MindBody Personal Trainer Software Review 2024

In this review, we’ll break down the tool in its entirety.

I’ll analyze the following:

• The likes and dislikes
• Users’ Experiences in the Industry
• The cost, etc.

Let my 10+ years of personal training experience help you dissect this software!

Introduction to MindBody Business Management Software Review

In this review, I’ll show you what MindBody does well, what it fails at its most loved and hated features, and whether the software is right for your wellness business. 

As an unaffiliated yoga instructor, I share an unbiased MindBody business management software review.

We cover features, ease of use, and pricing in detail.  

I’ve worked as a yoga instructor at various studios for the past five years, so I’m very familiar with the ins and outs of MindBody. 

If you’ve worked in the wellness industry in any capacity, you’ve likely also had some exposure to this program. 

As software options for wellness businesses have expanded in the past five years, so have questions and confusion around the programs and their design. 

This is where comprehensive, objective reviews become necessary. 

I’ve gathered all the information you need to understand whether this software is the solution your business needs.

This is especially important with MindBody’s management software because even trying it out is time-consuming. 

Let’s get started. 

What Is MindBody?

First of all, take a deep breath.

This software is doing A LOT! 

MindBody allows businesses in the wellness sector – think fitness, integrative health, salons, and spas – to manage clients, employees, inventory, scheduling, and more. 

A glimpse at the client management side of MindBody’s business software.

For my review, I will focus on this software through the lens of a fitness professional. 

Founded in 2001, MindBody is today’s most well-established wellness business software.

The software serves 58,000 businesses and 35 million consumers around the world. 

MindBody offers business organization and management functionality and the ability for clients to view schedules, reserve appointments, and make payments. 

How, you ask? 

It does so through custom-branded MindBody sites and apps.

Each business has its own unique MindBody login and platform for its customers to utilize (including branded apps at some of the spendier tiers!).

The consumer side of MindBody’s website/app allows fitness aficionados to search their area for classes, studios, and instructors. 

The main MindBody app for consumers also serves as a third-party platform through which individuals can find fitness classes and wellness practitioners in their area. 

MindBody currently offers three different apps specifically for business owners – MindBody 

Business, MindBody Check-In, and MindBody One. 

These apps are designed to help you manage your business, check clients in at the front desk of your studio from mobile, and connect with other business owners and fitness professionals. 

The company went public in 2015 and partnered with FitBit, allowing FitBit wearers to track classes scheduled through the MindBody app with their wearable tech. 

The company also partners with MyFitnessPal.

This software serves different groups of people in different ways, and its applications will look very different depending on your unique circumstances.

It’s important to figure out if you need all the options that MindBody offers, especially as we look at…

How Much Does MindBody Cost?

Marketed to businesses rather than individuals, MindBody is definitely on the pricier side.

It offers four main pricing tiers, each with a huge selection of included features (more than can be summarized with an illustrative graph, to be honest):

MindBody’s 4 pricing tiers. 

• Starter ($129/month) – Best for small-scale, old-school businesses with limited need for online/mobile functionality. 
• Accelerate ($259/month) – Best for businesses with a small crew of internet-savvy employees and clients (this is the level I would choose). 
• Ultimate ($399/month) – This level allows businesses to sell merchandise, build more complex employee schedules, and issue payroll.
• This is better for larger studios with a lot going on (a manager vs. a single, on-the-ground owner model). 
• Ultimate Plus ($599/month) – This level likely serves some of MindBody’s biggest clients, Bikram Yoga and New York Health & Racquet Club.
• You can manage email marketing, send client reminders, upsell packages, and other detailed business functions.
• This is the only level you get a branded app without paying extra.

MindBody is expensive, but if it’s your main business management platform, it’s not too bad (especially regarding mobile functionality and customer experience). 

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Competitors like Glofox and Perfect Gym are similarly priced, with a less recognizable brand and a less all-inclusive marketing approach. 

Here’s What I Liked

MindBody positions itself as the ‘leading technology platform for the wellness industry,’ and for a good reason. 

Here’s what I like about this special software. 

Designed for the Mobile/Digital Age

MindBody’s new video class functionality is key for studios’ transitioning to online business models. 

This company is hustling to keep up with the digital age.

Their MindBody app has been a leader in the industry for years, allowing users to search for fitness classes and studios by location. 

It was one of the first apps I used when practicing yoga in 2012. 

Many new out-of-town students I’ve noticed at studios where I work were brought there by the MindBody app’s search function. 

Beyond that, MindBody offers customizable apps for businesses, available for iOS and Android. 

Their new video-based services have built the functionality for studios to offer digital memberships and videos: You can post videos on-demand and live stream directly through the software. 

This is the easiest way to share content with paying clients exclusively, previously a big challenge for businesses.

It prevents students from adapting to new software platforms during upheaval like the coronavirus pandemic. 

Puts Your Business at the Forefront

MindBody is trying to help your business shine rather than promote itself through its design (unlike some businesses in the industry, unfortunately). 

This is evident through the custom websites and apps they offer for their customers. 

If you want a professional and recognizable branded image on your digital offerings, MindBody is the best way, short of hiring your coder/developer. 

An example of a branded MindBody app available in the app store for students to download. 

Huge Emphasis on Marketing

Send text prompts requesting reviews from recent clients. 

Think about it – the software design on which you run your business can make or break your marketing strategies.

Fortunately, MindBody goes above and beyond to help its clients find and retain customers through their comprehensive Marketing Suite. 

By listing your class offerings through the MindBody app and in Google’s Calendar Search function, this software makes it easy for new students to find a class that works for their schedule. 

You can even pay to promote classes within the app (much like Instagram’s targeted marketing campaigns).

The software also allows you to reach out to customers who haven’t attended a class in a while through targeted email and text campaigns and sales. 

And they don’t just stop there – you can request reviews and referrals from dedicated customers to increase your trustworthiness online and within the MindBody app. 

These are marketing approaches that the average business owner often has to offload onto a marketing specialist. 

However, with some education and practice, MindBody allows anyone to market their business like an expert. Many features are designed with automation, meaning less work for you and more results over time. 

Very few software platforms attempt to offer any marketing assistance at all, whereas it is one of the main pillars of MindBody’s approach. 

This is a huge value add for anyone interested in the software. 

Potential Clients and Hires May Already Have Software Experience

While I talk a lot in this review about how MindBody presents a significant learning curve and requires a lot of work at the front end, it’s a very popular software with a lot of longevity in the industry.

What does this mean for you? Oddly, at least some of the instructors and staff members you hire (and many of the clients your business attracts) are somewhat familiar with how the software works.

Employees responsible for high-level operations will certainly need extensive training, but the software literacy they may possess will save time, money, and headaches. 

Incredible Client Experience

Create branded displays featuring student exercise performance through FitMetrix. 

Through their adjacent FitMetrix Performance Tracking Software (which we’re not focusing on in this review but which is worth looking at briefly), fitness studios can provide their clients with an app that they can use to reserve class spots and track workouts, class performance, and body metrics.

If that’s not enough, staff members (including class instructors and personal trainers) can access client fitness data and use it to plan sessions and make adjustments. 

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This software is ideal for fitness studios offering group classes and private personal training sessions.

I typically see this model implemented in cycle studios, CrossFit gyms, Bootcamp gyms, and private small group training businesses.

The FitMetrix Performance Tracking Software + MindBody integration is ideal if you operate one of these businesses and want to perform and compete as a company like CycleBar or OrangeTheory. 

Keep in mind, though – for every additional feature MindBody offers, it ups the monthly fees significantly. 

Unparalleled Support and Education

The MindBody BOLD conference connects wellness business owners and instructors. 

MindBody helps each new user through the set-up process with live support – this is a good introduction to how comprehensive their support protocols are. 

Their MindBody One membership site and app offer a social community of business owners designed to help you navigate questions, concerns, and industry challenges. 

They do great work empowering and unifying an industry prone to isolation through articles, video resources, conferences, and in-person training. 

While some users complain of limited support or difficulty answering questions, this has never been my experience with the software.

However, I could see someone with less tech-savvy requiring greater support. 

Allows You to Keep All Plates Spinning

MindBody allows you to organize and collect a wide variety of payments.

Yoga and fitness studios are not the simple businesses they once were. 

From selling protein powder and leggings at the front desk to allowing clients to book and pay for workshops from their phones, from collecting and filing important paperwork digitally to checking in clients and canceling no-shows, the need for multi-faceted software is significant. 

It often seems like the list of business ownership tasks is never-ending. 

MindBody has worked hard to adapt to this changing industry and give business owners the tools to stay up-to-date and thrive. 

As a business owner utilizing this software, I would plan on thinking of learning how to use it as an ongoing business task. 

MindBody will help you adapt and make necessary changes to your business structure, but it will require a lot of diligence, education, and troubleshooting. 

This is necessary to make the changes required to keep up with a digital and mobile economy, but definitely time-consuming and potentially frustrating for people who don’t like change or want to keep things simple. 

This leads us to our next segment…

Here’s What I Disliked

Requires Tons of Education and Troubleshooting (For Owners and Employees)

MindBody offers its software certifications, which, while awesome, indicates how remarkably involved using the software can be. 

Here’s the thing – this is one of those cons that is a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, what makes MindBody incredible is how many functions it can perform – from generating email marketing lists to tracking inventory and sending purchasing reminders.

However, if you decide to use the software for your business, prepare for a lot of behind-the-scenes education and effort. 

So much it almost becomes a part-time job (on top of running your own business, which is already more than a full-time job!).

The sheer number of training resources, including in-person all-day training and software certifications, can feel overwhelming.

If you’re tech-savvy and have the time to invest in learning how to implement MindBody, the real trouble may begin when onboarding employees and managers to the software. 

Communication, patience, and constant education are necessary to make this software work for your team and pay for itself. 

As long as you know what you’re getting yourself into, it may be worth it.  

But some users complain of sinking many hours into the software without getting the return on their time that they hoped for. 

Offers Many Features that Smaller Businesses Can’t Utilize 

The capacity to run extensive business diagnostics is one example of a feature that may prove unnecessary for small, simple businesses.

Unless you’re selling merchandise, conducting extensive online marketing, managing employees, creating one-off workshops, sales, and packages, and offering online video content, MindBody will be too much for you – both in price and functionality. 

Stick with simpler software marketed to businesses that function more directly and/or locally and save yourself the headache. 

If you have big plans for growing your business, investing in MindBody may be what it takes to light a fire under your butt to get you to start making changes and implementing new approaches. 

Something to consider: One idea I’ve seen businesses pull off successfully is intentionally hiring a manager or higher-level employee who is a MindBody expert and putting them in charge of training, integration, and education. 

This frees the owner up to focus on other things while still reaping the benefits of the software.

As long as these expectations and roles are communicated, this may allow smaller/less tech-savvy businesses to “grow into” the software. 

Unwieldy Design

This is improving (as it is across the web), but understanding the breadcrumbs for some functions within the app can be very confusing, especially if you or your employees don’t have much experience with technology. 

It can be hard to find the features you need, and the software doesn’t always allow you to customize options and offerings to the extent you may need to. 

Super Expensive

Add-ons that may be necessary for your business to succeed in 2020 come with a serious price tag. 

To some extent, you pay for what you get with the software. But MindBody is expensive, especially for smaller businesses.

While the software may help you grow your business to a size that can afford the monthly fees (and potential further fees for new and developing features), it’s a hefty price tag if you’re starting. 

Consider how you’ll take advantage of MindBody’s mobile, marketing, and business management features before investing in the software. 

Once you set it up and learn to use it, switching will be very hard.

Some users complain of price gouging and a lack of return on investment. 

Doesn’t Sync Well Across Platforms

With so many cooks in the kitchen, MindBody account creation can get complicated. 

User profiles and details, schedule changes, and other content sometimes doesn’t sync fluidly between the main MindBody app, your customized private business app, and your backend business app. 

This can lead to some confusing rabbit trails and some awkward customer interactions. 

Many users complain of glitchy, buggy software experiences when transitioning from mobile to desktop and between consumer and business accounts.

Part of this issue could be credited to MindBody constantly working to offer new features.

This is great, but unless your software development team is 100% on their A-game, it inevitably leads to trouble.

Unfortunately, clients and business owners end up catching the fallout. Reporting glitches and issues may be a detailed, time-consuming process. 

Pros/Cons Short List

Simply stated, here’s a short list of everything we’ve discussed in this review: 

Is MindBody Right For You?

I am sure this review would have enlightened you more on the many functions of MIndBody Business Management Software.

If you’re a mid-sized, class-based yoga or fitness studio with young, tech-savvy clients (and if you’re tech-savvy yourself!) MindBody will likely serve your needs. 

In my experience, studios that use MindBody present a more professional presence and can manage diverse offerings without dropping the ball on client communication and follow-through.

If you are a very small business or focus mostly on private sessions, MindBody probably offers more (and costs more) than is appropriate for your needs. 

Features – 5/5

MindBody does it all for wellness businesses and eliminates the need for other financial, scheduling, and marketing software. 

Ease of Use – 3/5

The program can be a bit maze-like in design, and learning how to use it (as well as teaching your employees how to perform tasks within the software properly) can be a real headache. 

Support – 5/5

MindBody’s support team is amazing. Their in-person and remote education options are extraordinarily helpful (and needed), and I’ve had an excellent experience every time I’ve called or text-chatted with a support team member. 

Price – 2/5

This program is expensive and only going up from the looks of things.

Many software add-ons are becoming increasingly necessary for wellness businesses, but they drive the monthly cost even more. 

The price is justifiable for medium to large-scale businesses but potentially not for small ones. 

Overall – 4/5

MindBody has been around for almost twenty years, and its longevity can be attributed to its emphasis on customer service, adaption, and serving fitness businesses and communities.

They set the gold standard in software for wellness studios.