Mindbody
Mindbody (Business management software + consumer booking app for the wellness industry) Mindbody is the leading business-management software platform for the fitness, wellness, salon and spa industries — and the consumer-facing booking app that pairs with it.
The platform consists of two complementary products: **Mindbody Business**, the software used by gym, yoga studio, salon and spa owners to handle scheduling, payments, marketing, staff management and reporting; and **the Mindbody app**, the consumer-facing iOS and Android app that lets end users discover and book classes, treatments and appointments at hundreds of thousands of wellness businesses worldwide.
Founded in 2001 in San Luis Obispo, California by Rick Stollmeyer and Blake Beltram (originally under the working name "HardBody", renamed to MINDBODY in 2005), the company became the category-defining platform for boutique fitness and wellness during the 2010s. After listing on the NASDAQ in 2015, Mindbody was taken private by Vista Equity Partners in a $1.9 billion acquisition in 2019. In 2021 Mindbody acquired ClassPass and now operates the combined consumer marketplace under both the Mindbody and ClassPass brands.
Overview
Mindbody Business — the software platform
Mindbody Business is the operations system for a wellness business. The core modules cover class and appointment scheduling, point-of-sale and payment processing, customer relationship management, automated marketing (email, SMS, push), staff scheduling and payroll, retail inventory, gift cards, memberships and contracts, and a full reporting suite. Pricing is tiered — Essential, Accelerate, Ultimate and Ultimate Plus — with payment-processing fees billed separately on transactions.
The Mindbody app — for end consumers
The Mindbody app (iOS and Android) is the consumer-facing side. It catalogues hundreds of thousands of wellness businesses globally — gyms, yoga studios, pilates studios, salons, spas, wellness clinics — and lets users discover, book and pay for classes and appointments. Since Mindbody acquired ClassPass in 2021 the supply pool is shared between both apps, and users with active ClassPass credits can spend them inside the Mindbody app.
The staff module
The "Mindbody staff" piece of the platform handles staff scheduling, commission tracking, payroll exports, performance reporting and a dedicated Mindbody Staff App that lets instructors and stylists view their schedule, check clients in, run sales and message customers from their phone — without needing access to the full owner console.
Customer service
Mindbody offers 24/7 customer support to paid business customers through phone (+1 877 755 4279 in the U.S.), live chat inside the Mindbody Business app, email at support@mindbodyonline.com, and a documentation site at support.mindbodyonline.com. Higher-tier plans (Ultimate / Ultimate Plus) include priority queue access and a named onboarding specialist.
History
Mindbody was founded in April 2001 in San Luis Obispo, California, U.S. by Rick Stollmeyer (Co-founder & former CEO) and Blake Beltram (Co-founder).
Mindbody was founded in 2001 in San Luis Obispo, California by Rick Stollmeyer and Blake Beltram, originally under the name "HardBody SF". The company rebranded to MINDBODY in 2005 and spent the next decade becoming the default operations software for boutique fitness studios, salons, spas and wellness businesses in North America and (later) globally.
Mindbody went public on the NASDAQ in June 2015. In December 2018 Vista Equity Partners announced a $1.9 billion all-cash acquisition that completed in February 2019, taking the company private. Vista installed Josh McCarter — co-founder of Booker, a separate salon-software platform Vista had previously acquired — as CEO. McCarter has remained CEO since.
In October 2021 Mindbody acquired ClassPass, the consumer fitness-class marketplace, in a stock-and-cash deal. The two businesses now operate as one company: Mindbody Business serves studio owners, the Mindbody app + ClassPass app share a unified consumer-side marketplace, and ClassPass credits are interchangeable across both apps. The combined entity is the largest single supply pool of bookable wellness inventory in the industry.
Features
Mindbody offers the following capabilities:
- Class & appointment scheduling. Core scheduling engine for one-on-one appointments, group classes, workshops and series. Supports waitlists, multi-resource bookings (equipment + room + instructor) and recurring class templates.
- Integrated payment processing. In-house payment processing for credit cards, ACH, gift cards and stored-credit packages. Per-transaction fees apply on top of the subscription. Apple Pay, Google Pay and recurring autopay supported.
- Staff management ("Mindbody Staff"). Staff scheduling, time-clock, commission tracking, payroll exports (to Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks) and a dedicated iOS/Android Mindbody Staff App for instructors and stylists.
- Memberships, packages and contracts. Auto-renewing memberships, class packs, gift cards and prepaid contracts with built-in collections workflows for failed payments.
- Consumer-side Mindbody app. iOS + Android app with hundreds of thousands of wellness businesses. Listing in the consumer app is included on every business plan — the discovery channel is one of Mindbody's key selling points.
- Marketing automation. Email and SMS campaigns triggered by client behaviour (first visit, lapsed, birthday). AI-suggested win-back campaigns for inactive customers. Available from the Accelerate tier upward.
- ClassPass integration. Since the 2021 acquisition, Mindbody businesses can accept ClassPass credits without a separate integration. Inventory is automatically syndicated across both apps.
- Branded business app. White-labelled iOS + Android app branded to the business (separate from the consumer Mindbody app). Available on Ultimate and Ultimate Plus tiers.
Use cases
- Boutique fitness studio operations (Gym / studio owners). Run a single-location yoga, pilates or HIIT studio end-to-end — class schedule, instructor payroll, member contracts, point-of-sale retail. The original Mindbody use case.
- Salon & spa booking (Salon owners). Multi-resource appointment booking (stylist + chair + colour station), tip handling, gift card sales and rebooking automation.
- Multi-location wellness franchises (Franchise operators). Centralised reporting, dynamic pricing per location, shared customer database, and ClassPass syndication across all locations from one platform.
- Consumer discovery + booking (End consumers). Use the Mindbody app to find a yoga class, drop-in gym session, spa appointment or salon booking in any city — pay with stored cards or ClassPass credits.
- Independent practitioner billing (Solo coaches / therapists). Use the Essential plan for solo trainers, massage therapists, acupuncturists or physiotherapists who need scheduling + payments without the full operations toolkit.
Pricing
Mindbody uses a subscription pricing model, starting at From $129/month (Essential). The product offers a 14-day free trial.
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $129 /month | Entry plan for solo practitioners and small studios. Covers scheduling, payments and basic customer management — but not the full marketing / automation toolkit.
|
| Accelerate | $249 /month | For growing studios that need marketing automation and staff scheduling on top of the basics. Most-popular tier per Mindbody sales reps.
|
| Ultimate | $349 /month | For multi-location studios and franchises. Adds advanced reporting, dynamic pricing and priority support.
|
| Ultimate Plus | $529 /month | Top tier — for chains, franchises and high-volume studios that need API access, AI-driven pricing recommendations and a named success manager.
|
Mindbody vs Vagaro
The table below contrasts Mindbody with Vagaro (www.vagaro.com) on a few key dimensions.
| Dimension | Mindbody | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $129 / month (Essential) | $30 / month (single user) — scales with user count |
| Pricing model | Flat tier subscription regardless of staff count | Per-user — adds ~$10–$25 per additional staff member |
| Consumer-side app | Mindbody app + ClassPass (combined supply pool) | Vagaro consumer app (smaller supply pool) |
| Primary verticals | Fitness, yoga, pilates, salon, spa, wellness — broadest coverage | Salon, spa, fitness — leans salon/spa-first |
| Payment processing | Mindbody Payments (in-house) | Vagaro Pay or Stripe / Square |
| Customer support | 24/7 phone + chat on paid plans · +1 877 755 4279 | 24/7 phone + chat (see vagaro.com for current number) |
| API access | Yes — included on Ultimate Plus | Yes — included on every plan |
| Best for | Mid-size to enterprise boutique fitness / wellness with multiple locations | Solo practitioners and small salons where per-user pricing is cheaper |
Platforms & tech
- Supported platforms: Web (Mindbody Business console), iOS, Android.
- Deployment: cloud, ios, android.
- Built with: Ruby, JavaScript, TypeScript, Swift, Kotlin.
Integrations
Mindbody integrates with 13 third-party tools:
Awards & recognition
- G2 — Leader, Spa Management Software (2024)
References
- "Mindbody Business — official site". mindbodyonline.com.
- "Mindbody pricing — official plans". mindbodyonline.com.
- "Mindbody Support — official help centre". support.mindbodyonline.com.
- "ClassPass (Mindbody-owned consumer marketplace)". classpass.com.
External links
Frequently asked questions
- What is Mindbody?
- Mindbody is the leading business-management software for fitness studios, gyms, salons, spas and wellness businesses, plus the consumer-facing app that lets end users discover and book classes and appointments at hundreds of thousands of those businesses. Founded in 2001 in San Luis Obispo, California, Mindbody was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2019 in a $1.9 billion deal and acquired ClassPass in 2021 — the two consumer apps now share a unified supply pool.
- What is the Mindbody app?
- The Mindbody app is the consumer-facing iOS and Android app that lets end users find and book classes, treatments and appointments at fitness studios, salons, spas and wellness businesses. Since the 2021 ClassPass acquisition, the Mindbody app shares supply with the ClassPass app and accepts ClassPass credits. It is free for consumers; businesses pay separately for their Mindbody Business subscription.
- How much does Mindbody pricing cost?
- Mindbody Business has four published tiers: Essential at $129 per month, Accelerate at $249 per month, Ultimate at $349 per month, and Ultimate Plus at $529 per month. Payment processing fees are billed separately on top of every tier. There is no perpetual free version; a 14-day free trial is available. Mindbody historically gates exact pricing behind a sales demo, so the published numbers can shift — check the official pricing page at mindbodyonline.com/business/pricing for current figures.
- What is the Mindbody customer service phone number?
- The Mindbody customer service phone number is +1 877 755 4279 in the U.S. — available 24/7 to paid Mindbody Business customers. Other support channels include live chat inside the Mindbody Business app, email at support@mindbodyonline.com, and the documentation site at support.mindbodyonline.com. Higher-tier plans (Ultimate and Ultimate Plus) include priority queue access and a named onboarding specialist.
- How does Mindbody handle staff?
- The Mindbody staff toolkit includes staff scheduling, a time-clock module, commission tracking, payroll exports to Gusto / ADP / QuickBooks, and a dedicated Mindbody Staff App for iOS and Android. The Staff App lets instructors, trainers and stylists view their schedule, check clients in, run point-of-sale transactions and message customers from their phone — without giving them access to the full business owner console. Staff scheduling unlocks on the Accelerate tier ($249/month) and above.
- Is the Mindbody app the same as ClassPass?
- No, they are separate apps — but since Mindbody acquired ClassPass in October 2021 they share a single supply pool. A consumer can find the same studio in either app, and ClassPass credits are accepted inside the Mindbody app. The two brands continue to operate side-by-side: Mindbody is the broader booking + business platform, ClassPass is the credit-based fitness-pass subscription marketplace.
- Does Mindbody offer a free trial?
- Yes — Mindbody Business offers a 14-day free trial that includes the full feature set of the tier you sign up for. There is no perpetual free plan for business owners; after the trial, billing begins at the chosen tier ($129/month minimum). The consumer-side Mindbody app is and has always been free to download and use.
- How does Mindbody compare to Vagaro?
- Mindbody is broader (fitness, yoga, salon, spa, wellness) and uses a flat-tier subscription that scales by feature set, not by staff count. Vagaro is per-user — cheaper for a 1-2 person operation ($30/month for one user) but more expensive at scale. Mindbody also benefits from the combined Mindbody-app-plus-ClassPass consumer supply pool, which gives businesses on Mindbody a larger discovery channel than Vagaro's consumer app provides. See the comparison table above for a row-by-row breakdown.