A Mindbody alternative built for ninja gyms
Mindbody is one of the best-known platforms for fitness studios and gyms, with memberships, scheduling, marketing tools and a consumer app that sends new clients. A ninja gym is mostly kids: weekly classes, birthday parties, camps and league competitions. Here is how the two compare, including where Mindbody is still ahead.
Choose Ninja HQ if your gym is mostly kids' classes, parties, camps and competitions, and you want your website and growth tools in the same place. Stay with Mindbody for now if you rely on its consumer app for new clients, private lessons booked as appointments, bank (ACH) payments or an AI that answers customers' calls and texts: Ninja HQ doesn't have those yet.
Last reviewed November 5, 2026, from Mindbody's public pricing page and support site.Mindbody and Ninja HQ for a ninja gym
From Mindbody's public pricing page and support site. Products change, so check details with Mindbody.
| What you need | Mindbody | Ninja HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Your gym's website, built to rank locally | Basic website and booking widgets | Included |
| Memberships, class packs and check-in | Built in | Built in |
| Monthly billing with autopay and proration | Contracts with autopay | Built in, with sibling discounts |
| Make-up classes | For multi-date enrollments | Not yet |
| Private lessons booked as appointments | Built in | Not yet |
| Birthday party booking with packages and deposits | Usually another tool | Built in, with guest waivers |
| Camps and workshops | Enrollments | Built in, by the day |
| League competition registration, run orders and live results | Not its focus | Built in |
| Family waivers | Built in | One-year waivers |
| Shop, gift cards and a front desk register | Built in | Built in |
| Email and text marketing | Campaigns on the top plan | Automatic emails; no text campaigns yet |
| AI that answers customers' calls and texts | AI Concierge on the top plan | Not yet |
| A marketplace app that sends new clients | Mindbody app, fee on a new client's first purchase | Free listing in the Ninja HQ gym finder |
| Local search and AI answer tracking | Not its focus | Built in |
| An app for your members | Branded app is an add-on | Home Screen web app |
| Card payments | Mindbody Payments or others | Your own Stripe account, no Ninja HQ fee |
| Bank (ACH) payments | Built in | Not yet |
✓ Built in+ Partly, another way, or a paid plan– Not available
What each costs for one gym
Mindbody's prices as published on its website on November 5, 2026. Ninja HQ's prices are on our pricing page.
Mindbody
Mindbody publishes a starting price of $79 per location per month; the Starter, Accelerate and Ultimate plans are priced on a call. Contract terms depend on the plan you sign.
The branded app is an add-on on Accelerate and Ultimate. New clients who book through the Mindbody consumer app cost 20% of their first purchase, up to $30. Mindbody Payments adds $0.10 to $0.30 per transaction on top of its card rate.
Ninja HQ
$399 a month at the introductory rate (standard $499), plus a one-time $999 implementation (standard $1,999). Each additional location is $199 a month.
Your website, hosting, parties, competitions, the shop, gift cards, email, waivers, the time clock and growth tools are included. Payments go to your own Stripe account and Ninja HQ adds no transaction fee. Your preview is free and you pay nothing before you approve launch.
Built for kids' programs, not adult memberships
- Kids' classes that bill themselvesMonthly tuition with proration, sibling discounts, free trials and waitlists, with one family account for parents and their kids.
- A website that brings families inA fast site on your own domain that ranks for "ninja gym near me" and books classes, parties and camps without sending families elsewhere.
- League competitions, end to endDivisions, athlete IDs, apparel at registration, run orders, live streams and results, working alongside NinjaWorks and Ninja Master.
- Birthday parties that book themselvesPackages, time slots, rooms, deposits, add-ons and a waiver for every guest, booked online on a phone.
- Answers built inBack-office screens link to step-by-step articles in the Ninja HQ Help Center, and your AI assistant can read them too.
When Mindbody may suit you better
- New clients come from the Mindbody appNinja HQ has no consumer marketplace; families find you through Google and the Ninja HQ gym finder.
- Private lessons and ACH run your businessAppointments and bank payments aren't in Ninja HQ yet.
- You're mainly an adult fitness clubwith ninja on the side: Mindbody is built for that business.
Moving over? We bring your Mindbody client list over from a spreadsheet export, build a free preview of your new site from the one you have today, and redirect every page of your old website. Saved cards stay with your current payment processor, so we plan with you how families add theirs.
Switching from Mindbody
Is there a Mindbody alternative for ninja gyms?
Yes. Ninja HQ is built only for ninja gyms and leagues. It covers memberships, class packs, check-in, waivers, a shop and the front desk, and adds kids' class tuition, online party booking, camps, league competitions, your website and local search tools.
Is Ninja HQ cheaper than Mindbody?
Mindbody publishes only a starting price of $79 per location per month, with plans priced on a call, plus add-ons and fees for clients from its app. Ninja HQ is $399 a month at the introductory rate plus a one-time $999 implementation, with your website, party booking, competitions and growth tools included. Compare what you pay today for Mindbody plus your website, party booking and other tools.
Can I move my gym from Mindbody to Ninja HQ?
Yes. Export your client list from Mindbody to a spreadsheet and we import it, build a free preview of your new site and redirect your old pages when you go live. Saved cards stay with your current payment processor, so we plan with you how families add a card on Ninja HQ.
Is Mindbody good for a ninja gym?
Mindbody is a widely used platform for fitness studios and gyms, and many ninja gyms use it for memberships and open gym. It isn't built around the ninja-specific side: league competition registration, kids' party booking with guest waivers, and a website that ranks for local searches. Ninja HQ covers those along with memberships and classes.
Does Ninja HQ work with NinjaWorks and Ninja Master?
Yes. Ninja HQ takes registrations with league divisions and athlete IDs, sends athlete lists and run orders, and shows live results on your site, while NinjaWorks or Ninja Master run timing and scoring on competition day.
Give your gym the HQ it deserves
Give us your current website and we build your new one, free to explore. No payment before you approve launch. Prefer a walkthrough? Request a 30-minute demo with a Ninja HQ expert.