Bookchair vs Mindbody

Feature	Bookchair	Mindbody
Monthly fee	£20 flat	From ~£99/month to £200+/month (based on published pricing)
Per-staff fees	No	Tiered by staff/locations
Commission / marketplace fees	None	Marketplace fees on some plans
Setup fee / onboarding cost	None — start immediately	Yes — onboarding fees apply
Built for salons	Yes — 6 salon/clinic types	Built for fitness studios and gyms
Built-in UK compliance	Yes	No UK-specific compliance
Patch test tracking	Yes	No
Age restriction enforcement	Yes (Botulinum Toxin Act 2021)	No
Colour Lab / Hair Journey	Yes	No
Setup complexity	Minutes	Complex onboarding required
Contract	No — cancel anytime	Yes — typically annual

Why salons don't use Mindbody

It's built for gyms, not salons. Class scheduling, membership packages, and studio management are the core features. Hair, nail, and aesthetics workflows are an afterthought.
The price is unjustifiable for most salons. Starting at ~£99/month and running to £200+/month for larger accounts, Mindbody costs 5-10x more than Bookchair with fewer relevant features.
Onboarding and setup costs. Mindbody typically charges onboarding fees. Bookchair has no setup cost — start taking bookings the same day.
Annual contracts. Mindbody typically locks you in for a year. Bookchair has no contract.
No UK compliance tools. No patch test tracking, no UK GDPR consent wording, no age restriction enforcement. Bookchair has all three built in.

Pricing and features based on publicly available information at the time of writing (June 2026). Always verify current terms directly with the provider.

Why salons don't use Mindbody

Built for salons. Not gyms. £20/month.