Mindbody and Momence are two of the most popular studio management platforms, but they take very different approaches. Mindbody is the established industry leader with a massive marketplace. Momence is the modern challenger with superior design and marketing tools.
This head-to-head comparison helps you decide which is right for your studio.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Mindbody | Momence | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $139/mo | $99/mo | Momence |
| Processing fees | 2.75% | 2.5% + $0.15 | Momence |
| Consumer marketplace | 3.5M+ users | None | Mindbody |
| Interface design | Functional | Modern, beautiful | Momence |
| Marketing automation | Good | Excellent | Momence |
| Reporting depth | 100+ reports | Good, growing | Mindbody |
| Video hosting | Third-party | Native | Momence |
| Free trial | No | 14 days | Momence |
| Customer support | Variable | Excellent | Momence |
| API access | Yes (Ultimate+) | Yes (Enterprise) | Tie |
| Branded app | Yes (Ultimate+) | No | Mindbody |
| Multi-location | Excellent | Growing | Mindbody |
Pricing Comparison
Let’s compare total costs for a mid-size studio (5 instructors, $10K monthly card transactions):
Mindbody (Accelerate Plan)
- Monthly subscription: $279
- Payment processing (2.75% × $10K): $275
- SMS pack: ~$20
- Monthly total: ~$574
- Annual total: ~$6,888
Momence (Pro Plan)
- Monthly subscription: $199
- Payment processing (2.5% + $0.15 per txn × ~200 txns): $280
- Monthly total: ~$479
- Annual total: ~$5,748
Savings with Momence: ~$1,140/year
For the Starter plans, the gap is even wider:
- Mindbody Starter: ~$139/mo + processing = ~$414/mo
- Momence Starter: ~$99/mo + processing = ~$379/mo
Feature Deep Dive
Scheduling
Both platforms handle scheduling well, but with different strengths:
Mindbody excels at complex scheduling scenarios:
- Multi-resource scheduling (room + equipment + instructor)
- Advanced workshop and retreat management
- Appointment and class scheduling in one view
- Substitute instructor management with notifications
Momence provides a cleaner scheduling experience:
- Beautiful member-facing booking interface
- Faster setup for new classes and events
- Better mobile booking experience
- More intuitive admin calendar
Winner: Tie — Mindbody for complexity, Momence for experience.
Marketing
This is where the platforms differ most dramatically:
Mindbody’s marketing tools:
- Email campaigns with basic automation
- SMS messaging
- Smart contact lists with AI segmentation
- Promotional offers and intro pricing
- Marketplace visibility (unique advantage)
Momence’s marketing tools:
- Visual workflow builder for complex automations
- Behavior-triggered email sequences
- Abandoned cart recovery
- A/B testing for campaigns
- Advanced segmentation
- Referral tracking
- Re-engagement automations
- Post-class follow-ups
Winner: Momence, by a significant margin. The marketing automation is far more sophisticated and actionable.
Member Experience
Mindbody:
- Members may already have the Mindbody app
- Familiar interface for fitness consumers
- Can discover your studio through marketplace
- Functional but dated booking interface
Momence:
- Modern, Instagram-worthy booking pages
- Faster checkout flow
- Community feed and social features
- Video-on-demand in the same platform
Winner: Momence for design and experience, Mindbody for familiarity.
Reporting
Mindbody offers 100+ pre-built reports with a custom report builder. Retention cohorts, revenue forecasting, instructor analytics — it’s comprehensive and mature.
Momence covers essential metrics well but with fewer pre-built reports and less customization. It’s improving quickly but hasn’t caught up to Mindbody’s depth.
Winner: Mindbody.
Discovery and Marketplace
Mindbody’s marketplace is its biggest competitive advantage. Over 3.5 million monthly active consumers search for fitness experiences on the Mindbody app. Studios report 10-30% of new members discovering them through the marketplace.
Momence has no marketplace. You drive all your own traffic through SEO, social media, referrals, and paid advertising.
Winner: Mindbody, decisively.
Who Should Choose Mindbody?
- Established studios in urban areas where marketplace discovery is valuable
- Multi-location businesses needing centralized management
- Studios with 200+ members that can absorb the higher cost
- Businesses that value brand recognition and stability
- Studios already on Mindbody where switching costs are high
Who Should Choose Momence?
- Studios prioritizing marketing automation and growth
- Tech-savvy owners who value modern design
- Studios offering virtual and on-demand classes
- Businesses focused on conversion optimization
- Studios that generate their own leads (not reliant on marketplace)
- Budget-conscious studios wanting premium features
Migration: Switching from Mindbody to Momence
If you decide to switch:
- Data export — Mindbody allows data export of members, payments, and history
- Momence migration — Momence’s team assists with data import and mapping
- Parallel period — Run both systems for 2-4 weeks during transition
- Member communication — Send clear instructions about new booking process
- Timeline — Plan 4-6 weeks for complete migration
Our Recommendation
Choose Momence if: You want the best overall platform for marketing, member experience, and value. It’s the better choice for 70% of studios.
Choose Mindbody if: You’re an established studio that benefits significantly from marketplace discovery, need deep reporting, or already have a Mindbody ecosystem that works for you.