Mindbody vs. Boulevard: Which Software Should Your Salon Choose?

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:

• An overview of each system
• A comparison of the differences that separate them
• A feature-by-feature comparison
• Pricing differences
• Ratings & reviews from their users.

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.

3.3

4.3

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.

$450 per month

$425 per month

Who is it for

Salon, spa, and wellness businesses that place a focus on engagement through digital channels — especially those who teach courses — and want to be able to monetize that content directly through their booking platform.

Established beauty and wellness businesses with several service providers who want flexible reporting options and need an all-in-one marketing suite baked right into the software

Ease of use

3.0

4.5

Customer Service

3.5

5.0

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.

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.

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.

	Mindbody	Boulevard
Online Booking	Mindbody	Boulevard
Website booking widget Note Can you integrate the entire online booking experience directly into your website?	Note Available on all plans except Starter plan
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
No-show protection Note Can you store credit card details and charge deposits to reinforce your cancellation policy?
Service customization Note Can clients adapt their service when they book, and can this change the price and duration of the booked appointment?
Free from account creation Note Can clients book without having first to create an account with the software?
Integrated gift cards Note Can you sell digital gift cards as part of the booking process?
Calendar and Appointment Management
Customize notification messages Note Can you change the text sent to your clients as part of appointment reminders and other messages?
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.
Client waitlist management
Rooms and resource scheduling Note Can you manage equipment, rooms, and other resources required to complete a service?
Repeat appointments Note Can you schedule clients for recurring appointments?
Time block Note Can you block out time on your calendar?
Processing time Note Can you allow for double booking of service providers by accepting appointments during service processing time?
Duration and price by staff Note Can you adapt the price and time needed for a service based on who is performing the service?
Automated check-in Note Can clients check in to their appointments themselves?
Point of Sale/ Check out
Tablet compatible Note Can you run the POS on any tablet or do you need special hardware?
Dedicated POS hardware Note Does the system provider offer hardware to improve the check out expereince?
Self check out Note Can clients check out from their appointment themselves?
Route payments to renters Note If you have booth renters in your business, can you route payments directly to them?
Cards on file Note Can you store credit card details and charge the customer later?
Integrated payments Note Does the software offer a first-party payment processing solution?
Client Data & Communication
SMS Notification
Email Notificition
Dedicated business SMS number Note Do you get a business phone number that your messages and notifications are send from?
Two way SMS communication	Note Included in Mindbody’s Ultimate software package. Optional add-on for lower-tier plans.
Forms Note Can you create intake forms, store SOAP notes, and have clients sign your forms?
Client notes Note Can you store notes about clients on their profile?
Client files and images Note Can you store files and image on in the client’s profile?
Inventory and Product Types
Inventory tracking Note Will the system keep track of stock levels, notify you when it’s time to re-order?
Purchase orders Note Can the system create automatic purchase orders for you?		Note Not available on Essentials plan.
Retail
Memberships
Packages
Gift cards
Team Support & Payroll
Fully integrated payroll Note Can you run payroll and cut paychecks directly through the software?
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)?
Payroll reports
Commission support Note Can you track and report on commission for service, retail, and other product types?
Multi-location support Note Does the system have specific support for businesses with multiple locations
Booth renter support Note Can the system help with rent collection, payments, and other booth renter management tasks.
Marketing Support
Email marketing
SMS marketing
Website builder
Client marketplace Note Does it offer a platform where potential clients can browse businesses using the software?
Add-on offers Note Can you promote service add-ons/upsells as part of the online booking flow?
Cloud & Mobile App Access
Full-featured mobile app Note Can you access all software features in the mobile app?
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

	Mindbody	Boulevard
Custom integrations Note Does the platform allow you to create new integrations to support your business-specific needs?		Note On Enterprise plan only.
Native integrations Note Built-in integrations that you can activate as needed	ADP ActiveCampaign Equifax Groupon Paychex Vish iCal Google Calendar Full list available in the Mindbody Partner Store.	Green Circle Okta SSO Shopify Facebook & Instagram Book Now Zapier Quickbooks Online Reserve with Google

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.

	Mindbody	Boulevard
Average Price	$450 per month	$425 per month
Trial Options	No free trial	Must request trial via a demo call
Minimum contract length	12 months	12 months
Plans Starter: entry-level plan – $129 per month Accelerate: mid-tier plan – $269 per month Ultimate: most popular plan – $429 per month Ultimate Plus: premium plan – $549 per month Essentials: entry-level plan – $175 per month Premier: most popular plan – $325 per month Prestige: upper-tier plan – $455 per month Enterprise: custom plan for chains and franchises – pricing is custom
Plans	Starter: entry-level plan – $129 per month Accelerate: mid-tier plan – $269 per month Ultimate: most popular plan – $429 per month Ultimate Plus: premium plan – $549 per month	Essentials: entry-level plan – $175 per month Premier: most popular plan – $325 per month Prestige: upper-tier plan – $455 per month Enterprise: custom plan for chains and franchises – pricing is custom
Add-ons Branded mobile app Messenger[ai] FitMetrix Branded web tools Video on Demand Live Stream Insights Forms and Charts – $55 per month per location Contact Center – Starting at $25 per month per location QuickBooks Integration – $45 per month per location Automated Email Campaigns – $2 per completed appointment One-Time Blast Emails – specific # included with each plan, $0.01 per email thereafter
Add-ons	Branded mobile app Messenger[ai] FitMetrix Branded web tools Video on Demand Live Stream Insights	Forms and Charts – $55 per month per location Contact Center – Starting at $25 per month per location QuickBooks Integration – $45 per month per location Automated Email Campaigns – $2 per completed appointment One-Time Blast Emails – specific # included with each plan, $0.01 per email thereafter
Credit card fees Credit card processing rates through Mindbody Payments: US: In-person – Card-present (CP): 2.75% per transaction Online or on-file: Card-not-present (CNP): 3.5% + .15 USD per transaction Canada: In-person – Card-present (CP): 2.39% + .10 CAD per transaction Online or on-file: Card-not-present (CNP): 2.89% + .25 CAD per transaction With “Offset” Feature 3% charged to client, business charged 1%. Without “Offset” Feature In-person transactions: 2.6% + 10¢ Virtual transactions: 3.5% + 10¢
Credit card fees	Credit card processing rates through Mindbody Payments: US: In-person – Card-present (CP): 2.75% per transaction Online or on-file: Card-not-present (CNP): 3.5% + .15 USD per transaction Canada: In-person – Card-present (CP): 2.39% + .10 CAD per transaction Online or on-file: Card-not-present (CNP): 2.89% + .25 CAD per transaction	With “Offset” Feature 3% charged to client, business charged 1%. Without “Offset” Feature In-person transactions: 2.6% + 10¢ Virtual transactions: 3.5% + 10¢

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.

	Mindbody	Boulevard
	4.0	4.6
	3.6	4.1
	4.6	3.5
	4.3	2.1

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.

4.9

3.4

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.

$245 per month

$450 per month

Who is it for

The highest-rated software for salons & spas. Designed for businesses with a team who want the best design experience, smart automations, and the flexibility to integrate with other systems.

For the new and growing business with funds to spare that needs integrated marketing tools and must have a first-party online marketplace to drive new client acquisition.

Ease of use

5

4

Customer Service

5

3.5

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.

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