Free booking software for a solo salon: what “free” actually includes
Biseo's Free plan costs A$0 a month with no time limit, and it's built for a salon run by one person. It includes online bookings, the calendar, your customer list, an AI assistant (a chatbot) on your booking page and email confirmations, with no commission on any booking. What it doesn't include is a second team member, reminder messages, deposits and the other Growth plan features. If you work alone and your clients are happy with an email confirmation, it can be all you need.
Biseo is booking software for beauty salons in Australia, in Korean and English. This post sets out exactly where the Free plan stops, so there are no surprises later.
What to check in any free booking plan
“Free” can mean very different things. Before you move your clients over, check:
- Who it's for. Some free plans allow only one team member, so they stop working the day you hire someone.
- What the messages cost. Every text costs the software company money, so check whether a free plan sends texts at all, and what each one costs you.
- Whether bookings carry a fee. Some platforms are free to use but take a commission on bookings that come through their marketplace.
- What clients get after booking. Check whether reminders and change or cancellation messages are included, or only the first confirmation.
- Whose name is on the page. Check whether your booking page shows the software's branding.
What Biseo's Free plan includes
- Online booking page: clients choose a service, a time and book themselves. Switch it on in your booking settings.
- Calendar and customer list: every booking and client in one place, including visit history. You can import your client list from a CSV file exported from your old software.
- The AI assistant on your booking page: it answers clients' questions about your services, prices and hours and takes bookings, in Korean or English, using the basic model for up to 100 replies a month.
- Email confirmations: clients get an email when their booking is confirmed, at no cost.
- Mini-site: a simple page about your salon, with a Biseo watermark.
- Daily settlement, services with options, opening hours and two-factor sign-in: the same as on every other plan.
- 0% commission: Biseo has no marketplace, so no booking ever carries a fee.
Where it stops
- One team member. The Free plan is for you alone. Adding a second person needs Starter or above.
- No included message credits. Kakao Alimtalk, WhatsApp and SMS need notification credits, and Free includes none. You can buy a credit pack at any time. Until you do, confirmations go out by email only, so clients must give an email address when they book.
- A confirmation, not reminders. On Free, clients get a message when they book. Reminders before the appointment and messages when a booking is changed or cancelled start on Growth.
- Growth features. Deposits through Stripe, loyalty points, the waitlist, time-based pricing, automatic Google review requests and the AI assistant on your KakaoTalk channel all need the Growth plan or above.
When it's worth upgrading
| What's changed | Plan that covers it |
|---|---|
| You've hired your first staff member | Starter |
| You want texts or Alimtalk without buying packs | Starter (monthly credits included) |
| No-shows are costing you and you want reminders or deposits | Growth |
| Clients message you on KakaoTalk and you want the AI to answer there | Growth |
Prices, monthly allowances and add-on pack prices for each plan are on our pricing page.
Running a salon on your own? Start free, switch on your booking page, and share the link in your Instagram profile.