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Booker by Mindbody vs Square Appointments

Booker by Mindbody logo

Booker by Mindbody

Software

Complete spa management solution

From
$129/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Software

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square Appointments has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Booker by Mindbody covers Inventory tracking, Square Appointments covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Booker by Mindbody and Square Appointments differ
AttributeBooker by MindbodySquare Appointments
Starting price$129/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20012009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Booker by Mindbody

  • Inventory tracking
  • Marketing automation
  • Gift cards
  • Packages & memberships
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Mailchimp
  • Constant Contact
  • Facebook

Only in Square Appointments

  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app
  • Square POS
  • Google Calendar
  • Google My Business

Both cover

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • QuickBooks
  • Instagram
  • 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 Square Appointments
  • Running point of sale, payments and staff scheduling in one systemnot Square Appointments
  • Listing a business on the Mindbody consumer app to attract clientsnot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Booker by Mindbody
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Booker by Mindbody
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

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

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

Which should you pick?

Choose Booker by Mindbody if

  • You need inventory tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want marketing automation.
Booker by Mindbody review

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want automated reminders.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Booker by Mindbody or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Booker by Mindbody starts at $129/month and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Booker by Mindbody or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $129/month for Booker by Mindbody and Free for Square Appointments.
Does Booker by Mindbody or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Booker by Mindbody runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Square Appointments for free?
Yes. Square Appointments has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Booker by Mindbody starts at $129/month.
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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Booker by Mindbody do that Square Appointments cannot?
Booker by Mindbody covers Inventory tracking, Marketing automation, Gift cards, Packages & memberships. Square Appointments covers Payment processing, Automated reminders, Instagram booking, Google booking. Both handle Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, QuickBooks.
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