Why Studios Outgrow
Mindbody, Glofox, ABC
Generic booking platforms made sense when you had one studio and 200 members. At three locations and 2,000 members, every shortcut you accepted at the start becomes a tax on the brand you have built. Your members deserve to open your app, not a white-labeled SaaS dashboard that looks the same as the spin studio across the street. Custom apps were prohibitively expensive in 2018 — they are not in 2026. We have shipped studio apps that paid for themselves in retention lift inside 9 months.
Your Brand on Every Tap
Your logo, your colors, your typography, your class names. Members open the app and see your studio, not a generic SaaS interface with your logo crammed in a corner.
You Own the Asset
When you sell the studio, the app goes with it. When Mindbody raises pricing 30% in 2027, your costs do not move. The code is yours. The App Store listing is yours. The brand equity compounds — does not rent.
Retention Math That Works
Branded apps drive 20-40% higher retention than generic booking platforms (your benchmark data, not ours — we will show you the studies on the call). For a 1,000-member studio, that is 50-100 retained members a year. That pays for the build.
No Per-Member Fees
Mindbody and Glofox charge per active member. Growing your studio raises your software bill. Our retainer is flat — same price at 200 members or 5,000. Growth doesn't get punished.
Class Booking Done Right
Waitlists that actually work. Single-tap booking. Push notifications when a spot opens. Member preferences remembered. Cancel-and-rebook in two taps. The UX your members already use everywhere except their gym.
Integrates With What You Have
Stripe for payments, Mailchimp or Klaviyo for retention emails, your existing access-control system. We do not force you to rip out your stack — we sit on top of it.
What We Build Into
Every Studio App
The Launch tier ($14,997) includes everything below. Multi-location and franchise features at $29,997.
Member-facing app
- Class schedule and instant booking
- Waitlist with auto-add when spot opens
- Member profile with class history + favorite instructors
- Push notifications for new schedules, waitlist drops, retention nudges
- In-app payments and package purchases (Stripe)
- Class check-in (QR or geofenced)
- Refer-a-friend with tracking
Studio admin dashboard
- Class schedule editor (drag-and-drop)
- Instructor management + payroll export
- Member CRM with attendance, LTV, churn flags
- Revenue dashboard (memberships, drop-ins, retail)
- Push notification composer + segmentation
- Retention reports — at-risk member alerts
- Multi-location switcher (Growth tier and above)
Custom App vs. Mindbody — 5 Year Math
Based on a 1,000-member single-location studio. Pricing pulled from Mindbody public 2026 pricing pages.
| Cost Item | Mindbody (1,000 members) | Custom App (Appverra) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 upfront / setup | $0 | $14,997 (Launch tier) |
| Monthly subscription | $349/mo (Accelerate plan) | $1,997/mo retainer (hosting + updates + bug fixes) |
| Per-transaction fees | 2.75% + $0.15 (Mindbody Payments) | 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe — paid direct to Stripe) |
| 5-year subscription cost | $20,940 | $119,820 retainer + $14,997 upfront = $134,817 |
| You own the asset? | No — rent in perpetuity | Yes — sellable with the studio |
| Can you customize the brand? | Limited (colors + logo) | Total — every pixel is yours |
| Pricing scales with members? | Yes — punishes growth | Flat — growth is free |
Honest take: at 1,000 members, Mindbody is cheaper on raw cost. But the 5-year math flips at ~2,500 members, and the brand equity / asset ownership / retention lift compound from day one. If you are a 1-location studio under 800 members and brand differentiation is not strategic — keep Mindbody. If you are scaling past 1,500 members or running 2+ locations — the custom app wins on every axis.
Pricing for
Studio Owners
Discovery Sprint
$1,997
- 90-min call with co-founders
- Figma prototype of your studio app
- Fixed-bid SOW
- Refund if we are not a fit
Studio Launch
$14,997
- Member app (iOS + Android)
- Admin dashboard
- Stripe payments
- App Store + Play Store launch
- +$1,997/mo retainer for hosting + updates
Multi-Location
$29,997
- Everything in Studio Launch
- Multi-location switcher
- Per-location instructor + revenue reports
- Franchisee admin roles
- +$2,997/mo retainer
Running 5+ locations or a franchise? Scale tier ($59,997+) covers complex permissions and white-label franchisee apps.
Studio Owner Questions
Can you migrate our existing Mindbody member data?
Yes. Mindbody exports include member profiles, package balances, transaction history, and attendance. We import all of it into your new app on day one — your members do not lose history, package credits, or instructor preferences. Migration is included in Launch tier.
What about my class schedule — do I have to rebuild it?
No. We import your existing schedule and instructor roster from Mindbody on launch day. Going forward you manage it from your new admin dashboard. Drag-and-drop schedule edits, instructor reassignment, capacity changes — all the things Mindbody charges you to do.
Can members download the app from the App Store and Play Store?
Yes — under your studio's brand. The App Store and Play Store listings are under your developer account (we help you set them up if you do not have one). Your members search "[Studio Name]" and your app comes up. Not "Mindbody."
How does this work with my existing payment processor?
If you are already on Stripe — we plug straight in, your existing customer cards transfer (with Stripe Customer ID migration), and you keep your historical reports. If you are on Mindbody Payments — we migrate you to Stripe during the build (Mindbody Payments is locked to their platform, so leaving requires the move). Migration adds ~1 week to delivery.
What if I want to sell the studio in 3 years — does the app transfer?
Yes. The code is yours. The App Store + Play Store accounts are yours. The Stripe account is yours. The member database is yours. When you sell the studio, the buyer gets the app as part of the asset transfer. We have done this transfer for one studio sale in 2025 — clean handoff, took about 2 weeks.
What is the honest case for KEEPING Mindbody?
If you have under 800 members at one location, are not building toward multiple locations, and your members never complain about the app — Mindbody is cheaper and probably the right call. We will tell you that on the Discovery Sprint and refund the $1,997. The break-even math flips around 1,500 members or location number two.
Can I integrate access control — door unlock, gym entry?
Yes. We have integrated with Brivo, OpenPath, and Kisi on past builds. If your access control system has an API, we wire it up so members open the door from the app on check-in. Add ~1 week to delivery for the integration.
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