Short answer: The cost of a booking system is the sum of six layers, not the starting price: the subscription (often by tier and per location), add-ons such as a branded app, payment processing, fees on bookings made through a consumer marketplace (if the platform has one), one-off setup and onboarding, and the contract term that multiplies all of it. Get every layer into one written quote, turn it into a real monthly cost and a total over the minimum term, and compare quotes at the same volume. This applies whether you are looking at Mindbody, Class Booking or any other system.
The first price you hear is one line of the bill. A good decision needs all of them.
Many booking platforms, including Mindbody, are sold through demos and sales conversations, and the conversation usually starts with a monthly figure for the software. That figure is real, but card fees, marketplace bookings, a branded app, setup and the contract term are usually described elsewhere: in the quote, the payments agreement and the marketplace terms. Adding them up is your job, and it is easier with a structure.
This guide gives you that structure. You will not find other vendors' prices here: they depend on tier, locations and negotiation, they change, and the only figures worth relying on are the ones in your own written quote and on the vendor's own website. You will find the cost layers, a worksheet, a clearly hypothetical worked example and the questions that get you a complete quote in writing.
A note on where we stand: we make Class Booking, a flat-price booking system, so we are not neutral. That is one more reason to trust your own numbers rather than ours.
What are the six cost layers in a booking-software quote?
Platforms that are sold through demos tend to build their price from the same blocks. These are the six to look for when you read a quote, whether it comes from Mindbody or another vendor:
| Layer | How it is charged | What makes it grow |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Subscription | Monthly, often by tier and per location | More locations, or a feature that sits in a higher tier |
| 2. Add-ons | Monthly, on top of the tier (for example a branded app) | Every extra module you choose |
| 3. Payment processing | A percentage of card volume plus a fee per transaction | Your revenue |
| 4. Marketplace fees | Per booking made through a consumer marketplace | The number of marketplace bookings |
| 5. Setup and onboarding | One-off | Locations, data migration, training, hardware |
| 6. Contract term and renewal | Minimum term, notice period, renewal terms | Time: it multiplies every line above |
1. The subscription: tier and locations
Many platforms, Mindbody among them, sell their software in tiers where higher tiers unlock more features, and some price per location. Check which tier the quote is based on, whether the features you saw in the demo are in it, what each extra location adds, and whether the monthly figure is an introductory price.
2. Add-ons: the branded app and other modules
A branded app with your studio's name in the app stores is one of the add-ons studios weigh most often, and marketing tools or other modules can be priced separately too. List each one with its own monthly price, and check whether you can cancel it without changing the main contract.
3. Payment processing
Card payments cost money in any system. What you want to know is the full rate you pay through the platform compared with what a payment provider would charge you directly. Even a small difference in percentage is charged on your entire card turnover: half a percentage point on €20,000 of monthly card payments is €100 a month, or €1,200 a year.
Check what sits around the rate too: rates for the card types your customers use, fees for refunds and chargebacks, payout timing, terminal hire, and whether you can use your own payment provider.
4. Marketplace fees per booking
Some platforms run a consumer marketplace where people discover and book classes. Mindbody does, through its consumer app. A marketplace can bring you customers who would not otherwise have found you, and bookings through it may carry a fee to the studio. Intro offers on a marketplace also affect your revenue per booking. Whether it pays off depends on how many of those customers are new and how many stay. Our guide on how to measure what a booking marketplace brings your studio shows how to work that out.
One detail is worth checking against real booking behaviour. In our European studio booking report (17 boutique studios, more than 8,100 bookings), 25.5% of all bookings were cancelled. If a fee is charged per booking, ask whether it is refunded when the booking is cancelled.
5. Setup and onboarding
Setup can cover configuration, data migration, staff training and hardware such as card readers. Spread the one-off cost over the minimum term so you can compare it. If a setup fee is reduced in exchange for a longer commitment, write down both options and compare them.
6. Contract term, renewal and exit
The contract term is not a cost line of its own, but it multiplies every other line. Read the renewal clause as carefully as the price: automatic renewal and for how long, the notice period, whether prices can change, and what it costs to leave early.
Leaving also has a data side. Before you sign, ask how you get your members, booking history and outstanding balances out of the system, and in which format. Our guide to migrating from Mindbody covers what a switch involves in practice.
Worksheet: put your quote on one page
Fill in the figures from your own quote. Use prices excluding VAT and one currency throughout. If the quote is in a different currency from your revenue, write down the exchange rate you used. Your card volume and number of transactions are on your current payment provider's monthly statement.
| Line | How to calculate it | Your number |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Price per location × number of locations | € ______ /month |
| Add-ons | Sum of all monthly add-ons (app, marketing, other modules) | € ______ /month |
| Payment difference | Card volume × (quoted % − direct %) + transactions × (quoted fixed fee − direct fixed fee) | € ______ /month |
| Other payment fees | Refunds, chargebacks, payouts, terminal hire | € ______ /month |
| Marketplace fees | Marketplace bookings per month × fee per booking | € ______ /month |
| One-off costs | Setup + data migration + training + hardware | € ______ once |
| Minimum term | From the contract (plus the notice period, if it runs on top) | ______ months |
| Exit costs | Early-termination fee, data export | € ______ |
| Real monthly cost | Monthly lines + (one-off costs ÷ months in the minimum term) | € ______ /month |
| Total commitment | Monthly lines × minimum term + one-off costs | € ______ |
Two numbers come out of the sheet. The real monthly cost is the one to compare with what you pay today. The total commitment is what you are signing up for. If you cannot yet estimate how many bookings a marketplace would bring, use a cautious figure and redo the sheet after three months with real numbers.
Worked example: a hypothetical quote
Hypothetical figures. Every figure in this example is an invented round number, chosen to show the arithmetic. It is not any vendor's price. Replace the figures with the numbers in your own quote.
Imagine a yoga studio with two locations, about €20,000 in card payments a month and around 80 bookings a month through a marketplace. It receives a quote that starts at "€250 a month". Broken down into the six layers, it looks like this:
| Line | In the hypothetical quote | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | €250 per location × 2 locations | €500 |
| Branded app | €100 a month | €100 |
| Payment difference | (2.0% quoted − 1.5% direct) × €20,000 | €100 |
| Marketplace fees | 80 bookings × €2 | €160 |
| Setup | €1,200 one-off ÷ 24 months | €50 |
| Real monthly cost | €910 | |
| Total over the 24-month minimum term | €910 × 24 | €21,840 |
The starting figure in this example is €250, the real monthly cost is €910 and the commitment over the term is €21,840. Every line would be somewhere in the quote or the terms. The worksheet simply puts them in one place. On the other side of the sheet, write down what the quote gives you: if the 80 marketplace bookings include new customers who stay, that value belongs in the comparison too.
The 1.5% direct rate is also just an example: providers such as Stripe publish rates per country and card type, so check the current rate for your country. The base card fees you would pay with any provider are left out, because only the difference counts.
How do you compare two quotes fairly?
A fair comparison follows four rules:
- Same volume on both sides. Same locations, same card volume, same number of bookings.
- Payments against payments. Compare the payment rates on both sides, not the full fee on one side with nothing on the other.
- Same period. Compare totals over, say, 24 months, not one headline monthly price with another.
- Value what each option gives you. A marketplace that brings new customers, a native app or a feature you rely on has a value. So does flexibility in the contract. Put a number on each and add it to the sheet.
Which kind of system fits depends on your studio. A platform with a consumer marketplace and a native branded app can fit well if you want to be discovered by new customers through that channel or need an app in the app stores. A flat-price system can fit well if most of your customers already find you through your own website, social media or word of mouth.
If you want to put Class Booking in the other column, our prices are published: €10, €30 or €50 a month, with no setup fee, no binding period and no commission on top of Stripe's standard fees, as payments run through your own Stripe account. Class Booking has no consumer marketplace, and the branded app included on every plan is a web app, not a native app-store app. Our Mindbody vs Class Booking comparison covers the feature differences, and the pricing page shows what each plan includes.
Questions to ask before you sign
Send these to the sales rep by email and ask for the answers in one written quote. Written answers are what you can compare, and point to later.
- ☐ What is the total monthly price, excluding VAT, and in which currency will you invoice?
- ☐ Which tier is the quote based on, and which of the features I saw in the demo are not included in it?
- ☐ What does each additional location cost?
- ☐ Which add-ons are in the quote, what does each cost, and can I cancel one without changing the main contract?
- ☐ What are the payment rates for the card types my customers use, and what do refunds, chargebacks and payouts cost? Can I use my own payment provider?
- ☐ Is there a fee per marketplace booking, which bookings does it apply to, is it refunded on cancellation, and can I choose not to use the marketplace?
- ☐ Which one-off costs apply (setup, migration, training, hardware), and do they depend on contract length?
- ☐ What is the minimum term? Does the contract renew automatically, for how long, and what is the notice period?
- ☐ Can prices change during the term or at renewal, and by how much?
- ☐ What does it cost to leave early, and how do I export my data (members, history, balances) when I leave?
- ☐ Is this the complete price, or could any other fees appear on an invoice?
If a line cannot be given a number yet, write down a cautious estimate and ask again. A complete quote is the only kind you can compare.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Mindbody cost per month in 2026?
The cost depends on tier, number of locations, add-ons, payment volume, marketplace bookings and contract term. Check current prices on Mindbody's own website, ask for a written quote that covers all six cost layers, and turn it into a real monthly cost and a total over the minimum term.
What should a booking-software quote include?
The subscription, every add-on, payment rates and related fees, any marketplace fees, one-off setup costs, and the contract term with renewal and exit terms. If one of these is missing, ask for it in writing before you compare.
How do I compare two booking systems on price?
Use the same volume on both sides, compare payment fees with payment fees, and compare totals over the same period, for example 24 months. Then add a value for what each option gives you, such as marketplace customers, a native app or a flexible contract.
What does Class Booking cost?
Basic costs €10 / £8 a month (solo, up to 6 classes a week), Pro €30 / £20 (up to 5 instructors and 25 classes a week) and Studio €50 / £40 (unlimited, including multiple locations). There is no setup fee, no binding period and no commission on top of Stripe's standard fees, and you can try it free for 14 days without a card.
One price on one line
Class Booking costs €10, €30 or €50 a month. No setup fee, no binding period, and payments through your own Stripe account.
Try free for 14 days →