Online personal training software is a useful tool in creating packages and delivering personal training services. As your online business grows, it’s especially useful in helping you to stay organised with your clients.
There are so many platforms that vary in how easy they are to use, how much they cost each month and the features they offer that's it's difficult to decide on the best online personal training software. This list aims to review the 10 best providers and help you to consider which is the best fit for your personal training business.
The point of any technology is to make your life easier. If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed by the options available and getting bogged down with learning new systems it may be that the software you’re using isn’t the right choice for your business. All platforms should perform some basic functions:
- Provide workout templates, with videos of how to perform exercises
- Allow you to create your own workouts, upload custom exercises into the video library, and cut and paste programmes you’ve made for multiple clients
- Provide a communication platform between you and your clients
- Track client progress - and allow you to adjust clients progress based on what they’ve achieved
- Storage and transmission of documents (PAR-Q forms, waivers, trackers etc)
Each of these platforms has a free trial available for online personal trainers and it’s worth taking full advantage of this option.
1. PT Distinction
Overview
A good option for coaches that like to focus on habit tracking and lifestyle change.
Features
Nutrition tracking, customisable forms and assessments, high levels of control over the training process. Allows the personal trainer’s philosophy about what’s a priority for the client to be expressed clearly. Supports a membership site, integrated with (or instead of) your own website.
Pricing
From $19.90 to $80 per month.
Pros
Used by some of the best personal trainers in the world. Extremely high level of customisation. Great online community and additional support available through PTD Ninja, which includes additional templates and workouts. Integration of photo food journal through the app, and integration with MyFitnessPal.
Cons
The functionality might be daunting for trainers who are less comfortable with technology. This is such a powerful tool that there’s quite a learning curve and it sometimes feels like you’re not using all the features it offers.
2. TrueCoach
Overview
TrueCoach is on a mission to help coaches save time, deliver a better experience for their clients, and grow their training businesses. Founded in 2015, TrueCoach was built by coaches, for coaches, to tackle pain points for personal trainers and provides the tools to enable sustainable growth. Whether you have 50 clients, or just one, TrueCoach works for you.
Features
TrueCoach allows you to build customized workouts, track metrics, and create relationships with your clients through real-time messaging and detailed feedback—all in-app. It brings you one fully immersive platform that scales with you in your coaching journey and your clients on their fitness journey.
Pricing
Starting at $25 per month for 5 clients up to $110 per month for up to 50 active clients and additional customization. More clients can be accommodated at a sliding scale with a custom price. You'll get a better offer if you're prepared to pay yearly.
Pros
Scope to create an equipment list for each client so you can refer back to them. Useful if clients are training in a number of different training environments. Great for personal trainers that have a broad range of client abilities, as it supports the flexibility and teaching needed for a novice as well as multiple coaches that a more experienced athlete may need.
Cons
Nutrition is managed through the exercise library, which feels muddled and confusing. There’s no way to manage paperwork, such as waivers and PAR-Qs when onboarding clients.
3. PT Minder
Overview
Intuitive. Sleek. Fresh. Flexible. PT Minder makes taking control of your fitness business as easy as logging into your training software. With everything about your company at your fingertips, you can manage and grow without breaking a sweat. The detailed insights mean you can track client success, payments, and even forecast earnings―it’s that powerful.
Features
Whether training face-to-face, virtually, or in a group, PT Minder has the tools to make scheduling and managing classes flexible and painless for coaches and clients. With an integrated booking software, client information available at such a granular level, coaches can confidently build relevant nutrition plans and assign them directly to clients.
Create your own workout plans, or choose from over 1200 available videos. The fresh design that can be branded to your business is accompanied by a white-glove service team that makes transitioning and using the app fast and straightforward.
Pricing
Plans start at $49 per month for up to 50 clients and they go up in increments of 50 clients. Their unlimited plan costs $149 and is suitable for trainers and fitness businesses with over 200 clients. If you're prepared to pay annually, you'll get a discount.
Pros
A software that does it all. You can take care of in-person and online personal training clients with the same app, including bookings, taking payments and delivering online programs.
Cons
It doesn't suit beginner trainers who only have a handful of clients as well because there is no pricing plan for those needs.
4. WeStrive
Overview
A true all-in-one platform for personal trainers and their clients. WeStrive comes with hundreds of easy-to-use tools like program builders, client dashboards, progression graphs, and more that are accessible from both the website & mobile app.
Features
Client progression graphs, a customizable free website, client calendars, an exercise database, automated billing, habit-tracking, onboarding surveys, macro-tracking, group messaging, white-labeled apps, and so much more.
Pricing
Pricing starts at $0/month for your first client and every trainer receives a free customizable website. The next tier is $4 for 2 clients, $14 for 5 clients, and then the plans max out at $200/month for 500 clients. If you need unlimited clients, you can contact them for a quote.
Pros
Automated billing systems (Stripe) and in-depth client progression tracking make it easy to manage all of your clients at once. The free website they provide allows you to add testimonials, promote pricing, and even sell automated programs.
Cons
They offer a marketplace for personal trainers which is a unique concept but this feature is still very early.
5. Trainerize
Overview
A clean, and easy to use interface that helps you centralise all your clients’ needs. Works well - and with plenty of integrations - for clients that are trained online and in person. Useful for gym owners in a way that many other platforms are not.
Features
Tracking client progress in a number of ways, including before and after photos. FitBit integration. Custom goal setting and tracking, including the ability to share notes with the client. Integration with nutrition services, or the option to share meal plans.
Pricing
Ranging from $0 for just 1 client, $5 a month for 2 clients, $20 for up to 5 clients and $250 per month for up to 500 clients or $250 for unlimited clients (the gym owner option). There are even options to adjust the price incrementally so the jumps in payment reflect a gradually growing client base.
Pros
Integrated payment systems (Stripe, PayPal, Shopify etc) and client tracking allow you to keep a clear log of leads and following up. A little more emphasis on social media to allow clients to share workouts, the badges they earn and increase interest in your services.
Cons
Clients only have access to the app, with no desktop access. Trainers have access to both. Mixed reviews with regards to customer support. Can be a bit tricky to get set up; although there are videos to help.
6. VirtuaGym
Overview
This provides the option to live stream workouts as well as writing and distributing individual workouts to your clients.
Features
The software offers “Virtuagym@Home” which includes two modules; virtual trainer workouts and video on demand. You can also create your own videos. Exercises, nutrition and scheduling features are all built into the software. Automated recurring payment integration.
Pricing
Pricing is not available on the website. You can book a free demo after which they reveal prices to you.
Pros
Unline many other platforms here, Virtuagym offers integration of the sale of physical products, including supplements and clothing from inside the software. Suited to a broad range of personal trainers and studio services, including martial arts, CrossFit and yoga!
Cons
Custom apps are available, but only when you have 150 clients or more.
7. NudgeCoach
Overview
Simple to use personal training platform that keeps things clear for both the personal trainer and the client.
Features
You can send individual and group messages, as well as scheduling messages ahead of time. There are forums if your personal training style favours community. Offers a totally custom branded platform for an additional cost via booking a call.
Pricing
Up to 10 clients, $25 a month. Up to 50 clients, $60 a month. There’s a higher tier with up to 100 clients starting at $120 a month.
Pros
Easy to run group challenges. A great benefit of NudgeCoach is that you can have 3 clients permanently for free. If your personal training business involves only a small online component this could be really useful.
Cons
Some users have found the lack of templates to be a frustrating “blank canvas”.
8. TrainHeroic
Overview
Unusually for an online personal training platform, Train Heroic is mainly aimed at strength and conditioning coaches that are managing strength athletes.
Features
Surveys on an athlete’s readiness to train allow them to record their energy levels, how they slept and how sore they feel as well as more traditional indicators for recovery. You can post workouts for individuals and teams, and give feedback in the same way. Group chats are possible, not just one to one messaging.
Pricing
A broad range of pricing plans, starting at $9.99 for one athlete to $159.99 for 200 athletes. The incremental price differences as more athletes come on board are sensible and allow for steady growth.
Pros
Leaderboard and whiteboard features allow any athlete to compare their performance to another, which could create a friendly sense of camaraderie and support within a team.
Cons
There’s no nutrition support available, which for a strength athlete working within a weight class sport could be an important oversight. The amount of customer support available depends on which level of price plan you’re on, which could be a significant drawback. You can’t schedule a session for an athlete. There’s no integration for payment options which is something you’d have to manage outside of the platform.
9. Workout Labs
Overview
Really beautiful interface, including yoga and exercise cards that can be bought from the online store. Includes a workout builder, fitness and training plans to follow.
Features
Illustrated workouts which can be printed or scheduled. Drag and drop features in the programme builder make it feel simple and interactive.
Pricing
$29 per month for up to three clients (with every additional client adding $5 per month to your bill), or unlimited clients for $295 per year.
Pros
Customisable branding which looks very different from what other platforms are using because of the line drawings in the illustrated movements.
Cons
It’s not possible to edit client workouts from the phone app for a personal trainer. Some criticism that the interface is difficult or slow to navigate across devices. Some complaints about a limited exercise library.
10. Coach Catalyst
Overview
Suitable for gym chains, gym owners, and one to one personal trainers to keep their clients accountable, track their progress, keep them engaged and encourage them to stay on track with their plan. As much as the platform is ideal for online personal trainers and coaches, you can use it to complement your in-person services.
Features
The cloud based platform provides a flexible program builder you can use to include not only workouts, but nutrition and lifestyle habits, automated messages and comes with 1200+ exercises and brand-neutral videos and a done-for-you program library. Other features include progress tracking, accountability check-ins and integrations as well as in-app messaging.
Pricing
You can try the platform for free for 14 days, then pricing starts from $5 per month for up to 3 clients, $39 for up to 12 clients, $79 per month for up to 50 clients.
Pros
It is extremely easy to communicate with clients using the platform. Giving feedback, getting notifications and group messaging couldn’t be easier. It’s very easy for clients to fill out the data themselves.
Cons
According to reviews it takes some learning at the beginning to setting up clients and programs but once you get the hang of it, it will make your life super easy as an online coach.
BONUS #1. Exercise.com
Overview
This is personal training software that has evolved from a consumer platform, originally intended for fitness enthusiasts. A great option for coaches that focus their business model on selling through affiliates.
Features
Custom assessments and clients are able to log and track workouts. Clients are able to select their own alternative movements if they can’t perform part of a workout. If you’re setting a daily workout for people, it will generate a leaderboard. You can offer coupons and set up subscriptions with your clients to generate recurring revenue.
Pricing
They don’t publish this on their website. Instead, you must book a demo of the free trial to get pricing.
Pros
Bulk importing of your own video tutorials from both YouTube and Vimeo. Although you can sell automated memberships, it does give you the option to offer free workouts. This could be a great feature if your business model is based on running free challenges as a way to generate leads. If you offer products, there is a way to set up affiliate tracking.
Cons
You can sign calorie and macro goals for your clients, but that’s all it offers regarding nutrition. Limited integrations, but does include MindBody and Mail Chimp. Depending on your style of coaching, this might limit you as there’s little emphasis on habit change.
BONUS #2. Total Coaching
Overview
Simple to use and with a very attractive interface, this is for personal trainers that provide meal plans for their clients and use habit-based behavioural training programmes.
Features
Tracking includes feedback after a workout, calories and macros, but also includes water intake. Clients can upload progress photos and update their weight. Clients can upload videos of them performing exercises which is a useful feature if you coach exclusively online with no face to face personal training elements.
Pricing
Ranges from €14 monthly to €219 monthly with the option to add extra coaches to the platform.
Pros
A huge library of more than 1000 animated 3D exercise videos with an option to add your own from YouTube or Vimeo. Clients can track activity they do which is in addition to what’s in your programme. Clients can manage their training schedule themselves, and shift workouts around based on when they have time to work out - a great feature if your clients are shift workers with unpredictable hours. Clients can add their own recipes to the already expansive nutrition function using the Fridge Feature.
Cons
With no built-in scheduling software, you’ll need to use other programmes if this is an important part of your personal training methods. Limited use for clients that train at home without access to a gym. The client experience of searching the nutrition library to log foods needs some work as some items can be very hard to find.
Conclusion
The best online personal training software for you has all of the features you might need to get the best results for your clients. It should be a supplement to your existing systems and make tracking and tasks easier for you and your clients.
Which software is right for you will depend on a number of factors:
Now, if you're looking for a software solution for meal planning, check out our article on The 9 Best Meal Planning Software for Personal Trainers.
Which software is right for you will depend on a number of factors:
- What your personal training ethos is, and the emphasis you put on nutrition, habits, training, etc.
- How comfortable you and your clients are with technology
- How many clients you need to have on the platform (and your budget for the software)
- Whether you need to support online clients only or a hybrid model including in-person clients
Now, if you're looking for a software solution for meal planning, check out our article on The 9 Best Meal Planning Software for Personal Trainers.
