How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Mindbody is the category standard for fitness and wellness studios, with a consumer marketplace that actively sends clients to your classes; pricing is quote-based.
- Studios wanting published prices should compare WellnessLiving ($199 per month for Business, per its own site), Zen Planner ($99 per month starting, per its own site) and TeamUp ($119 per month, per its own page).
- Acuity Scheduling is the flexible pick for class-plus-appointment businesses, with a free trial to test the booking flow.
- Vagaro and Glofox both pair scheduling with client-facing marketplaces; Loomly-style approval needs do not apply here, but staff scheduling depth varies.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Mindbody | Fitness, wellness and beauty businesses that want the largest booking marketplace | See website (custom quote; tier names published, prices not) | See website (plan details not published at research time) |
 Acuity Scheduling | Businesses mixing classes with one-on-one appointments | See website (plan prices not published on the homepage) | Free trial ("Get started for free," per the vendor homepage) |
 Vagaro | Salons, spas and fitness studios that want scheduling plus a client marketplace | See website (no public starting price found) | Free trial (30 days, per the vendor's own FAQ) |
 WellnessLiving | Studios that want scheduling, marketing automation and AI tools in one platform | $199/month (Business plan, per the vendor's own pricing page; $39/month promo for two months) | No (demo only) |
 Zen Planner | Gyms, CrossFit boxes and martial arts schools with membership-heavy models | $99/month (starting price, per the vendor's own site) | Free demo |
 Glofox | Boutique fitness studios and gyms that are scaling up | See website (no public prices found) | See website (plan details not published at research time) |
 TeamUp | Studios and gyms that want straightforward scheduling without bloat | $119/month (per the vendor's own page) | Free demo |
 Pike13 | Swim schools, studios and class businesses with complex rosters | See website (no public starting price found) | See website (plan details not published at research time) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best class scheduling software
Mindbody says more than 600 million classes and appointments were booked through its platform last year, and over 3 million consumers use its app to find and book fitness services. Those numbers, published on Mindbody's own homepage, explain why class scheduling software matters: the booking experience is now a marketing channel, not just an admin tool. The right platform fills classes while you coach; the wrong one creates front-desk work. These eight cover the realistic options for class-based businesses.
#1
Mindbody
Best for: Fitness, wellness and beauty businesses that want the largest booking marketplace
Visit mindbodyonline.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote; tier names published, prices not)
Free planSee website (plan details not published at research time)
Mindbody is the default against which the category is judged. Beyond class scheduling, it bundles appointments, payments, marketing automation, staff management and reporting, and the consumer app functions as a discovery engine: clients find your studio, book a class and buy a membership without ever visiting your website. For studios in competitive markets, that marketplace exposure is a genuine acquisition channel.
The price of leadership is opacity and weight. Pricing is quote-based across tiers, and the platform assumes a real business with staff, which makes it heavy for a solo instructor with two weekly classes. Implementation is a project. Mindbody fits the studio that is growing or already established and wants the deepest ecosystem. Smaller operations should price the alternatives below before committing.
What we like- Consumer marketplace app puts your classes in front of millions of bookers
- Full business management beyond scheduling, including payments, marketing and staff tools
- Scales from single studios to multi-location brands
Watch out for- No published pricing, so every buyer starts with sales
- Cost and complexity exceed what tiny studios need
- Setup takes real configuration effort
Starting priceSee website (plan prices not published on the homepage)
Free planFree trial ("Get started for free," per the vendor homepage)
Acuity Scheduling earns its place for the hybrid business: the yoga studio that also sells private sessions, the gym with personal training alongside group classes. Appointment types, intake forms, packages, subscriptions and gift certificates are all first-class citizens, and integrations cover Google Calendar, Stripe, Square, PayPal, Zoom and Zapier. Embedding on a Squarespace site is, unsurprisingly, excellent.
Pure class operations will notice the gaps. Waitlist management, class rosters and capacity rules exist but lack the depth of Mindbody or Glofox. If your revenue is 90 percent group classes, the specialists below fit better. If it is a mix of classes, privates and packages, Acuity's flexibility is hard to beat, and the free trial lets you test the actual booking flow.
What we like- Flexible appointment types, packages, memberships and intake forms
- Deep calendar and payment integrations
- Squarespace ownership means solid website embedding
Watch out for- Class-specific features like waitlists and rosters are thinner than Mindbody's
- Pricing requires digging beyond the homepage
- Brand is appointment-first, class-second
#3
Vagaro
Best for: Salons, spas and fitness studios that want scheduling plus a client marketplace
Visit vagaro.com
Starting priceSee website (no public starting price found)
Free planFree trial (30 days, per the vendor's own FAQ)
Vagaro blends scheduling software with a consumer marketplace, similar in concept to Mindbody but with roots in salons and spas. Businesses get online booking, payments, marketing tools and a listing on the Vagaro app where clients discover and book services. The vendor states it takes no percentage of online bookings, which matters when marketplace competitors charge commissions.
The 30-day trial gives a real evaluation window, longer than most rivals. Pricing opacity is the annoyance: you cannot line Vagaro up against WellnessLiving's published $199 without a conversation. For beauty and wellness businesses that straddle appointments and classes, Vagaro's marketplace plus scheduling combination is a strong fit.
What we like- Consumer marketplace app drives bookings from browsing clients
- 30-day free trial is generous
- No commission on online bookings
- Multi-location tools included
Watch out for- Pricing is not published, slowing comparison
- Class-specific depth trails Mindbody
- Advanced marketing features cost extra
#4
WellnessLiving
Best for: Studios that want scheduling, marketing automation and AI tools in one platform
Visit wellnessliving.com
Starting price$199/month (Business plan, per the vendor's own pricing page; $39/month promo for two months)
Free planNo (demo only)
WellnessLiving's differentiator is transparency plus breadth. The pricing page publishes real numbers: Business at $199 per month, BusinessPro at $349, with an 80-percent-off promo for the first two months. For that you get class and appointment scheduling, payments, marketing automation with two-way SMS, a branded client portal, and AI tools like churn prediction and an AI front desk.
The entry price puts it above Zen Planner and TeamUp, so the value case has to rest on using the marketing and AI features, not just the calendar. Studios that will actually run win-back campaigns and use the messaging center get their money's worth. Studios that just need a schedule should buy cheaper. The demo is the right next step; bring your busiest booking day and watch it handle the load.
What we like- Published pricing, rare in this category
- Built-in two-way SMS and marketing automation
- AI features including churn prediction
- Staff and client mobile apps
Watch out for- $199 entry price is steep for small studios
- The feature breadth means a longer learning curve
- Promo pricing reverts after two months
#5
Zen Planner
Best for: Gyms, CrossFit boxes and martial arts schools with membership-heavy models
Visit zenplanner.com
Starting price$99/month (starting price, per the vendor's own site)
Free planFree demo
Zen Planner owns the functional fitness niche. The platform combines class scheduling, membership billing, attendance tracking, belt and skill tracking for martial arts, and workout logging, with pricing that scales on active members. You never pay for prospects or staff logins, which keeps the bill aligned with revenue. The member app handles bookings, check-ins and score logging.
The audience is specific: CrossFit boxes, martial arts schools and strength gyms. Yoga studios and salons will find the feature set oddly shaped for them. The interface is functional rather than beautiful. But for its niche, Zen Planner's combination of published pricing, member-based billing and workout tracking is purpose-built in a way the generalists are not.
What we like- Published starting price of $99 per month
- Pricing scales on active members, not staff or prospects
- Member app with class booking and workout tracking
- SugarWOD integration for programming
Watch out for- Interface feels dated next to newer rivals
- Marketing automation is lighter than WellnessLiving's
- Best fit is narrow: gyms and martial arts
#6
Glofox
Best for: Boutique fitness studios and gyms that are scaling up
Visit glofox.com
Starting priceSee website (no public prices found)
Free planSee website (plan details not published at research time)
Glofox, now operating as ABC Glofox after its 2022 acquisition, targets the boutique studio segment: polished scheduling, memberships, class packs, payments and a member app, in an interface that does not require training to understand. Waitlists, booking windows, late-cancel policies and no-show fees protect class revenue, which is the core job for a studio selling limited spots.
The acquisition question is fair to ask on a demo: ABC Fitness Solutions ownership brings resources, and the brand continues independently. Pricing opacity is the practical annoyance. For the growing boutique studio that finds Mindbody heavy and TeamUp light, Glofox sits in the middle with a modern feel.
What we like- Clean, modern interface staff learn quickly
- Strong class scheduling with waitlists and capacity controls
- Branded member app option
- Now backed by ABC Fitness Solutions
Watch out for- No published pricing
- Acquired by ABC Fitness Solutions in 2022, so confirm the roadmap
- Reporting depth trails the enterprise tools
#7
TeamUp
Best for: Studios and gyms that want straightforward scheduling without bloat
Visit goteamup.com
Starting price$119/month (per the vendor's own page)
Free planFree demo
TeamUp's pitch is simplicity done well. Class scheduling, memberships, point of sale, customer management and reporting, priced at a published $119 per month, with free data migration and personal onboarding to remove the switching pain. The Zoom integration auto-creates links for online classes, and Zapier connects the rest. Customer reviews consistently praise the support and the value.
What you do not get is a growth engine: no consumer marketplace, lighter marketing automation, simpler reporting. TeamUp is operations software, not marketing software. For the studio with its marketing figured out that needs the schedule, billing and check-ins to just work, that focus is a feature. For the studio relying on the platform to find clients, look at Mindbody or Vagaro.
What we like- Published $119 per month price
- Free data migration from other platforms
- 1-on-1 onboarding
- Clean class scheduling with memberships and POS
Watch out for- Marketing automation is lighter than WellnessLiving or Mindbody
- No consumer marketplace
- Fewer advanced reporting options
#8
Pike13
Best for: Swim schools, studios and class businesses with complex rosters
Visit pike13.com
Starting priceSee website (no public starting price found)
Free planSee website (plan details not published at research time)
Pike13 serves the lesson-based corner of the market: swim schools, music schools, tutoring centers and studios where enrollment, levels and recurring rosters matter more than drop-in booking. The platform handles class scheduling, client management, payments and staff scheduling with workflows built around courses and enrollments rather than single sessions.
That specialization is the whole story. A swim school's needs, levels, enrollments, parent portals, skill tracking, are poorly served by generic schedulers and well served here. A standard fitness studio will find Mindbody or Glofox a better shape. Pricing is quote-based, so bring your location and roster size to the conversation.
What we like- Strong roster and enrollment workflows for lesson-based businesses
- Client app with booking and waitlists
- Handles multi-location scheduling well
Watch out for- No published pricing
- Narrower brand recognition than Mindbody
- Feature set is class-operations focused rather than marketing focused
How we chose
We started with the platforms class-based businesses actually search for: class scheduling software, fitness studio software and gym management software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own homepage, checked the vendor's pricing page where it rendered, and used vendor-published pages and FAQs where pricing pages did not. We compared class scheduling depth, membership and pack handling, payments, client and staff apps, and marketplace exposure. Where a price could not be verified on a vendor-published page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing.
Class scheduling vs. appointment scheduling: know which you need
The terms get mixed, and buying the wrong type causes real pain. Class scheduling manages group events with capacity: twenty spots in a spin class, a waitlist when it fills, recurring weekly sessions, instructor assignments, room resources. Appointment scheduling manages one-to-one time: a personal training session, a massage, a consultation, with buffers, intake forms and individual calendars.
Most tools on this list do both, but each has a home turf. Mindbody, Glofox, Zen Planner, TeamUp and Pike13 are class-first: rosters, waitlists and capacity rules are deep. Acuity is appointment-first with classes added on. Vagaro and WellnessLiving genuinely straddle both. Map your revenue: if 80 percent comes from group classes, buy class-first. If privates and appointments dominate, Acuity's flexibility wins. The hybrid business should test both types with a real week of bookings before deciding.
What to look for when choosing class scheduling software
Start with the booking experience, because your clients will judge you on it. Book a test class on your phone the way a client would: how many taps, does it show real availability, can they buy a pack and book in one flow, do reminders arrive. A platform that is pleasant for staff but clunky for clients costs you bookings every week. Check the branded app question too: some include a client app, some charge extra, some rely on your website.
Next, price the payments. Processing fees on class packs and memberships are a meaningful cost line, and platforms differ in rates, payout timing and whether you can use your own processor. Ask for the effective rate on your typical transaction mix, not the headline number. Then check the no-show tooling: waitlists, late-cancel fees, no-show penalties and automated reminders directly protect revenue for capacity-limited classes.
Finally, evaluate the switch. Ask about data migration (TeamUp includes it free), contract terms, and what happens to your client data if you leave. Run the free trial or demo with your real schedule, real instructors and real class names. And if client acquisition matters, weigh the marketplace platforms, Mindbody and Vagaro, against the operations tools: a booking engine that also sends you customers is worth more than its subscription price suggests.
Frequently asked questions
How much does class scheduling software cost?
Published prices range from $99 per month (Zen Planner, starting) to $199 per month (WellnessLiving Business), with TeamUp at $119. Mindbody, Vagaro, Glofox and Pike13 are quote-based. Add payment processing fees on top of every subscription when comparing totals.
Do I need the marketplace feature?
It depends on how you get clients. If you rely on walk-ins and your own marketing, an operations tool like TeamUp or Zen Planner is enough. If you want the platform to send you new bookers, Mindbody's and Vagaro's consumer apps are genuine acquisition channels worth paying for.
Can these tools handle online and hybrid classes?
Yes. Most support virtual class links, and TeamUp's Zoom integration auto-creates meeting links for online sessions. Check whether virtual and in-person bookings share one schedule or need separate setup, and whether attendance tracking works for both.
What about staff scheduling and payroll?
Mindbody, WellnessLiving and Glofox include staff scheduling and payroll-adjacent tools. Simpler platforms cover instructor assignments without full HR. If payroll is a priority, confirm what the platform actually calculates versus what still needs your payroll provider.
How long does implementation take?
Simple schedulers can go live in days, especially with free migration offers like TeamUp's. Full business-management platforms like Mindbody or WellnessLiving take weeks of configuration, data import and staff training. Ask for a realistic timeline on the demo, not the marketing page.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.mindbodyonline.com/
- https://acuityscheduling.com/
- https://www.vagaro.com
- https://www.wellnessliving.com/
- https://zenplanner.com
- https://www.glofox.com
- https://goteamup.com/
- https://www.pike13.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.