MyStudio vs Zen Planner (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MyStudio grades higher than Zen Planner: 2.0 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
MyStudio grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MyStudio
Studio management for martial arts and enrichment programs
Zen Planner
Membership, scheduling and billing software for gyms and studios
Which one is for you
Pick MyStudio if
- Fits if you run a martial arts studio and want unlimited students at a fixed software price
- Works for enrichment programs that run classes and memberships
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you dislike long contracts, as the listed prices are for a 24-month plan billed monthly
- Watch out: card payments cost 2.9% + $0.30 and ACH 1% on top of the software price
- Watch out: SMS texting is a paid add-on, and Growth allows only 10 automations
- Not for you if you want a free start, as no free plan or trial is listed
- Watch out: the page names only the US, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia as places it serves
Pick Zen Planner if
- Fits if you run a martial arts or fitness studio and bill members every month
- Works for a studio that can predict its active member count, as the price follows it
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you grow, as the bill rises with active members and the $99 figure is only a starting price
- Watch out: card readers cost $39 a month each and a branded mobile app is $39 a month
- Watch out: Engage starts at $249 a month and a stand-alone website at $99, both sold apart
- Skip it if you want a trial, as the pricing page mentions none
- Watch out: payment processing carries extra fees
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAMyStudioFair | 1.6GPAZen PlannerWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$79 a month per location on Essentials, between the category's $49 middle and $99 dearer quarter. Growth is $159 and Scale $239, all on a 24-month plan. | CFrom $99 a month, priced by active members, against a middle of $49.90 and a dearer quarter from $119. Plans run $99, $198 and $348, with readers and the app on top. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on record, so every use is paid from day one. | FNo trial or free plan on the pricing page. Plans run month to month. |
| Features | BClasses, check-in, rank and belt tracking, Stripe billing with retries, a member app and a studio website come in every plan. Texting is an add-on, which is a marketing gap rather than a core one. | CMemberships, billing, scheduling, a member app, lead capture, marketing and reports. Marketing automation is a separate product, Engage, from $249 a month. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and a studio has classes, ranks and billing to build before it runs. | CNo store rating on record. A studio builds its programs, memberships and billing first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus a free iOS and Android app for members, with Stripe, Google Tag Manager and Meta Pixel. | CWeb only on the listing, with one integration. A member app is sold as an add-on. |
| Best for | martial arts studios with unlimited students | membership billing for martial arts and fitness studios |
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: MyStudio and Zen Planner. How we grade
Price against what you get
MyStudio starts at $79 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zen Planner starts at $99 a month and scores 2.0.
MyStudio scores higher and starts $20 a month lower. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, 4 score higher than MyStudio for less, and 36 score higher than Zen Planner 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
- MyStudio also covers marketing automation, workflow automation and appointment booking.
- Zen Planner also covers reports.
At a glance
| MyStudio | Zen Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $79 per location / month, on a 24-month plan billed monthly | $99 per month and up, priced by active members |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | MyStudio | Zen Planner |
| Price read from | mystudio.io | zenplanner.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
MyStudio
- Listed prices are for a 24-month plan billed monthly, so the commitment is two years.
- Card payments cost 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction and ACH 1%, on top of the software price.
- SMS texting is an add-on, and automations are limited to 10 on Growth.
- The page lists the US, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia as the places it serves.
Zen Planner
- Prices are 'starting at' figures: the bill follows the active member count, and multi-location pricing is quoted in a demo.
- Payment processing carries additional charges or fees; the card readers cost $39 per month each, and a branded mobile app is $39 per month.
- Zen Planner Engage is sold separately from $249 per month, and a stand-alone website from $99 per month.
- The pricing page mentions no free trial; plans run month to month, with an annual contract available on request.
Key features
MyStudio
- Scheduling and attendance
- Build classes with rosters and online booking, and check members in by QR code, PIN or name search on higher plans.
- Rank and belt management
- Track progress, testing and promotions; Growth adds testing events, bulk promotions and belt inventory.
- Billing and payments
- Recurring billing with automatic retries of declined cards, processed through Stripe inside the platform.
- Member app
- A free iOS and Android app for students and parents covers class booking, dues, rank progress and messaging.
- Built-in website
- Every plan includes a studio website that sells trials, memberships, events and retail with payments built in.
- Marketing automation
- Automated follow-ups based on triggers: 10 on Growth, unlimited on Scale. SMS texting is a paid add-on.
Zen Planner
- Memberships and billing
- Membership management with automated billing and payment processing, plus attendance tracking and payroll management.
- Class scheduling and booking
- Online scheduling with member self-service, belt and skill tracking, and a staff mobile app.
- Member app
- A member mobile app comes with every package, and a custom-branded app is sold separately.
- Website and lead capture
- Essentials adds a custom website with SEO optimization and built-in lead capture and form integration.
- Marketing automation
- Ultimate, or the separate Engage product, adds automated email and text campaigns, AI-powered tools and lead follow-up workflows.
- Reporting and dashboards
- Reporting and dashboards in every package, with a SugarWOD integration for workout tracking.
Plans
MyStudio
Essentials$79
per location / month, 24-month plan billed monthly
Built-in website, member app, rank tracking, online sales, class schedule and check-in. Unlimited students.
Growth$159
per location / month, 24-month plan billed monthly
Adds rank testing tools, bulk belt promotions, QR or PIN check-in and 10 automations.
Scale$239
per location / month, 24-month plan billed monthly
Adds your own branding, unlimited automations, a customizable checkout and ad tracking.
Zen Planner
Zen Planner Studio$99
per month and up, by active members
Memberships, billing, class scheduling, attendance, payroll, reporting and staff and member apps. Price rises with active members.
Zen Planner Essentials$198
per month and up, by active members
Everything in Studio plus a branded, SEO-optimized website with lead capture.
Zen Planner Ultimate$348
per month and up, by active members
Everything in Essentials plus marketing automation, CRM, AI email and text campaigns and lead tools.
Ways to pay less
MyStudio
- Other savings
Black Friday: 50% off the first year
New customers get 50% off the first year ($39.50 a month on Essentials), for the first 50 customers, until November 30. Regular price applies from month 13.
Zen Planner
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MyStudio or Zen Planner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MyStudio is cheaper to start with: $79 a month, against $99 a month for Zen Planner. MyStudio starts at $79 per location / month, on a 24-month plan billed monthly, and Zen Planner starts at $99 per month and up, priced by active members.
Which has a free plan, MyStudio or Zen Planner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither MyStudio nor Zen Planner has a free plan.
Which platforms do MyStudio and Zen Planner run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only MyStudio lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.