You’re shopping for coaching software. You open six pricing pages. The numbers look reasonable: $19 here, $49 there, a few at $79. You pick one, sign up, start onboarding clients. Then the invoices start looking different from the pricing page.
Nutrition tracking? That’s an add-on. Payment processing? Another add-on. Your 21st client? You just jumped to the next tier. The platform that looked like $49/month is now costing you $130.
This isn’t speculation. I’ve gone through the pricing pages, help docs, and fine print of every major coaching platform. Here’s what coaching software actually costs in 2026, with nothing hidden.
- Why pricing pages mislead: platforms show their lowest possible number, not what most coaches actually pay
- The four hidden costs that inflate your bill: feature add-ons, per-client overages, branding fees, and payment surcharges
- Real cost at 25 clients: a side-by-side comparison of 10 platforms with all essential add-ons included
- Real cost at 50 clients: how the math changes as your roster grows, and why the pricing model matters more than the price
The Sticker Price Problem in Fitness Coaching Software
Every platform leads with their lowest number. TrueCoach says “from $26/month.” Everfit says “free.” Trainerize says “$10/month.” Those numbers are real. They’re also irrelevant to most coaches.
TrueCoach’s $26 covers 5 clients. At 21 clients, you’re on their Pro plan at $137/month. Trainerize’s old “$10” starter number has shifted to $9 for 2 clients, and Everfit’s free tier is still generous at 5 clients - but once you price in the client tier plus meal plans, automation, and payments, an annual-billed roster above 25 clients is closer to ~$125-130/month than the headline suggests.
The Four Hidden Costs of Coaching Software
1. Feature add-ons
Some platforms bundle everything into one price. Others break features into paid modules. Trainerize charges $45/month for Advanced Nutrition on larger Pro tiers. Everfit still layers paid modules on top of its client-based plans - meal plans at $33-39/month, Autoflow automation at $24-29/month, and payments at $8-9/month. MyPTHub charges $30/month for Check-Ins AI. If your coaching requires nutrition plans, automated check-ins, and payment collection (most online coaching does), price these add-ons into your total.
2. Per-client overages
Many platforms cap clients at each tier, then charge per-client fees above the cap. FitBudd includes 20 clients in their $79/month Pro plan, then charges $2 per additional client. PT Distinction caps at 25 clients on Pro ($60/month), with $2.40 per extra client. A coach with 40 clients on FitBudd’s Pro plan pays $79 + (20 x $2) = $119/month. On the UK side, 1FIT charges £4 per extra client above each tier limit, turning a £40/month Basic plan into £120 at 30 clients - three times the rate-card number.
3. White-label and branding fees
Want your coaching app to show your brand instead of the platform’s? That’s often a premium feature. Trainerize charges a $169 setup fee. MyPTHub’s Custom Branded App is $145 one-time, while its White Label App is $225/month on top of Premium. FitBudd requires you to maintain your own Apple and Google Developer accounts for full white-label app deployment on top of the platform fee. If branding matters to you, factor it in before you compare platforms.
4. Payment processing surcharges
Most platforms use Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). But some add their own surcharge on top. TrueCoach recently introduced a 5% processing fee on payments collected through their platform. CoachRx adds 2% on top of standard Stripe rates. On $5,000/month in client payments, TrueCoach’s 5% costs you $250/month in processing fees alone.
What Fitness Coaching Software Really Costs at 25 Clients
Here’s what 10 platforms actually cost for a coach with 25 clients who needs workout programming, nutrition plans, check-in tracking, and payment processing.
| Platform | Plan Needed | Base Price | Essential Add-ons | Total | Per Client |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PT Distinction | Pro (25 clients) | $60 | None | $60 | $2.40 |
| Assistant Coach | Starter (unlimited, beta annual) | £16.50 (~$22) | None (AI included) | ~$22 | ~$0.88 |
| Hevy Coach | 11-25 plan | $50 | No nutrition/check-ins | $50 | $2.00 |
| TrainHeroic | Up to 25 | $45 | No nutrition/check-ins | $45 | $1.80 |
| CoachRx | Tier 2 (6-50) | $79 | None (+2% payment fee) | $79+ | $3.16 |
| MyPTHub | Premium (unlimited) | $105 | Check-Ins AI: $30 | $135 | $5.40 |
| FitBudd | Pro + 5 overage | $89 | None | $89 | $3.56 |
| Everfit | Pro (next tier above 25) | ~$63 | Meals $33 + Auto $24 + Pay $8 | ~$128 | ~$5.12 |
| Trainerize | Pro 30 | $79 | Nutrition $45 + Pay $10 | $134 | $5.36 |
| TrueCoach | Pro (50 clients) | $137 | None | $137 | $5.48 |
TrainHeroic and Hevy Coach are the cheapest, but they’re workout loggers, not full coaching platforms. No nutrition planning, no client check-ins, no AI. Great for programming-only workflows, but you’ll need another tool for everything else. If you’re specifically weighing TrueCoach against Trainerize, we’ve broken down both against Assistant Coach in a dedicated feature-by-feature comparison.
Among full-featured platforms, PT Distinction and Assistant Coach offer the lowest total cost at 25 clients. The key difference: PT Distinction’s price increases as you add clients beyond 25, while Assistant Coach stays flat regardless of roster size.
How the Math Changes at 50 Clients
The real test of a pricing model is what happens when your business grows. Here’s the same comparison at 50 clients.
| Platform | Plan Needed | Base Price | Essential Add-ons | Total | Per Client |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Coach | Starter (unlimited, beta annual) | £16.50 (~$22) | None | ~$22 | ~$0.44 |
| CoachRx | Tier 2 (6-50) | $79 | None (+2% payment fee) | $79+ | $1.58 |
| Hevy Coach | 26-50 plan | $90 | No nutrition/check-ins | $90 | $1.80 |
| PT Distinction | Master (50 clients) | $90 | None | $90 | $1.80 |
| MyPTHub | Premium (unlimited) | $105 | Check-Ins AI: $30 | $135 | $2.70 |
| TrueCoach | Pro (50 clients) | $137 | None | $137 | $2.74 |
| FitBudd | Pro + 30 overage | $139 | None | $139 | $2.78 |
| Everfit | Pro (50 clients) | $79 | Meals $33 + Auto $24 + Pay $8 | ~$144 | ~$2.88 |
| Trainerize | Pro 50 | $135 | Nutrition $45 + Pay $10 | $190 | $3.80 |
| TrainHeroic | Up to 50 | $75 | No nutrition/check-ins | $75 | $1.50 |
At 50 clients, the pricing models diverge sharply. Assistant Coach’s price didn’t change. Same £16.50/month on annual beta billing (locked in for life), per-client cost dropped from ~$0.88 to ~$0.44. Meanwhile, Trainerize went from $134 to $190, and FitBudd climbed from $89 to $139.
The dollar amounts will change over time. What rarely changes is the pricing model. Per-client pricing means your bill grows with your roster. Flat pricing means your 50th client costs zero additional software fees. And before you commit to any model, check whether you can export your client data if you leave. The real cost of the wrong platform isn’t just the monthly bill, it’s the switching cost when you outgrow it.
If you set up your client onboarding well, your roster will grow. Your software shouldn’t punish you for that.
What to Check Before You Commit
Before signing up for any coaching platform, run through this checklist:
- Calculate total cost, not base price. Add nutrition, payments, automation, and any other features you use daily. Then project the cost at your 12-month client count. This feeds directly into what you should charge your clients, and the total is tax-deductible as a business expense.
- Check for payment processing surcharges. Standard Stripe fees (2.9% + $0.30) are normal. Anything on top is extra margin for the platform.
- Test with real clients, not just a pricing page. Bring in a few clients, run actual check-in reviews, and see if the workflow justifies the price.
- Read the terms on client data. If you leave, can you export your client history, check-in data, and workout plans? Some platforms make this easy. Others make it nearly impossible, which means switching later costs you weeks of manual re-entry on top of the new subscription. If you’re moving from spreadsheets for the first time, we’ve written a step-by-step migration guide that covers the full process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should fitness coaches budget for coaching software?
Most coaches with 15-30 clients spend $50-$150/month. Factor in add-ons for nutrition, payments, and automation, and the real cost often lands 40-80% higher than the base price. Always calculate total cost with the features you actually need.
Is free coaching software worth using?
Some free tiers limit you to 1-3 clients, which isn’t enough to evaluate the platform. Look for free tiers that let you manage at least 5 clients with core features like check-ins, meal plans, and workout plans. We compared every free tier in our guide to free fitness coaching software.
Should I always choose the cheapest coaching platform?
No. A platform at $45/month that charges extra for nutrition ($33-45/month), payment processing ($8-10/month), and automation ($24-29/month) can still end up costing more than one at $70/month with everything included. Compare total cost, not sticker price.
Your Software Should Work for Your Business, Not Against It
The right platform saves you hours every week on check-in reviews, gives you tools to track real client progress, and lets you focus on coaching instead of admin. The wrong one drains your budget with add-ons and penalizes you for growing.
Do the math with your real numbers. Your future self will thank you.
Want to run the numbers yourself? Use our free coaching software pricing comparison tool to calculate the real cost at your client count. Or try Assistant Coach free - unlimited clients on every paid plan, AI-powered check-in reviews, and no add-on fees.
References
- TrueCoach. (2026). Pricing. truecoach.co/pricing
- Trainerize. (2026). Pricing. trainerize.com/pricing
- FitBudd. (2026). Pricing. fitbudd.com/pricing
- PT Distinction. (2026). Pricing. ptdistinction.com/pricing
- MyPTHub. (2026). Pricing. mypthub.net/pricing
- Everfit. (2026). Pricing. everfit.io/pricing
- CoachRx. (2026). Pricing. coachrx.app/pricing
- TrainHeroic. (2026). Pricing. Via FitBudd
- Hevy Coach. (2026). Pricing. hevycoach.com/pricing
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