Best online schedulers for fitness & wellness businesses
Updated: Feb 2022
Let’s talk online schedulers…
This is something that comes up a lot and finding the best online scheduler is definitely an essential part of creating a website that really works for your fitness and wellness business. There are a ton of scheduling options to choose from and each of the top softwares have their own set of features and focus. I encourage you to do your research and give a few a try to see what you like. Most online schedulers have free trials available and the ones I recommend below also have excellent customer support and sales teams that can help you get started.
Classes or Appointments?
In person or Virtual?
Before you start booking demos though, get clear on two things:
Is your business primarily class-based or appointment-based?
Are your offers primarily in person or virtual?
I’m sure for most of you, it’s a combo of all above, and that’s good to note as well, but give some thought to what your priority scheduling needs are, because that will help you choose the software that’s going to work with your business for the long run.
Here are my picks for the best fitness & wellness scheduling softwares out there:
Mindbody*— best for class-based studios who offer both classes + appointments and are mostly in person.
Mindbody has been the long-time industry-leader for class-based businesses and can handle just about everything for businesses that have a lot going on. If you have a complex business that offers a variety of scheduling options (classes, appointments, enrollments etc), this may be your best choice. A few features that MINDBODY software includes: payroll management, staff profiles, built-in analytics and reporting, cross-regional set-up and a mobile app. You can sell physical products, class packs, memberships and gift cards and schedule classes, appointments and workshops, including series of workshops (like yoga teacher trainings). Additionally, if you add-on their Virtual Wellness Platform (extra cost) you can also livestream classes and have video-on-demand access for your clients. It IS robust and therefore has a steep learning curve, but its feature set can't be beat. Using Mindbody? Click here to view my Complete Guide to Integrating MINDBODY on your Squarespace website.
Walla* — best for studios that have a hybrid virtual / in person schedule
Relative newcomer to the studio scheduling space, Walla is the platform I’d use if I was opening a studio right now. It’s feature set is still being built out but what they do have is really really nice. I love the modern booking experience and how virtual + in person options are seamlessly integrated. The team behind Walla is very good at listening to their clients and prioritizing adding things that studio owners actually want so I see this software evolving in exactly the right direction over time. Their support has been excellent as well. To see an example, check out this studio website that incorporated bookings with Walla.
Mariana Tek* — best for class-only studios
Mariana Tek sets the standard for class based scheduling and is popular with cycling studios, treadmill studios and other botique fitness studios that are solely class-based. Their widgets offer “pick a spot” functionality and thier integration with your Squarespace website is embeded directly on the pages. Check out the Chromacore website for an example of Mariana Tek on a Squarespace site.
Arketa — best for studios and solo instructors who are leaning heavily into virtual offers
Arketa is a new add to the list (as of 2022) given the industry changes and shifting of some studios to virtual / video products and offerings. If your future studio plans are to move more into virtual offers, then Arketa may be a good place for you to be. Arketa is also a great option for solo instructors and personal trainers looking to build as online community around their fitness products.
Booker— best for salons and spas.
Booker has long been a great option for appointment-based businesses, but now is owned by Mindbody and is getting event better as they merge and share features and marketing tools. With Booker your clients can book multiple services at one time, enjoy paperless check-in and get text reminders for upcoming appointments. Major drawbacks are a) Booker is not HIPPA compliant so may not be an option for your medSpa or integrative health practice. b) Your customer booking page cannot be embedded onto your own website. To book an appointment, a new browser tab will open on your customers computer. (acceptable, but not ideal). Curious about both Booker and Mindbody? You can request a demo call here. If you use that form (it’s my partner form) and you end up using either platform, I’ll give you a free strategy call.
Acuity (aka Squarespace Scheduling)— best for solo/ personal brand instructors and practitioners
Yoga teachers, fitness trainers, massage therapists, acupuncturists—this one’s for you. Acuity is easy to set-up and manage, and has a really well-designed schedule widget you can embed on your website. I also love the options it gives you to suggest add-on services for someone as they're booking an appointment (ie. I go to schedule a massage and they ask if I want to add an additional scalp massage add-on for $15....um, yes—always!) Acuity can handle both on-line appointments via video teleconferencing (ie. zoom) and in-person ones, as well as multiple locations and the occasional group class. Clients can cancel or reschedule their appointments themselves and receive automated reminder emails. If you use Squarespace as your website platform, you can sign up for Acuity right from the Scheduling tab within Squarespace. Here’s an example of a yoga teacher website using Acuity.
Others to check out:
With a decision as big as what's going to run your business I encourage you to do your research and figure out what the best fit for you is. Pricing, features, support and focus vary for all scheduling tools and what's right for your neighboring studio might not be right for your business. Here's a list of alternatives that I have clients who are happy with:
Class based: Wellness Living, FitDegree,
Appointment based: Calendly
Whichever software you choose, it's increasingly important to offer online booking to your customers and clients, so if you don't already have a system in place I'd make it a priority for your business. If you’re looking for a new website or need a website refresh to integrate your scheduler, get in touch. I’m happy to work with you to integrate whatever scheduler you ultimately choose.
*denotes affiliate links