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Software · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Booker by Mindbody

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Software

Scheduling made simple

From
$16/month
Rated
-
Booker by Mindbody logo

Booker by Mindbody

Software

Complete spa management solution

From
$129/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Booker by Mindbody only the Starter plan carries a published price, from $139 per month; Accelerate, Ultimate and Enterprise are quote only
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Appointment types, Booker by Mindbody covers Client management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and Booker by Mindbody actually diverge.

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Booker by Mindbody differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingBooker by Mindbody
Starting price$16/month$129/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20032001

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Acuity Scheduling

  • Appointment types
  • Calendar sync
  • Payment processing
  • Email reminders
  • Client self-scheduling
  • Timezone detection
  • Squarespace
  • Zoom

Only in Booker by Mindbody

  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing automation
  • Gift cards
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Mailchimp
  • Constant Contact

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Packages & memberships
  • Stripe
  • QuickBooks
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • SOC2

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversionnot Booker by Mindbody
  • HIPAA-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitionersnot Booker by Mindbody
  • Multi-location scheduling with multiple staff membersnot Booker by Mindbody
  • Membership, package sales, and gift certificate managementnot Booker by Mindbody

Booker by Mindbody

  • Booking and managing appointments for spas and salonsnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Running point of sale, payments and staff scheduling in one systemnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Listing a business on the Mindbody consumer app to attract clientsnot Acuity Scheduling

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Starter tier limited to 1 calendar only
  • SMS/text reminders, memberships, and gift certificates require Standard or Premium tier
  • HIPAA compliance (BAA signature) exclusive to Premium tier at $49/month
  • Custom API and CSS access, and Acuity branding removal require Premium tier

Booker by Mindbody

  • Only the Starter plan carries a published price, from $139 per month; Accelerate, Ultimate and Enterprise are quote only
  • The Starter plan limits staff logins and provides basic reporting only
  • Marketing automation, reviews and referrals, and unlimited two way text messaging are restricted to the Ultimate tier
  • The Messenger AI chatbot is a paid add on even on the higher tiers

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

$16/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.

Booker by Mindbody

$129/month
  • Essential$129/month
    • Online booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Accelerate$259/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Advanced marketing
    • Inventory management
  • Ultimate$399/month
    • Everything in Accelerate
    • Premium support
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

  • You need appointment types.
  • You also want calendar sync.

Choose Booker by Mindbody if

  • You need client management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want point of sale.

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Booker by Mindbody better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Booker by Mindbody at $129/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Booker by Mindbody?
Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Booker by Mindbody at $129/month.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Booker by Mindbody run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Booker by Mindbody runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Acuity Scheduling best used for?
Acuity Scheduling is most often used for client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion, hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners, multi-location scheduling with multiple staff members, membership, package sales, and gift certificate management. Of those, client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion and hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners are not what Booker by Mindbody is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Booker by Mindbody cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing, Email reminders. Booker by Mindbody covers Client management, Point of sale, Inventory tracking, Marketing automation. Both handle Online booking, Packages & memberships, Stripe, QuickBooks.

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