Mindbody is the dominant fitness/wellness scheduling platform — yoga studios, Pilates studios, gyms, wellness centres. It’s also the most-complained-about platform in this category for several specific reasons:
- High cost ($129-499+/month)
- Commission on Mindbody-sourced clients
- Platform-controlled customer data
- Slow customer support
- Complex migrations off
If you’re considering leaving Mindbody, here’s the lay of the land.
The migration challenge
Mindbody is hard to leave for these reasons:
- Customer data export is limited
- Class-pack credits don’t transfer cleanly
- Existing customers expect the Mindbody app
- Switching requires re-training staff and customers
Plan for 30-60 days of overlap when migrating.
1. Glofox — direct Mindbody competitor
Best for: boutique fitness studios that want a similar feature set without Mindbody’s quirks.
Pricing: Custom — typically $150-300/month.
Strengths:
- Built for fitness studios specifically
- Class scheduling, memberships, packs
- Good mobile app
- Fewer “platform”-style commissions
Weaknesses:
- Pricing isn’t transparent
- Still expensive at scale
- Less mature than Mindbody
2. Wellness Living — comprehensive platform
Best for: multi-location wellness chains.
Pricing: Custom — typically $99-300/month.
Strengths:
- Comparable feature depth to Mindbody
- Better customer support reputation
- Multi-location native
- Marketing automation built-in
Weaknesses:
- Steep learning curve
- Pricing not public
3. ABC Glofox / ABC Fitness Solutions — enterprise gyms
Best for: large gyms / chain fitness operations.
Pricing: Enterprise — quoted.
Strengths:
- Enterprise-grade
- Member management, billing, retention features
- Integrates with gym hardware (entry systems, etc.)
Weaknesses:
- Overkill for small studios
- Long sales cycle
- Implementation cost
4. Acuity Scheduling — for smaller wellness operations
Best for: solo / small wellness practitioners (yoga teachers, individual therapists).
Pricing: $20-61/month.
Strengths:
- Significantly cheaper than Mindbody
- Recurring appointments
- Class scheduling
- Package billing
Weaknesses:
- Not built specifically for fitness
- No retail/membership-card features
- Limited marketing automations
5. Zedule — booking layer for solo / small studios
Best for: solo yoga teachers, small Pilates studios, 1-2 trainer operations.
Pricing: $100/year flat.
Strengths:
- $100/year vs Mindbody’s $1,500-6,000+/year
- Custom domain (
book.yourstudio.com) - BYO email + SMS providers
- Class bookings with capacity
- No marketplace, no commissions
Weaknesses:
- Newer, less mature than Mindbody for membership/retail
- No retail / point-of-sale features
- No native gym hardware integrations
6. ClassPass — distribution-only
Best for: studios willing to give up control for distribution.
Pricing: Free to list; ClassPass takes 50%+ of each booking.
Strengths:
- Massive distribution
- ClassPass handles the booking flow
- New-customer acquisition
Weaknesses:
- Heavy revenue share
- You’re competing on a marketplace
- Customer data isn’t yours
7. Booksy / Vagaro — for fitness-adjacent
Best for: personal trainers, small studios.
Pricing: $29-90/month.
Strengths:
- Built for service businesses with mobile-first customers
- Marketplace presence
Weaknesses:
- Less fitness-specific (no class-pack billing natively)
- Marketplace fees apply
Quick comparison
| Tool | Studio cost (1 location, /yr) | Marketplace fees | Class booking | Membership billing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mindbody Essential | $1,548 | Yes (Mindbody app) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mindbody Accelerate | $3,588 | Yes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mindbody Ultimate | $5,988+ | Yes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Glofox | ~$1,800-3,600 | None | ✅ | ✅ |
| Wellness Living | ~$1,200-3,600 | None | ✅ | ✅ |
| Acuity Powerhouse | $732 | None | ✅ | Limited |
| Zedule | $100 | None | ✅ | ❌ (V2) |
| ClassPass | Free | 50%+ | ✅ | N/A |
Migration strategy
If you’re leaving Mindbody:
Step 1: Export everything. Customer list, class history, package balances. Mindbody’s export is incomplete; manually pull what’s missing.
Step 2: Run dual-platform for 30-60 days. Existing customers stay on Mindbody until their pack expires; new customers go on the new platform.
Step 3: Communicate the change. Email all customers a clear migration plan. Show them what to expect, how to use the new platform, when the switch is complete.
Step 4: Honour outstanding credits. Track Mindbody-purchased credits in a spreadsheet; manually deduct from class bookings on the new platform. Painful but customer-protective.
Step 5: Cancel Mindbody after 60-90 days. Don’t cancel until all packs have expired or migrated.
Which to pick
- Multi-location chain: Wellness Living or Glofox.
- Mid-sized boutique studio: Glofox or Mindbody (if you can afford it).
- Solo / very small studio: Zedule or Acuity.
- Wide distribution priority: ClassPass (with caveats).
For most solo / small studios leaving Mindbody for cost, Zedule is the closest minimal alternative.