Comparison · Updated November 1, 2026
Boulevard vs Mindbody for US Salons and Spas
Boulevard
B
Boulevard is booking, point-of-sale and client-management software for appointment-based salons, spas, barbershops and medspas, built by Boulevard Labs, Inc. in Los Angeles. Card payments run through its own Boulevard Payments, which uses Adyen for Platforms underneath and is sold only to Boulevard software customers. As of October 2026, Boulevard's pricing page lists plans from $143 to $416 a month per location, depending on tier, billing period and whether you run a salon or a medspa. It says card processing starts at 2.65%, and the exact rate is set in your order. With its Offset surcharge program, the business's share falls to about 1%, because clients pay a 3% credit-card fee. Deposits arrive in about two business days, and Instant Payouts cost 1.75%. The catch is the contract. Boulevard's Main Services Agreement defaults to a 12-month term that renews automatically. If you leave mid-term, you owe the rest of the term, and fees are non-refundable. Software reviewers rate it highly, at 4.6 from 390 reviews on Capterra. However, its small Trustpilot profile is mostly one-star reviews about technical and checkout problems, support and the one-year commitment.
Mindbody
C+
Mindbody is booking, scheduling and point-of-sale software for fitness studios, gyms, salons and spas, founded in San Luis Obispo, California in 2001 and now the best-known brand in wellness software. Payment processing is sold as Mindbody Payments, built on Stripe Connect, and takes cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna and Tap to Pay in more than forty countries. The pricing picture is unusually lopsided: Mindbody's own support documentation publishes card-present and card-not-present rates for around twenty regions — Canada at 2.89% + $0.25 CAD online and 2.39% + $0.10 CAD in person, the UK at 2.19% + 20p and 1.99% + 10p, most of the EU at 2.4% + €0.25 — and for the United States and Australia prints an email address instead. Software runs from $79 a month per location on the Starter plan, with the Accelerate and Ultimate tiers quoted rather than listed. Bookings that come through the consumer Mindbody app via its marketing tools are charged 3.5% plus a 20% marketplace fee, capped at $30 and applied only to a new client's first purchase. The terms of service, updated 20 March 2026, make early exit expensive: fees are non-refundable, thirty days' notice is required, and a customer who leaves before the end of a subscription term remains liable for the rest of it. The corporate context changed twice recently — the brands were gathered under a parent called Playlist in June 2025, and that business completed a merger with the German connected-fitness company EGYM in March 2026 at a combined valuation of $7.5 billion.
VS
Overview
We compare the two as booking, point-of-sale and payments software for a US salon or spa, using each company's own US pricing pages, help centres and published terms as of October 2026. Both sell software first and payments inside it, so we compare the subscription and the processing together, plan tier against plan tier. Boulevard is Boulevard Labs, Inc. of Los Angeles, founded in 2016 and built only for appointment-based self-care businesses. It is venture-backed; its latest round was an $80 million Series D led by JMI Equity in July 2025. Its card processing, Boulevard Payments, runs on Adyen. Mindbody is wellness software used by fitness studios as well as salons and spas. Its parent, Playlist, which also owns Booker and ClassPass, completed a merger with the fitness-technology company EGYM on 31 March 2026. Mindbody Payments runs on Stripe. Neither publishes a full US card rate. Boulevard says processing starts at 2.65%. Mindbody publishes only a $0.10 to $0.30 fixed fee per transaction for North America and Asia, and gives no US percentage. Boulevard's entry plan costs $143 a month on annual billing. Mindbody's starts at $79 a month per location, with the higher tiers quoted. Mindbody's default terms are shorter: a 90-day initial term then 30-day renewals, against Boulevard's 12 months renewing for 12 months. Under both, leaving mid-term leaves you owing the rest of the term. Boulevard has the cleaner complaint record. Mindbody advertises round-the-clock support and lets you bring your own processor.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Boulevard has the cleaner complaint record: an A+ BBB rating, accredited since September 2025, with no complaints in three years. Mindbody is rated A-, is not accredited, and has 104 BBB complaints in three years, 59 of them about billing. Most of its recent complaints come from businesses trying to cancel or disputing contract terms.
- ✓Neither publishes its full US card rate. Boulevard publishes a starting rate of 2.65%, with the exact rate set in your order. Mindbody publishes a fixed fee of $0.10 to $0.30 per transaction for North America and Asia, but no US percentage. Get both quotes in writing against the same month of your own sales.
- ✓Mindbody's default terms are shorter: a 90-day initial term renewing every 30 days, with 30 days' notice. Boulevard's default is 12 months renewing for 12 months, with notice due 30 days before the term ends. Under both, an order form can set a longer term, and ending early leaves you liable for every remaining month.
- ✓Boulevard's entry plan, Essentials, costs $143 a month on annual billing for one location with up to five bookable providers. Mindbody's Starter begins at $79 a month per location with unlimited users, and its higher tiers are quoted. Mindbody also charges 20%, capped at $30, on a new client's first purchase when its consumer app finds them for you.
- ✓Mindbody's pricing page says its team can be reached by phone, chat or email 24/7, though its help centre routes requests through an AI assistant first and offers live chat only in some cases. Boulevard offers chat, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 9pm Eastern, plus email, with no phone line.
Boulevard
Boulevard suits an established US salon, spa, barbershop or medspa that wants software built only for appointment businesses, with payments, memberships and split deposits for booth renters in one system, and that is ready to commit for a year. Get the full processing rate and the term length written into the order.
Mindbody
Mindbody suits a salon or spa that wants new clients from the Mindbody consumer app, wants to keep its own card processor, or wants a short default term to start on. Get the US card rate and the subscription term in writing before signing, and model the 20% first-booking fee.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Both are full salon and spa platforms with payments built in, and both make leaving mid-term expensive. Neither publishes a full US card rate, so processing cost is decided by the quote you get. Boulevard is built only for appointment businesses, with split deposits for booth renters, a published surcharge program and paid same-day and instant payouts. It also has the cleaner record: an A+ accredited BBB profile with no complaints in three years. The cost is a 12-month default term renewing for 12 months, chat and email support with no phone line, and processing you take as part of the package. Mindbody starts cheaper at $79 a month and defaults to a 90-day term with 30-day renewals. It advertises 24/7 phone, chat and email support, lets you keep your own processor, and comes with a consumer app that can send new clients for 20% of their first purchase. Its complaint record is far heavier, mostly about billing. Choose Boulevard if the software fit and track record matter most and you are ready to commit for a year. Choose Mindbody if you want the app's client flow or your own processor, and get the term and US rate in writing.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Software plans (US, October 2026)
| Feature | Boulevard | Mindbody |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | $143/month (Essentials, annual billing) | From $79/month per location (Starter) |
| No winner, because Mindbody's figure is a starting price and its plans are sold through a sales call ('Let's talk'), while Boulevard's is a fixed list price. Boulevard's pricing page shows Essentials at $143 a month for one location and up to five bookable providers, with 10% off for annual billing. The same page's data gives $159 a month on monthly billing. Mindbody's pricing page says Starter starts at $79 a month per location in North America and Asia, with unlimited users and no onboarding fee. | ||
| Mid-tier plan | $234/month per location (Premier, fall offer) | Not disclosed |
| Boulevard's Premier is $234 a month per location on annual billing ($260 monthly), marked as a limited-time fall offer for new customers against a normal annual-billing price of $293. Prestige is $328, normally $410. Mindbody's Accelerate and Ultimate tiers are quoted, not listed. | ||
| Fee on new clients from a consumer app | Not disclosed | 20% of first purchase, capped at $30 |
| Mindbody lists every business on its consumer app for free. When the app delivers a client new to your business, it charges 20% of that client's first purchase, excluding tax, capped at $30; later bookings carry no fee. Optional promoted intro offers and dynamic pricing in the app also carry a 20% fee, and app sales taken through Mindbody's app payouts rather than a full Mindbody Payments account carry a 3.5% processing fee (Mindbody's invoice and app fees FAQ, September 2026). We found no comparable consumer marketplace or commission on Boulevard's pricing page. | ||
Entry plan
Boulevard
$143/month (Essentials, annual billing)
Mindbody
From $79/month per location (Starter)
No winner, because Mindbody's figure is a starting price and its plans are sold through a sales call ('Let's talk'), while Boulevard's is a fixed list price. Boulevard's pricing page shows Essentials at $143 a month for one location and up to five bookable providers, with 10% off for annual billing. The same page's data gives $159 a month on monthly billing. Mindbody's pricing page says Starter starts at $79 a month per location in North America and Asia, with unlimited users and no onboarding fee.
Mid-tier plan
Boulevard
$234/month per location (Premier, fall offer)
Mindbody
Not disclosed
Boulevard's Premier is $234 a month per location on annual billing ($260 monthly), marked as a limited-time fall offer for new customers against a normal annual-billing price of $293. Prestige is $328, normally $410. Mindbody's Accelerate and Ultimate tiers are quoted, not listed.
Fee on new clients from a consumer app
Boulevard
Not disclosed
Mindbody
20% of first purchase, capped at $30
Mindbody lists every business on its consumer app for free. When the app delivers a client new to your business, it charges 20% of that client's first purchase, excluding tax, capped at $30; later bookings carry no fee. Optional promoted intro offers and dynamic pricing in the app also carry a 20% fee, and app sales taken through Mindbody's app payouts rather than a full Mindbody Payments account carry a 3.5% processing fee (Mindbody's invoice and app fees FAQ, September 2026). We found no comparable consumer marketplace or commission on Boulevard's pricing page.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Salon with booth renters or independent stylists
Recommended
Boulevard
Boulevard can split one checkout into separate deposits for stylists who hold their own Boulevard merchant accounts, with a 1% fee on each merchant's share, according to Boulevard's help centre. We did not check whether Mindbody offers the same.
Multi-location spa or medspa group
Recommended
Boulevard
Boulevard publishes per-location prices for its Premier and Prestige tiers and adds medspa plans with charting and HIPAA support, and its complaint record is the cleaner of the two. Expect a 12-month term unless the order says otherwise.
New salon that wants clients from a consumer booking app
Recommended
Mindbody
Mindbody lists every business on its plans on its consumer app for free and charges only when the app delivers someone new: 20% of the first purchase, capped at $30.
Salon with a negotiated processing rate it wants to keep
Recommended
Mindbody
Mindbody says its software works with a third-party processor of your choice. Boulevard's pages describe only its built-in Boulevard Payments.
Solo stylist renting a chair
Neither. Boulevard's cheapest plan is $143 a month on annual billing, and Mindbody itself says it may not suit one-person operators who rent time at a shared location. A lighter booking tool with published flat card rates is easier to justify.
Boulevard: Best for 2 use cases
Mindbody: Best for 2 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
On software, Mindbody's entry price is lower: Starter starts at $79 a month per location, against $143 a month for Boulevard Essentials on annual billing. Mindbody's higher tiers are quoted, while Boulevard lists Premier at $234 and Prestige at $328 a month per location as a fall offer. On processing, neither publishes a full US rate. Boulevard starts at 2.65%, and Mindbody publishes only a $0.10 to $0.30 fixed fee per transaction. Card fees usually outweigh the subscription, so compare written quotes against a month of your own sales.
Not without paying out the term. Boulevard's default is a 12-month term that renews for 12 months unless you give written notice at least 30 days before it ends. Mindbody's default is 90 days, then 30-day renewals, with 30 days' notice. Under both, an order form can set a longer term, and ending early leaves you owing every remaining month. Check the term on your order form before signing.
Mindbody says no: its software works with a third-party processor of your choice, though some promotional offers include Mindbody Payments. Boulevard's pricing and help pages describe only its built-in Boulevard Payments, and our review found no way to connect an outside processor to its checkout.
Yes, with both, and the programs work the same way. Boulevard's Offset adds a 3% credit fee to the client's subtotal and processes the total at 4%, leaving the business paying slightly above 1%. Mindbody's Transaction Fee setting, for US businesses on Mindbody Payments, lets you add up to 3% (or your processing rate, if lower) and processes surcharged sales at 4%, for an effective cost of around 1%. Neither applies to debit cards. Surcharging is restricted in some states and by card-network rules, and both make compliance your responsibility.
At about the same speed by default. Boulevard says funds usually reach your bank two business days after the day of sale, and it offers Same-Day Payouts for 0.95% and Instant Payouts for 1.75%. Mindbody's help centre gives a minimum of one to two business days for US card payouts after each daily batch, and two to five for ACH, with the first payout taking at least seven business days.
Boulevard is Boulevard Labs, Inc., a Los Angeles company founded in 2016 and backed by venture investors; its July 2025 Series D was led by JMI Equity, with Index Ventures and VMG Partners. Mindbody belongs to Playlist, which also owns Booker and ClassPass, and Playlist completed a merger with EGYM on 31 March 2026 that valued the combined company at $7.5 billion.
Related Comparisons
Explore more payment processor matchups