How to Choose a Booking Software for Your Small Yoga or Pilates Privates + Occasional Workshop Business in 2026
Teaching yoga and pilates involves juggling a lot: class schedules, sign-ups, payments, travel, private sessions, marketing, and more. Not to mention, most teachers have other jobs on top of their yoga or pilates business.
Doing all of that manually can be overwhelming. That’s why the right booking software isn’t just a convenience, it can make or break your business’s flow!
Here’s a guide to help you choose a booking system that fits your goals and vibe. This guide is specifically for teachers focused on private or small group in-person or online classes (ie: not opening a full scale membership studio).
Why Good Booking Software Matters
Saves you time & reduces admin overhead. Instead of spending hours each week managing bookings, payments, and refunds a good system automates most of it.
Improves client experience. Students can book classes 24/7, see schedules anytime, pay and sign up easily, reduce emails or phone calls needed.
Helps you run a more professional business. Good software helps your business grow with less chaos.
Reduces no-shows and maximizes occupancy. Automated reminders, waitlists, and easy cancellations/reschedules help keep events fuller and reduces empty spots.
How to Evaluate Your Needs Before Picking
Before you start demoing software, ask yourself:
Do you offer just private sessions, or group classes, workshops, retreats, online sessions, etc.?
How complex are your payment and pricing models? Do you offer simple drop-ins? Class packs? Memberships? The ability to add discount codes? Do you want to accept payment in the platform, via Venmo or Zelle as more of a ‘hobby’ or setup a business and link to Stripe or Square.
Do you want branding/customization to match your vibe or are you fine with a more generic booking page?
Do you need marketing or communication tools built-in (e.g. reminders, an email list, waiting-list notifications)?
How important is data, attendance trends, revenue reports, client analytics, to your planning and growth?
Recommended Booking Software Types by Studio Size / Use Case
Here are some of my favorite booking softwares. I noted some feature highlights for each one to help discern which booking platform could be a great fit for your business. This guide has been primarily crafted with USA-based yoga teachers in mind.
Recommendations:
Acuity Scheduling: If you are booking a handful of privates or small group scheduling, Acuity is a great option. With easy-to-use calendars and widgets, you can add ‘availability’ for private classes or host group classes. Acuity starts at $20/month and you’ll integrate the software with a separate payment processor, just as Venmo, Square or Stripe., which takes a cut of each payment on the most basic plans. You can also integrate Zoom easily for online sessions.
Bookeo is a software that offers different tiers, the lowest of which caters to yoga teachers running a small business. You have the option to upgrade from their $15/month “Appointments” plan to versions that offer digital waivers and more.
Vagaro has a great option for yoga teachers to livestream classes, which could be helpful if you are further along in your business and looking to add on a tech layer. Their plan starts at $23.99/month. They also have their own marketplace for vendors which could be a nice way to get some added visibility.
Eventbrite: This free event-planning software is a great option for workshops or special events. There are settings where you can select between digital or in-person events, options to accept payments and I’ve found that it’s an added bonus that Eventbrite has become a hub where people generally search for upcoming events.
Partiful: If you plan to host some “one-off” workshops that you want to make feel like more of an “event”, Partiful is a great and free option. There is a setting where you can ask guests to contribute via venmo, and plenty of options for reminders to make sure the event doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
Calendly: If you plan to teach privates and the student will pay with venmo, zelle, cash, or check, Calendly is a great option for scheduling. It has a free version where you can input your availablility, send out a link, and clients can book directly (you can also integrate Zoom easily).
SweatPals This is a fun platform that focuses specifically on fitness events. I love the design-forward features and this is a great option for class pop-ups where you’ll accept payment via an outside payment processor, just as Venmo, Square or Stripe.
For larger studios: I’ve worked on so many consulting projects for larger studios selecting a booking platform. This is a topic for another post! Feel free to reach out at hello@waveflowapp.com if you need support with a studio booking software.
Next Steps: How to Test & Choose
Make a shortlist: based on the features you need and size of your business.
Use free trials or demos: see how intuitive the interface feels, how smooth booking/payment flow is, how it works on mobile.
Test from a client’s perspective: find a studio that uses the platform, sign up as a student, book a class, cancel, try payment — to see if the experience feels seamless.
Referral: Reach out to somebody that uses that platform and ask if they would recommend it! You’ll make a friend too. They will also probably be able to use a referral code to get you a discount on the software when they recommend you.
Check support & reliability: make sure customer support is responsive, the software updates reliably, and payment processing is secure.
Consider branding & user experience: the booking page should reflect your teaching vibe and make clients feel good about booking.
Know about another platform we should add here?! Send us the info at hello@waveflowapp.com