Mindbody vs Pabau (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mindbody grades higher than Pabau: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mindbody grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mindbody
Studio, gym, spa and salon software with a consumer booking app
From $79/mo
Which one is for you
Pick Mindbody if
- Fits if you run a yoga, Pilates or fitness studio and want to be listed on a consumer booking app
- Works for brands with several locations that need corporate-level controls
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try it on your own first: there's no free plan or self-serve trial, only a demo
- Not for you if you want a full price list, as Accelerate and Ultimate are only priced on a sales call
- Tight if you want automated email and text campaigns or the AI front desk, which need Ultimate
- Watch out: a branded client app is an add-on, and room booking and Pick-a-Spot need Accelerate or higher
Pick Pabau if
- Fits if you run an aesthetics or wellness clinic and need patient records alongside booking
- Works for a solo practitioner, as the Solo plan is the only one with a price
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see prices up front, as only Solo has one and larger teams book a demo
- Watch out: plans are sized by users and priced per location, from Solo at 1 up to Enterprise at 16 or more
- Watch out: Engage Plus messages and AI call minutes run on pay-as-you-go credits
- Too light for an Android user, as the listing names an iPhone app only
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMindbodyFair | 1.8GPAPabauWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $79 a location a month and up, the only figure on the page, which is above this category's middle ($49.90). Accelerate and Ultimate have no published price, so the plans with marketing are priced only on a sales call. | CPrices vary by region and user count and are not readable on the page, so nothing sits against the $49.90 middle of the category. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free: no free plan and no self-serve trial. New customers start with a demo. | FNo free plan and no trial on record, so you pay before you use it. |
| Features | BClass and appointment scheduling with unlimited staff logins, memberships, packages, retail and payments, reports and a listing on the Mindbody app. Room booking, Pick-a-Spot, automated marketing and the AI front desk come on dearer plans. | CCalendar, online booking, patient records and forms, payments and marketing. Engage Plus and AI call minutes are pay-as-you-go extras, which is a gap in the base job. |
| Ease of use | BMindbody rates 4.6 on the US App Store from 23,558 ratings, which puts it at B on our ease ladder. | CNo store rating on record. Clinics set up treatments, forms and users first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, plus a business app for iPhone and Android and a listing on the Mindbody consumer app. ClassPass is the only integration on record, no API is listed, and there's no desktop app. | BWeb plus an iPhone app, Pabau GO. No Android app or integrations list is shown. |
| Best for | fitness studios listed on a consumer booking app | clinic and aesthetics booking |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Mindbody and Pabau. How we grade
Where they differ
- Mindbody also covers marketing automation, email campaigns, class booking and sMS marketing.
- Pabau also covers forms, clinical notes, insurance billing and telehealth.
In commonWebiOSAI featuresAppointment booking
At a glance
| Mindbody | Pabau | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $79 per location / month and up | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | MINDBODY, Inc. | Pabau |
| Price read from | mindbodyonline.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mindbody
- Plans are sold through a sales call: the page gives only a starting price of $79 per location a month and no figures for Accelerate or Ultimate.
- Automated email and text marketing and the AI front desk are limited to the top Ultimate plan.
- A branded client app is an add-on, and room booking and Pick-a-Spot need Accelerate or higher.
- There is no free plan or self-serve trial; new customers start with a demo.
Pabau
- Prices are not readable on the page as served: they vary by region and user count, so pricing is marked unverified.
- Plans are sized by users: Solo is 1, Team 2-3, Medium 4-5, Group 6-15 and Enterprise 16 or more, and pricing applies per location.
- Only the Solo plan has a published price according to the page's FAQ; larger teams book a demo.
- Engage Plus is priced per location, and its messages and AI call minutes use pay-as-you-go credits.
Key features
Mindbody
- Class and appointment scheduling
- Schedule classes and appointments with unlimited staff logins, and on Accelerate and up book rooms, chairs and equipment and let members pick their spot.
- Mindbody app listing
- Every plan lists the business on the Mindbody consumer app, which Mindbody says reaches more than 3 million shoppers a month.
- Payments and point of sale
- Sell memberships, packages and retail in person or online with integrated payments, which Mindbody says carry no monthly fees or minimums.
- Business app
- Staff schedule, check clients in, take payments and look up clients from an iOS or Android app; some setup and deeper reports are easier on a desktop.
- Email and text marketing
- Ultimate adds automated campaigns triggered by client actions, list-growth tools and a lead dashboard to follow up on prospects.
- AI front desk and branded app
- Ultimate includes an AI assistant that answers calls and questions around the clock. A branded client app is sold as an add-on.
Pabau
- Calendar and online booking
- A calendar for appointments, staff and rooms, self-service online booking, a client portal, group classes and a waitlist.
- Patient records and forms
- Electronic records, custom clinical forms, before-and-after photos, letters and prescriptions, with telehealth built in.
- Payments and billing
- Pabau Pay processing, invoices and point of sale, quotes, packages and memberships, and insurance claims.
- Marketing and leads
- Email and SMS campaigns, automations, lead management, loyalty, gift vouchers and Google review requests.
- Add-ons and AI
- Optional Marketing Plus, Care Plus, Insight Plus and Engage Plus; Engage adds WhatsApp, a phone system and AI agents.
- Pabau GO app
- A mobile app for running part of the clinic from an iPhone or iPad.
Plans
Mindbody
Starter$79
per location / month and up
Booking, payments, website booking widgets, a business website, a Mindbody app listing and basic reports. Sold through sales; $79 is the stated starting price.
AccelerateCustom
Adds advanced reporting, room and resource booking, Pick-a-Spot for classes, promo codes and access to premium add-ons.
UltimateCustom
Adds automated email and text campaigns, a 24/7 AI front desk, a lead pipeline, retention analytics and lower rates on marketing messages.
Pabau
Pricing could not be confirmed. See pabau.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mindbody or Pabau?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mindbody starts at $79 per location / month and up, and Pabau has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Mindbody or Pabau?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Mindbody nor Pabau has a free plan.
Which platforms do Mindbody and Pabau run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Mindbody lists an Android app. Both list a web app and an iOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.