Step 1 · Pricing model
Identify your pricing-model deal-breaker first.
Decide whether you'll accept per-client billing (Trainerize, TrueCoach, MyPTHub, FitBudd) or insist on flat-fee unlimited (Cadence). At 50+ active clients, per-client billing typically costs $200-$500/mo more. The decision is structural — once locked in, it follows you for years. Run your specific numbers in the 5-platform comparison calculator.
Step 2 · White-label depth
Verify what "white-label" actually means.
Most platforms call themselves "white-label" but only mean a re-skin: client-facing branding shows the coach's name on top of the platform's UI. True white-label means the coach's brand IS the app — custom subdomain, app name, install icon, splash screen, no platform wordmark visible to end users. Ask each vendor: "Can my client install this without ever seeing your platform's name?" If the answer is anything other than yes, it's a re-skin. Cadence is structurally white-label; our glossary entry breaks down what that means.
Step 3 · AI architecture
Evaluate AI memory, not AI features.
Most platforms now have an "AI plan generation" feature. The differentiator is whether the AI has lifetime memory of the client — every PR, meal log, check-in, wearable signal — or generates from scratch each time. Lifetime memory matters most around month 3-6 of a coach-client relationship, when the system needs to remember what's been tried and what worked. Generic AI can't.
Run your numbers before going further.
Two free tools: a 7-question tier quiz that recommends Solo / Founding / Coach / Studio / Agency, and a 5-platform side-by-side cost calculator showing your actual monthly cost across Trainerize, TrueCoach, Everfit, MyPTHub, and Cadence at the roster size you input.
Step 4 · Payment routing
Check where the client's money lands.
Platforms that route client payments through their account (rather than direct to coach via Stripe Connect) expose coaches to platform-risk on revenue. If the platform has a billing dispute or holds funds, your revenue gets caught. Ask: "Where does the client's money land?" If it's the platform's account, that's a structural risk. Cadence uses Stripe Connect — coach revenue flows direct from clients to the coach's Stripe account; we never touch it.
Step 5 · Migration path
Test migration before you sign.
Every platform claims migration support; few have working CSV import for client lists, programs, and check-in templates. Test the migration with a real export from your current platform before signing. If migration breaks, you're stuck building everything from scratch. Cadence's migration preview tool lets you upload a Trainerize/TrueCoach/Everfit CSV and see the outcome — browser-only, no upload to our servers.
Step 6 · Refund policy
Read the cancellation page in plain language.
Refund policies range from 0-day no-questions-asked to 30-day with exit interview required to "no refunds." For a $200-$1,500 setup fee + $79-$499 monthly, the difference matters. Read the actual cancellation page (not the marketing copy) before paying. Cadence: 14-day setup refund + 30-day subscription refund, no exit interview, full terms at /cancel.
Frequently asked
How do I know which coaching software tier I need?
Start with active client count. Solo coaches with under 5 paying clients can use a B2C tier ($29/mo Cadence Solo). Solo coaches with paying rosters fit a Founding ($39/mo) or Coach ($79/mo) tier. Small multi-coach studios fit Studio tier (around $179/mo). Multi-coach agencies need Agency tier (around $499/mo). The free coach tier quiz walks through 7 questions and recommends a specific tier.
What's the difference between flat-fee and per-client coaching software pricing?
Flat-fee: one monthly cost regardless of roster size (Cadence: $79/mo unlimited at Coach tier). Per-client: a base fee plus a charge for every active client (Trainerize: $50 + $4/client, TrueCoach: tiered). At 50 clients, per-client typically costs $200-$300/mo; at 100 clients, $400-$500/mo. Flat-fee starts more expensive at low roster sizes but caps out — ROI crossover is typically at 25-40 clients.
Is white-label coaching software worth the extra cost?
Depends on whether your brand matters to your business. If you're a solo coach building a long-term practice, your brand is your moat — clients should install your app, not Trainerize's app with your photo on it. If you're testing the coaching business and not yet committed to a brand, a non-white-label platform might be fine to start. The migration cost from non-white-label to white-label is real (clients have to re-install) so the decision compounds over time.
How long does it take to launch on a new coaching platform?
Standard SaaS sign-up: instant. Productized white-label: 24-72 hours (the studio builds your branded app). Custom build: 8-16 weeks. Most solo coaches and small studios fit fine in productized white-label — Cadence ships in 24 hours from intake submission.
Should I build my own coaching app instead?
For most solo coaches: no. A custom build runs $30K-$120K + 6+ months + ongoing maintenance, plus you become the QA team for every iOS/Android update forever. Productized white-label (Cadence) gets you to the same outcome — your branded app on your client's phone — for $39-$499/mo with 24-hour deploy. Read more: custom app vs SaaS analysis.
Next steps
If this framework was useful, the natural next steps:
- Take the 7-question coach tier quiz — recommends Solo / Founding / Coach / Studio / Agency
- Run the 5-platform side-by-side cost calculator — see all platforms at your roster size
- Try the migration preview tool — drop in your current platform's CSV, browser-only, no upload
- Read the Cadence product page if you've decided flat-fee + true white-label + AI memory matter to your business
- Browse the 32-term glossary if you want plain-language definitions of any term in this guide