If you are a personal trainer or online fitness coach who has been using FitPros, this week has been stressful. Servers went down on April 16, 2026, a chunk of coach data was affected, and a lot of coaches are actively evaluating where to go next.
This is a short, calm roundup. If you want the full picture of how to evaluate any coaching platform on data safety, read our non-technical safety guide. If you just want a list of free alternatives so you can keep coaching tomorrow, keep reading.
Here is what this post covers:
- A quick summary of the FitPros incident and what it does and does not mean for your business
- Three free fitness coaching platforms worth evaluating right now, with what each includes
- A short playbook for switching without losing your client data
What Happened at FitPros (Brief)
On April 16, 2026, several of FitPros’ live servers went down and a meaningful amount of coach data was affected, including program libraries, forms, exercises, client links, and program history. The founder posted an update publicly and committed to restoring from backups and sharing a fuller explanation.
That is the responsible way to handle an incident. It is also a useful reminder for every fitness coach and personal trainer: your client data is your business, and the platform you pick decides how well it is protected. We covered the eight non-technical questions every coach should ask in the safety guide.
Free Fitness Coaching Platforms Worth a Look in 2026
These are the three platforms with permanent free tiers that are actually usable for a real coaching business in 2026. Trainerize and TrueCoach run trials, not free plans, so they are not in this table.
| Platform | Free Clients | Workouts | Meal Plans | Check-ins | Client Portal | Data Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Coach | 15 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, all data |
| Everfit | 5 | Yes | Paid | Paid | Yes | Limited |
| FirstRep | 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unclear |
For a deeper feature-by-feature scoring of every free tier, see our best free fitness coaching software post.
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach is a newer platform currently in public beta (disclosure: it is the platform we build). The free tier covers 15 clients and includes workout plans, meal plans, check-ins, goals, a branded client portal, coach notes and to-dos, custom forms, a coaching website with lead capture, and full data export from Settings. AI sits on top of that workflow to draft check-in responses and surface client trends, rather than being the headline feature.
Everfit
Everfit has a well-polished client app and a generous 5-client free tier for workouts. Meal plans and check-in forms are behind paid plans, so the free tier is primarily a workout delivery tool. Data export is limited to individual workouts as PDFs.
FirstRep
FirstRep is a newer, smaller platform with a free tier for 3 clients with most features available. It is worth a look if you prefer a lean tool and your client count is low, though the company is small and its public documentation is thin.
How to Switch Without Losing Your Client Data
If you are moving off FitPros (or any platform after an incident), the goal is to keep every program, check-in note, and client relationship intact while you migrate. A practical order of operations:
Screenshot what you can still see. Client lists, profiles, program libraries, forms, check-in history. You want a visual record even if you lose access later.
Export what the platform lets you export. Even partial exports are better than nothing. Download the files and save them somewhere you control (your laptop, Google Drive, wherever).
Rebuild from your own records. WhatsApp threads, emailed plans, camera-roll photos, your own notes. Anything that lives outside the platform is a backup you can rebuild from.
Load clients into the new platform carefully. Start with your most active clients, test the workflow end-to-end (plan, check-in, progress photo, response), then roll the rest over. Do not delete your old account until the new one is fully working.
And once you are on the new platform, set up a habit: every month, download a copy of your own data. The platforms worth trusting make that a single click.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best FitPros alternative for personal trainers in 2026?
It depends on how many clients you coach and which features you need. Assistant Coach offers a permanent free tier for 15 clients with workout plans, meal plans, check-ins, goals, a client portal, full data export, and AI features layered on top. Everfit offers 5 free clients but keeps meal plans and check-in forms behind paid plans. FirstRep offers a free tier for 3 clients with most features included.
Is FitPros coming back after the April 2026 incident?
FitPros remains online, and the founder posted publicly that the team is restoring what can be restored from backups and sharing a fuller update on what happened. The honest answer is that we do not yet know what the platform will look like once recovery is finished. Coaches actively relying on FitPros should keep local copies of anything they still have while the team works through the incident.
How do I move my client data from FitPros to another coaching platform?
Start by screenshotting every page that still shows your data: client lists, programs, forms, and recent activity. Export whatever FitPros allows you to export. Then use your own records (emails, WhatsApp messages, photos) to rebuild anything missing on the new platform. Do not delete your FitPros account until you have everything loaded into the new one.
Are free coaching platforms safe to use after the FitPros incident?
Free does not mean unsafe. The price tag matters less than how a platform is built, how it stores your data, and how it communicates when something goes wrong. Before picking any platform, free or paid, ask how often it backs up your data, where the backups are stored, and whether you can download your own data anytime. Our safety guide walks through the full checklist in plain English.
Next Steps
If you are actively looking for somewhere safe to land, start by picking one platform from the list above and moving your three most active clients across this week. Keep your existing data somewhere you control. Once the new workflow feels solid, roll the rest over.
Want a permanent free tier with full data export on every plan? Try Assistant Coach free. Fifteen clients on the free tier during our public beta, a public security page that says exactly how your data is handled, and one-click export from Settings.
References
- SammyFitPros. (2026, April 16). An update on the serious FitPros.io incident today. r/FitPros. reddit.com
- Everfit. (2026). How to Export or Print Workouts as PDFs. help.everfit.io
- Assistant Coach. (2026). Data export. help.assistantcoach.fit
- Assistant Coach. (2026). Security overview. help.assistantcoach.fit
Safe Fitness Coaching Software for Personal Trainers (2026)
Best Free Fitness Coaching Software in 2026