Boulevard vs. Mindbody

Choosing between Boulevard and Mindbody for your business's management and payment solutions is a common decision point for owners in the self-care industry. This article will explain what Boulevard and Mindbody are and compare their features and pricing. The goal is to provide the information you need to decide which platform is the best choice for your business.

A quick overview on Boulevard and Mindbody

What is Boulevard?

Boulevard is a client experience platform offering business management software for appointment-based self-care businesses like medspas, salons, spas, and barbershops. The company provides a suite of tools that includes self-booking, client management, payment processing, and marketing.

The platform's features include Precision Scheduling™ to optimize business calendars and a point-of-sale system tailored for the beauty and wellness industry. It serves various business sizes, from single locations to multi-site franchises and enterprises.

What is Mindbody?

Mindbody provides business management software for companies in the fitness, beauty, and wellness sectors. The platform includes tools for scheduling, payment processing, marketing automation, and staff management.

The company offers access to a consumer marketplace for booking services and integrates with ClassPass to fill class spots. Its platform also features AI-powered client communication tools and an option for business financing through Mindbody Capital.

Features of Boulevard and Mindbody

Boulevard features

Boulevard offers a range of features tailored for appointment-based businesses in the self-care industry, with tools focused on both business management and the client experience. Key features include:

• Precision Scheduling™: A proprietary, trademarked system that gives clients a simple self-booking process while optimizing the business’s calendar to prevent gaps.
• All-in-one POS: A point-of-sale system designed specifically for beauty and wellness brands to facilitate a seamless checkout experience.
• Marketing and loyalty programs: The platform includes built-in tools for marketing, client messaging, memberships, and loyalty programs to help businesses drive engagement and retain clients.

Mindbody features

Mindbody provides a platform with a suite of features designed for businesses in the fitness, beauty, and wellness industries. Its key offerings include:

• Comprehensive management tools: The platform includes features for scheduling, client management, staff administration, and integrated payment processing.
• Automated marketing: Businesses can use built-in tools to create and send personalized email and text campaigns to engage clients.
• Branded mobile app: Mindbody offers the ability to create a custom-branded mobile app for your business, which is included in its Ultimate Plus plan or available as an add-on for other tiers.
• Consumer marketplace: A unique feature is access to the Mindbody app and marketplace, which allows businesses to be discovered by a network of more than 2.8 million active users looking for wellness services.

Comparing Boulevard, Mindbody and Portrait Care's features

Why choose one over the other?

• Why use Boulevard over Mindbody

  You should choose Boulevard if you operate a specialized, appointment-centric self-care business like a medspa, salon, or barbershop. Its proprietary Precision Scheduling™ and tailored POS system are designed specifically for the complexities of this niche, offering a more focused solution than Mindbody's broader platform. Boulevard is built from the ground up to elevate the client experience for high-end self-care brands, rather than serving the general wellness market.

• Why use Mindbody over Boulevard

  Mindbody is the superior choice if your main objective is new client acquisition and you serve the broader wellness and fitness community. Its key advantage is the consumer-facing Mindbody app, which exposes your business to millions of active users—a powerful marketing channel that Boulevard lacks. This makes it ideal for businesses like yoga studios, gyms, or spas looking to fill classes and appointment slots from a large, established network.

Considering Portrait Care vs Boulevard and Mindbody

• Why use Portrait Care over Boulevard and Mindbody

  You should choose Portrait Care if you operate a medical wellness clinic and prioritize a platform that offers more than just software. While Boulevard and Mindbody charge significant monthly fees, Portrait is free to get started and provides a robust, free core EHR, allowing you to scale with optional premium add-ons. This model, combined with our unique offerings of medical oversight, compliance support, and major supply savings, provides a comprehensive growth partnership that booking-focused platforms can't match.

What are the customers saying?

Boulevard reviews

User feedback for Boulevard often centers on its ease of use and customer support, while some users note missing features like invoicing, integration limitations, and payment processing delays. Check out more Boulevard reviews here.

Mindbody reviews

User feedback for Mindbody often highlights challenges with contract terms, such as automatic renewals and the cancellation process, in addition to technical issues with its booking system. Check out more Mindbody reviews here.

Portrait Care reviews

Our partners often share how our all-in-one platform—with its integrated software, operational support, and exclusive supply savings—has been instrumental in their success and financial independence.

A significant benefit is that Portrait Care provides a robust electronic health record (EHR) platform that is free to get started, unlike other software in the space. The core EHR functionality is free, with optional premium add-ons available to scale your business. Want to learn more? Check us out here.

Boulevard, Mindbody, or Portrait Care: Which is the best platform for you?

Ultimately, the best platform for your business depends on your specific needs, and both Boulevard and Mindbody offer strong solutions for the self-care and wellness industries. However, if you operate a medical wellness clinic and seek a true growth partner rather than just a software subscription, we recommend Portrait Care. Its unique model, which combines a free core EHR with essential services and significant supply savings, provides a comprehensive foundation designed to help you scale your business and achieve financial independence.