Studio Management Software Pricing Guide: What You Should Actually Pay

If you're researching studio management software, you've probably noticed that pricing is all over the map. Some platforms charge $16/month. Others charge $500/month. What's the difference? And more importantly, what should you actually pay?

Let's cut through the marketing fluff and talk real numbers.

The Four Pricing Models (and Their Hidden Costs)

1. Flat Monthly Subscription

Range: $49-300/month
Examples: Studio Planner ($49), Pike13 ($99), Glofox ($79)

What You Get: Predictable billing, no surprise fees. All features included in one price.

Hidden Costs to Watch For:

• Payment processing fees: Usually 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (Stripe/Square rates)
• SMS/email overages: Some platforms charge extra after 500 messages/month
• Setup fees: One-time charges of $99-500 (often waived for annual plans)

Best For: Small to mid-sized studios (1-5 instructors) who want simple, predictable budgeting.

2. Tiered Subscription (Pay More as You Grow)

Range: $79-500+/month depending on tier
Examples: Mindbody ($129-500), WellnessLiving ($89-299)

What You Get: "Starter" plans with limited features, "Pro" plans that unlock integrations and reporting, "Enterprise" plans with dedicated support.

Hidden Costs to Watch For:

• "Feature lock-in": Essential features (like email automation) hidden behind higher tiers
• Per-location fees: Charge $30-50/month for each additional studio location
• Marketplace fees: Mindbody takes 15-30% of bookings that come through their app
• Support tiers: Basic plan = email-only support. Pro plan = phone support.

Best For: Multi-location studios or studios with complex needs (retail, childcare, etc.)

Warning: Tiered pricing often means you'll outgrow the "Starter" plan within 6 months and pay 2-3x more than expected.

3. Revenue Share Model

Range: 0-5% of all transactions processed
Examples: Some legacy systems, white-label solutions

What You Get: "Free" or low upfront costs. Platform takes a cut of every booking.

Hidden Costs to Watch For:

• No cap on fees: If you process $50,000/month, 3% = $1,500/month in software fees (on top of payment processing)
• Forced payment processor: You can't use your own Stripe account; you're locked into their higher-cost processor
• Lack of transparency: Hard to track exactly what you're paying each month

Best For: Brand-new studios with $0 revenue who can't afford upfront costs. (But switch to flat-rate pricing as soon as you're cash-flow positive.)

Our Take: Revenue share sounds attractive when you're starting out, but it becomes expensive fast. A $99/month flat subscription is cheaper than 2-3% revenue share once you hit $3,000-5,000/month in bookings.

4. À La Carte / Pay-Per-Feature

Range: $0-200+/month depending on features activated
Examples: Acuity Scheduling ($16-61), Calendly ($10-16)

What You Get: Start with a cheap base plan, add features as needed (e.g., +$10/month for SMS reminders, +$20/month for integrations).

Hidden Costs to Watch For:

• Death by a thousand add-ons: Your $16/month plan becomes $80/month after adding email, SMS, Zapier, and calendar sync
• Missing essential features: Often designed for 1-on-1 appointments, not class-based businesses

Best For: Solo practitioners (personal trainers, health coaches) who only need appointment scheduling.

What Features Are Actually Worth Paying For?

Not all features are created equal. Here's what you actually need vs what's just marketing fluff:

Essential Features (Must-Haves)

Feature	Why It Matters	Typical Cost
Class Scheduling	Core functionality—calendar view, recurring classes, capacity limits	Included in all plans
Online Booking	Clients book 24/7 without texting you	Included in all plans
Payment Processing	Collect payments without manual Venmo requests	2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Email/SMS Reminders	Reduces no-shows by 40-60%	Included (or $10-20/mo)
Client Database	Track attendance, contact info, payment history	Included in all plans
Basic Reporting	Revenue by month, attendance trends, top clients	Included in all plans

Nice-to-Have Features (Worth Paying For If You Need Them)

Feature	Who Needs It	Typical Cost
Mobile App (Branded)	Studios with 500+ members who want a premium experience	+$50-150/month
Multi-Location Management	Studios with 2+ physical locations	+$30-50/month per location
Retail/Merchandise Sales	Studios that sell products (mats, apparel, supplements)	+$30-50/month or 2-3% per sale
Advanced Marketing Automation	Studios with 200+ members who want to send targeted campaigns	+$30-100/month
Video-on-Demand Integration	Studios offering hybrid (in-person + online) memberships	+$50-200/month

Overpriced Features (Rarely Worth It)

• "AI-Powered Insights": Usually just basic charts rebranded as "AI." Save your money.
• Childcare Management: Unless you run a daycare, you don't need software to track kids' sign-ins.
• Inventory Management: If you're selling 5 types of yoga mats, a simple spreadsheet works fine.
• Custom Mobile App: Most clients are fine booking via your website. A $5,000 app won't increase bookings.
• "White Glove Onboarding": Fancy term for "we'll set it up for you." Watch a 10-minute video instead and save $500.

The Real Cost: Time vs Money

Here's a calculation most studio owners skip: how much does it cost NOT to have software?

Manual System (Google Calendar + Venmo + Spreadsheets)

• Software cost: $0/month
• Time cost: 10-15 hours/month managing bookings, chasing payments, sending reminders
• Opportunity cost: 15 hours × $50/hour (your time) = $750/month in lost productivity
• Real cost: $750/month in your time

Automated System (Studio Planner or Similar)

• Software cost: $49-99/month
• Time cost: 1-2 hours/month (reviewing reports, responding to questions)
• Time saved: 13 hours/month = $650 in reclaimed time
• Real cost: $49/month - $650 saved = -$601/month (you're saving money)

If software saves you even 5 hours per month, it pays for itself. Your time is your most valuable asset.

Pricing Breakdown by Studio Size

Solopreneur (Just You, 0-50 Students)

Budget: $16-50/month

Recommended:

• Acuity Scheduling: $16/month (if you only teach privates)
• Studio Planner: $49/month (if you teach group classes or rent space)

Don't Pay For: Mobile apps, marketing automation, retail management

Small Studio (1-3 Instructors, 50-200 Students)

Budget: $49-150/month

Recommended:

• Studio Planner: $49/month (best for space rental + teacher billing)
• Pike13: $99/month (if you need robust membership management)
• Glofox: $79/month (if mobile app is critical)

Don't Pay For: Multi-location fees, AI insights, white-glove onboarding

Mid-Size Studio (4-10 Instructors, 200-500 Students)

Budget: $150-300/month

Recommended:

• Mindbody Ultimate: $299/month (if you need their marketplace exposure)
• WellnessLiving Pro: $179/month (strong marketing automation)

Worth Paying For: Advanced reporting, marketing automation, dedicated support

Don't Pay For: Revenue share models (too expensive at this scale)

Multi-Location or Franchise (10+ Instructors, 500+ Students)

Budget: $300-1,000+/month

Recommended:

• Mindbody Enterprise: Custom pricing (worth it for centralized management)
• Zen Planner: $200-400/month (popular with CrossFit gyms)

Worth Paying For: Everything—mobile apps, API access, custom integrations, dedicated account manager

Hidden Fees You MUST Ask About

Before signing up for any platform, ask these exact questions:

1. "What's the effective payment processing rate?"
   • Some platforms advertise 2.9% + $0.30 but add a 0.5% "software fee" on top
   • Mindbody's effective rate can be 3.5-4% when you include marketplace fees
2. "Are there limits on clients, bookings, or messages?"
   • Some "unlimited" plans cap you at 100 active clients or 500 emails/month
   • SMS messages often cost $0.01-0.03 each after initial allowance
3. "Can I use my own Stripe/Square account, or am I locked into yours?"
   • Your own account = lower fees + you keep customer data
   • Their account = higher fees + they control your money (dangerous)
4. "What's the cancellation policy? Are there penalties?"
   • Annual contracts often have $500-1,000 early termination fees
   • Monthly plans should have no-penalty cancellation (Studio Planner does)
5. "What happens to my data if I leave?"
   • Can you export client lists and booking history as CSV?
   • Some platforms hold your data hostage (red flag)
6. "Is there a setup fee? Can it be waived?"
   • Many platforms charge $99-500 for setup but waive it if you prepay annually

Our Recommendation: Don't Overpay for Complexity

Most studio owners make the same mistake: they choose software based on the number of features, not the usefulness of features.

Mindbody has 200+ features. You'll use 15 of them. Are you paying $299/month for 15 features or 200? That's $20/month per feature you actually use.

Studio Planner has 20 core features—all of which you'll actually use. That's $2.45/month per feature.

The Studio Planner Value Proposition

Price: $49/month (flat rate, no tiers, no surprises)
What's Included:

• Unlimited classes and bookings
• Unlimited clients
• Automated teacher billing (if you rent to other instructors)
• Insurance verification (automatic reminders)
• Stripe payment processing (standard 2.9% + $0.30 rates)
• Email/SMS reminders (500/month included)
• Custom domain (e.g., portal.yourstudio.com)
• No setup fees, no cancellation penalties

Who It's For: Independent instructors and small studio owners who rent space or manage multiple teachers. If you're paying rent to a landlord or collecting rent from teachers, Studio Planner is purpose-built for you.

Who It's NOT For: Large multi-location chains (5+ studios), studios that need retail POS integration, studios that require a branded mobile app.

See full pricing details (no hidden fees) →

Red Flags to Avoid

Here are warning signs that a platform is going to nickel-and-dime you:

• "Call for pricing" → If they won't list prices publicly, they're hiding something
• "Starting at $X/month*" → The asterisk hides $50-200 in mandatory add-ons
• "Custom pricing based on your needs" → Translation: we charge whatever we think you'll pay
• Annual contracts required for "Starter" plans → Locked in with no escape hatch
• Revenue share with no cap → Your software costs increase forever as you grow
• Mandatory marketplace participation → Your clients see competitors when they log in

Final Thoughts: Pay for What You Use, Nothing More

The right studio management software should feel invisible. It should save you time, not create new headaches. It should cost 1-3% of your monthly revenue, not 5-10%.

Here's the formula:

• Under $5,000/month revenue: Budget $49-79/month
• $5,000-15,000/month revenue: Budget $79-150/month
• $15,000-50,000/month revenue: Budget $150-300/month
• $50,000+/month revenue: Budget $300-500/month

If your software costs more than 3% of revenue, you're overpaying.

For most independent instructors and small studio owners, Studio Planner at $49/month hits the sweet spot: all the essential features, none of the bloat, transparent pricing, and a focus on the space rental economy that other platforms ignore.

Try Studio Planner free for 14 days (no credit card required) →

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I pay monthly or annually?

Monthly gives you flexibility to switch if the platform doesn't work. Annual saves 10-20% but locks you in. Our recommendation: start monthly, switch to annual after 3 months if you're happy.

Are free trials really free?

Yes, but read the fine print. Some platforms require a credit card and auto-charge you after 14 days. Studio Planner's trial requires no credit card—we only charge after you decide to subscribe.

What's a reasonable payment processing fee?

Standard Stripe/Square rates are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Anything above 3.5% total is too high. Watch for platforms that add their own "software fee" on top of processing.

Can I negotiate pricing?

For enterprise plans ($300+/month), yes—ask for discounts if you prepay annually. For small business plans ($49-150/month), pricing is usually non-negotiable.

Should I use software that my competitors use?

Not necessarily. What works for a 10-instructor Pilates chain might be overkill for a solo yoga teacher. Choose based on YOUR needs, not industry trends.