time" is one tap, low stock shows before the client sits down, and a discontinued shade tells you exactly which clients are affected.
Built for the team at the front. Buzz calls a specific tech to the desk with a reason ("customer's here," "need a hand") and shows when she is on her way. Team chat lets anyone drop a polish color, recipe, or visit photo into a message.
Vietnamese for everyone who uses it. Each person picks English or Vietnamese inside the app, so an owner, a front desk, and techs can share one salon in two languages.
A free plan that stays free. 1 salon and up to 3 members, with client history, photos, polish inventory, recipes, chat, and Buzz. Pro is $9.99/month.
Using both
- Keep booking and checking out clients in Fresha, as you do today.
- When a client is in the chair, open her in NailNote: last visit, photo, exact colors.
- After the set, log the visit with the bottles used and a photo - about a minute while the top coat cures.
- Use Buzz from the front desk when her next client arrives.
See how polish color tracking works, read why client notes beat memory, or compare all three booking apps.