Kahunas and Assistant Coach are both fitness coaching software for personal trainers and online coaches. They both help with core coaching work like plans, check-ins, and nutrition, but they make different bets. Kahunas puts more weight on App Store/Google Play presence, built-in messaging, payments, and wearables. Assistant Coach puts more weight on a calm coaching workspace: a coach-branded client portal, check-ins, meal and workout planning, workout logging with video review, goals, notes, lead capture, AI support, and data you can actually take with you.

So the useful question is not “which platform has more features?” It is: which platform fits the way you coach, at a price that still makes sense when your roster grows?

Here is what this guide breaks down:

  1. Kahunas vs Assistant Coach: The 2026 Summary
  2. What Kahunas Actually Costs in 2026
  3. Feature-by-Feature: Kahunas vs Assistant Coach
  4. Data Export: Where Kahunas and Assistant Coach Differ Most
  5. The AI Difference: Health Score AI vs Coaching Workspace AI
  6. Which Fitness Coaching Software Should You Choose?
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. Next Steps
  9. References

Kahunas vs Assistant Coach: The 2026 Summary

Platform Pricing Model Starts At Best For Watch Out For
Assistant Coach Flat tiers, unlimited clients on every paid plan Free for 15 clients / ~$22/mo for unlimited clients Solo coaches who want a coach-branded client portal, structured check-ins, workout logging with video review, meal and workout plans, goals, notes, lead capture, full data export, and AI help across review and planning Newer brand in public beta; messaging, payments, wearables, and App Store/Google Play listings are not built in yet
Kahunas Client-count tiers with key features gated by tier $35/mo for up to 25 clients / $99/mo for unlimited clients Coaches who want a branded app in the app stores, built-in messaging, verified nutrition tracking, habit forms, payments, and wearables in one place 25 and 50 client caps on lower tiers; Health Score AI starts on Growth; branded apps require the $99/mo Ultimate plan; no public self-serve full export found

What Kahunas Actually Costs in 2026

Kahunas publishes three plans on its help center. As of June 11, 2026, the listed prices are:

Roster Size Kahunas Pricing Assistant Coach Beta
Up to 25 clients Essentials: $35/mo or $315/year Free up to 15 clients, then ~$22/mo for unlimited clients when billed annually
Up to 50 clients Growth: $69/mo or $621/year ~$22/mo for unlimited clients when billed annually
Unlimited clients Ultimate: $99/mo or $900/year ~$22/mo for unlimited clients when billed annually

Kahunas’ annual billing is simple and useful: the help page describes it as a 25% saving. The bigger buying question is feature access. Lead forms, automations, bulk uploads, and Health Score AI start on Growth at $69/month. Branded iOS and Android apps with your own app store listings, plus group messaging and Zapier/Make extensions, require Ultimate at $99/month.

Kahunas’ bill grows with both your roster and your feature wishlist. A coach with 26 clients moves from $35 to $69 per month. A coach who wants the branded app pays $99 per month. Assistant Coach beta paid plans include unlimited clients at one flat price, so growing from 15 clients to 50 does not change the bill.

One fair point for Kahunas: its homepage says Stripe and PayPal payments carry no Kahunas commission. If payments inside the coaching app matter to you, that is a real advantage over platforms that add their own platform fee. For the wider pricing landscape, see our real cost of fitness coaching software breakdown.

Feature-by-Feature: Kahunas vs Assistant Coach

Feature Kahunas Assistant Coach
Workout programming Workout builder with 1,000+ exercise videos Workout plan and session builder with coverage analysis
Workout logging and video review Client workout logging Workout logger with inline video review of client lifts
Nutrition Nutrition tracking with barcode scanning Meal plan builder with macros
Check-ins and forms Custom check-in and habit forms Structured check-ins, custom forms, AI drafts, and trend analysis
Coach website and lead capture Lead forms on Growth and above Built-in coach website + leads inbox
Full data export No self-serve full export publicly documented Core workspace export as a ZIP file
AI features Health Score AI on Growth and above AI check-in analysis, draft replies, trend summaries, and workout coverage review
Messaging Yes, including voice notes Not built in
Payments Stripe and PayPal payment plans; Kahunas says no commission Not yet
Wearables Wearable device integration Not yet
Coach-branded client portal Standard Kahunas app on Essentials/Growth; branded app on Ultimate Yes, clients see your coaching brand in a portal they can install like an app
Connect ChatGPT or Claude to coaching data No public option found Yes

Use the table as a sorting tool: Kahunas is strongest when you specifically want App Store/Google Play listings, built-in messaging, payments, and wearables in one place; Assistant Coach is strongest when the day-to-day coaching workspace, coach-branded client portal, export, AI support, and flat pricing matter most.

Data Export: Where Kahunas and Assistant Coach Differ Most

Branding matters when clients first open the app. Data ownership matters when you need to leave.

Among what we could verify, Kahunas does not publicly document a self-serve export of a coach’s full workspace: clients, check-in history, meal plans, workout plans, and form submissions in a structured format. Our 10-platform data export audit found this is common across the industry. Common does not mean good.

If you coach on Kahunas, there is now a practical path out. We built an independent local Kahunas data export tool that runs on your own laptop, asks you to log into your own coach account, and saves your clients, forms, check-ins, macro meal plans, workout plans, and prescribed exercises. It is not made by or affiliated with Kahunas, and nothing is uploaded by the tool.

If you want to see the process before running it, watch the walkthrough below.

Prefer YouTube? Watch it on the channel here.

Assistant Coach takes the opposite stance by design. You can download your core coaching workspace as a ZIP file: coach profile, clients, goals, notes and todos, check-ins and responses, body measurements, meal plans, and workout plans. Most files are JSON, with a client CSV for quick spreadsheet review.

Whatever platform you choose, ask the export question before you commit years of client history.

The AI Difference: Health Score AI vs Coaching Workspace AI

Kahunas markets Health Score AI on Growth and above. Its privacy policy says automated algorithms can analyze health data and generate numerical health scores. Its public marketing does not show enough detail to judge exactly how a coach reviews, edits, or acts on those scores, so ask for a walkthrough if that feature matters to your decision.

Assistant Coach’s AI maps to the decisions coaches make across check-ins, plans, goals, notes, workouts, and follow-up. The platform handles the coaching records; the AI sits on top of that context:

  • AI check-in drafts: write a response from the client’s submitted check-in
  • Trend analysis: summarize months of check-ins and measurements so you spot stalls faster
  • Workout coverage review: check a saved workout plan for body-region balance, redundancy, and gaps
  • AI data access: connect ChatGPT or Claude to your coaching data instead of copying client context into a chat window

The bigger AI difference is data access. Assistant Coach can securely link ChatGPT or Claude to approved coaching records, so your own AI tools can see real client history. We found no public Kahunas option for connecting your own AI tools to your coaching workspace.

Neither approach replaces your judgment. The question is which kind of help you want: a health score inside the client app, or an assistant that helps you decide what to review, write, and change next.

Which Fitness Coaching Software Should You Choose?

If your main pain is organizing coaching delivery, reviewing check-ins and workouts, planning nutrition and training, capturing leads, using AI on coaching records, owning your data, and keeping software costs predictable as your roster grows, start with Assistant Coach.

Cost is part of that choice. Assistant Coach is free for up to 15 clients during beta, then about $22/month for unlimited clients when billed annually. Kahunas starts at $35/month for up to 25 clients, moves to $69/month above that, and reaches $99/month for unlimited clients. If you expect your roster to grow, Assistant Coach gives you more room before software becomes another per-client pressure.

Neither answer is universal. But the trade-off is now much clearer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Kahunas and Assistant Coach?

Kahunas puts more weight on the client-facing app stack: app-store branded apps, messaging, payments, wearables, habits, and verified nutrition tracking. Assistant Coach puts more weight on the coach’s workspace: a coach-branded client portal, check-ins, planning, workout review, goals, notes, leads, AI support, and data export.

How much does Kahunas cost?

Kahunas lists Essentials at $35/month for up to 25 clients, Growth at $69/month for up to 50 clients, and Ultimate at $99/month for unlimited clients. Annual pricing is listed at $315, $621, and $900.

Does Kahunas offer a branded app?

Yes. Kahunas says Ultimate includes branded iOS and Android apps with your own app store listings and no Kahunas branding. Essentials and Growth use the standard Kahunas app.

Can I export my data from Kahunas?

Kahunas does not publicly document a self-serve full workspace export. An independent local Kahunas exporter can help a coach save core records from their own coach account to their own laptop.

Is Assistant Coach cheaper than Kahunas?

For most solo coaches, yes. Assistant Coach beta paid plans start around $22/month on annual billing with unlimited clients, and the free tier covers 15 clients during beta. Kahunas starts at $35/month for up to 25 clients and reaches $99/month for unlimited clients.

Is Assistant Coach a good Kahunas alternative for personal trainers?

Yes, if you want the coaching workspace, a coach-branded client portal, AI support, flat pricing, and exportable records more than you want an App Store/Google Play listing. Kahunas is stronger if app-store branded apps, built-in messaging, payments, and wearables are must-haves today.

Next Steps

If the trade-off now feels clear, review the features you actually use with clients day to day, then choose the platform that removes the most friction from your coaching business.

Want fitness coaching software where your data stays yours from day one? Try Assistant Coach free

References

Related Posts

A coach's desk with a data export checklist for clients, check-ins, meal plans, workout plans, and forms Kahunas Data Export for Fitness Coaches The independent local exporter that helps Kahunas coaches save their own coaching data. Fitness coaching software pricing comparison notes The Real Cost of Fitness Coaching Software Compare common coaching platform costs at real roster sizes, including add-ons and hidden fees.