Skip to main content
software

Acuity Scheduling vs Mindbody 2026: Pricing & Features

Acuity Scheduling is a lightweight, affordable scheduling tool best for solo practitioners and small service businesses, while Mindbody is a comprehensive wellness platform with built-in payment processing, marketing, and staff management designed for larger studios and multi-location operations.

AS

Acuity Scheduling

Client management and scheduling software with integrated payments for service professionals.

Solo coaches, therapists, consultants, beauty professionals, and small service businesses (1-5 staff) operating from single location with tight budget constraints

Score63%
VS
M

Mindbody

All-in-one business management platform for wellness studios, gyms, spas, and salons.

Yoga studios, fitness centers, salons, spas, wellness clinics, and multi-location chains (5+ staff) needing comprehensive business management, integrated payments, and marketing automation

Score63%
73 attributes7 differences16 pros/cons

Quick Answer

AI Summary

Acuity Scheduling is a lightweight, affordable scheduling tool best for solo practitioners and small service businesses, while Mindbody is a comprehensive wellness platform with built-in payment processing, marketing, and staff management designed for larger studios and multi-location operations.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Choose Acuity Scheduling if you're a solo service provider, coach, or therapist who values simplicity, low cost, and fast implementation without needing advanced marketing or payment processing features. Choose Mindbody if you operate a yoga studio, fitness center, salon, or wellness business with multiple staff members, multiple locations, or need integrated marketing campaigns and native payment processing for higher transaction volumes.

Community feedback

Was this verdict helpful?

A
Acuity Scheduling
8.6/10
Mindbody
6.4/10
M
A

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

Best pick

Solo coaches, therapists, consultants, beauty professionals, and small service businesses (1-5 staff) operating from single location with tight budget constraints

M

Choose Mindbody if

Yoga studios, fitness centers, salons, spas, wellness clinics, and multi-location chains (5+ staff) needing comprehensive business management, integrated payments, and marketing automation

Track this comparison

Get notified when prices change, new specs ship, or our verdict updates.

Triggers: price change new spec verdict update

No spam. Stop anytime.

Key Differences at a Glance

  • Pricing Model:Acuity Scheduling wins($15-$32/month vs $99-$249/month base + 2% transaction fees)
  • Target Business Size:Solo practitioners & 1-5 staff vs Studios with 5+ staff & multiple locations
  • Built-in Payment Processing:Mindbody wins(Native payment processing (2.19% + $0.99 per transaction) vs Stripe/Square integration required (2.2% fees))
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

25 numeric metrics compared

MetricAcuity SchedulingMindbodyRatio
Setup Time to Launch(minutes)15-30 minutes120-240 minutes
Starting Monthly Cost(USD)$16
No-Show Reduction (Typical)(%)~25% (via reminders)
Starting Monthly Price (USD)(USD)$16
Available Integrations(integrations)500+ (via Zapier + native)
Setup Time to First Booking (minutes)(minutes)30-60 minutes
Mobile App Platforms(count)iOS and Android
Starter Plan Price(USD/month)$15 (Standard)
Setup Time to First Booking(minutes)15-25 minutes
Zapier Integration Count(integrations)150+ apps
Mid-Tier Plan Price(USD)$55
Available API Integrations(count)200+
Average Setup Time(days)1-2 days
Free Trial Period(days)14 days, no credit card
Native Integrations(count)150+
Supported Languages(languages)8
Notification Channels(integrations)4 (SMS, email, WhatsApp, push)
Starting Monthly Price(USD)$16/month$99
Maximum Monthly Price (Premium Tier)(USD)$99
Free Trial Duration(days)14 days3 days
Monthly Cost (Basic Tier)(USD)$15
Third-Party Integrations(integrations)1,000+ (via Zapier)500+ direct + API
Monthly Starting Price(USD)$15$129
Pro Tier Monthly Price(USD)$31/month
Initial Setup Time(minutes)15-20 minutes

Sourced from publicly available data ·

Key Differences

7 attributes compared head-to-head

AS
2Acuity Scheduling
Mindbody leads1 tie
M
4Mindbody
  • Pricing Model

    Acuity Scheduling

    $15-$32/month(winner)

    Mindbody

    $99-$249/month base + 2% transaction fees

  • Target Business Size

    Acuity Scheduling

    Solo practitioners & 1-5 staff

    Mindbody

    Studios with 5+ staff & multiple locations

  • Built-in Payment Processing

    Acuity Scheduling

    Stripe/Square integration required (2.2% fees)

    Mindbody

    Native payment processing (2.19% + $0.99 per transaction)(winner)

  • Marketing Tools Included

    Acuity Scheduling

    Basic email reminders only

    Mindbody

    Email campaigns, SMS marketing, class packages, promotions(winner)

  • Client Mobile App

    Acuity Scheduling

    Web-based scheduling only

    Mindbody

    Native iOS/Android apps with booking & check-in(winner)

  • Setup Time to Launch

    Acuity Scheduling

    15-30 minutes(winner)

    Mindbody

    2-4 hours with onboarding required

  • API & Custom Integrations

    Acuity Scheduling

    Limited (basic Zapier support)

    Mindbody

    Extensive API with 500+ third-party integrations(winner)

Full Comparison

AAcuity Scheduling
MMindbody
Transaction Fees Per Payment(percentage + fixed)
2.2% (Stripe external)
2.19% + $0.99
Starting Monthly Cost(USD)
$16
Transaction Fee (Online Payments)(%)
None (3rd party)
Starting Monthly Price (USD)(USD)
$16
Free Tier Availability(boolean)
No (14-day free trial only)
Show 10 more attributes
Starter Plan Price(USD/month)
$15 (Standard)
Payment Processing Fee (if applicable)(percent + USD)
2.2% + $0.30 (native Acuity processing)
Mid-Tier Plan Price(USD)
$55
Payment Processing Fee(percent + fixed)
None (use Stripe/PayPal separately: 2.9% + $0.30)
Free Plan Available
Perpetual (1 service)
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$16/month
$99
Maximum Monthly Price (Premium Tier)(USD)
$99
Monthly Cost (Basic Tier)(USD)
$15
Monthly Starting Price(USD)
$15
$129
Pro Tier Monthly Price(USD)
$31/month
Setup Time to Launch(minutes)
15-30 minutes
120-240 minutes
Setup Time to First Booking(minutes)
15-25 minutes
Native Mobile App Available(platforms)
Web-based only
iOS + Android apps
Maximum Staff Accounts(users)
Unlimited
Unlimited
Maximum Team Members Supported(staff count)
Unlimited
Unlimited
Multi-Location Support(locations)
Yes (via platform)
Unlimited locations with consolidated reporting
Maximum Clients(unlimited)
Unlimited
Waitlist & Cancellation Policy Support(yes/no)
Yes
Inventory Management
No
Maximum Calendars (Scheduling Types)(count)
Unlimited
Show 28 more attributes
Email Automation Capabilities
Advanced (25+ templates, conditional logic, delays)
Built-in POS System
No (integration required)
Native Inventory Management
No
Client Booking Page Customization
Advanced CSS/HTML editing
Intake Form Conditional Logic
Yes (all plans)
API Access Availability
Yes (Professional tier, $59/month)
Email Marketing Tools Included(boolean)
No
Sales Pipeline Management
Basic (not primary focus)
Appointment Booking Customization(level)
Highly specialized (primary function)
Form Customization Level
Advanced (conditional logic, branching)
Mobile App
iOS and Android
Custom Domain Included
Yes, on all plans
Mobile Apps Available
iOS and Android native apps
Included Staff Members (Basic Plan)(count)
Unlimited
Built-in CRM Capability(scope)
Basic (contacts only)
Loyalty Program / Retail Management(included)
No (requires add-on)
Appointments Per Month (Included)(count)
Unlimited
Third-Party Integrations(integrations)
1,000+ (via Zapier)
500+ direct + API
Custom Form Fields(count)
Unlimited with conditional logic
Client Portal Features(count)
Self-rescheduling, payment history, appointment notes
Native Payment Processing(null)
No (requires third-party)
Yes (built-in)
Integrated Staff Payroll(null)
No
Yes
Multi-Location Dashboard(null)
No
Yes
Built-in Marketing Automation(null)
No (email reminders only)
Payment Processing Integration
Native (Stripe, PayPal, Square)
Client Storage Capacity (Pro)(GB)
Unlimited
Email Marketing Automation
Built-in with sequences
Custom Client Fields(count)
Unlimited custom fields
No-Show Reduction (Typical)(%)
~25% (via reminders)
Available Integrations(integrations)
500+ (via Zapier + native)
Native Integrations(count)
150+
Setup Time to First Booking (minutes)(minutes)
30-60 minutes
Average Setup Time(days)
1-2 days
White-Label/Rebranding Options(level)
Full (complete removal of branding)
Payment Processing Fees(%)
2.9% + $0.30
Mobile App Platforms(count)
iOS and Android
Automated Marketing Tools
Basic (via integrations)
Built-in Email Marketing
Full campaign builder included
Unlimited promotional campaigns
Zapier Integration Count(integrations)
150+ apps
Available API Integrations(count)
200+
Free Trial Period(days)
14 days, no credit card
Free Trial Duration(days)
14 days
3 days
Supported Languages(languages)
8
Notification Channels(integrations)
4 (SMS, email, WhatsApp, push)
API Access
Available on paid plans
Custom Domain Support
Yes (all plans)
Mobile App Staff Features(scope)
Booking view only
Initial Setup Time(minutes)
15-20 minutes

Pros & Cons

10 pros·6 cons across both

AS
M
AS

Acuity Scheduling

+5-3

Pros

  • Starting at $15/month makes it affordable for solo practitioners
  • 15-30 minute setup requires minimal technical knowledge
  • Unlimited appointments and clients on all paid plans
  • Integrates with 500+ apps via Zapier including Google Calendar and Stripe
  • No transaction fees when using external payment processors

Cons

  • No native payment processing requires additional integration setup
  • Limited marketing tools compared to enterprise competitors
  • No native mobile app forces clients to use web browser
M

Mindbody

+5-3

Pros

  • Built-in payment processing with integrated billing eliminates third-party setup
  • Native iOS and Android apps enable client self-service check-in and booking
  • Email and SMS marketing campaigns with class package promotions built-in
  • Staff management with role-based permissions and performance reporting
  • Multi-location support with consolidated reporting across all facilities

Cons

  • Base pricing at $99-$249/month plus 2.19% + $0.99 per transaction significantly increases costs
  • 4-8 hour onboarding process and training required before going live
  • Steep learning curve with complex interface for users unfamiliar with enterprise systems

Frequently Asked Questions

5 questions

  1. Acuity Scheduling would cost $32/month (Elite plan with unlimited staff) plus external payment processing fees around 2.2%. Mindbody would cost approximately $149/month base plus 2.19% + $0.99 per client transaction, making it 4-5x more expensive monthly for similar functionality, though with more built-in features like native payment processing and marketing tools.

12 more to explore

5 articles

Explore More

Related comparisons and categories

AI generated