The real cost of coaching software
A headline price rarely survives contact with 20 real clients. Here's the line-item math on what nutrition, automation, payments, and a branded app actually add: so you can price a tool at the size you'll actually run it.
A $20–39/mo entry price commonly becomes $90–140/mo once real nutrition tracking, check-in automation, and payment processing are switched on, and per-client pricing adds to that again as the roster grows. Amenti also prices by roster (free to 3 clients, then $49/month including 5 and $6 per active client after), so at 20 clients it is not the cheapest line on this page. What it removes is the stacking: nutrition, check-ins, and messaging are included at every tier rather than switched on later, and the per-client rate is published rather than found at a breakpoint. Compare the all-in total at your real client count, which is the only number that matters here.
| Line item | Typical cost | Why it's easy to miss |
|---|---|---|
| Base tier (workout delivery only) | $20–39/mo | The number on the pricing page. Usually covers programming and basic logging, nothing else. |
| + Real nutrition tracking | +$30–40/mo | Photo-logged meals or macro targets a client can actually log against, not a yes/no habit checkbox, which is often bundled free but isn't the same feature. |
| + Check-in / follow-up automation | +$24–30/mo | Scheduled forms that auto-send and flag no-shows. Without it, every check-in reminder is a manual message you send yourself. |
| + Payment processing module | +$8–10/mo, or 3–5% per transaction | Either a flat module fee or a percentage cut on every client payment, read the fine print on which one applies before assuming it's included. |
| + Branded client app | $150–200 one-time, or ~$90–100/yr | An independently listed app with your own name and icon, not the vendor's. Often gated behind a higher tier entirely, not just an add-on fee. |
| = Real total at 20 clients | $90–140/mo | Versus the $20–39/mo the pricing page led with. The gap is the point of this page. |
Category ranges observed across workout-delivery-first and à-la-carte add-on-stack tools, not any single vendor's exact price: individual numbers vary and change over time. Last verified July 28, 2026.
| Line item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Included in base tier | Often 3–5 clients |
| Per-client overage rate | $2–6 per additional client |
| At 20 clients (15–17 over the included count) | $30–100+/mo added on top of the base price alone |
Per-client pricing punishes the one thing a growing coaching business is trying to do. This arithmetic is worth running before you sign up, not after your roster has already crossed the included count.
| Workout-delivery-first | All-in-one studio | À-la-carte add-on stack | Spreadsheet + chat | Amenti | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How the price is structured | Flat tiers with a client-count ceiling per tier | Flat tiers, priced for several coaches or a whole studio at once | Low flat base plus separate modules billed independently | No software price at all, the cost is entirely your own time | One flat number per tier, everything in this article already included |
| What's actually in the base price | Programming and logging; nutrition and automation are usually extra | Broad feature set, but priced assuming multiple staff seats | Whichever single module you pick. Nothing else is bundled | Whatever you build yourself, at zero marginal cost | Nutrition, weekly reviews, and messaging, no separate line items |
| Payment processing | Often a percentage cut on top of your existing processor's rate | Sometimes bundled, sometimes its own paid module | A dedicated module, typically $8–10/mo flat | Whatever you already use directly, no platform cut | Billing stays outside Amenti entirely, no transaction fee to add |
| Branded client app | One-time setup fee, sometimes plus a recurring app-store fee | Often included at the tier built for a full studio | Rarely available at all in this category | N/A | Not offered yet, a named gap, not a hidden one |
| What changes the bill without warning | Crossing a client-count breakpoint mid-month | Adding a coach or location seat | Turning on the one module you actually need | Nothing, the only cost is your own hours | Adding an active client, at the published $6 rate. Nothing else: no module unlocks, no tier jump to reach nutrition or check-ins |
Describing categories of tool, not any single vendor: individual pricing and features vary and change over time. Last verified July 28, 2026.
Amenti is built for independent coaches and small teams running high-touch, premium coaching: Free covers up to 3 active clients, Trainer is $49/month including 5 with $6 per active client after that, and Studio tiers price a whole team and roster together from $399/month. Nutrition, weekly reviews, and client messaging are included at every tier, not billed as separate modules, and billing stays outside Amenti entirely so there's no transaction fee to add. It is not the right fit yet for a large studio that needs a fully white-labeled consumer app across many coaches, a huge stock exercise-video library, wearable or calendar sync, or built-in payment collection: those are real gaps, named here rather than glossed over.
See the full type-by-type breakdown on the high-touch coaching software guide, work through the 8 questions to ask before you buy, read when it's time to move off a spreadsheet, check how nutrition tracking specifically is priced, walk through the workflow on the 3-minute tour, check the full pricing breakdown, or see the small-team pricing picture, or see the full check-in system that the automation line item above is standing in for.
Is the cheapest coaching software actually the cheapest at 20 clients?
Usually not. A $20–39/mo headline price is commonly a stripped base tier: add real nutrition tracking, check-in automation, and payment processing, and the same tool often lands at $90–140/mo. Price at your real client count with add-ons included, not the homepage number.
What's the difference between a per-client fee and a flat tier?
Per-client pricing includes a small number of clients (often 3–5), then charges $2–6 for every client past that, so the bill tracks the roster. Amenti works this way too: Free to 3 clients, then $49/month including 5 and $6 per active client after. The thing worth checking is not the model but the disclosure: whether the overage rate is published up front, and whether crossing it also gates features behind a higher tier. Model the total at your real client count either way.
Why do platforms charge extra for nutrition tracking specifically?
Real photo-logged or macro-based nutrition tracking is a separate feature build from workout programming, so it's commonly priced and gated separately, sometimes bundled only at a higher tier, sometimes as its own paid module regardless of tier.
Are payment processing fees always disclosed clearly?
Not always up front. Some platforms charge a flat monthly module fee; others take a percentage of every client transaction on top of your processor's own rate. Check which model applies, and whether it's a fixed cost or scales with your revenue, before you commit.
Does a branded client app usually cost extra?
Yes, almost always: either a one-time setup fee, a recurring annual fee to the app stores, or a requirement to step up to a pricier tier. It's rarely bundled into an entry-level plan.
How does Amenti avoid this add-on stacking?
Amenti still charges by roster size, so the bill grows as the roster does. What it does not do is stack modules: nutrition, weekly reviews, and client messaging are included at every tier rather than sold separately or gated behind an upgrade, and the per-client rate is published rather than discovered at a breakpoint. The tradeoff is a smaller feature set than a large studio platform in a few areas: see "Where Amenti fits" below for exactly which ones.
Amenti makes this guide. We've named our own gaps above, not just the alternatives'. Last verified July 28, 2026. See the full Amenti pricing.
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Independent coaches and online trainers with 5–40 active clients, currently juggling WhatsApp, spreadsheets, and PDFs.