Zenoti vs. Mangomint – A battle of age vs beauty (and features galore).
Here is my quick take on the comparison:
Zenoti appeals to large and multi-location businesses and franchises seeking an extensively customizable and long-established platform, while Mangomint caters to salons of all sizes looking for a modern, user-centric booking and management software that emphasizes elegance and efficiency.
Zenoti has established itself as a prominent player in the industry since its founding in 2010. With a global presence and support for over 25,000 businesses, it is a juggernaut in the salon and spa software space.
Moreover, Zenoti excels in delivering detailed reporting, solid reputation management features, and highly customizable settings to control every aspect of operations.
However, it’s important to note that Zenoti has a steep learning curve and is best suited to larger businesses that can dedicate the training time and resources to learning such a complex system.
Since its establishment in 2017, Mangomint has quickly earned a reputation as a top-notch salon and spa software solution that prioritizes user experience and efficient functionality.
With its sleek interface, meticulous attention to detail, and exceptional ease of use, Mangomint has become the go-to choice for team-based salon businesses (as indicated by its incredibly high review scores).
Mangomint’s focus on thoughtful and polished design on its desktop and mobile apps has garnered it widespread acclaim and a dedicated customer base that is rapidly growing each year.
So, which platform is right for your business?
By evaluating the strengths and limitations of these two industry leaders, we’ll uncover the best choice based on your priorities and needs.
Here is a breakdown of everything you will learn in this post:
Zenoti vs Mangomint
Let's kick off with an overview of the two platforms we're diving into today.
Zenoti
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 in nearly 50 countries worldwide
U.S. and Canada
Key features
- Integrated email marketing suite
- Two-way client messaging (via paid add-on feature: ezConnect)
- Reputation management suite (via paid add-on feature: ezRepute)
- Employee performance tracking (via paid add-on feature: ezPulse)
- 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 look at the details of these two platforms and analyze the pros and cons of each.
Zenoti At a Glance
Overall score
Zenoti has existed in some form since 2010, when it was initially founded as ManageMySpa, officially becoming Zenoti in 2015.
Zenoti’s features build on the blueprint established by businesses like Booker and Mindbody, and expand the customizability and capability of those features with control over even the most minute details. The level of detail in data and reporting is a step ahead of some of the other big-name competitors in the industry, and its reputation management features are rather impressive.
That said, Zenoti also falls prey to some of the same mistakes that veteran salon software companies like Mindbody and Booker are still making.
Booker, Mindbody, and Zenoti all suffer from the uglies of bad, outdated user interface design, sporting plain, drab menu systems that tuck away important features in layers of nested menus and strip out crucial information (such as icon labels) you need to find the tools you need at a moment’s notice.
Likewise, Zenoti doesn’t list their fees online, hiding their monthly pricing behind a demo/sales call just as Mindbody does.
Pros and Cons
- Can integrate with a large number of third-party applications via an open API
- Integrated payments through Zenoti Payments
- Custom reports
- Help center and Zenoti University (training) available
- No free trial
- Pricing is not transparent + high starting cost (minimum $300)
- Mobile app has low-to-mixed ratings
- Requires a 12-month contract
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
Deciding between Zenoti and Mangomint comes down to what you value more for your salon or spa.
Zenoti is all about control, employee productivity, and reputation management.
This is great for businesses focused on their online reputation. Zenoti also has a rich set of features for digging into data and improving your marketing.
Mangomint has intentionally developed features that benefit the day-to-day of salon and spa owners directly, focusing on process improvements through task automation, streamlining the booking process online and by phone (with their Express Booking feature), and building in 2024 must-haves like email marketing and even fully-integrated payroll processing.
Mangomint is a pleasure to use and has been highly praised for its user-friendly features and interface. It’s ideal for those who want an easy-to-use, fully-featured salon and spa software suite that doesn’t skimp on anything.
In short, if you’re a multi-location business that wants deep customization and in-depth reputation management tools, Zenoti might make sense for you.
If you prefer a software suite that is more streamlined, modern, and easy to use (and still has a ton of features on offer) that also makes sense for small and large businesses alike, Mangomint is your go-to.
Zenoti vs Mangomint
Let's dig deeper into the pros and cons of each software.
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
Diving into the features of Zenoti and Mangomint, both offer a solid lineup, including marketing, detailed reports, two-way text messaging, scheduling, and payment processing.
Zenoti stands out with its add-on features, including its ezPulse employee performance tracking suite, which helps business owners identify those who are performing well and those who are underperforming by key performance metrics.
Likewise, Zenoti offers an AI chatbot that can answer customer questions and even book appointments for you after hours.
Mangomint is no slouch, either, with one-of-a-kind features like its Intelligent Waitlist, a feature that identifies new openings on the calendar and notifies you if a guest on your waitlist might fit.
Likewise, Mangomint’s Virtual Waiting Room feature makes check-in and transition from appointment to appointment seamless for service providers and clients, whether you have a front desk or not.
When it comes to marketing, both software suites offer a custom drag-and-drop email builder with plenty of tools to make fully customized newsletters, promotion notifications, and more.
Zenoti’s email suite has a broader feature set, as you can create scheduled and always-on campaigns, but Mangomint has a far more polished builder with an impressive library of professionally designed templates made especially for the beauty industry.
Mangomint also connects with Shopify, which is a major plus for beauty and wellness businesses that utilize e-commerce to sell products online.
To their credit, both software suites offer an incredible range of features.
Zenoti’s are more targeted at corporations and chains that are more concerned with employee efficiency and brand management, whereas Mangomint’s features are better for independent business owners who care deeply about their client experience and want to improve efficiency organically with smart tools that don’t feel, well… so big brother-y.
Zenoti vs Mangomint
Mangomint offers more organic tools for business owners, whereas Zenoti's features are aimed more at corporate and chain businesses.
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Zenoti
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Mangomint
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| Online Booking | Zenoti | Mangomint |
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Website booking widget Note Can you integrate the entire online booking experience directly into your website? |
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Branding control Note Can you customize the look and feel of the booking experience to fit your brand? |
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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? |
Note Not by default. Available through Zenoti Go add-on. |
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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? |
Note Not by default. Available through Zenoti Go add-on. |
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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 through ezConnect premium add-on for an additional fee |
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| Two way SMS communication |
Note Available through ezConnect premium add-on for an additional fee |
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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? |
Note Can upload files to forms, but not client profiles |
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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 considering capabilities beyond what’s built into Zenoti and Mangomint, their approach to integrations creates an additional point of differentiation.
Zenoti tries to be an all-encompassing platform, building more features natively into its software.
While some of Zenoti’s standard integrations exist for third-party apps, most integrations will require utilizing Zenoti’s open API, which may require web development skills and monthly fees.
Mangomint offers a smaller library of third-party integrations but also offers custom integrations that can be built right into the software, with no coding expertise required on the customer’s end.
Zenoti vs Mangomint
Zenoti offers a larger library of integrations, but Mangomint offers custom integration building as a service.
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Zenoti
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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
Transparency is where these two salon software competitors differentiate greatly.
Zenoti does not publish plan pricing. You must request a video call demo to get basic pricing information. Per our conversations with Zenoti’s salespeople, their lowest-price offerings start above $300.
Mangomint, on the other hand, clearly details pricing on its website, and its plans start at $165 per month.
Zenoti vs Mangomint Pricing
Mangomint pricing is more transparent, and its plans start at a much lower price point.
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Zenoti |
Mangomint |
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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?
To read more about our experience testing these software suites, check out our comprehensive reviews of Mangomint and Zenoti.
However, if you’re interested in what everyday business customers have to say, take a look at the user review scores below.
Zenoti vs Mangomint
Let's compare scores for these systems on the major user review sites.
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Zenoti |
Mangomint |
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What Alternatives Should You Consider?
Mangomint and Zenoti are both great choices for entirely different types of businesses.
If you’re still not sure if either is the right choice for your business, take a look at these alternatives and see if they’re a better fit for you:
Mindbody offers a feature set and level of complexity similar to that of Zenoti and has great support for fitness and wellness as well.
GlossGenius is a great option and my recommended alternative for independent professionals.
Mindbody vs GlossGenius
A quick comparison of the two Zenoti 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 was helpful in your search for the right salon and spa software for your business!
For more great software alternatives, please read my list of the best salon and spa software of 2024.
