Booking apps aren't the enemy, and they aren't a plan. They're a way to sell a spot that'd otherwise go empty. That's good business at 2pm on a Wednesday. It's a poor one at 6pm on a Monday, if the person on that reformer would've paid you full price.
We sell services that help you get your own clients, so weigh my view with that in mind. I've tried to show where an app is the better choice.
The short version
- Use apps for spare capacity, not peak classes.
- ClassPass rates are confidential and vary, so you can't compare them from the outside. Check your own payout per spot.
- Work out what a spot earns against your yield, and how many app clients ever buy direct.
- ClassPass has added tools to stop recent direct clients using trials, so turn those on if you can.
- Build your own list from day one. The client relationship is the thing you keep.
How each one works
This is what we could confirm in November 2026. Most of it comes from the companies themselves, and terms can vary by country and studio. I couldn't find any published UK rate, so check before you sign.
| Platform | How you're paid | Published rate | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClassPass | A payout per reservation, with a confidential floor | Not published. Usually a percentage of your direct pricing. | ClassPass says there's a 90-day opt-out window |
| Wellhub | Per check-in, under contract, according to Gymdesk | Not published | Check the contract. Gymdesk says some include caps or a free first visit. |
| Hussle | We couldn't confirm partner terms | Not published | Not confirmed |
| Mindbody app | Clients find you and book at your prices. Client discovery is listed on the Starter plan. | Part of your software cost, from £89 a month per location | See Mindbody |
| Your own booking page | You keep the price, less software and card fees | You set it | None |
Gymdesk is a software vendor with its own reasons to criticise ClassPass, so bear that in mind. The one Hussle Pilates listing I opened showed the studio as unavailable, so check it's active for studios near you.
Read this before you sign
ClassPass
It's the one you'll be asked about, so here's what its own pages say, last updated March 2026.
- No upfront cost. You pay in the discount.
- You agree a confidential rate floor, typically a percentage of your direct membership or drop-in pricing.
- SmartRate changes the credit price with demand, and you get at least the floor.
- SmartSpot decides how many spots to list, based on past attendance and bookings. ClassPass says partners have flexible controls, but its FAQ doesn't say whether you can override it.
- It matches your late-cancel window, up to 12 hours, and typically pays for late cancels and no-shows inside it.
- Payouts are worked out in the first week of each month, and most partners are paid monthly.
- ClassPass users can't choose specific equipment, and book from a limited pool. That matters if you sell "choose your reformer".
Gymdesk says you must offer one free class to each new ClassPass user during their trial. I couldn't confirm that on ClassPass's own pages, so ask.
The history is worth knowing. In 2016, London studios 1Rebel and Core Collective said they'd leave over a proposed cut to what ClassPass paid, before reversing that decision. It's old news, but it shows the point: someone else sets the terms.
The complaints are current too. Athletech News reported in July 2026 that some owners say the platform encourages people to hunt for the next discount, and that discounted trials can take clients from a studio's direct business. ClassPass responded with changes, including a Mindbody Direct Protection tool that blocks recent direct customers from free or discounted trials, non-anonymous reviews, and payouts on waived late-cancel fees.
Athletech News reported in February 2026 that Playlist, the parent of both ClassPass and Mindbody, had merged with EGYM in a $7.5 billion deal. So your software supplier and your discount marketplace can be the same group. It's worth remembering when you're told which tool you need.
The figure ClassPass quotes
ClassPass says it has generated $3.1 billion for partners. That's its own number and it isn't UK data. It doesn't tell you what would happen to a six-reformer room.
Wellhub and corporate passes
These work differently, because an employer pays. A staff member at a local firm might be a new kind of client. If you've got offices nearby and daytime gaps, it's worth asking for terms. Get the per-visit rate and any cap in writing.
Work out what a spot really earns
The headline price tells you little. Do this sum with your own payout report.
Worked example (made-up figures)
Tanner Row Pilates is an invented studio, with a yield need of £23.78 a spot. Say an app pays it £11 a spot. That figure's invented, because real rates are confidential.
The studio lists 8 spare spots a week, across 46 weeks. That's 368 spots and £4,048 a year, if every one was otherwise empty.
Now the catch. Say one in ten would've sold directly anyway. That's about 37 spots, each £12.78 short of the yield, so about £473 lost. The other 331 were truly spare, and they bring in £3,641.
So it's still ahead, by about £3,168. If half of them weren't spare, the sum looks very different. Then count how many app clients go on to buy a pack, because that's where the real value is.
Track three numbers for three months: payout per spot, how many spots were at peak times, and how many app clients bought direct. The ClassPass dashboard has reservation and payout reports you can download.
Remember the VAT too. If you're registered, check how app payouts are treated. ClassPass says VAT invoices are available in select countries. Ask your accountant.
What your own bookings look like
| Booking apps | Direct bookings | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Fast, once you're listed | Slow, often months |
| Money per spot | Usually lower, set partly by the app | Your price |
| Client data | Limited, I'd expect, so check your contract | Yours, with permission to contact them |
| Who decides the price | Partly the platform | You |
| If you leave | The flow stops | Your list and reviews stay |
| Best for | Filling quiet classes | Long-term profit and regulars |
The timings and the data point are my judgement. Check exactly what client details you get under your contract, because your right to market to them depends on it. A client who booked through an app didn't necessarily give you the chance to opt out, so the soft opt-in may not apply.
The mix I'd use
- New studio with a part-empty timetable: try an app on off-peak classes, with a limited spot count, for a set 90 days.
- Established studio with waitlists at peak: list off-peak only, or leave.
- Fully booked: stop, and raise prices.
- Any studio: get every new client onto your own list, with a clear choice about marketing.
Don't try to poach an app's clients at the desk in a way that breaks your agreement. Read the contract. A warm welcome and a good class usually does the work anyway.
Before you pay anyone for clients, check your phone. Paying for adverts and missing the call at 6.15pm is the most expensive way to lose a new client.
Questions Pilates studio owners ask
Is ClassPass worth it for a Pilates studio?
It can be, for spots you'd otherwise never sell. It's a poor deal if it fills peak classes or teaches regulars to wait for a cheap rate. Check your payout per spot and how many clients ever buy direct.
How much does ClassPass pay a studio?
It isn't published. ClassPass describes a confidential floor, usually a percentage of direct pricing, and the rate moves with demand. Your own payout report is the only number that counts.
Can I leave ClassPass?
Its FAQ says partners can leave after a 90-day opt-out window. Read your own agreement, because I couldn't see the UK contract.
Will ClassPass take my members?
It says it fills excess capacity and protects direct business, and it's added tools to block recent direct clients from trials. Some owners disagree, according to trade press. So turn on the protections and watch for your own clients appearing.
Should I put my intro offer on an app?
I'd keep your best first-class offer on your own site. That's where you get the client's details and can look after them.
David Bell, founder of Real Business Systems
David helps small UK businesses get found, answer every enquiry and keep customers coming back. We sell some of the services mentioned here, and we say so where they come up.
Sources
- ClassPass, payouts, pricing and policies (6 March 2026)
- ClassPass, partner FAQs
- ClassPass, protecting direct business (6 March 2026)
- ClassPass, what is SmartRate? (6 March 2026)
- ClassPass, driving incremental revenue (updated 6 March 2026, its own figures)
- Athletech News, ClassPass partner policies (15 July 2026)
- Athletech News, ClassPass tops $3 billion in partner revenue (26 February 2026)
- Gymdesk, ClassPass for business (1 October 2026, vendor)
- Health Club Management, 1Rebel and Core Collective (6 April 2016)
- Hussle, studio listing (read November 2026)
- Mindbody, UK pricing (11 June 2026)
- ICO, electronic mail marketing (under review)
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.