Mindbody vs Phorest (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mindbody grades higher than Phorest: 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 Phorest if
- Fits if you run a salon or medspa with three or more staff and want booking and client texts in one place
- Works for a salon that wants a desktop app at the front desk and a phone app for staff
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a posted price, as all four tiers are quote only
- Pricey if you send many texts, because Starter charges 5 cents each and the higher tiers cap free texts at 1,000, 5,000 and 27,000
- Watch out: two-way SMS, memberships and the branded app are included only at Elite
- Not for you if you work alone, as the pricing page says Starter is for 3 or more staff
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMindbodyFair | 1.8GPAPhorestWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CNo price is published. All four tiers are quote only, so cost cannot be compared with 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, point of sale, payments, automated SMS and email and a desktop app. Two-way SMS, memberships and the branded app are paid add-ons below Elite, which is a gap in the lower tiers. |
| 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. A salon has to set up its calendar, services and card reader 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, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, with four integrations listed. No open API is named. |
| Best for | fitness studios listed on a consumer booking app | salon software with built-in texting |
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 Phorest. How we grade
Where they differ
- Mindbody also covers marketing automation, email campaigns and class booking.
- Phorest also covers reports and review collection.
In commonWebiOSAndroidAppointment bookingSMS marketing
At a glance
| Mindbody | Phorest | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $79 per location / month and up | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | MINDBODY, Inc. | Phorest |
| 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.
Phorest
- No prices are published: all four tiers are quote only, so cost cannot be compared up front.
- SMS allowances differ by tier: 1,000, 5,000 and 27,000 free a month on Grow, Complete Advantage and Elite, and 5 cents each on Starter.
- Two-way SMS, memberships and the branded app are included only at Elite; elsewhere they are paid add-ons.
- The pricing page says Starter is for salons and medspas with 3 or more staff.
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.
Phorest
- Calendar and online booking
- An appointment calendar with a waiting list, 24/7 online booking, booking deposits, no-show charges and rooms or equipment linked to services.
- Point of sale and payments
- Appointment and retail checkout, stock management, cardless checkout and PhorestPay card payments with cashless tipping.
- Automated SMS and email
- Reminders, review requests and marketing messages. Higher tiers include a monthly SMS allowance; Starter pays 5 cents per SMS.
- Desktop and PhorestGo apps
- A Windows and macOS desktop app plus the PhorestGo mobile app for staff, with a manager view on the Grow tier and above.
- Branded client app
- An optional salon-branded iOS and Android app for booking and rebooking, included in the Elite tier and optional on lower tiers.
- AI tools
- An AI client cheat sheet that summarizes client history before a visit, and a Front Desk AI add-on for everyday client conversations.
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.
Phorest
Pricing could not be confirmed. See phorest.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mindbody or Phorest?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mindbody starts at $79 per location / month and up, and Phorest has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Mindbody or Phorest?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Mindbody nor Phorest has a free plan.
Which platforms do Mindbody and Phorest run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Phorest lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. 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.