They wrote a blog post asking if they're too big for you.

Mindbody's own article is titled "Is Mindbody Too Big for a Small Dance Studio?" Their reviewers answer it: 24-month contracts, fees over $1,000 a month, and AI instead of a human when you need help.

Mindbody pricing: From $79/mo per location. The only published number. Everything above Starter is "Let's talk". Marketplace commission is 20%, capped at $30, on a new client's first purchase. An AI Concierge sits on the top tier.

Mindbody is rated 4.0 out of 5 on Capterra across 2995 reviews. Pricing and ratings checked 26 September 2026.

StudioFlow is $49 a month with every app included, month to month, payments on Stripe.

Why studios leave Mindbody

Instead of speaking to a real human you get AI responses or links to 'how to fix it yourself' articles.

Paul W., 2★, Capterra, August 2025

Mindbody is now refusing to release us from our contract — locking us into a 24-month term on a system that is unusable.

Kate S., 1★, Capterra, August 2025

Our fees are now over $1,000 CAD/month—nearly double the competition.

Paul W., 2★, Capterra, August 2025

I was offered a free trial and was stuck in a one year contract

Vanessa L., 2★, Capterra

StudioFlow vs Mindbody

Entry price	StudioFlow: $49/mo	Mindbody: From $79/mo per location
Price grows with	StudioFlow: Nothing	Mindbody: Locations, then "Let's talk"
Branded parent app	StudioFlow: Included	Mindbody: Add-on
Built for dance	StudioFlow: Yes — dance only	Mindbody: One of 21 verticals; dance is an SEO page
Support	StudioFlow: A real person on the phone	Mindbody: AI Concierge on the top tier
Contract	StudioFlow: Month to month	Mindbody: 12 to 24 month terms
Payment processor	StudioFlow: Stripe	Mindbody: Theirs, plus 20% marketplace commission
Recital ticketing	StudioFlow: Built in	Mindbody: No
Public reviews	StudioFlow: None yet — we are new	Mindbody: 4.0 / 5 on Capterra (2,995)

What changes when you leave Mindbody

No term to escape

Month to month from the first day. There is no 24-month agreement and no release to negotiate.

We never market to your families

There is no marketplace here, so there is no commission on your new students and no competing studio advertised beside you.

A person answers

The Front Desk add-on is a human. Not a concierge, not a chatbot, not a help-centre link.

When Mindbody is the better choice

• 2,995 Capterra reviews is more scrutiny than every other vendor in this study combined. At 4.0 across that volume, Mindbody is a known quantity in a way we are not.
• Their marketplace genuinely brings new clients to businesses that want walk-in discovery. The 20% commission buys something real.
• For a multi-location studio with a spa, a gym and retail, Mindbody's enterprise tooling and reporting are ahead of ours.
• They are honest enough to publish an article asking whether they are too big for a small dance studio. Read it — it is a fair piece.

Mindbody vs StudioFlow, answered

Is Mindbody good for dance studios?

Mindbody themselves published "Is Mindbody Too Big for a Small Dance Studio? Here's the Truth." Dance sits inside their fitness vertical and their dance material names family accounts and little else. No costumes, no recital casting, no competition tracking.

Does Mindbody lock you into a contract?

Reviewers describe 12 and 24 month terms, including one who says they were refused release from a 24-month agreement. StudioFlow is month to month.

What is the Mindbody marketplace commission?

20%, capped at $30, on a new client's first purchase. StudioFlow has no marketplace and takes no commission on your students.

What does Mindbody do better?

Scale, reporting and discovery. 2,995 reviews, enterprise multi-location tooling, and a marketplace that does bring in new clients. If those are what you need, they are the better buy.