You got the email that QuickCoach was shutting down. You scrambled, maybe started moving clients to another platform, told a few of them the app was changing. Then a few weeks later it came back, under a new owner, and now you are not sure what to think.
This is a calm guide to what actually happened, what it means for your business, and the one lesson worth taking from it no matter which platform you land on. If you want the broader version of how to evaluate any coaching platform on data safety, read our non-technical safety guide. If you just want to understand the QuickCoach situation and your options, keep reading.
Here is what this guide covers:
- What happened to QuickCoach, from the shutdown to the surprise revival
- The real lesson, which is not “free software cannot work”
- What to look for now, and where Assistant Coach fits if you are switching
What Happened to QuickCoach
QuickCoach was a free coaching platform launched in 2022 by Jonathan Goodman, the founder of the Personal Trainer Development Center. It grew fast because it was genuinely free and simple, and it reached tens of thousands of trainers.
In September 2025 the team began winding it down, with a plan to close permanently in November. Goodman published an unusually honest breakdown of why: the free software was losing roughly $20,000 a month, about $11,000 in revenue against $31,000 in costs, and it had lost about $1.4 million overall. His summary line was that the free tier was too generous, and most users stayed on it and never paid.
Coaches were pointed toward another platform to migrate to, and many did. Then, right at the deadline, an Australian health-tech company called Hale Health bought QuickCoach and kept it online. In 2026 it is running again, still with a free tier.
So QuickCoach is not gone. But if you relied on it, you lived through a stressful few months, and a fair number of coaches on Reddit said the hardest part was not the shutdown itself but finding out about it, and the reversal, secondhand.
The problem was never that the software was free. It was that coaches had no warning and no easy way to take their business somewhere else. That is the part worth fixing, whatever platform you choose.
The Real Lesson Is Not “Free Software Cannot Work”
It is tempting to read the QuickCoach story as proof that free coaching software is doomed. That is the wrong takeaway, and it would push you toward the wrong decision.
Free works fine when the paid plan actually pays for the free one. Plenty of tools you use every day run that way. What sank QuickCoach was a specific version of free: nearly unlimited, with very few people ever upgrading, run by a founder who was open that software was not where his heart was. That is a business-model problem, not a verdict on price.
The lesson that actually protects you is different, and simpler. Your client data is your business. The programs you have written, your check-in history, your client relationships, that is years of work. When a platform can shut down, get sold, or change its terms with little notice, the question that matters is whether you can walk out the door with all of it.
If the answer is yes, a shutdown is an inconvenience. If the answer is no, it is an emergency. Everything below is about staying in the first group.
What to Look For in a Coaching Platform Now
A shutdown is a harsh way to learn what to value, so let it teach you the right things. Three of them:
You can export all your data, anytime. Not “email support and wait.” A button you press yourself that downloads your clients, programs, check-ins, and history. If you cannot leave with your data, you do not really own it.
Adding clients does not raise your price. Some platforms charge more each time your roster grows, which quietly takes a cut of the exact thing you are working to build. Predictable pricing means you can sign your tenth or fortieth client without watching the meter.
It is a real coaching stack, not one feature. QuickCoach was loved for being simple, but many coaches did their actual programming in spreadsheets alongside it. When you switch, it is worth landing somewhere that covers the whole job, check-ins, workouts, nutrition, so you are not stitching tools together again.
Here is how those priorities line up against the platforms coaches most often compare after leaving QuickCoach.
| What to check | Why it matters after a shutdown |
|---|---|
| Full data export | You can leave anytime; a future sale or closure never traps you |
| Pricing as you grow | A per-client bill takes a cut of your growth; flat pricing does not |
| Client count on free | Decides whether you can actually run your business on it |
| Full workflow | Check-ins, workouts, and nutrition in one place beats a single feature plus spreadsheets |
| Clear communication | You hear about changes from the source, not from your clients |
Where Assistant Coach Fits
If you are switching, Assistant Coach is worth a look (disclosure: it is the platform we build, and it is a newer option currently in public beta). It is a full coaching stack: structured check-ins, a workout logger with inline video review where clients upload exercise clips pinned to specific sets, a meal plan builder, a workout plan builder, goals, client notes and to-dos, and a coaching website that captures leads. AI sits on top of that to draft check-in responses in your voice and surface client trends, rather than being the headline.
Two things speak directly to the QuickCoach experience. Every paid plan includes unlimited clients, so your bill does not climb as your roster does. And you can download all of your data from Settings in one step, whenever you want, no support ticket required.
A platform you can leave is a platform you can trust. One-click export is not a nice-to-have after living through a shutdown, it is the whole point.
That is the honest pitch: not that Assistant Coach will never change, but that you are never locked in if it does. You can sign up free and see exactly how it works, with a sample client we set up for you and a guided tour, before you move a single real client.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is QuickCoach shut down in 2026?
QuickCoach began winding down in September 2025 and was set to close permanently in November 2025. At the last minute it was bought by an Australian health-tech company, Hale Health, and it is online again in 2026 with the free tier kept in place. So it is not gone, but it changed owners, and many coaches had already moved to another platform during the shutdown.
Why did QuickCoach shut down?
Founder Jonathan Goodman published a public breakdown explaining that the free software was losing roughly $20,000 a month, about $11,000 in monthly revenue against $31,000 in costs, and that the free tier was too generous for the business to sustain. He also said running a software company was not where his energy was. It closed after losing about $1.4 million.
What is the best QuickCoach alternative for fitness coaches?
It depends on your client count and which features you need. Look for three things a shutdown teaches you to value: full data export so you can leave anytime, pricing that does not charge more as you add clients, and a real training stack (check-ins, workout logger, meal plans) rather than a single feature. Assistant Coach, Everfit, and Kahunas are all worth evaluating on those terms.
Can I trust QuickCoach now that it is back?
That is your call, and the new owners have kept the free tier and preserved coach data. The more useful question is not whether one platform lasts, but whether you can walk away with your data if it does not. Pick any platform, free or paid, that lets you download all of your own client data anytime, so a future sale or shutdown never traps you.
Does QuickCoach charge per client?
QuickCoach’s free tier covers up to 20 active clients, and its paid Pro plan adds unlimited clients plus branding and nutrition features. Some other platforms raise your monthly bill as your roster grows, which quietly takes a cut of your growth. When you compare alternatives, check whether adding clients raises the price.
How do I move my client data off QuickCoach?
Export whatever QuickCoach lets you download, then screenshot any pages that show data you cannot export (client lists, programs, history). Rebuild anything missing from your own records like emails, WhatsApp threads, and saved photos. Load your most active clients into the new platform first, test the full workflow, and only then move the rest. Do not delete your old account until everything is in the new one.
Next Steps
If QuickCoach’s ups and downs left you uneasy, that instinct is worth acting on. Pick a platform that lets you export everything yourself, keeps your price steady as you grow, and covers the whole coaching workflow. Move your most active clients first, test it end to end, and keep your own copy of your data from day one. Whatever you choose, coach somewhere you can always leave.
References
- Girdhar, S. (2026). Data portability for fitness coaching software. Assistant Coach. assistantcoach.fit
- Assistant Coach. (2026). Data export. help.assistantcoach.fit
Data Portability in Fitness Coaching Software
Safe Fitness Coaching Software for Personal Trainers (2026)