Softwr

Scheduling · head to head

Booker by Mindbody vs Phorest

Booker by Mindbody logo

Booker by Mindbody

Scheduling

Complete spa management solution

From
$129/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phorest logo

Phorest

Beauty

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Booker by Mindbody only the Starter plan carries a published price, from $139 per month; Accelerate, Ultimate and Enterprise are quote only; Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • They diverge on capability: Booker by Mindbody covers Online booking, Phorest covers Appointment booking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Booker by Mindbody and Phorest differ
AttributeBooker by MindbodyPhorest
Starting price$129/month$99/month
CategorySchedulingBeauty
Founded20012003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Api), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Booker by Mindbody

  • Online booking
  • Gift cards
  • Packages & memberships
  • Reporting & analytics
  • QuickBooks
  • Constant Contact
  • Google Analytics
  • SOC2

Only in Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Business reports
  • Google My Business
  • SumUp
  • Shopify
  • GDPR compliant

Both cover

  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing automation
  • Mailchimp
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Stripe
  • PCI DSS
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Booker by Mindbody

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

Phorest

  • Salon and clinic management softwarenot Booker by Mindbody
  • Medical spa operations and schedulingnot Booker by Mindbody
  • Beauty and wellness business softwarenot Booker by Mindbody

Where each one falls short

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

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

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite only

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Booker by Mindbody if

  • You need online booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want gift cards.
Booker by Mindbody review

Choose Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want reputation management.
Phorest review

Questions people ask

Is Booker by Mindbody or Phorest better?
Neither clearly leads. Booker by Mindbody starts at $129/month and Phorest at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Booker by Mindbody or Phorest?
Booker by Mindbody starts at $129/month and Phorest at $99/month.
Does Booker by Mindbody or Phorest run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Booker by Mindbody best used for?
Booker by Mindbody is most often used for booking and managing appointments for spas and salons, running point of sale, payments and staff scheduling in one system, listing a business on the mindbody consumer app to attract clients. Of those, booking and managing appointments for spas and salons and running point of sale, payments and staff scheduling in one system are not what Phorest is typically brought in for.
What can Booker by Mindbody do that Phorest cannot?
Booker by Mindbody covers Online booking, Gift cards, Packages & memberships, Reporting & analytics. Phorest covers Appointment booking, Reputation management, Staff management, Business reports. Both handle Client management, Point of sale, Inventory tracking, Marketing automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Phorest: How do I find out Phorest pricing for my salon?

All plans require a custom quote. Click 'Request a quote' or 'Book a demo' on the Phorest pricing page to receive pricing tailored to your business needs.

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
Phorest: What SMS charges apply to each plan?

Core Aesthetics: 8.2 cents/SMS; Elevate/Elite Aesthetics: 7 cents/SMS; Starter/Grow/Ultimate: 500 free SMS/month.

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
Phorest: Is there a minimum staff requirement?

Yes, Phorest recommends 3+ staff members to use the software.

Source
Phorest: What is included in Phorest plans?

All plans include: unlimited devices, unlimited staff, software for life with future upgrades, migration services, and unlimited training.

Source
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