Mindbody vs. Boulevard. Which is the better choice for your busy salon or spa?
In this comprehensive comparison, I’ll provide you with all the necessary information to help you make a well-informed and confident choice.
Mindbody, originally founded as Hardbody SoftWare, has been around in some form since 1998, known for its wide range of features designed for fitness and wellness businesses. It’s a heavyweight with a global presence, offering everything from class bookings to email marketing tools and online video services.
Boulevard is the new kid on the block, started in 2016. It’s quickly become a favorite for modern salons and spas thanks to its stylish interface and emphasis on providing a luxurious experience to clients, now serving over 2,000 businesses.
If you’re a business that’s looking for software with a broad reach and lots of features, Mindbody might be your match. But if you’re aiming for that exclusive feel and sleek design, Boulevard could be the way to go.
If you’re considering either of these platforms, keep reading. Below, I break down the pros and cons of Mindbody and Boulevard – from pricing to features, contracts, and more – so you can determine if either one is a good fit for your salon or spa.
Here’s what you’ll find in this Mindbody vs. Boulevard comparison:
Mindbody vs Boulevard
Let's kick off with an overview of the two platforms we're diving into today.
Mindbody
Boulevard
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
- Easy-to-use interface
- Excellent online booking
- Integrated email marketing suite
- Highly detailed custom reports [on Premiere and above]
A Double-Click on Each System
Let’s cover what these systems are and the pros and cons of Mindbody vs. Boulevard.
Mindbody At a Glance
Overall score
The company has been around in some capacity since 1998, when the company was initially founded as Hardbody Software, officially becoming Mindbody in 2001. Since then, Mindbody has exploded in popularity, raised hundreds of millions of dollars, and purchased several other companies, including Booker, Classpass, and FitMetrix. Mindbody is headquartered in San Luis Obispo CA, and is available nearly worldwide.
Mindbody’s strengths lie in its new client acquisition opportunities and integrated marketing and content monetization capabilities.
Just like its sister software, Booker, while Mindbody’s lower-tier plans are relatively affordable, they lack many of the noteworthy features that make Mindbody an attractive option, putting them somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes to price-to-feature comparisons.
Pros and Cons
- Enhanced new client acquisition opportunities through MindBody Marketplace
- Integrated payments though MindBody Payments (US & Canada only)
- Integrated email marketing suite (on Accelerate, Ultimate, and Ultimate Plus plans)
- Ability to monetize educational classes and content
- No free trial
- Must commit to a minimum 12-month contract before ever using the software
- Stateside customer support only available to Ultimate and Ultimate Plus plans
- App interface and menus are clunky and outdated
Boulevard At a Glance
Overall score
Boulevard is an up-and-coming cloud-based beauty and wellness software that offers a strong toolset of core features like appointment booking and POS, as well as advanced marketing features and two-way messaging.
It natively integrates with over a dozen apps, including Quickbooks, Instagram, Shopify, and more.
It is quite a pricey option, however, coming in at a starting price of $175 for the lowest-tier plan, which we (and Boulevard themselves) don’t recommend as it lacks some of Boulevard’s best reporting, marketing, and inventory features.
Boulevard offers a free trial, but they require a 12-month minimum contract to sign up, so make sure you are 100% sure about your choice before signing up.
Pros and Cons
- Client data that you can actually use to boost client retention and sales
- Can integrate with a large number of third party applications
- Precision Scheduling™ tech to fill the best gaps on the calendar first
- Well designed & easily-searchable help center
- High price-point across all plans
- Essentials plan lacks many of the best features Boulevard offers
- Boulevard Professional mobile app is buggy & has low ratings on iOS & Android
- Marketing suite can’t differentiate between bookings from emails vs other factors (you may end up paying more)
How Do They Compare? Strengths and Weaknesses
Mindbody shines with its broad feature set and over 20 years of experience in the industry. It offers robust capabilities for scheduling, payment processing, marketing, and even livestreaming.
Mindbody also touts an impressive client marketplace to aid in customer acquisition. However, Mindbody falls short when it comes to user experience.
Its app interface and many of its features feel rooted in the past, and we found it to be clunky and cumbersome for even basic daily tasks. The mobile app, in particular, draws complaints for its glitches and bugs.
Boulevard earns points for its smooth, easy-to-use interface and intuitive tools (like Precision Scheduling) to optimize booking. Users also praise the well-designed online help center. Its in-depth reporting features allow salons to capitalize on customer data for smarter marketing and business growth.
On the other hand, Boulevard’s mobile app is downright buggy, with low user review scores. Navigating menus to perform administrative tasks, such as enabling employee permissions, can be a bit unintuitive and tedious.
In the end, Mindbody brings more to the table feature-wise, but Boulevard does stand out through premium design and a much better user experience – a clear win for most professionals.
Mindbody vs Boulevard
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
Looking at the features of Mindbody and Boulevard, you’ll find that both platforms come packed with tons of tools designed to elevate the salon experience. From marketing to management, each software has its own way of tackling the daily tasks of salon and spa businesses.
Mindbody, known for its comprehensive approach, offers not only a client marketplace to help businesses attract new customers but also a variety of marketing tools and even the ability to create a custom-branded app for your business.
While the breadth of features on offer is substantial, the execution does leave something to be desired. Mindbody has largely relied on incorporating third-party technologies into its app to bolt on functionality, and it shows with an uneven user experience across the platform’s many features.
Mindbody’s higher-tier plans, like Ultimate and Ultimate Plus, include trendy tools such as an AI chatbot for scheduling and two-way messaging, both features integrated through an app formerly known as Bowtie.
Boulevard offers a balance of luxury and functionality, catering to businesses that value both. It provides essential features like online booking, an intuitive calendar system, a sophisticated point of sale, and integrated payment processing.
The Boulevard interface is very clean and offers a better design than Mindbody’s, and the Front Desk View that accompanies that calendar screen makes seeing all your appointments at a glance really convenient.
Precision and aesthetics are at the core of Boulevard, ensuring a premium user experience that caters to a distinctive clientele.
Mindbody vs Boulevard
Mindbody vs. Boulevard - Let's go through their features and where they differ.
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Mindbody
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Boulevard
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| Online Booking | Mindbody | Boulevard |
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Website booking widget Note Can you integrate the entire online booking experience directly into your website? |
Note Available on all plans except Starter plan |
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Branding control Note Can you customize the look and feel of the booking experience to fit your brand? |
Note Available on all plans except Starter plan |
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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? |
Note Full customization not available. Options are limited to: 2 Days Before, 1 Day Before, and Same Day. |
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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? |
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| Two way SMS communication |
Note Included in Mindbody’s Ultimate software package. Optional add-on for lower-tier plans. |
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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? |
Note Not available on Essentials plan. |
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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 | ||
| 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
The ability to connect with other software platforms is crucial for salons looking to expand their capabilities. Both Mindbody and Boulevard enable extensive integrations to this end. While Mindbody offers a larger library of integrations, Boulevard offers a more relevant selection for the majority of salons and spas.
When it comes to out-of-the-box integrations, Boulevard offers the most value for commonly used apps like Shopify, Facebook, Instagram, and more. This allows for convenient synchronization without any custom development work.
Mindbody touts native integration with over 100 specialty tools for payments, marketing, accounting, retail, and more. This allows Mindbody users to centralize systems under one dashboard for simplicity.
Mindbody vs Boulevard
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Mindbody
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Boulevard
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Custom integrations Note Does the platform allow you to create new integrations to support your business-specific needs? |
Note On Enterprise plan only. |
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Native integrations Note Built-in integrations that you can activate as needed |
Full list available in the Mindbody Partner Store. |
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Pricing
Mindbody starts at a lower base price point and requires a year-long contract, with no free trial option. While Boulevard does offer a free trial, they also require a 12 month contract and charge a higher price point for comparable subscription tiers than Mindbody does.
While Mindbody’s basic plans seem affordable upfront, they lack many key features that make the software worthwhile. To access those capabilities, businesses must upgrade to the pricier Ultimate or Ultimate Plus tiers, pushing the monthly fee into the several hundreds of dollars.
Boulevard has the higher entry pricing of the two options. However, just like Mindbody, their basic plan also omits some of their best offerings. Ultimately, you will need to spring for a mid-tier or premium plan to get the most value for your money.
If low cost is important to you, make sure to check out other affordable options on our list of the top salon and spa software right now.
Mindbody vs Boulevard Pricing
Both Mindbody and Boulevard have similar pricing structures and price points.
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Mindbody |
Boulevard |
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| Average Price | ||
| Trial Options | ||
| Minimum contract length | ||
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Plans
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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?
You’ve heard my thoughts on Mindbody and Boulevard. To offer a more comprehensive view of the true app experience, here’s a summary of user ratings for these platforms on review sites.
Mindbody vs Boulevard
Let's compare scores for these systems on the major user review sites.
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Mindbody |
Boulevard |
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What Alternatives Should You Consider?
Mindbody and Boulevard are two great options for many businesses. If you’re still unsure if either is the right fit for you, check out these alternatives:
Mangomint is the highest-rated software for salons and spas. If you have a team and you want the best customer service in the industry, I highly recommend you give them a try.
Booker is Mindbody’s sister software and offers a more streamlined experience for salons and spas with most of the same features.
Mangomint vs Booker
A quick comparison of the two Mindbody and Boulevard alternatives.
Mangomint
Booker
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
U.S. and Canada
Available almost worldwide
Key features
- 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
- 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
Conclusion
I hope this comparison of Mindbody vs. Boulevard has helped you in your quest for the right salon and spa software.
For more alternatives, don’t miss my list of the best salon and spa software right now.
