Who Each Platform Serves Arketa: Built for Modern Digital-First Wellness Businesses Arketa (formerly Sutra Fitness) positions itself as a modern, all-in-one platform for wellness businesses embracing hybrid and digital-first models. The platform serves yoga studios, Pilates studios, wellness practitioners, and group fitness businesses globally, with particular strength in on-demand content delivery and livestream capabilities.
Founded by fitness industry practitioners, Arketa emphasizes understanding the needs of independent instructors and studio owners. The platform started as a marketplace for fitness instructors before pivoting to serve studios directly, and this digital-first DNA shows in features like unlimited video storage, custom-branded websites, and robust on-demand library management.
Key Philosophy: Arketa aims to be a "growth partner" helping studios expand beyond in-person classes into digital revenue streams. The company emphasizes modern design, AI-powered tools, and a supportive fitness community. Many users praise the team's industry knowledge—noting that account representatives are themselves yoga or Pilates practitioners.
fitDEGREE: Purpose-Built for Independent Boutique Studios fitDEGREE was created specifically for independent boutique fitness studio owners in the United States and Canada. The platform focuses exclusively on yoga, Pilates, barre, and group fitness businesses with one to five locations.
If you're an owner-operator who teaches classes, manages a small team, and handles business decisions yourself, fitDEGREE's design reflects that operational reality. Over 50% of fitDEGREE clients switched from MINDBODY, citing simplicity and client experience as primary reasons.
Key Philosophy: fitDEGREE emphasizes predictable operations and transparent pricing over feature comprehensiveness. The platform aims to make daily tasks straightforward so you spend less time managing software and more time running your studio.
Key Difference: Arketa serves digital-first and hybrid wellness businesses globally with built-in content management and marketing tools. fitDEGREE serves traditional in-person boutique studios in the US/Canada with focused simplicity and integration strategy.
Product Philosophy Arketa: Modern All-in-One with Digital Revenue Focus Arketa operates on a "comprehensive digital ecosystem" philosophy where the platform provides built-in tools for both traditional studio operations and digital revenue expansion:
Class and appointment scheduling Multi-room and multi-location support Client CRM with tagging and segmentation Membership and package management Point of sale functionality Staff management with payroll reporting
Digital Content & Revenue: Unlimited on-demand video library Courses and programs Livestream class management (Zoom integration) Video rentals and single purchases Custom filters and collections Pre-scheduled content release Email and SMS campaigns Automated workflows and triggers AI-powered email builder Lead generation and pipeline management Client referral program ("Book-a-Friend") Review request automation
Branding & Client Experience: Custom-branded websites (Suite plan) Custom-branded iOS and Android apps (Suite plan) Mobile-first booking experience Push notifications Apple TV and Roku display capabilities Arketa's approach assumes studios want to expand beyond in-person classes into digital offerings and need sophisticated marketing automation built directly into their management platform.
User reports: Studio owners consistently praise Arketa's modern interface, robust video capabilities, and industry-knowledgeable team.
Trade-offs: This comprehensiveness comes with complexity and reported stability issues. Multiple users across review platforms cite recurring bugs, particularly after Arketa migrated to a "new dashboard" in March 2024, with complaints about classes disappearing, random classes being added, and ongoing technical problems.
fitDEGREE: Focused Simplicity + Integration Strategy fitDEGREE takes a "focused excellence" approach: provide stable, reliable core studio management and integrate with specialized external platforms for advanced functions.
Scheduling and booking for classes, appointments, events, and series Client management Payment processing, Point of sale functionality Multi-room and multi-location support Client CRM with tagging and segmentation Membership and package management Operations reporting Staff management with payroll reporting Social features for community building LoopSpark (CRM automation) LenzVU (CRM automation) GoHighLevel (CRM automation) Perkville (loyalty programs) Mailchimp (email marketing) ClassPass (marketplace exposure) Zapier (workflow automation) This "best-of-breed" approach means using specialized tools for specialized tasks. Studio owners describe the platform as predictable and unintimidating.
Trade-off: Less built-in sophistication for digital content and marketing automation, more dependencies on integrations, less customization of every aspect.
Key Difference: Arketa builds comprehensive features internally with emphasis on digital content monetization. fitDEGREE builds focused features and integrates with specialists, prioritizing stability over breadth.
Pricing StructureArketa Pricing (2026) Arketa uses different pricing models for individuals versus studios:
Individual Plans (Pricing Publicly Disclosed):
Individual Basic: $49/month (billed annually, save 17%) 1 team member login Class, privates, event scheduling Client CRM and management Unlimited on-demand video library Class packages and memberships Programs, workshops, events Custom embeddable widgets 3% transaction fee + Stripe fees (2.9% + $0.30)
Individual Growth: $83/month (billed annually, save 17%) Everything in Basic, plus Email and SMS campaigns (15,000 emails + 1,500 SMS/month) Lead generation and pipeline management Automated workflows AI-powered email builder Task management 1:1 text messaging 3% transaction fee + Stripe fees
Individual Suite (Most Popular): $124/month (billed annually, save 17%) Everything in Growth, plus Custom-branded website Proven UX design CMS for easy updates Integrations for digital advertising 3% transaction fee + Stripe fees Studio Plans (Custom Pricing):
Studio Core: Custom pricing (not publicly disclosed) Unlimited team members Multi-room and multi-location support All Individual Basic features Staff management with payroll reporting Dedicated account management Transaction fees negotiable with Account Executive
Studio Growth: Custom pricing (not publicly disclosed) Everything in Core, plus all marketing automation from Individual Growth Transaction fees negotiable
Studio Suite (Most Custom pricing (not publicly disclosed) Everything in Growth, plus Custom-branded iOS and Android mobile app (included) Displays on Apple TV and Roku Custom colors, fonts, images Push notifications Dedicated onboarding support Custom-branded website (included) Transaction fees negotiable
Additional Free trial available for all plans Month-to-month renewals unless annual plan selected Annual plans save 17% Must contact sales for studio pricing quotes Arketa Elevate Program: Available for new studio openings Combines software with specialized content and coaching Custom pricing Total Cost Predictability for Individuals: Complete. Pricing published on website.
Total Cost Predictability for Studios: Requires custom quote. Transaction fee structure negotiable but not disclosed upfront.
Cost Example (Individual Suite User): Software: $124/month Transaction fees: 3% + Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction For $100 class package sale: $5.90 in fees (3% Arketa + 2.9% Stripe + $0.30) Annual software cost: $1,488 fitDEGREE Pricing (2026) fitDEGREE uses flat-rate transparent pricing:
Standard Plan: $250/month
All features included (no tiers, no add-ons except branded app) Unlimited users and clients Complete scheduling, payments, client management All reporting and analytics Social features Integration capabilities (LoopSpark, Perkville, Mailchimp, ClassPass, Zapier) Dedicated support rep No contract (month-to-month) No transaction fees beyond standard processing
Branded App Add-On: $150/month (Optional)
Custom-branded iOS app Custom-branded Android app fitDEGREE handles publication and updates Total with branded app: $400/month
New Studio Discount: $150/month (First 12 Months)
Brand-new studios in first year Full feature access Total with branded app: $300/month first year No Hidden Fees: No transaction fees beyond standard processing No setup fees No cancellation penalties No per-feature charges Total Cost Predictability: Complete. You know the exact monthly cost before signing up.
Cost Comparison Example (Single-Location Studio):
For Individual Instructor/Small Studio: Arketa Individual Suite: $124/month + 5.9% total processing fees fitDEGREE: $250/month + transparent 2.9% card processing or $1 ACH
For Established Studio Needing Branded App: Arketa Studio Suite: Custom quote (transaction fees negotiable)fitDEGREE with branded app: $400/month ($250 + $150)
For New Studio with Branded App: Arketa: Individual Suite $124/month + 5.9% fees (no studio discount program details) fitDEGREE: $300/month first year ($150 + $150 app)
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