Comparison
VERVE Pulse and WellnessLiving are both gym management platforms, but they take different approaches. WellnessLiving is a comprehensive Canadian platform with strong marketing tools and a built-in rewards program. Pulse is an AI-forward platform built by an Australian gym equipment company, with transparent pricing, equipment tracking, and 15+ automation tools that WellnessLiving does not offer. Here is a detailed, side-by-side comparison to help you decide.
VERVE Pulse is an automation-first gym management platform built by VERVE Fitness, one of Australia's leading commercial gym equipment suppliers. Unlike traditional gym software that bolts on features over time, Pulse was designed from the ground up with smart automation at its core. Every feature, from member management to marketing, is powered by AI that learns your gym's unique patterns and helps you make smarter decisions.
Pulse stands apart from competitors by including equipment tracking as a native feature. Because it was built by a company that manufactures and supplies gym equipment, Pulse understands the operational side of running a facility in a way that pure software companies cannot. The platform includes maintenance scheduling, warranty management, usage analytics, and replacement forecasting, features that no other gym management software offers.
With three transparent pricing tiers starting at $99/month, no per-member fees, no lock-in contracts, and a 30-day free trial that requires no credit card, Pulse is designed to be accessible for gyms of every size. All data is stored on secure cloud infrastructure, and the platform is SOC 2 compliant.
WellnessLiving is a Canadian fitness and wellness business management platform founded in 2012. It positions itself as a more affordable and feature-rich alternative to Mindbody, and has built a solid reputation among mid-sized gyms, yoga and pilates studios, martial arts schools, and salons. The platform covers scheduling, billing, marketing, client management, and reporting in a single package.
One of WellnessLiving's standout features is its built-in rewards and loyalty program, which allows gyms to incentivise member behaviour without needing a third-party tool. The platform also offers strong review management capabilities, helping businesses collect and showcase client reviews across Google and other platforms. Its client-facing mobile app is well-regarded, and the marketing automation suite is comprehensive on higher-tier plans.
However, WellnessLiving's pricing structure means that many useful features, including the rewards program, advanced marketing, and custom-branded app, are only available on the more expensive Business ($159/month) or Business Plus ($249/month) plans. The Basic plan at $89/month is quite limited. As a Canadian company, WellnessLiving's support is primarily geared toward North American time zones, which can be a challenge for Australian gym owners. The platform does not include any AI-powered features or equipment tracking.
| Feature | VERVE Pulse | WellnessLiving |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & Plans | ||
| Starting Price | $99/mo | ~$89/mo (Basic, limited) |
| Comparable Plan | $99/mo (full features) | $159/mo (Business) |
| Per-Member Fees | None | None |
| Contract Required | No lock-in | Annual contracts common |
| Free Trial | 30 days, no card | Free demo only |
| Feature Gating | All features from Starter | Key features locked to higher tiers |
| Member Management | ||
| Member Profiles | Yes | Yes |
| Client Mobile App | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Attendance Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Rewards & Loyalty Program | Basic | Built-in (Business+ plan) |
| Access Control | Yes | Yes |
| Staff Management | Yes | Yes |
| Billing & Payments | ||
| Payment Processing | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring Billing | Yes | Yes |
| Point of Sale | Yes | Yes |
| Failed Payment Recovery | Automated | Basic |
| Class Scheduling | ||
| Class & Appointment Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Online Booking | Yes | Yes |
| Waitlists | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring Classes | Yes | Yes |
| AI-Optimised Scheduling | Yes | No |
| Marketing & Communication | ||
| Email Marketing | AI-generated campaigns | Yes (templates) |
| SMS Marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Review Management | Basic | Strong (multi-platform) |
| Social Media Tools | AI content creation | Basic |
| Website Builder | Yes | Yes (FitVID on Demand) |
| Automated Campaigns | AI-driven | Yes (higher tiers) |
| Reporting & Analytics | ||
| Reports & Dashboards | AI-enhanced | Yes |
| Revenue Forecasting | Automated | No |
| Member Behaviour Insights | Predictive | Basic reports |
| Custom Reports | Yes | Yes |
| AI & Intelligence | ||
| Churn Prediction | Yes | No |
| AI Business Coach | Yes | No |
| AI Content Generator | Yes | No |
| Dynamic Pricing | Automated | No |
| Lead Scoring | Yes | No |
| AI Workout Suggestions | Yes | No |
| Total AI Tools | 15+ | 0 |
| Equipment Tracking | ||
| Equipment Inventory | Yes | No |
| Maintenance Scheduling | Yes | No |
| Warranty Management | Yes | No |
| Usage Analytics | Yes | No |
| Replacement Forecasting | Yes | No |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | Yes (all plans) | Yes (limited) |
| Zapier Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Google Integrations | Yes | Yes |
| Third-Party Ecosystem | Growing | Moderate |
| Support | ||
| Phone Support | Yes (AU hours) | Yes (NA hours) |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes |
| Live Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Australian Support Team | Yes | No |
| Free Data Migration | Yes | Yes (with conditions) |
| Data Security | SOC 2 compliant | SOC 2 compliant |
WellnessLiving is often marketed as an affordable Mindbody alternative, and its entry-level pricing is competitive. However, the real cost depends on which plan you need, because many features that gym owners consider essential are locked to higher tiers.
Starter: $99/month — Ideal for single-location gyms. Includes member management, class scheduling, billing, all automation tools, and equipment tracking. No per-member fees. No contract.
Growth: $199/month — Everything in Starter plus the full AI suite (churn prediction, content generation, dynamic pricing), advanced marketing tools, and priority support.
Pro: $349/month — Everything in Growth plus multi-location management, API access, custom integrations, white-label options, and a dedicated account manager.
Basic: ~$89/month — Core scheduling, client management, and basic reporting. Significantly limited: no rewards program, no advanced marketing, no branded app, no custom reports.
Business: ~$159/month — Adds the rewards program, marketing automation, advanced reporting, and the client app. This is the plan most gym owners need to get comparable functionality.
Business Plus: ~$249/month — Adds advanced features like custom-branded app, priority support, and additional marketing tools.
Enterprise: Custom pricing — For multi-location businesses with custom requirements and dedicated support.
While WellnessLiving's Basic plan appears cheaper than Pulse at $89/month, it is heavily stripped down. To get a genuinely comparable feature set, you need the Business plan at $159/month, which is 60% more expensive than Pulse's $99/month Starter plan. Neither Pulse nor WellnessLiving charges per-member fees, but WellnessLiving's tier-gating means you may end up paying significantly more for the features you actually need.
When you factor in tier-gating (needing the Business plan for essential features), the lack of AI tools (which may require third-party subscriptions to replicate), and the absence of equipment tracking (requiring a separate system), the effective cost of WellnessLiving can be substantially higher than VERVE Pulse over a 12-month period. Pulse's transparent, all-inclusive pricing means you know exactly what you are paying from day one.
WellnessLiving offers solid marketing automation and a good rewards program, but it does not include any AI-powered intelligence features. Pulse was built as an automation-first platform with machine learning and predictive analytics at its foundation. This is the single biggest differentiator between the two platforms.
Churn Prediction: Pulse analyses member behaviour patterns, including visit frequency, engagement trends, payment history, and class attendance, to identify members at risk of cancelling before they do. This allows gym owners to intervene proactively with targeted retention campaigns. WellnessLiving does not offer this capability.
AI Business Coach: Pulse includes a conversational business coach that answers questions about your gym's performance, suggests operational improvements, identifies revenue opportunities, and provides data-backed recommendations. Think of it as having a business consultant available 24/7 who knows every detail of your gym's data. WellnessLiving does not have an equivalent feature.
Content Generation: The AI content generator in Pulse creates email campaigns, social media posts, blog articles, SMS messages, and promotional materials tailored to your gym's brand voice and member demographics. This saves gym owners hours of marketing work every week. WellnessLiving provides email and SMS templates but no automated content creation.
Dynamic Pricing: Pulse can automatically adjust class prices, membership rates, and promotional offers based on demand patterns, capacity utilisation, and competitive positioning. WellnessLiving does not offer AI-driven dynamic pricing.
Revenue Forecasting: Using historical data and predictive models, Pulse forecasts revenue, membership growth, and cash flow with high accuracy. WellnessLiving offers standard financial reports but not predictive forecasting.
VERVE Pulse is the only gym management platform that includes built-in equipment tracking. Pulse was built by VERVE Fitness, a company that has been designing, manufacturing, and supplying commercial gym equipment for years. They understand that equipment is one of the largest capital expenditures for any gym, and managing it effectively is critical to profitability and member satisfaction.
With Pulse, you can log every piece of equipment in your facility, set automated maintenance schedules, track warranty expiration dates, monitor usage patterns and equipment popularity, forecast when equipment needs replacement based on wear data, and calculate the true cost of ownership per machine. This data feeds into Pulse's AI engine, which can recommend when to service, repair, or replace equipment to minimise downtime and maximise your return on investment.
WellnessLiving, like virtually every other gym management platform on the market, does not offer any form of equipment tracking. If you use WellnessLiving, you would need a separate spreadsheet, third-party tool, or manual system to manage your equipment, creating data silos and operational inefficiencies.
To give a fair comparison, it is worth highlighting the areas where WellnessLiving has genuine strengths that gym owners should consider.
Rewards and Loyalty Program: WellnessLiving's built-in rewards program is one of its best features. Members earn points for attendance, referrals, purchases, and social engagement, which they can redeem for services, merchandise, or discounts. This is more developed than what most gym management platforms offer and can be a powerful retention tool. Available on the Business plan and above.
Review Management: WellnessLiving makes it easy to collect, manage, and showcase client reviews across Google, Facebook, and other platforms. Automated review request emails help build your online reputation, and the platform aggregates reviews in one dashboard. This is a strong feature for gyms that rely on local search visibility.
Broad Business Type Support: If you run multiple types of wellness businesses, such as a gym combined with a spa or salon, WellnessLiving's breadth of features across business types can be convenient. Pulse is purpose-built for gyms and fitness facilities.
Competitive Pricing vs Mindbody: WellnessLiving is generally more affordable than Mindbody for comparable features, which is one of the key reasons it has gained market share as a Mindbody alternative. However, Pulse's Starter plan at $99/month with all features included is more affordable than WellnessLiving's comparable Business plan at $159/month.
VERVE Pulse is the better choice for gym owners who want a modern, AI-powered platform with transparent pricing. Specifically, Pulse is ideal for:
Australian gym owners who want local support, an Australian-built platform, and a team that understands the AU market. Forward-thinking owners who want to leverage AI to predict churn, automate marketing, forecast revenue, and make data-driven decisions. Equipment-heavy facilities that need to track, maintain, and optimise their equipment investments. Cost-conscious operators who want all features included from day one without tier-gating or hidden costs. Single-location gyms and studios that want enterprise-level features without enterprise-level pricing.
WellnessLiving may be the better choice for businesses that value its rewards program and review management tools. Specifically, WellnessLiving is worth considering for:
Gyms that prioritise a loyalty and rewards program as a core retention strategy and want it built into their management platform. Businesses that rely heavily on online reviews and want strong review management and reputation tools integrated into their software. Multi-service wellness businesses such as gym-spa or gym-salon combinations that benefit from WellnessLiving's broad business type support. North American gym owners who are comfortable with Canadian-based support and do not need Australian time zone coverage. Owners switching from Mindbody who want a similar feature set at a lower price point and are not looking for AI-powered features.
If you are currently on WellnessLiving and considering a switch, VERVE Pulse makes the transition as smooth as possible with free, fully managed data migration.
What gets migrated: Member records and contact details, billing information and payment methods, class schedules and booking history, staff profiles and access permissions, historical attendance and revenue data.
How it works: Sign up for your 30-day free trial. The Pulse onboarding team contacts you within 24 hours. You authorise data export from WellnessLiving. Pulse handles the entire migration process. Your data is validated and you review everything before going live. Typical timeline is 5-7 business days with zero downtime for your members.
No risk: Because Pulse offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required and no lock-in contracts, you can test the platform alongside WellnessLiving before making a final decision. There is zero risk in trying.
Yes, when comparing equivalent feature sets. VERVE Pulse starts at $99/month with all features included, no per-member fees, and no lock-in contracts. WellnessLiving's Basic plan starts at around $89/month but is heavily feature-limited. To get comparable functionality, including the rewards program and advanced marketing, you need the Business plan at $159/month or Business Plus at $249/month. Pulse gives you more for less.
Yes. VERVE Pulse offers free, fully managed data migration from WellnessLiving. The Pulse onboarding team handles the entire process, transferring member records, billing details, class schedules, and historical data. Most migrations are completed within 5-7 business days with zero downtime.
Yes. VERVE Pulse includes 15+ AI-powered tools including churn prediction, an AI business coach, content generation, dynamic pricing, and revenue forecasting. WellnessLiving offers solid marketing automation and a built-in rewards program, but does not include AI-driven churn prediction, content generation, or an AI business coach.
No. WellnessLiving does not include equipment tracking or maintenance management. VERVE Pulse is the only gym management platform with built-in equipment tracking, including maintenance schedules, warranty management, usage analytics, and replacement forecasting.
VERVE Pulse is built by VERVE Fitness, an Australian company, and offers dedicated Australian phone and email support during local business hours. WellnessLiving is a Canadian company with support primarily geared toward North American time zones. For Australian gym owners, Pulse provides significantly better local support and understanding of the AU market.
Start your 30-day free trial of VERVE Pulse. No credit card. No lock-in. No per-member fees. Just smarter gym management.