4 Best Alternatives to Mindbody (Based in Canada)

If you’re looking for Mindbody alternatives in Canada, especially for a dance studio, yoga center, or gym, there are platforms designed with Canadian privacy laws and payment preferences in mind. Mindbody is a well-known choice in the industry, but for many Canadian businesses, it comes with drawbacks — from higher costs to limited local support.

The good news? There are excellent Canadian-made alternatives that not only match Mindbody’s capabilities but also offer advantages such as compliance with Canadian privacy laws, integration with local payment options like Interac, and customer service in your time zone.

Below, we compare four of the best Mindbody alternatives designed and supported right here in Canada.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Canadian-based Mindbody alternatives offer localized support, compliance with Canadian privacy laws, and integration with preferred payment methods like Interac.
• Activity Messenger provides an all-in-one solution for registrations, memberships, communications, and payments, making it ideal for dance, yoga, and fitness studios.
• FLiiP offers an intuitive interface, customizable dashboards, and client performance tracking, well-suited for martial arts, yoga, and fitness centers.
• WellnessLiving combines booking, payments, mobile apps, and marketing tools to support client retention and business growth.
• Bookedin simplifies class and appointment scheduling with online booking, automated reminders, and integrated payments, making it a strong choice for small studios and independent instructors.
• A clear feature comparison helps studios choose software that fits their size, service type, and operational needs.

 

Table of Contents

• Why Consider a Canadian Alternative to Mindbody?
• 1. Activity Messenger
• 2. FLiiP
• 3. WellnessLiving
• 4. Bookedin
• Comparison Table
• Who Each Option is Best For
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Discover Activity Messenger

 

Why Consider a Canadian Alternative to Mindbody?

• Compliance with Canadian privacy laws (PIPEDA): Ensures client and business data remains stored securely within Canada.
• Local payment options: Integrates with Canadian-friendly systems like Interac, which are often not supported by U.S.-based providers.
• Time zone–aligned support: Get help during your business hours without long wait times or overseas call centers.
• Cost efficiency: Canadian alternatives often provide competitive pricing tailored to small and medium-sized businesses.
• Feature flexibility: Local providers like Activity Messenger build features based on feedback from Canadian studios, so tools are more aligned with your needs.

Whether you run a camp in Montreal, a yoga studio in Toronto, or a dance academy in Vancouver, choosing a Canadian gym management software can help you stay compliant, save money, and access faster support.

1. Activity Messenger

Activity Messenger is a Canadian-based platform that fully replaces Mindbody. It manages registrations, communications (SMS and email), memberships, drop-ins, private lessons, online payments, and much more. With its flexible setup, you can create custom forms, send newsletters, and accept payments via Stripe or Interac.

Highlights:

• Compliance with Canadian privacy laws: Ensures that your data and your clients’ data are securely stored in Canada.
• Integration with tools like Canva and ChatGPT: Simplifies the design of visuals for your communications.
• Customization and automation: Allows for personalized communication with your members.
• Advanced registration management features: Easily track participation in your activities.

Ideal for: Dance studios, gyms, and fitness centers use Activity Messenger to simplify the management of registrations, memberships, and drop-ins and private lessons. Communications are also streamlined with automated emails and SMS.

Client reviews:  ⭐ 4.7/5

2. FLiiP

FLiiP provides a simple interface and efficient tools for fitness studios, martial arts schools, and yoga centers. The platform enables scheduling, payment management, and customer relationship tracking.

Highlights:

• Customizable dashboard: Displays the metrics most important to your business.
• Client performance tracking: Provides a clear view of their progress.
• Subscription and recurring payment management: Ideal for studios offering monthly membership plans.

Ideal for: Yoga centers can track members’ progress with detailed stats, centralize payments, and automate subscription management.

Client reviews: ⭐ 4.8/5

3. WellnessLiving

WellnessLiving provides an all-in-one solution for fitness, yoga, dance studios and other wellness-related businesses. The platform combines client management, online booking, payment processing, and marketing tools to streamline your operations.

Highlights:

• User-friendly interface: Simplifies scheduling, bookings, and payments for both staff and clients.
• Integrated mobile apps: Clients can book classes, make payments, and track their progress directly from their phones.
• Built-in reporting: Offers detailed insights into attendance, revenue, and client behaviour.

Ideal for: WellnessLiving is perfect for businesses like yoga studios and gyms that want to provide a seamless booking experience, retain members with rewards programs, and grow their clientele with targeted marketing tools.

Client reviews: ⭐ 4.4/5

4. Bookedin

Bookedin is a Canadian-based scheduling software that makes it easy to manage both classes and appointments. With online booking, automated reminders, and integrated payments, it helps reduce no-shows and gives clients a seamless way to register for sessions.

Highlights:

• Online booking & payments: Clients can schedule classes or appointments anytime and pay securely online.
• Free & paid plans: Start with a free option and upgrade as your business grows.
• Automated reminders: Reduces cancellations and no-shows with email and SMS notifications.
• Customizable scheduling: Supports group classes, workshops, and one-on-one sessions.

Ideal for: Bookedin is a great fit for smaller studios, fitness instructors, and wellness professionals who need a straightforward, reliable booking system without the complexity of larger platforms.

Client reviews: ⭐ 4.6/5

Comparison Table

Feature/Platform	Activity Messenger	FLiiP	WellnessLiving	Bookedin
Description	Complete solution for sports centers, including registrations, communications, memberships, and private lessons.	Versatile platform for fitness centers with scheduling, payments, and client relationship tracking.	Robust all-in-one platform for wellness businesses with client management, bookings, payments, and marketing.	Simple scheduling tool for small studios and instructors with online booking, reminders, and payments.
Communication Tools	Integrated SMS and email for automated, personalized communication.	Basic communication tools.	Automated emails, SMS reminders, and rewards programs.	Email and SMS reminders to reduce cancellations and no-shows.
Customization	Highly customizable forms, newsletters, and workflows.	Customizable dashboard for metrics tracking.	Customizable marketing tools and branding.	Customizable booking pages and schedules.
Integrations	Canva, ChatGPT, Stripe, Interac.	No notable integrations.	Integrated marketing tools and loyalty programs.	Stripe, PayPal for payments.
Ideal For	Dance studios, gyms, and fitness centers.	Fitness studios, martial arts schools, and yoga centers.	Yoga studios, gyms, and wellness centers.	Small studios, fitness instructors, and independent wellness professionals.
Mobile App	Web app optimized for mobile.	Branded client apps.	Branded client & staff apps.	Mobile-friendly web booking (no branded app).
Pricing	From $89/month (custom plans available).	From $129/month.	From $69/month.	Free option, paid from $24/month.
Client Reviews	⭐ 4.7/5	⭐ 4.8/5	⭐ 4.4/5	⭐ 4.6/5

Who Each Option is Best For

• Best for Canadian studios needing an all-in-one platform with integrated SMS & email.
• Ideal for dance, fitness, and yoga studios wanting custom registration flows.
• Perfect for businesses that prioritize Canadian data storage and local payment methods.

FLiiP

• Best for martial arts schools, yoga studios, and fitness centers that want simple scheduling and performance tracking.
• Great for owners who value a customizable dashboard to monitor key metrics.
• Suitable for studios with a focus on recurring memberships.

WellnessLiving

• Best for gyms, yoga studios, and wellness centers that want built-in marketing and loyalty programs.
• Ideal for businesses that prioritize mobile apps for client engagement.
• Suitable for larger operations that need detailed reporting and client rewards.

Bookedin

• Best for small studios, fitness instructors, and independent wellness professionals who want a simple, affordable booking system.
• Ideal for businesses looking for a free starter plan with the option to scale as they grow.
• Suitable for studios that prioritize ease of use, automated reminders, and straightforward class or appointment scheduling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mindbody available in Canada?

Yes, Mindbody operates in Canada, but its data storage and primary support team are based in the United States. Many Canadian studios prefer local alternatives for better compliance with privacy laws and easier access to support in their time zone.

What is the best Canadian alternative to Mindbody?
For many dance, fitness, and yoga studios, Activity Messenger stands out for its flexible registration tools, built-in communication features, and Canadian data hosting.

Why should I choose Canadian-based fitness software over Mindbody?
Canadian platforms like Activity Messenger, FLiiP, WellnessLiving, and Bookedin are designed with local businesses in mind. They store data in Canada (PIPEDA compliant), integrate with local payment options like Interac, and offer support during Canadian business hours.

Can I migrate my data from Mindbody to a Canadian platform?
Yes. Most Canadian software providers, including Activity Messenger, offer onboarding assistance and data migration support to make the transition smooth and minimize downtime.

Are these Mindbody alternatives mobile-friendly?
Yes. All three options work on mobile devices. WellnessLiving, FLiiP, and Bookedin offer fully branded mobile apps, while Activity Messenger has mobile-optimized dashboards for clients and staff.

Discover Activity Messenger