There’s no shortage of yoga studio software solutions out there, and one thing is for sure: the top software providers are intensely competing for your business as a studio owner.

So how do you know which of the “best” software really is the best? How can you know what business to trust to run your studio? Better yet– how do you know which software has an app that will uplevel the consumer side of your business?

We put together a comparison of five of the best studio business software apps for consumers so you can make an informed decision for yourself.

1. fitDEGREE

We are a cloud-based yoga and fitness studio management solution for small and midsize businesses that enables users to schedule classes, appointments, events, and workshops. Unlike other software, the consumer app is branded for your unique studio. 

Highlighted features:

• Scheduling similar to Google Calendar
• Website integration so customers can sign up and pay directly from your website
• Branded mobile app for customers and a business app for remote backend software use
• Custom visual reporting with clickable graphs
• Built-in social features to encourage referral marketing
  

Pros:

• Affordable, intuitive, multiple location management, and user-friendly for both customers and staff
• Visual reporting that’s both easy to understand and identify trends
• Branded for your studio– not the software –and built-in marketing features to grow your business
  

Cons:

• ClassPass integration should be anyday!
• Key integrations such as Mailchimp and Loyal Snap are anticipated for September 2019
• We’re not super cheap like Vagaro– because we offer so much more!
  

Price: Packages start at $100/month

Conclusion: The app not only boasts the basic useful features, but it also cuts out the competition by branding specifically for your unique studio– not fitDEGREE. After all, your studio experience online should be just as branded as it is in the studio. This option is like no other studio software out there!

2. MINDBODY

MINDBODY is used by a variety of fitness and wealth niches including gyms, personal training centers, salons, spas, dance schools, and yoga studios. It’s a cloud-based club management software capable of appointment scheduling for the needs of small to midsize businesses. It includes a consumer app that puts your studio in front of people who are looking for you.

Highlighted Features:

• Scheduling with waitlist management
• Appointment booking through Facebook
• Automated scheduling of email, texts, and online bookings
• Membership management– notifications and alerts, targeted marketing campaigns, etc.
• Staff management– check-ins/check-outs, payroll management, calendar integration
  

Benefits:

• Very popular app, so many yogis are already familiar with it
• Great for managing daily tasks 
• Plenty of useful features
• The app saves your business once potential customers have found you so it’s easy for them to come back again and again
• Online training available to better understand how to use MINDBODY products
  

Problems:

• Way over-priced and loyal customers are not grandfathered into old rates when prices rise
• The software is not intuitive nor user-friendly and offers features that many users don’t even want or need
• The consume app isn’t exclusive to your studio and also promotes your competition to potential customers
• Questionable customer service
  

Price: Packages start at $129/month

Conclusion: MINDBODY’s consumer app does not help you uniquely market your business, but it does help get your studio name out there. 

3. Zen Planner

This is a member management software for gyms, affiliate gyms, martial art schools, MMA schools, and fitness studios. There is a consumer app that many users find helpful.

Highlighted Features:

• Includes integrated payment processing and automated billing
• Self-service kiosk iPad app
• A consumer app for Android and iOS devices
• Scheduling, automations, workout tracking, belt and skill tracking, site templates, and more
  

Pros: 

• Integrated, mobile-friendly websites with in-house management
• Digital marketing funnel features
• No contracts or startup fees and pricing of software is based off your number of active members
• The app enables class details and signups, pay portal, community building, and workout tracking.
  

Cons:

• Software is clunky, complex, and not very intuitive
• Does not yet integrate with credit card machines nor retail sales and payment functionality is lacking
• Lackluster reporting
• The app is not uniquely branded for your studio– it promotes Zen Planner rather than your studio.
  

Price: Packages start at $117/month

Conclusion: The studio app is useful and multi-functional but does not help much with your marketing, plus, many business reviews reveal Zen Planner has a poor consumer experience. 

4. Vagaro

This is a cloud-based business management software for salons, spas, and fitness studios. The consumer app allows potential customers to search for services, compare results, and book an appointment.

Highlighted features:

• An integrated solution to bookkeeping, payroll, client databases, and inventory management
• Automated email marketing as well as email and text notifications to clients
• Users can search for your facility and book appointments through a web portal or mobile app 
• Both businesses and customers can create profile pages through Vagaro to connect with one another
• Customizable reports with graphs and charts to track business performance
  

Pros:

• Easy solution for small businesses and solopreneurs 
• Very affordable and has a mobile app capable of managing payments
• Offers branded check-in app and useful forms feature
• The business app allows you to manage class bookings, accept payments, sell products, and automate some marketing
  

Cons:

• Not a great software for businesses with several employees
• Merchant processing is limited
• Search function prevents you from being the only business clients interact with
• Your business is not uniquely branded on the consumer app
  

Price: Packages start at $25/month

Conclusion: The app is pretty powerful and has more functionality than MINDBODY or Zen Planner, but it’s still branded as Vagaro and the user end still promotes you alongside your competition unless you’re willing to shell out more money to come up higher in search results.

5. WellnessLiving

This is a cloud-based business management system for wellness studios of all sizes. The consumer app does just about everything that Vagaro does. 

Highlighted features: 

• Online booking, payments, class scheduling, and marketing management
• Capability to send automated reminders to clients about class
• An online store that enables users students to register, pay, and buy retail products
• Automated marketing campaign features for emails and text
• Consumer app compatible with both Android and iOS devices
  

Pros:

• Intuitive and user-friendly
• Capability to easily manage multiple locations
• Many customizable features
• Customers can write reviews about your studio in app
• App offers competitive rewards program
  

Cons:

• Lackluster reporting
• Issues with glitching and slow load time
• Lacks integrations with third-party tools
• Search function prevents you from being the only business clients interact with, and again, is branded for Wellness Living and not for your individual studio.
  

Price: Packages start at $39/month

Conclusion: Again, a powerful app with many useful functions including loyalty rewards, but not branded for your unique studio– so you have to be ready to compete with other local studios in this app.