Top 5 Best Yoga Studio Software In 2020

best yoga studio software 2020

Choosing the right booking software for your yoga, Pilates or fitness studio can seem like a daunting task. There are a multitude of options with various pros and cons which can take hours, even days, to compare.

We’ve done the hard work and put together our thoughts on what are the top 5 best yoga studio software options available to meet the needs of different yoga studios.

Related reading:

What is yoga studio software?

Studio owners have told us that one of the greatest challenges to running and growing their business is managing the ongoing client administration. The more clients they have, the more revenue they bring in, but they also bring more rescheduling, more chasing late payments, more no shows and the list goes on.

Yoga studio software was developed to help manage a busy class based business. Think of it like your virtual assistant whose job it is to save you time and help grow your yoga studio. It is designed to help manage your clients, staff, bookings, pricing, notifications, payments and much more.

Most yoga studio software these days is web based meaning you need an internet connection and a PC or mobile phone to access it. Companies usually charge a monthly or yearly subscription to access their software service.

The cost of yoga studio software can be justified by the time it saves and the additional revenue it helps to generate.

Why do I need yoga studio software?

Companies like Bookamat now provide yoga studio software which is feature-packed, super easy-to-use and more affordable than ever. With the cost barrier and learning curve out of the way there’s no reason not to use yoga studio software.

Being able to automate tasks like recurring bookings, payments and class notifications is a huge time saver. Having access to features like automated waiting lists and for clients to be able to book on behalf of their friends or family will help increase your revenue in ways not having a booking system couldn’t.

Yoga studio software can even help you reach new audiences with bookings for online Zoom classes. This means you can run in-studio classes at the same time virtual classes. Clients can browse your schedule, book and pay, from anywhere in the world – without even needing to contact you!

Here are 3 big reasons for using yoga studio software.

1. Saves you time

If you are unable to grow your studio because of a lack of time then it’s time to use yoga studio software. Empowering your clients manage their own bookings will save you time and is the #1 reason yoga studio owners choose to use an online booking system.

2. Grows your business

Good yoga studio software allows you to scale your studio with ease. It will increase client retention by connecting you with your clients in new and exciting ways. It also helps you find new clients, fill more spaces, and collect more payments!

3. Cost effective

Good online booking software will pay for itself. Not just in terms of increased revenue and bookings but also in terms of the time it saves you, your clients and your team.

What are the key features I need?

Features are the biggest selling point for any yoga studio software after price. Not all features are created equally and which features you need are often dependent on the size of your studio and some other factors.

Here are 3 top features you should consider when purchasing a yoga studio booking system. Visit Top 10 Software Features Every Yoga Or Pilates Studios Needs for the complete list.

1. Client Self-Service

It’s great if your clients can browse and book online, but it’s even better if they can cancel or reschedule their bookings themselves.

Client self-service will save you hours of rescheduling every week. It will also increase your clients level of service satisfaction leading to greater customer retention!

2. Bookings for Friends & Family

Customer referrals are the cheapest and most effective way to accumulate more repeat customers for your yoga, Pilates, fitness studio or gym.

Studio software which allows your clients to make bookings for their friends and family members is one of the best ways to increase your client base and recurring revenue without trying

3. Flexible Pricing Options

What differentiates good yoga studio software from a truly great Yoga studio software is its ability to allow you to create flexible pricing options.

This means allowing you to sell different types of class passes, unlimited passes, drop ins, weekly reservations and more.

The very best Yoga studio software will also allow you to create pricing options which help you to increase your revenue (minimum commitment periods + auto-debit) and increase client retention (recurring bookings).

How much does yoga booking software cost?

The cost of yoga studio software can vary greatly. Take for example Bookamat which is one of the fastest growing yoga studio software platforms. Their paid subscription starts a very affordable $19 per month and is capped at $79 per month.

Compare this to Mindbody online which is the oldest player in studio software market. Their Ultimate Plus plan costs $849 per month (excluding GST) which means you’ll be paying well over $10,000 per annum.

Other costs to be aware of when choosing the right yoga studio software for your business include:

  • Payment processing fees
  • Add-ons (some software charge to use extra features, add more teachers, locations or calendars)
  • Customised Apps
  • SMS notifications
  • Onboarding and support

Free trial or demo?

Yoga studio software companies usually offer some form of a free trial on sign up, or they require you to contact them for a demo.

In general, the more complicated the booking system is, the more likely they are to require you to arrange a demo. These systems are less intuitive and require one of their specialists to show you how the software works before you can sign up.

Alternatively, platforms which are easy-to-use like Bookamat or Punchpass allow you to register on the spot without a credit card and get an immediate hands on feel for how the software works.

In our experience, getting a hands on feel for the software is extremely important. You are probably going to use the software daily so it’s important that you enjoy using it. The more familiar you are with the software the less time you will end up spending with their support desk.

Top 5 best yoga studio software for 2020

Mindbody Yoga Studio Software

Mindbody Online

The oldest player in online studio management. Mindbody online have been around since 2001. Vista Equity Partners recently bought them for US$1.9 billion in 2019.

Mindbody have grown into an enterprise wellness ecosystem which caters for everything from beauty to fitness to wellness.

In our experience, people who use or have used Mindbody generally have a love hate relationship with them.

Pros:

Mindbody has created an expansive wellness network which means they have a lot of people using their app to look for classes.

The company is constantly innovating and at the forefront of integrations with mobile and wearable tech and 3rd party wellness providers.

Their software has nearly every feature you can think of and caters for wellness, beauty, fitness and more.

They boast an impressive 1350 employees and reach 130 countries worldwide.

Cons:

The software is showing it’s age. Many customers find it clunky, non-intuitive and comes with too many features or options they have never used.

Because Mindbody is so complex, it will take their team some time (be prepared to wait weeks) to get your studio set up on it correctly.

Once set up we found some small things missing such as notifications when a new client joins your studio. There is also the problem of clients creating duplicate accounts which constantly need to be merged.

Joining Mindbody means your clients will be exposed to your local competitors offers and deals. This means you must work hard and spend more on Mindbody ads to stand out from the crowd.

We also don’t like that Mindbody online locks their clients into a contract and can increase their fees without warning.

Overall:

Mindbody has been the dominant online booking software for Pilates and Yoga studios for the last 18 years. Their software does nearly everything but also comes at the cost of a high price tag and poor ease-of-use.

New players in the online booking space are giving Mindbody online something to think about.

  • Ideal For: Enterprises / Franchises
  • Features: 9/10
  • Mobile Access: Yes (Native iOS and Android Apps)
  • Ease of Use: 6/10
  • Customer Support: 4/5
  • Set up Time: 48hrs +
  • Pricing: $$$ – $$$$$
  • Google Reviews: None available
  • Website: https://mindbodyonline.com

Bookamat.co

Started in 2016 by Benjamin Shannon, Bookamat.co is one of the newer and more exciting players to arrive on the Yoga and Pilates studio software market.

The platform launched in South Africa where the cost of booking software was simply unaffordable for most studio owners. It is now the fastest growing booking system in South Africa and quickly expanding internationally.

Founder and CEO Benjamin Shannon is now based in Australia and says, “We wanted to build a simple and affordable alternative to Mindbody for studios that couldn’t afford it.”

Pros:

Bookamat is one of the best looking systems we have used. Beyond looking good, we also found Bookamat to be quick to set up and very easy to learn compared to other systems.

Because the platform is designed specifically for Yoga and Pilates studios, we found that executing vital tasks such as adding clients into classes, or assigning clients with new passes is quick and easy on desktop, tablet or mobile.

Aside from the great usability, we love that Bookamat offer a unique “Pay As You Grow” model of subscription pricing which scales with your studio’s growth.

Bookamat also offers an industry first “Unlimited Free Trial” which means we could take as long as we needed to get set up on their system. Their customer support is also excellent as indicated by their Google reviews.

Cons:

Bookamat doesn’t have 3rd party software integrations with accounting or marketing software. Their website does indicate that these features are coming soon.

Overall:

Bookamat provides amazing value for money for small to medium Yoga, Pilates or fitness studios. In terms of key features it ticks all the boxes including, client self-service, mobile friendly, online bookings & payments, recurring bookings, minimum payment commitment periods and auto debit to name a few.

This is one of the best yoga studio booking systems available right now.

  • Ideal For: Yoga, Pilates or fitness studios and independent teachers / trainers
  • Features: 9/10
  • Mobile Access: Yes (Progressive Web Apps for Android & iOS)
  • Ease of Use: 9/10
  • Customer Support: 5/5
  • Set up Time: 2hrs +
  • Pricing: $ – $$
  • Google Reviews: 4.9/5
  • Website: https://bookamat.co/

StudioBookings

Based in the United States, StudioBookings say they offer a robust online studio management software that is used by thousands of businesses worldwide.

Pros:

StudioBookings offers a lot of essential features to help run a small yoga studio. Clients of StudioBookings say that the product is good value for money for what they offer and that it is easier to use than Mindbody. They also add new features which are included in the cost of the software.

Cons:

Studio bookings doesn’t have an automated wait list functionality, the flow of the booking services is not intuitive, plus there is no capability to track no shows or cancellations. Their clients who are not based in the United States have said that waiting for support can be frustrating. They have also had complaints about their software crashing and not being accessible. It also concerns us that their app is rated 2.8/5 on the Google Play store with reviews like: “Infuriating app to try and use.”

Their pricing is based on the number of staff members you have which can make you feel like you are paying too much since you can be paying for 10 staff but only have 6. If you have a lot of temporary or stand in staff members this can get expensive.

Overall:

We felt that while StudioBookings is used by many small Yoga studios, we weren’t really convinced that it offers the best quality of service, value for money, or ease-of-use.

  • Ideal For: Small gyms or studios
  • Features: 7/10
  • Mobile Access: No
  • Ease of Use: 7/10
  • Customer Support: 3.5/5
  • Set up Time: 24hrs +
  • Pricing: $ – $$$
  • Capterra Reviews: 4.3/5
  • Website: https://studiobookings.com/
Punchpass Online Class Management For Yoga Studios

Punchpass

Punchpass is a class management platform for small businesses. It was founded in 2003 by Chris Patton who wanted to help a small studio owner find a simpler way of running her fitness business.

They are based in Vermont, USA and are priced in US dollars. At the time of this article being published they had just increased all three of their pricing tiers.

Pros:

Punchpass is a dedicated booking system for small group class based businesses. This makes it ideal for Yoga classes. It is run by a small team who are able to listen and respond to their customers.

They have recently redesigned their software interface to make it more user-friendly and regularly add new features.

Cons:

Their cheapest Bedrock plan works out to around AUD $60 per month (USD $39) which is a lot to pay compared to other booking software.

Punchpass do not offer a guided tour or live demo. Their two week trial is short compared to Bookamat’s unlimited free trial

Punchpass do not offer the same level of 3rd party software integrations such as Acuity or Mindbody.

Their customer support is based in the USA meaning time difference is an issue for Australian studios.

Overall:

Punchpass is a great choice for small group class Yoga studios. They are a small team with a heart for small businesses. For us though, a major drawback is their limited ability to service customers outside the USA.

We also found that for the features Punchpass offer, you can pay less with other software.

  • Ideal For: Small studios
  • Features: 7/10
  • Mobile Access: Yes (Progressive Web App)
  • Ease of Use: 7/10
  • Customer Support: 3.5/5
  • Set up Time: 24hrs +
  • Pricing: $$ – $$$$
  • Capterra Reviews: 4.7/5
  • Website: https://punchpass.com/
Acuity Scheduling & Online Bookings

Acuity Scheduling

Acuity scheduling started in 2006 when Gavin Zuchlinski decided to help his mother with her massage therapy business.

Based in New York and boasting over 50,000 business on their platform, Acuity was recently acquired by Squarespace.

Acuity is priced in US dollars and offer four different plans to choose from including a free plan for solo.

Pros:

Acuity scheduling offers great features with a high degree of customisation.

We love that Acuity offers a heap of 3rd party integrations, there is no set up fee and there are no contracts.

Cons:

We found Acuity to be more tailored towards appointment based (one on one) scheduling than class based scheduling. For example we couldn’t view a group class attendance list without having to download a file. Plus clients can not book two services at once which we found frustrating.

Acuity’s free plan doesn’t include any of the features we would expect to qualify it as a useful online booking platform.

Their pricing is in US dollars. This which means anyone outside the US will pay a variable amount based on the exchange rate.

Overall:

If you run an appointment based Yoga or Pilates studio then we can recommend giving them a try.

However we are not sure what the future holds for Acuity now that it has been bought by Squarespace. Only time will tell what Squarespace decide to do with it.

  • Ideal For: Businesses which focus on appointments rather than classes.
  • Features: 8/10
  • Mobile Access: Yes (Native Android & iOS)
  • Ease of Use: 7/10
  • Customer Support: 4/5
  • Set up Time: 24hrs +
  • Pricing: $ – $$$
  • Capterra Reviews: 4.8/5
  • Website: https://secure.acuityscheduling.com/

In summary

If you run, or are thinking of starting, a yoga, Pilates or fitness studio then you’ll save yourself a ton of headaches by choosing the right studio software.

There are a heap of options to choose from each with their own pros and cons. Be sure to do your research

Scroll to top