Buyer's guide
The best software for a small personal training studio
Most "best software" lists are just ads. This one is written by a trainer, so here's the honest version: the right tool depends entirely on what kind of business you run, and the biggest trap is a pricing model that punishes you for growing. Here's how to choose, and how the main options actually stack up.
What a small studio actually needs
Not a front desk, not a retail counter, not a marketplace. You need to schedule sessions, build and assign programs, track each client's progress, message people, and see who's at risk of drifting away. Anything beyond that is weight you're paying to carry.
The pricing-model trap
This is the one that costs studios the most. A lot of coaching software charges by client count, so every client you add raises your bill. That means your software gets more expensive exactly as you grow, which is backwards. Look for per-trainer pricing with unlimited clients, so growth never costs you more per client.
The main options, honestly
- Mindbodyis the giant. Powerful, built for large multi-location gyms with front desks and retail. For a small studio it's usually more software and more cost than you need. See the full comparison.
- Trainerize and TrueCoach are strong for solo online and remote coaches delivering programs through an app. Both price by client count, so watch the cost as your roster grows. Trainerize comparison. TrueCoach comparison.
- PushPress and Zen Planner are built for membership gyms, boxes, and class-based facilities that run on check-ins and membership billing. Great if that's your model, heavier than a studio needs if it isn't. PushPress comparison. Zen Planner comparison.
- TrainStead is built specifically for small personal training studios: scheduling, programming, client tracking, messaging, and analytics, priced per trainer with unlimited clients. Made by a trainer, for studios tired of being billed per client.
How to choose
Match the tool to your model. If you run memberships and classes, use gym software. If you're a solo remote coach, coaching apps fit. If you run a personal training studio and want one tool that doesn't tax you for adding clients, that's exactly what TrainStead is for. See what it costs on our pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best software for a small personal training studio?
It depends on your model, but a small studio usually wants per-trainer pricing with unlimited clients and the core trainer tools (scheduling, programming, tracking, messaging), rather than membership or marketplace features it won't use.
Why does per-client pricing matter?
Software priced by client count gets more expensive as you grow. Per-trainer pricing keeps your cost tied to your team, not your success with clients.
Free during our beta.
See it at trainstead.com.