Best Software for a Solo Personal Trainer (2026)
Running a training business alone? Which coaching software covers programming, check-ins, payments and messages in one app, what it costs at 5, 15 and 30 clients (prices checked October 2026), how payment fees change the real cost, and what to skip until you grow.
What is the best coaching software for a solo personal trainer running everything alone?
For a solo personal trainer, the best software is one app that covers programming, check-ins, chat and payments at a price that matches your client count: Trainera Starter ($19.99 a month, up to 10 clients) or Pro ($49.99, up to 30), Everfit Pro (from $19 for 5 clients, with payments as a $9 add-on) and ABC Trainerize Pro ($25 for 5 clients, with Stripe payments as a $10 add-on) are the closest fits, as checked October 2026. If you mainly need workout programming and chat, Hevy Coach costs $25 a month for up to 10 clients; if you want 0% commission on client payments, Kahunas Essentials is $35 a month for up to 25 clients; and if you want one price however many clients you add, My PT Hub Premium is €59 a month for unlimited clients.
When you are the coach, the admin and the accountant, the software's job is to give you hours back. The rest of this guide shows what to buy now, what it costs at 5, 15 and 30 clients, and what to leave for later.
What does a one-person training business need from software?
Four jobs: writing programs, collecting check-ins, getting paid and keeping in touch; everything else can wait.
Solo trainers rarely lose time on the training itself. They lose it copying programs between spreadsheets, chasing payments in chat and remembering who has not checked in. Test each job below in a free trial with one real client before you pay for a year.
| Admin task | What the software should do | What to test in the trial |
|---|---|---|
| Writing programs | Templates you copy to a new client and adjust, an exercise library with video | Build a 4-week plan, copy it to a second client, change two exercises |
| Onboarding | An intake questionnaire the client fills in before the first session | Send the form to yourself as a test client |
| Weekly check-ins | A check-in form with automatic reminders, answers you can read in one place | Miss a check-in on purpose and see whether a reminder goes out |
| Getting paid | Recurring card payments, and a way to record cash or bank transfers | Set up a monthly subscription for a test client and record one cash payment |
| Keeping in touch | In-app chat, push notifications, a few automated messages | Send a message from your phone and reply from the client app |
| In-person sessions | Session scheduling that lands in your calendar | Book a session and check it shows in the calendar you actually use |
What does coaching software cost at 5, 15 and 30 clients?
Most tools cost about $19 to $35 a month at 5 clients and $50 to $90 at 30 clients, with free plans below that range and TrueCoach above it.
Each row uses monthly billing and the cheapest plan that fits the client count, from each vendor's own pricing page, checked October 2026. Taxes, add-ons and payment fees are excluded unless the row says otherwise.
| Software | 5 clients | 15 clients | 30 clients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trainera | $19.99 (Starter) | $49.99 (Pro) | $49.99 (Pro) |
| Everfit | $0 (Starter, core tools) or $19 (Pro 5) | $49 (Pro 20) | $75 (Pro 35) |
| ABC Trainerize | $25 (Pro 5) | $50 (Pro 15) | $79 (Pro 30) |
| Hevy Coach | $25 (1-10) | $50 (11-25) | $90 (26-50) |
| Kahunas | $35 (Essentials) | $35 (Essentials) | $69 (Growth) |
| Harbiz | $19 (Basic, up to 5) | $39 (Basic, up to 15) | $69 (Basic, up to 30) |
| PT Distinction | $31.90 (Basic plus 2 extra clients) | $59.90 (Pro) | $71.90 (Pro plus 5 extra clients) |
| TrueCoach | $29.98 (Starter) | $69.98 (Standard) | $164.98 (Pro) |
| My PT Hub | €59 (Premium) | €59 (Premium) | €59 (Premium) |
Sources, all checked October 2026: Everfit pricing, ABC Trainerize pricing, Hevy Coach pricing, Kahunas (pricing on the homepage), Harbiz pricing (EUR shows the same figures at these tiers), PT Distinction pricing (extra clients cost $6 each on Basic and $2.40 on Pro, first month free), TrueCoach pricing and My PT Hub pricing (the displayed currency appears to depend on where you visit from). Annual billing lowers most of these; Hevy Coach and PT Distinction show monthly prices only.
Two patterns stand out. Flat unlimited plans such as My PT Hub Premium cost more than small tiers at 5 clients and less at large rosters, which our guide to coaching platforms with no per-client fees works through in detail. And if you are just starting, our list of the best personal trainer apps under $20 a month shows what the cheapest plans leave out.
How much do payment fees change the real cost?
Once clients pay through the app, the payment fee can cost more than the subscription, so compare it before the monthly price.
| Software | How client payments work | Fee the vendor states |
|---|---|---|
| Trainera | Monthly subscription by card (Apple Pay and Google Pay too), pay per plan, PayPal, bank transfer or recorded cash | Platform fee 8% on Free and Starter, 5% on Pro, 3% on Business; 0% on cash and bank transfer |
| Kahunas | Stripe and PayPal | "We don't charge any commission on your sales" |
| Everfit | Payments & Packages add-on, $9 a month | 3.15% + $0.30 per US domestic card payment, Stripe's fees included |
| ABC Trainerize | Stripe Integrated Payments add-on, $10 a month | Stripe's own fees; no Trainerize surcharge stated |
| TrueCoach | TrueCoach Payments (Stripe), no add-on fee | Flat 5% per transaction (TrueCoach help) |
A worked example: 15 clients paying you $150 a month each is $2,250 a month. A 5% fee on that is $112.50, more than most plans in the cost table above. If most of your clients pay by bank transfer or cash, Trainera's fee on those payments is 0%; if they all pay by card, Kahunas' 0% commission is the cheaper model and you pay only the processor's fees. Our guide to collecting recurring payments without a website covers the options, and this comparison of training apps with payments goes tool by tool.
Keep the money side simple from day one. As a self-employed trainer in the US you generally pay estimated tax during the year, which the IRS explains in its Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center; one place that records every payment, card or cash, makes that much easier.
Which messages should a solo trainer automate first?
Automate the messages you send the same way every week, and keep the ones that need your judgment personal.
| When | Message to set up once |
|---|---|
| New client signs up | "Welcome. Fill in the intake form before Thursday so your first plan fits you." |
| Weekly check-in is due | "Check-in time: weight, energy, sleep and one win from this week." |
| Check-in missed for 3 days | "Haven't seen your check-in. Busy week? Two lines is enough." |
| Payment failed | "Your payment didn't go through. Can you check your card, or would a bank transfer be easier this month?" |
Replies to a check-in, plan changes and anything about pain or injury stay with you. More ready-to-use texts are in our list of automated client check-in messages.
What can you skip until you grow?
Skip anything you pay for every month that no client has asked for yet.
- A branded app in the stores. It costs real money: ABC Trainerize's custom branded app is a $169 one-time fee plus your own Apple developer account, and Kahunas includes its branded app only on Ultimate at $99 a month. Clients do not train harder because of the icon.
- Team seats. Until you hire, you are the only coach.
- Courses and live classes. Useful once you have a group to teach; see which coaching apps bundle live sessions, courses, community and automations when you get there.
- Long automation chains. Three or four messages cover most solo businesses.
- Annual billing before you have tested the app with real clients. Pay monthly for the first two months, then switch if you are staying.
Upgrade when something concrete happens: you hit the client cap, the payment fee on your current tier is costing more than the next plan, or you take on a second coach.
Where Trainera fits
Trainera is built for this situation: one coach handling training and nutrition plans, check-ins, habits, chat and payments in one app, with a flat price per plan rather than per client.
- Plans: Free ($0, 3 clients, no card to sign up), Starter ($19.99, 10 clients), Pro ($49.99, 30 clients) and Business ($99, 75 clients), monthly in US dollars. Prices differ by country, and yearly billing is about 10 times the monthly price.
- Programming: more than 1,800 exercises with video, plus 1,100+ recipes for meal plans.
- Onboarding and check-ins: intake questionnaires on every plan, Free included.
- Payments: monthly subscriptions, pay-per-plan, PayPal, bank transfer and recorded cash, with the platform fees listed above.
- Scheduling: connect Google Calendar and your 1:1 sessions are added to it automatically, with an invite to the client.
- Automations: 1 on Starter, 3 on Pro.
Clients use the free app on iOS and Android. Be honest about the fit: if you only write workouts and your clients already log in Hevy, Hevy Coach is a focused alternative that gives your clients Hevy Pro for free, and if nearly all your clients pay by card, Kahunas' 0% commission may cost you less overall.
Your software setup for the first 30 clients
Start free or on the smallest paid tier, test the four core jobs with one real client, and move up only when the client cap or the payment fee forces it. For most solo trainers that means one app, not three, and every tool in the cost table except TrueCoach stays under $100 a month up to 30 clients. For a wider view of the market, see how much personal trainer software costs.
See how Trainera runs programming, check-ins and payments for one-person coaching businesses on the trainer platform page, or start free with 3 clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best app for a personal trainer working alone?
How much does personal trainer software cost per month?
Is there free software for personal trainers?
Do coaching apps take a cut of client payments?
Does a solo personal trainer need a branded app?
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