For: Fitness studios
Glofox vs Mindbody vs MeetScarlet 2026: which fits your studio?
Disclosure: Our #1 pick is MeetScarlet, and we are affiliated with them. We also cover competing tools and where they shine. We may earn commissions from links on this page. Details
The short answer: There’s no single winner. Mindbody fits a studio that wants new clients from its own consumer app, 24/7 phone support and a written 99.9% uptime promise. It suits you if a 90-day default first term is fine and you’ll pay more for text reminders and spot booking. Glofox fits a class studio that wants text reminders and spot booking listed as included, and month-to-month terms when the order form names no term. Neither publishes full prices or card rates. Based on both vendors’ public pages, checked November 4, 2026. Our #1 pick, MeetScarlet, says it’s live; its help says “no live card payment has been run yet” (November 5, 2026).
Key takeaways
- Neither publishes a full price list. Every Mindbody plan card, Starter included, says "Let's talk", under a "Starting at $79 USD/month per location" headline; Glofox's pricing page is a quote form, and its FAQ says "as low as $99USD/month per location" for "eligible fitness studios" (checked November 4, 2026).
- Neither publishes its card processing rate. Mindbody gives only the fixed part, $0.10 to $0.30 per transaction in North America and Asia; Glofox says its prices exclude processing fees.
- Mindbody lists you in its own consumer app on every plan and takes 20% (capped at $30) of a new client's first purchase. Glofox has no marketplace of its own; it connects to ClassPass, Gympass and Wellhub, and its pages don't say what those platforms charge.
- Glofox lists email and SMS reminders and spot booking as included, so confirm them on your quote; on Mindbody, text reminders and Pick-a-Spot start on the Accelerate plan, whose price isn't published.
- Mindbody offers 24/7 phone, chat and email support and a 99.9% uptime commitment with credits; Glofox says support hours "depend on plan and region", and its terms give no uptime percentage or credits.
- Both contracts depend on your order form: Glofox's terms default to month-to-month, Mindbody's to a 90-day first term, though a Mindbody blog post mentions "12, 24, or 36 months".
What Glofox and Mindbody are (and aren’t)
Glofox, now ABC Glofox and part of ABC Fitness Solutions, is software “built for class-led fitness businesses”, with packages “sized for single- and few-location operators”. Mindbody serves fitness, wellness and beauty businesses, and lists you in its consumer app on every plan. It says it “may not be a fit for independent, one-person operators who rent time at a shared location and only need basic booking and payment solutions”. Our pick, MeetScarlet, is “a white-label booking app for appointment and class businesses”, its Scarlet plan is “For one location” while Scarlet Pro “includes up to 3 locations”, and its terms page says “Scarlet is live, and founding studios can join now” (checked November 5, 2026). For other options, see our guide to booking software for fitness studios.
Glofox vs Mindbody vs MeetScarlet at a glance
| MeetScarlet (our pick) | Glofox | Mindbody | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Studios that want their own branded app and can wait about 4 to 6 weeks for the store apps | Class studios that want text reminders and spot booking listed as included | Studios that want marketplace clients, 24/7 phone support, or room to add spa and beauty services |
| Published price | $349/month plus $999 setup, or $3,490/year with setup free, for one location and 5 staff logins; Scarlet Pro $499/month plus $999 setup, or $4,990/year (20 logins, “up to 3 locations”) | Quote form; FAQ says “as low as $99USD/month per location” for “eligible fitness studios” | “Starting at $79 USD/month per location”; every plan card, Starter included, says “Let’s talk” |
| Card processing rate | Stripe’s fees + 1%; on once your Stripe account is approved; its help says “no live card payment has been run yet” | Not published | Percentage not published; fixed part $0.10 to $0.30 per transaction |
| Marketplace | None: its site says it isn’t for “Businesses that want new clients mainly from a marketplace app” | No marketplace of its own; it connects to ClassPass, Gympass and Wellhub; its pages don’t say what those platforms charge | Its own consumer app on every plan: 20% of a new client’s first purchase, capped at $30; bookings via partners such as Google “may include a separate fee or revenue share”; also a ClassPass integration |
| Text reminders | Scarlet Pro ($499/month), coming soon; email reminders “built but not sending yet” | Email and SMS listed as included; confirm on your quote | Email on Starter; text from Accelerate up |
| Spot booking | Spot maps and an automatic waitlist “with every plan” (class page); classes need a client account | Listed as included; confirm on your quote | Pick-a-Spot from Accelerate up |
| Branded app | Included on every plan, under your own Apple ($99 a year) and Google Play ($25 once) accounts | “On Elite or with the standalone branded app add-on” (membership page); prices not published | Add-on on Accelerate and Ultimate, price not published |
| Default contract (if the order form names no term) | Plans renew automatically; cancelling takes effect at the end of the paid period; no refunds for part-used months or years, apart from founding-plan exceptions | Month-to-month, 30 days’ written notice | 90-day first term, then 30-day renewals |
| Support | Its terms say “For support, message @meetscarletapp on Instagram. We aim to reply within one business day.” Email too (“A person reads every message”); “Priority support” on Scarlet Pro | In-product help, email or chat, with hours that “depend on plan and region”; a US support phone line on its contact page | Phone, chat or email, 24/7 |
| Uptime | We found no status page or uptime commitment | Its plans page claims “99.998% platform reliability” (a marketing claim); its terms promise only “commercially reasonable efforts”, with no uptime percentage or credits | 99.9%, with service credits once you’ve paid for 12 consecutive months |
| Setup time stated | “About 4 to 6 weeks for the store apps”; “your web app is live sooner” | “Less than a day” on one page, “around 4–6 weeks” in its FAQ | No figure given |
| Biggest limitation | Its help says “no live card payment has been run yet”; store apps take about 4 to 6 weeks | No public prices, and add-ons and package-dependent tools with no price shown | Leave early and you still owe fees for the whole term; text reminders and spot booking need a higher, unpriced plan |
Sources: Glofox FAQ, Glofox Terms of Use, Mindbody pricing and Mindbody’s service-level agreement, checked November 4, 2026. MeetScarlet: pricing, class booking, white-label, Jane comparison and plan help, checked November 4, 2026; terms, payments help and appointments help, checked November 5, 2026.
How we compared them
- Prices, card fees and billing basis, from each vendor’s pricing, payments and billing pages and FAQs, on November 4, 2026.
- Contract and exit terms, from Glofox’s Terms of Use (effective March 1, 2023), Mindbody’s Terms of Service (updated March 20, 2026) and a Mindbody blog post.
- Booking, memberships, apps and support, from each vendor’s feature pages and FAQs, plus app-store ratings labelled as other people’s opinions.
- We haven’t used any of the three hands-on, and MeetScarlet’s facts come only from its own pages, so this comparison is based on public documentation. Neither vendor’s help centre loaded for us. Our method explains more.
Pricing compared (checked November 4, 2026)
| What’s published | MeetScarlet (our pick) | Glofox | Mindbody |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan prices | Scarlet $349/month or $3,490/year; Scarlet Pro $499/month or $4,990/year | Quote form; only the FAQ’s “as low as $99USD/month per location” | “Starting at $79 USD/month per location”; Starter, Accelerate, Ultimate and Enterprise all say “Let’s talk” |
| Billing basis | Scarlet is “For one location”, with 5 staff logins (owner included); Scarlet Pro “includes up to 3 locations” and 20 staff logins; monthly or yearly | Per location; “monthly or annual terms” | Per location; unlimited users, and the price doesn’t rise with staff |
| Setup | $999 one-time on monthly billing, free on yearly; it imports clients, “not booking or payment history” | “initial online training and implementation” included; extra help priced separately | “no onboarding fee on any Mindbody plan”; data transfer “fees may apply” |
Sources: Glofox pricing page, Glofox FAQ, Glofox Terms of Use and Mindbody pricing, checked November 4, 2026. US dollars, before tax. MeetScarlet: pricing and switching page, checked November 4, 2026; terms (Scarlet Pro locations), checked November 5, 2026.
On the two headline figures alone, Mindbody costs $20 a month, or $240 a year, less per location (our arithmetic). Treat that as a starting point, not a quote: Glofox says “Final pricing depends on your business needs, selected plan, and available offers”, and extras such as a branded app have no price on either. Get written quotes for the same setup, and compare them with what other booking apps cost.
Card fees: neither publishes its rate; Mindbody gives only a fixed “$0.10 to $0.30” per transaction on top, and Glofox says its prices exclude “standard payment processing fees charged by your provider”. MeetScarlet publishes its own 1% on top of Stripe’s fees, but not Stripe’s rate. Its card payments turn on once Stripe finishes checking your own Stripe account, but its help still says “no live card payment has been run yet” (checked November 5, 2026).
Booking and scheduling
Both are built around classes, with appointments, automatic waitlists and no-show fees. Glofox lists capacity limits, spot booking, and email and SMS reminders under “All included. No add-ons.” But its FAQ also mentions “plan tiers” and “optional add-ons”, so confirm each on your quote. Mindbody puts “Resource management and Pick-a-Spot”, which lets members choose their spot in a class, on Accelerate and Ultimate, not Starter. Our pick, MeetScarlet, says spot maps (up to 100 spots) and an automatic waitlist come with every plan, but classes need a client account and “Each Scarlet studio has one schedule”.
Memberships and payments
Both bill recurring memberships automatically and update expired cards. Glofox also lists credit packs; we found no class packs named on Mindbody’s pages on November 4, 2026. Glofox takes credit, debit, ACH, Apple Pay and Google Pay; Mindbody takes cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna and Tap to Pay.
Mindbody allows “a third-party payment processor of your choice”. But some of its promotions include Mindbody Payments, and its terms let it recover a discount tied to a “Required Service” you stop using. Glofox has its own payments and lists Stripe, GoCardless and five other providers by region; ask which work in the US.
Our pick, MeetScarlet, lists monthly memberships, minimum terms, packs and credits, with card payments through your own Stripe account. They turn on once Stripe finishes checking that account, and “Until Stripe is connected, members pay at the desk”. Its appointments help still says “no live card payment has been run yet”, so check with MeetScarlet before counting on card payments (checked November 5, 2026).
Client experience
Every Mindbody plan lists you in its consumer app, with a 20% fee, capped at $30, “only on the first purchase for someone new to your business”; it also lists a ClassPass integration. Glofox has no marketplace of its own, but its scheduling page says members on “ClassPass, Gympass, and Wellhub discover and book your classes directly”, on those platforms’ terms. Our pick, MeetScarlet, has no marketplace: “Scarlet puts your clients in your app, not in a directory of other businesses.”
What users say (third-party opinion, not our own research, read November 4, 2026):
| Rating source | MeetScarlet (our pick) | Glofox | Mindbody |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store, owner and staff app | No third-party ratings found (checked November 4, 2026) | 2.5 out of 5 (47 ratings, Glofox Pro) | 4.6 out of 5 (23,572 ratings, Mindbody Business) |
| Google Play, owner and staff app | No third-party ratings found (checked November 4, 2026) | 2.6 out of 5 (84 ratings) | 4.2 out of 5 (4,795 ratings) |
| App Store, app clients use | No third-party ratings found (checked November 4, 2026) | 4.5 out of 5 (273 ratings, Glofox) | 4.9 out of 5 (273,943 ratings, Mindbody: Fitness & Wellness) |
| Google Play, app clients use | No third-party ratings found (checked November 4, 2026) | 4.8 out of 5 (2,769 ratings) | 4.9 out of 5 (61,439 ratings) |
Mindbody’s client app is its consumer marketplace, so its ratings cover far more than one studio. Its separate Check-In app averaged 1.8 out of 5 from 49 App Store ratings.
Contracts
Glofox: your order form sets the term, which renews automatically unless you give 30 days’ written notice; if it names no term, it’s month-to-month with the same notice. Fees are “non-cancelable and non-refundable”, and Glofox can end the agreement “for convenience at any time”.
Mindbody: unless your agreement says otherwise, the first term is 90 days, then 30-day renewals. A Mindbody blog post, though, mentions “12, 24, or 36 months”, so your order form decides. Leave early and you “remain responsible for payment of all fees owed for the entire Subscription Term”; fees are non-refundable.
MeetScarlet (our pick): its terms say plans “renew automatically until you cancel”, and “The cancellation takes effect at the end of the period you’ve paid for.” Part-used months and years aren’t refunded, apart from founding-plan exceptions. You can export the member list as a CSV at any time, and your data stays available after you cancel until you ask to delete it (checked November 5, 2026).
Switching from one to the other
Mindbody to Glofox: Glofox’s FAQ offers import templates, validation and guided onboarding “from Mindbody or another platform”.
Glofox to Mindbody: Mindbody offers free one-on-one onboarding and a data transfer service (“fees may apply”), but its terms make you “solely responsible” for a complete exit file from your old provider.
To MeetScarlet: it imports “clients, not booking or payment history”, and has “no direct importer for Mindbody” (switching page).
Leaving either: export first. Glofox says “Many reports download as row-level data”, and Mindbody’s blog says you can export client, purchase, membership and visit data in formats such as CSV. After that, Glofox will use “reasonable efforts” to return your data within 60 days once all fees are paid, “including … our then-current off-boarding fee”, and needn’t keep it after that. Mindbody’s export service runs within 30 days, once you’ve paid “all amounts owed” and agreed a statement of work, for “an added fee”. Neither publishes the amount.
What about our pick, MeetScarlet?
Every MeetScarlet plan includes your own branded app on iPhone, Android and web, and there’s no marketplace: its site says it isn’t the right fit for “Businesses that want new clients mainly from a marketplace app”. It costs $349 a month or $3,490 a year for one location and 5 staff logins. Scarlet Pro is $499 a month with 20 logins and “up to 3 locations”, and text reminders to clients (coming soon) are on Scarlet Pro only. Both plans add a $999 setup fee on monthly billing, free on yearly. Its terms page says “Scarlet is live, and founding studios can join now”. Founding studios pay $299 a month instead of $349 for the first 24 months, on monthly billing, with the $999 setup included at no charge; MeetScarlet plans 10 places (checked November 5, 2026). Card payments carry Stripe’s fees plus 1% to MeetScarlet. They go through your own Stripe account and turn on once Stripe finishes checking it (payments help, updated November 5, 2026). Its appointments help still says “no live card payment has been run yet”, so check with MeetScarlet before counting on card deposits or no-show fees. Its FAQ says store apps take “about 4 to 6 weeks”, mostly for Apple’s enrollment. It imports “clients, not booking or payment history”, has “no direct importer for Mindbody”, and we found no status page or uptime commitment. We found no third-party reviews as of November 4, 2026.
Choose MeetScarlet, our pick, if your own branded app matters most and you can wait about 4 to 6 weeks for the store apps, and can manage without email reminders, which are “built but not sending yet”. Choose Glofox or Mindbody if you need card payments and email reminders working today, at a lower starting price. Sources: MeetScarlet pricing and FAQ, white-label page and switching page, checked November 4, 2026; terms, payments help and appointments help, checked November 5, 2026.
Biggest limitations of each
- MeetScarlet (our pick): its help says “no live card payment has been run yet”, store apps take “about 4 to 6 weeks”, part-used months and years aren’t refunded (apart from founding-plan exceptions), text reminders (coming soon) need Scarlet Pro, and we found no status page or uptime commitment (payments help, appointments help, terms).
- Glofox: no public prices. Branding and advanced communications are unpriced add-ons, and advanced CRM “can depend on your package”. Support hours vary, and its staff app averages 2.5 out of 5 on the App Store (third-party opinion) (Glofox FAQ).
- Mindbody: no plan prices or card percentage. Text reminders and Pick-a-Spot need Accelerate, and campaigns Ultimate. Leave early and you owe the whole term, and discounts tied to a “Required Service” can be clawed back (Mindbody Terms of Service).
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Want a branded app with a published price | MeetScarlet (our #1 pick) | Included on every plan, from $349 a month plus $999 setup, with spot maps and a waitlist; store apps take about 4 to 6 weeks, its help says “no live card payment has been run yet”, and text reminders (coming soon) need Scarlet Pro |
| Want new clients from a marketplace app | Mindbody | Its own consumer app on every plan; 20% (capped at $30) on a new client’s first purchase. Glofox connects to ClassPass, Gympass and Wellhub |
| Want text reminders listed as included | Glofox | Email and SMS reminders listed as included (confirm on your quote); Mindbody’s Starter sends email only |
| Spin, reformer or other spot-booked classes | Glofox | Spot booking listed as included (confirm on your quote); Mindbody’s Pick-a-Spot starts on Accelerate |
| Want 24/7 phone support and an uptime promise | Mindbody | 24/7 phone, chat and email, and a 99.9% uptime commitment with credits |
| Want month-to-month by default | Glofox | Month-to-month if the order form names no term; Mindbody’s default first term is 90 days |
| Want to keep your own card processor | Mindbody | It allows “a third-party payment processor of your choice”; Glofox works with a set list of providers by region |
| Also offer spa, massage or beauty services | Mindbody | Its site lists those business types; we found none on Glofox’s pages |
| Want a branded app | Get quotes from both | Glofox: on Elite or as an add-on; Mindbody: an add-on on Accelerate and Ultimate. Neither shows a price |
| Padel or court club | Check both | Glofox mentions “courts” and Mindbody lists “Sports facility”, but neither names padel |
| Padel club that wants its own app | MeetScarlet (our #1 pick) | Its court page lists padel open matches and Americano events; not for “leagues, ladders or tournament brackets beyond Americano”, and paying shares by link needs card payments, which turn on once your Stripe account is approved (its help says “no live card payment has been run yet”); store apps take about 4 to 6 weeks |
The verdict
There’s no single winner. Glofox suits a class studio that wants text reminders and spot booking listed as included and month-to-month terms by default, but shows no prices and charges an unpublished off-boarding fee. Mindbody suits a studio that wants marketplace clients, 24/7 support and an uptime promise, but its plans are unpriced and leaving early means paying out the term. Our pick, MeetScarlet, suits a studio that wants its own branded app at a published price and can wait about 4 to 6 weeks for the store apps, and can manage without email reminders, which are “built but not sending yet”.
Read our Mindbody review or Mindbody alternatives. Glofox’s FAQ says eligible single-location studios “can purchase online and start immediately”; otherwise, both start with a demo or a quote: see Glofox or Mindbody, checked November 4, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Glofox or Mindbody cheaper?
- We can't say for sure, because neither publishes the price of a full plan. Mindbody's headline is "Starting at $79 USD/month per location", and Glofox's FAQ says "as low as $99USD/month per location" for "eligible fitness studios". Get a written quote from both for the same setup (checked November 4, 2026).
- What are Glofox's and Mindbody's card processing fees?
- Neither publishes its full rate. Mindbody gives only the fixed part, $0.10 to $0.30 per transaction in North America and Asia, on top of a percentage it doesn't publish; Glofox says its prices exclude processing fees charged by your payment provider. Ask both for the rate in writing.
- Does Glofox or Mindbody charge a marketplace fee?
- Mindbody charges 20%, capped at $30, on the first purchase of a new client its consumer app sends you, and nothing on that client's later bookings. Glofox has no marketplace of its own; it connects to ClassPass, Gympass and Wellhub, and its pages don't say what those platforms charge.
- Which has the shorter contract, Glofox or Mindbody?
- Glofox's terms say that if your order form names no term, the agreement is month-to-month with 30 days' written notice. Mindbody's terms default to a 90-day first term and then 30-day renewals, but a Mindbody blog post mentions "12, 24, or 36 months", so read your order form with either.
- Can I get a branded app with Glofox or Mindbody?
- Yes, at extra cost with both. Glofox offers it "On Elite or with the standalone branded app add-on", and Mindbody's branded app is an add-on on its Accelerate and Ultimate plans, not Starter. Neither publishes the price.
- How long does it take to switch to Glofox or Mindbody?
- Glofox's FAQ says most fitness businesses go live in "around 4–6 weeks", though its scheduling page says setup "takes less than a day". Mindbody's pricing page gives no figure.
- Can I keep my own card processor with Glofox or Mindbody?
- Mindbody says you can use "a third-party payment processor of your choice", though some of its promotions include Mindbody Payments. Glofox works with a set list of providers, including Stripe and GoCardless, chosen by region, so ask which ones it supports in the US.
Sources
- Glofox pricing page (quote form), checked November 4, 2026
- Glofox FAQ (pricing, plan tiers, add-ons, setup time, support, migration), checked November 4, 2026
- Glofox scheduling and booking, checked November 4, 2026
- Glofox billing and payments, checked November 4, 2026
- Glofox membership management, checked November 4, 2026
- Glofox reporting, checked November 4, 2026
- Glofox Terms of Use (effective March 1, 2023), checked November 4, 2026
- Glofox contact page, checked November 4, 2026
- Mindbody pricing page, checked November 4, 2026
- Mindbody Payments, checked November 4, 2026
- Mindbody scheduling, checked November 4, 2026
- Mindbody Terms of Service (last updated March 20, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- Mindbody service-level agreement, checked November 4, 2026
- Mindbody blog: contracts, cancellation and data (updated March 12, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet pricing and FAQ, checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet white-label booking app page, checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet switching page (updated October 31, 2026), checked November 4, 2026
- MeetScarlet terms of service (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet payments help (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
- MeetScarlet appointments help (updated November 5, 2026), checked November 5, 2026
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