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Scheduling · head to head

Acuity Scheduling vs Booker by Mindbody

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Scheduling

Scheduling made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Booker by Mindbody logo

Booker by Mindbody

Scheduling

Complete spa management solution

From
$129/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Acuity Scheduling has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

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 priceFree$129/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20032001

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Scheduling).

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

Free
  • Starter$20/month
    • 1 calendar
    • Payment processing (Stripe, Square, PayPal, Venmo)
    • Email reminders
  • Standard$34/month
    • Up to 6 calendars
    • Starter features
    • Text message reminders
  • Premium$61/month
    • Up to 36 calendars
    • Standard features
    • HIPAA BAA compliance

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 want to start without paying.
  • You also want calendar sync.
Acuity Scheduling review

Choose Booker by Mindbody if

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

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Booker by Mindbody better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at Free 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 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Acuity Scheduling and $129/month for Booker by Mindbody.
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.
Can I use Acuity Scheduling for free?
Yes. Acuity Scheduling has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Booker by Mindbody starts at $129/month.
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.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Acuity Scheduling: How much does Acuity Scheduling cost?

Starter is $20/month (monthly) or $16/month (annual, 20% savings). Standard is $34/month (monthly) or $27/month (annual). Premium is $61/month (monthly) or $49/month (annual). All include a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. Annual billing is prorated based on signup date.

Source
Booker by Mindbody: What is Booker's starting price?

Booker starts at $139 per month. The platform offers three tiers (Starter, Accelerate, and Ultimate) designed for salons, spas, and similar service businesses.

Source
Acuity Scheduling: How many calendars and staff can I manage per Acuity tier?

Starter supports 1 calendar. Standard supports up to 6 calendars. Premium supports up to 36 calendars. Text message reminders require Standard or higher. Multiple staff/location timezones are only available on Premium.

Source
Booker by Mindbody: What is included in Booker's Starter plan?

The Starter plan includes online booking, text messaging up to 3,000 notifications, intake streamlining, and a business website.

Source
Acuity Scheduling: Does Acuity Scheduling offer HIPAA compliance?

HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) compliance is only available on the Premium plan ($49-61/month). Premium also includes the ability to hide Acuity branding.

Source
Booker by Mindbody: What additional features are in Booker's higher tiers?

Accelerate adds email campaigns and unlimited staff profiles. Ultimate (best value) includes automated email and text marketing, unlimited 2-way SMS, automated review prompts, and referral tracking. Not all features are available in all regions.

Source
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