Booker vs. Mangomint – two prominent platforms that offer many similar features but couldn’t be more different.
Long before its acquisition by Mindbody in 2018, Booker had cemented its reputation as a trusted solution for salons and spas with multiple staff members, providing a robust foundation for their operational needs.
Booker offers a comprehensive suite of features tailored to established businesses looking for email marketing tools and a wide reach, thanks to Mindbody’s near-global presence.
Since its debut in 2017, Mangomint has rapidly garnered industry acclaim with its modern approach to salon and spa software, featuring a sleek and easy-to-learn interface and a user-centric design ethos that emphasizes simplicity and elegance.
This refreshing software solution places a premium on quality, offering a polished experience tailored to support the operations of team-based salons, spas, medspas, tattoo shops, and more.
Although Mangomint offers slightly fewer features compared to Booker, each feature is crafted with a deep understanding of beauty and wellness business owners’ needs, doing a lot of the heavy lifting and taking the tedium out of everyday operations.
Choosing between Booker’s pedigree and Mangomint’s fresh and innovative approach can be a challenge for salon owners.
This comparison will explore the nuances of both platforms and help you determine which software aligns best with your business objectives and operational style.
Here is a breakdown of everything you will learn in this Booker vs. Mangomint comparison:
Booker vs Mangomint
Let's kick off with an overview of the two platforms we're diving into today.
Booker
Mangomint
Overall score
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Average price
Note
Assumes you run a business with a mid-size team and have activated the more common add-ons. What you will pay will be lower or higher than this. See the separate section about pricing for full details.
Who is it for
Ease of use
Customer Service
Countries
Available almost worldwide
U.S. and Canada
Key features
- Two-way messaging available (only on Ultimate and Ultimate Plus)
- AI chatbot feature to help with scheduling (only on Ultimate Plus)
- Integrated payments through MindBody Payments (US & Canada only)
- Mindbody Explore Marketplace listing included with all subscriptions
- Modern, intuitive, and easy to use
- Smart automations that help cut down on time spent managing business operations
- Open data ownership and no contracts (you’re not locked into anything)
- Can integrate with any other platform who allows for integrations
- Highest-rated customer service on the market
A Double-Click on Each System
Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of each system in this Booker vs. Mangomint guide.
Booker At a Glance
Overall score
Booker by Mindbody, is a subscription-based salon and spa software that has existed in some form since 2007. Booker is headquartered in San Luis Obispo CA, and is available nearly worldwide.
Booker’s strengths lie in its new client acquisition opportunities and integrated marketing capabilities.
While Booker’s lowest-tier plans are relatively affordable compared to the competition, they lack many of the noteworthy features that make Booker an attractive option, putting them somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes to price-to-feature comparisons.
Pros and Cons
- Straightforward pricing
- Enhanced new client acquisition opportunities through MindBody Explore marketplace
- Integrated email marketing suite (on higher-tier plans)
- No free trial
- Must commit to a minimum 12-month contract before ever using the software
- US-based customer support only available to Ultimate and Ultimate Plus plans (outsourced on Starter and Accelerate plans)
Mangomint At a Glance
Overall score
Mangomint is the most modern and well-designed salon and spa software platform in the United States & Canada.
It’s the platform with the most buzz around right now that beats all competitors on user review websites.
Every little detail of this software has been designed to perfection – making it incredibly intuitive and easy to use. It also offers intelligent automations that reduces time spent managing your appointments and business operations.
Mangomint’s vision is to make salon software invisible—so smart and easy to use that it essentially disappears into your day-to-day operations. And boy, is this software a pleasure to use for both you and your clients, which is why it is now, in 2023, my #1 recommendation.
Pros and Cons
- Modern, easy-to-use, interface
- Smart automations that help cut down on time spent managing business operations
- Open data ownership and no contracts (you’re not locked into anything)
- Can integrate with any other platform that allow for integrations
- Highest-rated customer service on the market
- Not for solopreneurs. Only teams.
- Higher entry-level price than most other salon & spa software
- Only available in the United States & Canada
How Do They Compare? Strengths and Weaknesses
For businesses seeking simplicity — on the surface — Booker offers it. However, that’s partially because, while Booker has matured over the years, its interface has not seen significant updates and still looks somewhat basic and antiquated when compared to newer platforms like Mangomint.
In contrast, Mangomint doesn’t strive to overwhelm with features but instead focuses on delivering a robust, reliable, and aesthetically pleasing platform with each feature you need easily within reach. Mangomint is very much a quality-over-quantity platform.
That said, in the past few months, Mangomint has been on a bit of a roll with new feature releases.
Since mid-2023, Mangomint has launched several new features that actually outshine the big boys of salon and spa software, including HIPAA compliance, new medspa image markup tools for injectables, massage therapy, and more, a marketing email builder, and fully integrated payroll processing.
Comparing the two options now — feature-for-feature — Mangomint offers a more sophisticated and modern feature set, and those features are better supported by their highly-lauded customer support.
It’s important to note that geography plays a role in your software selection as well. While Booker benefits from a near-global presence thanks to Mindbody’s network, Mangomint is currently only available in the United States and Canada.
Booker’s affiliation with Mindbody also lends a particular competitive edge in the international market, offering a broad reach for client acquisition through Mindbody Marketplace in many countries — a benefit that should be considered for salons aiming for growth and visibility.
Yet, when it comes to innovation, Booker leaves me underwhelmed.
For a piece of software that has had a decade and a half to mature and grow, Booker’s app experience hasn’t changed much at all since I used it in my salon in 2016.
Sure, Booker has bolted on some new features. But the overall user experience is exactly the same as it was in the mid-2010s, down to the same clunky menu system, the same glitchy behavior when searching for clients, and the same propensity to automatically log me out of the mobile app several times a day.
In this comparison, Mangomint takes the crown. Its approach to design and functionality reflects the way of the future for salon and spa software, and as business customers’ needs evolve (and the industry along with it), Mangomint looks like it will, too.
Booker vs Mangomint
Let's kick off with an overview of the two platforms we're diving into today.
Ease of use
Design
Customer service
Pricing
Calendar and appointment management
Online booking
Point of sale and check out
Client data
Client communication
Inventory management
Team Management
Payroll
Marketing support
3rd party integrations
Mobile and tablet apps
Let’s Talk Features
Booker, with its shared heritage with Mindbody, offers a familiar set of tools that are well-suited for salons that operate with a team. Its offerings are broad, covering essentials like appointment scheduling, point of sale, and CRM.
Mangomint zeroes in on the day-to-day features that are the lifeblood of salon operations, streamlining tedious tasks with automations that allow business owners to focus on the big picture rather than clicking through a million menus to get basic tasks done.
Booker’s big feature draw is its marketing toolkit, providing salons with an email marketing builder and access to their expansive Mindbody client marketplace.
While Mangomint doesn’t offer a client marketplace, they do have an Email Marketing feature, which offers the same email blast functionality as Booker’s. Mangomint takes it a step further and adds a touch of style with a more modern email builder and a library of attractive templates that aesthetically complement beauty and wellness businesses.
Booker also benefits from Mindbody’s Messenger and Messenger AI features, incorporating two-way texting and an AI chatbot.
Mangomint has opted to leave AI chatbots out of the equation but has innovated on features like automated checkout, an intelligent client waitlist, and fully integrated two-way texting – all crafted with an attention to detail that speaks to Mangomint’s commitment to quality over quantity.
Feature Comparison
Booker has more features, but Mangomint offers more sophisticated features.
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Booker
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Mangomint
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| Online Booking | Booker | Mangomint |
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Website booking widget Note Can you integrate the entire online booking experience directly into your website? |
Note Not included by default. Requires custom web development and API access fees. |
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Branding control Note Can you customize the look and feel of the booking experience to fit your brand? |
Note Not included by default. Requires custom web development and API access fees. |
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No-show protection Note Can you store credit card details and charge deposits to reinforce your cancellation policy? |
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Service customization Note Can clients adapt their service when they book, and can this change the price and duration of the booked appointment? |
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Free from account creation Note Can clients book without having first to create an account with the software? |
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Integrated gift cards Note Can you sell digital gift cards as part of the booking process? |
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| Calendar and Appointment Management | ||
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Customize notification messages Note Can you change the text sent to your clients as part of appointment reminders and other messages? |
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Customize notification timings Note Can you change when reminders and other messages go out to your clients? |
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| Client waitlist management | ||
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Rooms and resource scheduling Note Can you manage equipment, rooms, and other resources required to complete a service? |
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Repeat appointments Note Can you schedule clients for recurring appointments? |
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Time block Note Can you block out time on your calendar? |
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Processing time Note Can you allow for double booking of service providers by accepting appointments during service processing time? |
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Duration and price by staff Note Can you adapt the price and time needed for a service based on who is performing the service? |
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Automated check-in Note Can clients check in to their appointments themselves? |
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| Point of Sale/ Check out | ||
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Tablet compatible Note Can you run the POS on any tablet or do you need special hardware? |
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Dedicated POS hardware Note Does the system provider offer hardware to improve the check out expereince? |
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Self check out Note Can clients check out from their appointment themselves? |
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Route payments to renters Note If you have booth renters in your business, can you route payments directly to them? |
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Cards on file Note Can you store credit card details and charge the customer later? |
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Integrated payments Note Does the software offer a first-party payment processing solution? |
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| Client Data & Communication | ||
| SMS Notification | ||
| Email Notificition | ||
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Dedicated business SMS number Note Do you get a business phone number that your messages and notifications are send from? |
Note Available on Ultimate & Ultimate Plus plans only |
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| Two way SMS communication |
Note Available on Ultimate & Ultimate Plus plans only |
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Forms Note Can you create intake forms, store SOAP notes, and have clients sign your forms? |
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Client notes Note Can you store notes about clients on their profile? |
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Client files and images Note Can you store files and image on in the client’s profile? |
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| Inventory and Product Types | ||
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Inventory tracking Note Will the system keep track of stock levels, notify you when it’s time to re-order? |
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Purchase orders Note Can the system create automatic purchase orders for you? |
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| Retail | ||
| Memberships | ||
| Packages | ||
| Gift cards | ||
| Team Support & Payroll | ||
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Fully integrated payroll Note Can you run payroll and cut paychecks directly through the software? |
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3rd party payroll integration Note Does the software allow you integrate and share data with a 3rd party payroll solution (e.g. Gusto, ADP, Paychex, etc)? |
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| Payroll reports | ||
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Commission support Note Can you track and report on commission for service, retail, and other product types? |
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Multi-location support Note Does the system have specific support for businesses with multiple locations |
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Booth renter support Note Can the system help with rent collection, payments, and other booth renter management tasks. |
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| Marketing Support | ||
| Email marketing | ||
| SMS marketing |
Note Supports integration with SMS marketing platforms |
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| Website builder | ||
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Client marketplace Note Does it offer a platform where potential clients can browse businesses using the software? |
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Add-on offers Note Can you promote service add-ons/upsells as part of the online booking flow? |
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| Cloud & Mobile App Access | ||
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Full-featured mobile app Note Can you access all software features in the mobile app? |
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| Web browser | ||
| iPad | ||
| iPhone | ||
| Android | ||
Integrating with Other Platforms for Additional Features
When you need to connect your salon software to other tools, Booker and Mangomint offer different approaches.
Booker has fewer native integration options compared to Mangomint. Getting Booker to work with other platforms requires using their open API, which means you need to hire a developer and pay licensing fees (to create a booking widget on your website, for example).
Mangomint focuses on enabling integrations through both native connectors and custom options. Out of the box, Mangomint offers native integrations with platforms like Shopify for e-commerce, native booking widget support for your website, and further open-ended integration through Webhooks.
Integrations
These platforms both offer third-party integrations, but Mangomint offers far better online booking.
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Booker
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Mangomint
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Custom integrations Note Does the platform allow you to create new integrations to support your business-specific needs? |
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Native integrations Note Built-in integrations that you can activate as needed |
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Pricing
Booker offers lower-tier plans that are relatively affordable. However, these basic plans lack some of Booker’s key features, which only come in their much more expensive premium tiers. This puts Booker around the middle in terms of overall price-to-feature value.
Mangomint’s pricing is very comparable to Booker’s. While their lowest-tier plan is marginally more expensive, their mid and top-tier plans are less expensive than Booker’s competing plans. Feature-for-feature, you’re getting a better deal with Mangomint.
Booker vs Mangomint Pricing
Mangomint pricing is based on a monthly plan and add-ons which makes it easy to understand what you will be paying.
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Booker
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Mangomint
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| Average Price | ||
| Trial Options | ||
| Minimum contract length | ||
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Plans
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Add-ons
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| Add-ons | ||
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Credit card fees
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| Credit card fees | ||
What Do Users Think of These Platforms?
To read more about our experience testing these software suites, check out our comprehensive reviews of Booker and Mangomint.
However, if you’re interested in hearing firsthand accounts from everyday business customers, take a look at the user review scores below.
User Reviews Compared
Let's compare scores for these systems on the major user review sites.
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Booker
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Mangomint
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What Alternatives Should You Consider?
Mangomint and Booker are two great options for many businesses. If you’re still unsure if either is the right fit for you, check out these alternatives:
Mindbody is Booker’s sister software and offers all of the same highlight features as well, but is better suited to fitness businesses.
GlossGenius is my recommended alternative for independent professionals who have lean operations and want to keep their costs down.
Mindbody vs GlossGenius
A quick comparison of two Booker and Mangomint alternatives.
Mindbody
GlossGenius
Overall score
Note
The overall score considers ease of use, customer service, features, user ratings, and cost. Scores are determined solely by our editorial team.
Average price
Note
Assumes you run a business with a mid-size team and have activated the more common add-ons. What you will pay will be lower or higher than this. See the separate section about pricing for full details.
Who is it for
Ease of use
Customer Service
Countries
Available in 130 countries
U.S.
Key features
- Two-way messaging available (only on Ultimate and Ultimate Plus)
- AI chatbot feature to help with scheduling (only on Ultimate Plus)
- Ability to create a custom branded app and sell classes online (additional costs apply)
- Mindbody Explore Marketplace listing included with all subscriptions
- Premium beauty-inspired interface design
- Professional-looking website in just a few clicks
- Integrated payment and card reader with customizable design
- Affordable, transparent, flat fee pricing
Conclusion
I hope this comparison of Booker and Mangomint has helped you in your quest for the right salon and spa software.
For more alternatives, please read my list of the best salon and spa software in 2024.
