Mindbody Alternatives 2024: Finding the Best Fitness Studio Software
Once upon a time, Mindbody was the only real option for studio scheduling software. Being the first to market gave them a huge competitive advantage as they had a head start for feature development. However, that’s no longer the case, and there are now a handful of solid options, each with its own different strengths. So if you’re looking for software similar to Mindbody, my Mindbody alternatives list is exactly what you need.
Let’s get into it.
Mindbody Alternatives: How I Chose My Recommendations
When looking at what options are available and would be the best suited for your studio, it’s important to remember that each business is unique and will have its own “must-have” list in terms of features.
For the purpose of this list, I focused on what I consider to be the three main criteria you should be thinking about:
Client experience: do the website widgets and app options make it easy for prospects and clients to book + buy?
Marketing tool integration: how will you communicate with your clients? What email and SMS marketing capabilities exist within, or integrate with, the software.
Usefulness of financial reports: Can you see and understand key performance indicators (KPIs) related to your business operations?
Special thanks to the following fellow fitness business consultants for their input on this post: Nicole at Spark Strategies, Catalina at Telomere Consulting, Michael Jay at Yoga Biz Camp and Nina Israel at Taryn Financial… as well as many of my clients who shared software thoughts with me!
You know best what your studio needs so the guide below was created to be a starting point for when researching your options.
What to Look for on a Software Demo
When creating this list, one of the first things I thought about was how critical it is to ask the right questions during your software demos before signing up.
Software demos can often woo you with great interfaces for you and your staff to build class schedules and create pricing options. While on the surface that seems really attractive (and yes, it’s important — we all like things that make our business operations easy!), providing a streamlined experience for YOUR CLIENTS is even more important.
Think about the big picture: if your clients can book and buy online with ease, your support requests go down, which is a win for your business and employees.
Plus, your staff is getting paid to learn to become proficient with your business systems, whereas your clients are paying you to interact with the system. That distinction should make it clear who should be prioritized when choosing the software.
With that in mind, when demoing software, ask to see the end customer’s interface so you have a solid understanding of what their experience will really be like. They should also be able to show you examples of real clients websites and how they work with the booking software.
Tip: you can also check out the Pixality website design portfolio to check out fitness studio website’s integrated with a variety of softwares (use the middle filter if you’re researching a specific software integration)
Questions to ask when evaluating new software:
Do you offer website widgets?
Can I embed core scheduling features on my website? If so, are there limitations?
Are your widgets responsive? Be honest… are they glitchy?
Can I make a purchase without leaving the studio’s website, or will I be redirected to a booking page?
As a new customer, can I make the first purchase and create a profile in the same checkout transaction?
As a new customer, can I make a “free class” purchase without entering my credit card info?
Can I redirect clients to a thank you page after purchase or booking?
If so, can I specify different thank you pages for different activities?
Do you offer a mobile app?
If so, what limitations are on it?
Can I sell there?
Do you show my business alongside my competitors?
Can I see examples of your website widgets?
Do they load properly?
How can they be customized to fit my brand?
The missing piece: integrated marketing
While having a great booking experience is a top priority, there’s also another piece of the puzzle you’ll want to consider: what you’ll use for your email and SMS marketing.
This decision is integral to your booking software decision because these two things must work together and be able to “talk” in order to send timely relevant marketing messages.
For example, you may want auto generated messages that go out at specific trigger points, like “Congrats on your 5th class!” or “We haven’t seen you in a while!.”
When you’re exploring Mindbody alternatives, be sure to ask what marketing platforms the software works with and get a demo of those as well.
In the Mindbody alternatives 2023 table below, I’ve made sure to share some details on marketing platform pairings with each scheduling software option.
Don’t forget about reporting!
While it’s not always the most glamorous or exciting thing to think about when running a business, having good reporting to help you make informed decisions is necessary for your success. If your studio software doesn’t give you the financial data you need, you’re going to be at a disadvantage.
When looking at reporting functions, some of the most common KPIs studio owners focus on include:
Number of first visits
Number of intro offers sold
Client retention rate
Average class attendance
Revenue per client
Revenue by service or class
Unpaid Visits
Account Balances
Last Visit / No Return
Autopay Detail and Summary
Payroll
Visits Remaining
Pricing Options Expiring
Payouts / Settlement reports
Best Studio Scheduling Software Similar to Mindbody
Before we dive into looking at which platforms made my Mindbody alternatives 2024 list, I want to note that this list was created with as little bias as possible. While a couple of these platforms are listed as affiliate links, at Pixality, we work with any scheduling software you choose and integrate it with your website the best way given the integration options available.
Top 4 Mindbody alternatives (in no particular order):
*Prices are included here to the best of my knowledge at the time of this article being published. Prices can vary significantly depending on your add-on needs so be sure to clarify pricing on your demo calls.
Walla
Pros: Leadership is in-tune with the industry and features are being built with intention. End customer interface (easy purchase experience) is best in class and backend is a pleasure to navigate. New built-in marketing suite allows you to email and text clients.
Cons: Features aren't fully built out yet. Expect some glitches here and there, and Support sometimes struggles to keep up.
Price for 1 location: $320+
*use that link ↑ to get started and you’ll get $200 off your first month. Thanks to Walla for offering that for Pixality readers!
Sweat Circuit
Walla-integrated website by Pixality
Momence
Pros: Extensive feature set means great value for the studio that offers a lot of things. As close to an all-in-one platform as a studio will find. Reliable support.
Cons: Booking and purchase links take customers off your website to complete transaction. Fee structure (see below) can be a big negative for high revenue businesses. Built-in marketing suite is only option for automated email/sms. Does not integrate with other marketing tools other than basic zapier endpoints.
Price for 1 location: $300/mo+ … Momence also charges an extra % on top of stripe fees so be sure to calculate that for your business.
West Coast Sweat
Momence-integrated website by Pixality
fitDEGREE
Pros: Competitive price-point and best support you’ll find. Deep integration with CRM fave LoopSpark provides excellent marketing solution. Nice focus on connecting community via social features in their app design. Take a look at their reviews on sourceforge for detailed pros and cons of fitDEGREE.
Cons: No VOD, or payment plans for enrollments, so may not be enough for larger studios with multiple revenue streams.
Price for 1 location: $150/mo ($300/mo with branded app)
Inner Strength Pilates
fitDEGREE-integrated website by Pixality
Mariana Tek
Pros: Slick class-booking client interface including pick-a-spot booking options, early booking window memberships and bring-a-guest functionality. Best-in-class marketing and automation integrations with your choice of tools (Brandbot, Mailchimp, LoopSpark and more!)
Cons: Best for class-only businesses. Not a good option if you offer things other than classes (ie. appointments, enrollments, VOD) unless you want to integrate with third party tools for those features.
Price for 1 location: not published
Toronto Yoga Co.
Mariana Tek-integrated website by Pixality
*denotes affiliate link. I may get a small kickback if you use that link to sign-up, which helps me to continue to create content like this.
Core Feature Comparisons
| Software | In studio classes | Livestream classes | Appointments | Enrollments | App |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walla | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Momence | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| fitDEGREE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MarianaTek | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Additional Feature Comparisons
| Software | VOD Library | VOD Courses | POS Retail | Online Retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walla | Yes | Yes | Yes (but no inventory mgt) | No |
| Momence | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| fitDEGREE | No | No | Yes (but no inventory mgt) | No |
| MarianaTek | No | No | Yes | No |
Marketing Tool Comparisons
| Software | Marketing tool options | |
|---|---|---|
| Walla | Built in marketing suite allows for automated email, 2-way SMS and email newsletters. Basic Zapier hooks can pass subscriber status to other popular tools (Mailchimp, Convertkit, Loopspark etc) | |
| Momence | Built in marketing suite has automated email, 2-way sms and in-app communications as well as basic task automations. Has basic zapier endpoints for subscriber status but otherwise you'll want to use the built-in solution for lead management and outreach. | |
| fitDEGREE | Automated email, 2-way SMS, and staff task management via LoopSpark as well as direct integrations to MailChimp and Perkville. Their Zapier integration also allows basic webhooks that can pass subscriber info to other popular tools (Flodesk, Convertkit etc) | |
| MarianaTek | The best marketing tool options of the bunch. Deep integrations allow for automated emails and 2-way SMS with a variety of tools: Brandbot, Fitgrid, Loyalsnap, Mailchimp, Referrizer, LoopSpark and more. |
Honorable mention
If you are a solo practitioner, Acuity Scheduling is probably a great fit for you. It is significantly cheaper and with it you can offer classes and appointments, process payments, sell memberships and class/appointment packages + it has a zoom integration.
If you primarily offer classes for kids (gymnastics, cheer, swim schools, youth sports performance training etc), check out iClassPro— this is a new one that is looking promising to solve for a major weakness in most other softwares— family accounts!
Others to consider
The following software solutions didn’t make my list for a variety of reasons but they might still be viable options for your studio so I include them here for your own research:
OfferingTree (good for personal brand teachers, especially those with a virtual component)
Vagaro (appt-based solo practitioners)
Arketa (feature-rich + good pricing option for personal trainers who have outgrown Acuity Scheduling)
Or… is Mindbody still right for your studio? I know, I know…. you’re here because you’re looking for Mindbody alternatives. But Mindbody might still be a good option for your studio if your systems are already set up there and you’re experienced with the software and know it’s quirks and workarounds already. Mindbody also has infrastructure in place for franchise operations, so if franchising is in your future, Mindbody may be your best bet. If you aren’t excited about moving everything someplace else, there is hope on the horizon for Mindbody. A massive company restructuring at the end of 2022 promises a reallocation of resources to improving the core software and support in 2023 and beyond.
Mindbody Alternatives 2023: What About Virtual Studio Software?
Whether you’re looking for a platform that caters to on-demand video libraries, live streaming or courses, the market has several options to choose from. Each one requires different tech set-ups and offers different benefits and challenges, so just like any other studio software, doing some research to find your best fit is important.
In a previous post, I provided a rundown of various video-on-demand platforms, focusing on some of the key features to help readers make an informed decision.
If virtual studio software is what you need, you can read the whole post right here.
Integrating your studio scheduling software with your website
Having read this post so far, you’re likely thinking…how will I integrate this with my website? Or maybe you don’t even have a website up and running yet. And that’s okay!
If you’re still choosing which website software platform is right for you, or you’re considering changing your current platform, I highly recommend considering Squarespace.
Your website software will be your marketing hub and house the functionality of whatever scheduler you choose, so it’s in your best interest to understand how everything can work together.
Here are just a few of the reasons I recommend Squarespace to my clients:
No security concerns.
No updating software.
Great customer service.
Mobile friendly.
A drag and drop interface.
Cost effective.
And more!
To find out more about choosing Squarespace for your website platform, you can read this blog post.
Migrating software & refreshing your online booking experience in 2024?
Pixality can help!
Need some help choosing a fitness studio software and building a website that gets your studio noticed?
At Pixality, we work with all kinds of fitness studio softwares and offer our clients assistance with their software integrations. We’ve worked with over 300 fitness, yoga, and Pilates professionals to create easy-to-manage websites that reflect their brand vibe and goals.
If you’d like to chat about how I can help, contact me to get started.
