For independent trainers, updated September 2026
Trainerize alternatives, by the job you need it to do
Most lists replace one workout app with another. Start with why you opened Trainerize. Keep it if clients follow programs in the app. Leave it if you only needed a cashier.
Choose by the thing that breaks.
We make one product in this list. The comparisons use public product positioning checked in September 2026. We have not used the other tools.
You deliver programs your clients follow in an app
Keep Trainerize, or another coaching app
If sets, reps, videos, and check-ins are the product, the client app is useful. TrueCoach and Hevy Coach do that same job. PacksLeft does not.
You want a cheaper coaching app
A cheaper coaching app still has a client app
Trainerize publishes cheaper plans, and clients who train in it use its app. Price is the wrong reason to leave if programming is the job.
You run classes, a studio, or a public calendar
A studio or booking system
Class capacity, waitlists, and public booking need a scheduling product such as Punchpass, Glofox, or Mindbody. That is not a 1:1 pack ledger.
You want a CRM
A CRM, if a pipeline is actually the problem
Generic CRMs and gym CRMs show up in this search. Independent trainers with 8 to 30 clients usually need remaining sessions and payment history, not a sales pipeline.
You only needed Trainerize to collect money and keep a count
PacksLeft, $29/mo
A session-pack ledger
If the workout app is unused and the fight is over remaining sessions, PacksLeft logs the session, shows the client a private link, and sells the next pack. No download.
You need the count, and money already works
A counting tool
CountedIn is the closest direct comparison if Stripe and late-cancel are handled elsewhere. Those sit on a higher tier there. PacksLeft includes both at $29.
The roster is small and nothing is hurting
Free sheet, no email wall
A spreadsheet
A sheet is a reasonable alternative until a disputed count costs you a session. Ours is free, has no email wall, and imports into PacksLeft later.
What Trainerize costs a coach
Figures are from Trainerize’s public pricing page, checked 21 September 2026. Cards show the annual monthly rate (about 10% off). The FAQ lists the monthly price. We have not used Trainerize. We do not interpolate seats between 5 and 50. Check the live page before you decide.
| Plan | Coaching seats | Monthly (FAQ) | Annual card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 1 coaching client | $0 | — |
| Grow | 2 coaching clients | $10 | $9 |
| Pro | 5 coaching clients | $25 | $23 |
| Pro | 50 coaching clients | $135 | — |
| Studio Plus | 500 members | $275 | $248 |
Paid plans also include Basic seats — book and buy only, no programs or messaging. Check the plan grid for how many your tier includes before counting on it for a whole roster. Stripe payments are $10/month on Grow and Pro. A pack-only trainer can sit buyers as Basic on Grow plus Stripe at about $20. Basic clients use the Trainerize app; Offline Clients are managed by you and see nothing.
PacksLeft is $29/month with no seat tiers. Price is the wrong reason to leave if clients follow programs in the app. Leave if you only needed a cashier for remaining sessions and the next pack.
If you only needed the cashier
You do not need a 25-hour archive move. The count is names, pack size, remaining, and the full pack price.
- Export the client list from Trainerize. It carries names and contact details, not remaining sessions or payments.
- Reconcile each active pack and type pack size, remaining, and full price into a sheet. Prepare your current pack balances with our template.
- Import one client first and check the count against your records. Then dry-run the rest and commit.
- Pick one cutover day. From then on, log only in PacksLeft so the count never moves in two places. Keep the old records as an archive.
Three questions that settle it
Did you open Trainerize for workouts, or to get paid?
Workouts stay in a coaching app. Payment and remaining sessions do not need one.
Do clients already open the app every week?
If yes, keep it. If they ignore it and still text you for the count, the app is not doing the job.
Can both of you see remaining sessions?
If not, a private link on a session-pack ledger is the narrower tool.
If the count is your problem
PacksLeft logs sessions, shares the count, records payments, and sells the next pack. Existing clients book a 1:1 time on their private link. No workout builder, no class calendar, no client app.
Questions
What is the best Trainerize alternative for independent trainers?
It depends on why you opened Trainerize. Programming, studio booking, a CRM, a spreadsheet, a counting tool, and a session-pack ledger are different jobs.
What's better, TrueCoach or Trainerize?
Both are coaching apps. TrueCoach is built for online coaching. If in-person pack tracking is the job, neither is the alternative.
How much does Trainerize cost?
Official plans (checked September 2026): Free for one coaching client; Grow $10/month for two ($9 on annual billing); Pro $25/month at five coaching seats, $135/month at fifty; Studio Plus $275/month ($248 on the annual card). Stripe payments are a $10 add-on on Grow and Pro. A pack-only trainer can sit buyers as Basic seats on Grow plus Stripe at about $20; check how many Basic seats your plan includes. Basic clients book and buy in the Trainerize app, and trainer-managed Offline Clients have no view of their own.
Is PacksLeft cheaper than Trainerize?
Not always. Grow plus Stripe is about $20 if pack buyers sit as Basic and your plan covers that many. PacksLeft is $29 with a private link and no client download. Leave for the missing app, not the sticker. Stay if clients follow programs in Trainerize.
Is there a free version of Trainerize?
Trainerize publishes a free plan for one coaching client. A free spreadsheet is the no-software alternative.
Will my clients need an app if I switch?
Not with PacksLeft. Each client receives a private browser link with no account, password, or download.
Can I bring my roster over?
Trainerize's client export carries names and contact details, not session counts or payments. Put those names in our sheet, add pack size, remaining, and the full pack price, and dry-run the importer before committing. Past sessions and payments stay in your Trainerize records; program history, messages, and photos do not move.