Arketa vs StudioBookings (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Arketa and StudioBookings share a 2.4 GPA, neither has a free plan, and StudioBookings starts cheaper, at $25 a month against $49 a month.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Arketa grades higher on features. StudioBookings grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Arketa
Class booking, video library and marketing for fitness studios
StudioBookings
Class booking for yoga and fitness studios, priced by instructors
Which one is for you
Pick Arketa if
- Fits if you're a solo yoga or fitness instructor selling live classes and on-demand video
- Works for boutique Pilates, yoga and spin studios willing to get a price on a demo
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you sell a lot on Individual, as each sale carries a 3% fee on top of Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30
- Tight if anyone helps you run classes, because Individual allows a single team member login
- Not for you if you want campaigns or a branded app without a sales call: they need Studio Growth and Studio Suite
- Skip it if you want a full price list, as only Individual is priced and the Studio plans are quoted on a demo
- Watch out: the trial's length isn't stated, and there's no free plan to fall back on
Pick StudioBookings if
- Fits if you run a yoga or fitness studio and just want class booking
- Works for solo instructors who want to pay $25
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: cancelling deletes all your studio and member data
- Watch out: card payments need a Stripe account that charges its own fees
- Pricey if you grow, as price rises to $115 at 15 instructors
- Not for you if you need memberships billing or door access, as the listing shows neither
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there isn't one
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAArketaFair | 2.4GPAStudioBookingsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CIndividual is $49 a month billed yearly, just under this category's middle ($49.90), but it adds a 3% fee to every sale on top of Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30. The Studio plans are only priced on a demo. | B$25 a month for one instructor, $45 for up to five, with every feature included. That's the cheaper quarter of the category. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a free trial of the Individual plan. The listing doesn't say how long it lasts or whether a card is needed. | C14 days free with no card, and no free plan. |
| Features | BGroup classes, privates, livestreams, workshops and retreats with check-in and waitlists, an on-demand video library, packages, memberships and intro offers, and payroll reports. Marketing needs Studio Growth and the branded app Studio Suite. | CClass booking, waitlists, waivers, promo codes, a studio app, reports and texts. It does that job fully, but it's a smaller job than a full studio suite. |
| Ease of use | CNo app store rating on record. Stripe must be connected before you take any payment, and you set up your schedule, pricing and video library yourself. | CNo store rating on record, and class setup and Stripe connection take work. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, Google Calendar, ClassPass, Wellhub, Mailchimp, Zapier, Zoom and Kisi. No desktop app and no API on record. | BWeb plus iOS and Android, with Stripe on record. No computer app. |
| Best for | solo instructors selling classes and video | yoga studios paying per instructor |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Arketa and StudioBookings. How we grade
Price against what you get
Arketa starts at $49 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. StudioBookings starts at $25 a month and scores 2.3.
Arketa scores higher, and starts $24 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, 3 score higher than Arketa for less, and 6 score higher than StudioBookings for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Arketa also covers marketing automation, email campaigns and online courses.
- StudioBookings also covers reports.
At a glance
| Arketa | StudioBookings | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month, billed annually (Individual) | $25 per month for 1 instructor |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial of the Individual plan; its length is not stated | 14 days free, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Arketa | StudioBookings |
| Price read from | arketa.com | studiobookings.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Arketa
- The Individual plan adds a 3% fee to each sale on top of Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 in the US; studio plans negotiate fees with sales.
- Only the Individual plan shows a price; the Studio plans are quoted after a demo.
- Marketing campaigns need Studio Growth, and the branded app and website need Studio Suite.
- Individual allows a single team member login.
StudioBookings
- The price rises with the number of instructors, from $25 for one to $115 for fifteen or more.
- Cancelling deletes all the studio's and members' data, so it must be re-entered to rejoin.
- Card payments need a Stripe merchant account, which charges its own per-transaction fee.
- The pricing page shows monthly prices only, with no annual discount stated.
Key features
Arketa
- Classes, privates and events
- Schedule group classes, private and semi-private sessions, livestreams, workshops and retreats, with check-in, waitlists and Google Calendar sync.
- On-demand video and programs
- Build a video library with categories, collections and rentals, and sell programs and courses alongside live classes.
- Pricing and payments
- Sell drop-ins, class packages, memberships and intro offers through Stripe, which must be connected before taking any payment.
- Marketing and leads
- Email and text broadcasts, automations, lead pipelines and conversion tracking, on Studio Growth and above.
- Branded app and website
- Studio Suite adds an app under the studio's brand where clients book, pick a spot and pay with Apple Pay, plus a custom website.
- Team and payroll reporting
- Add instructors with their own permissions, track their time and run payroll reports from the same dashboard.
StudioBookings
- Class booking and waitlists
- Members book classes online, join waitlists and buy class passes, and staff see attendance at a glance.
- Waivers and promo codes
- Online liability waivers, promo codes, class notes and health reminders come with every plan.
- Logins for staff and members
- Staff logins with permissions, instructor rates and individual member logins, plus parent-to-child sharing.
- Studio-branded app
- An iOS and Android app carrying the studio's logo sends class notifications and reminders, at no extra charge.
- Reports
- Revenue and attendance reports, members by date joined, and inactive-member lists.
- Text messages to clients
- The site says SMS to clients is free with every plan.
Plans
Arketa
Individual$49
per month, billed annually
One team member login, classes, privates and events, an on-demand library, packages and memberships, plus a 3% fee on top of Stripe's on each sale.
Studio CoreCustom
Unlimited team members, several rooms and locations, point of sale, staff and payroll reporting and an account manager. Priced on a demo.
Studio GrowthCustom
Adds email and text campaigns, automated workflows, lead pipelines, an AI email builder and one-to-one texting.
Studio SuiteCustom
Adds a custom-branded iOS and Android app, Apple TV and Roku display, push notifications and a custom-branded website.
StudioBookings
1 instructor$25
per month for 1 instructor
Every feature included, as in all plans; no contract.
2-5 instructors$45
per month for 2 to 5 instructors
Same features, for studios with two to five instructors.
6-10 instructors$65
per month for 6 to 10 instructors
Same features, for studios with six to ten instructors.
11-14 instructors$85
per month for 11 to 14 instructors
Same features, for studios with eleven to fourteen instructors.
15+ instructors$115
per month for 15 or more instructors
Same features, for the largest studios.
Ways to pay less
Arketa
- Annual discount
Save 17% with annual billing
Arketa's pricing page lists the Individual plan at $49 a month billed annually, a 17% saving on monthly billing.
StudioBookings
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Arketa or StudioBookings?
As of Nov 13, 2026, StudioBookings is cheaper to start with: $25 a month, against $49 a month for Arketa. Arketa starts at $49 per month, billed annually (Individual), and StudioBookings starts at $25 per month for 1 instructor.
Which has a free plan, Arketa or StudioBookings?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Arketa nor StudioBookings has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.