Fitness studios · Updated October 7, 2026

Email software for fitness studios, picked by member lifecycle.

A studio’s email job is turning trials into regular members, filling classes and bringing lapsed members back. For most independent studios, ActiveCampaign is the strongest starting pick: its Starter plan lists $15 a month at 1,000 contacts and includes marketing automation, which trial and winback sequences depend on.

By the editorial team · Prices checked October 7, 2026

The short answer

Pick ActiveCampaign if you want automated trial journeys and can pay from $15 a month once your list passes 1,000 contacts. Pick Brevo if you want to start free and send a few hundred emails a day. Pick Kit if your studio is built around a coach’s personal brand and programs. Each choice is explained below, along with the costs that apply at real list sizes.

What a fitness studio actually needs from email

Studio email is different from a retail newsletter. Most of the revenue comes from three moments: a prospect who books a trial class, a trial member who either attends again or disappears, and a paying member whose renewal fails or who stops coming. Each of those moments has a clock. A trial sends its value in the first week. A member who misses three weeks in a row is drifting. A renewal that fails on a Tuesday needs a notice before the next billing attempt.

That is why the tool choice depends less on the number of emails you send and more on whether the software can trigger a sequence from a person’s status. A plain broadcast tool can send a weekly schedule to everyone. It is much harder to send a second trial message only to people who have attended once, or to stop a winback flow when someone rejoins.

Three requirements matter most for a studio. First, the tool needs automations that start from a tag, a date or an event, not just a manual send. Second, it needs segments you can update by hand when a coach moves a member between classes or programs. Third, the pricing must work for a list that grows with lead magnets such as free passes, challenge sign-ups and guides. Many lists hold names that never buy, and pricing that rises with every new name can quietly change the monthly bill.

Studios also run messages that are not marketing. Booking confirmations, schedule changes and waitlist offers are operational, and some are better sent by text. Email tools that bundle SMS can keep these in one place, but SMS is priced separately on most vendor pages, so it needs its own line in the budget.

Comparison at a glance

The table lists eight tools that fit studio work. Prices are the plan prices shown on each vendor’s pricing page when we checked it on October 7, 2026. Where a plan is priced by contact or email count, the size the price applies to is shown.

ToolBest forEntry price (plan, billing)Key limitation
ActiveCampaignStudios that need automated trial journeys and a sales pipeline for personal trainingStarter $15/mo at 1,000 contacts, same price billed monthly or annuallyLanding pages and standard segmentation start on Plus at $49/mo
BrevoBudget studios that want a free tier and email-volume pricingFree: 300 email sends a day, up to 100,000 contacts. Starter $9/mo from 5,000 emails a monthAutomation is listed on the Standard plan at $18/mo, not on the free tier
MailchimpStudios launching with a small list and a familiar toolFree: up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Essentials $13/mo at 500 contacts, monthly billingFree plan limited to 250 sends a day; price rises with each contact tier
Constant ContactChallenges, community nights and event-style sendsLite $12/mo, or $10.20/mo billed annuallyNo ongoing free plan; advanced automation starts on Premium at $80/mo
MailerLiteSmall studios that send a regular newsletterFree: up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Comfort $12/mo, or $10.80/mo billed annually, for the 500-subscriber tierMonthly email allowance depends on the subscriber tier; unlimited emails start on Power at $25/mo
KitCoach-led studios selling programs and digital productsFree up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33/mo, billed annually, for visual automationsAutomations and email sequences need the paid Creator plan
GetResponseChallenge funnels with webinars and landing pagesStarter $19/mo, or $15.58/mo billed annuallyNo ongoing free plan; Starter includes one automation workflow
DripStudios with a shop or a larger member database$39/mo for 1–2,500 people, unlimited email sendsNo ongoing free plan; costs rise by people band

What each tool does for studios

ActiveCampaign

Starter from $15/mo at 1,000 contacts · Pricing page

Where it fits. A studio that runs a trial program needs a sequence that changes with behavior: a welcome, a nudge if the trial member has not booked, a note tied to the number of classes attended, and an expiry reminder. ActiveCampaign’s Starter plan lists marketing automation, which is the foundation for this kind of flow. Personal trainers who sell high-ticket packages can also use its standard CRM to track which prospects are in which stage.

Where it falls short. Landing pages and standard segmentation are on the Plus plan at $49 a month, and advanced segmentation is on Pro at $79. A small studio that only sends a weekly schedule will not need those. The price also rises with the contact count, so a studio with a large lead-magnet list should check the tier before signing up.

Price. $15 a month on Starter at 1,000 contacts. The listed price is the same whether you bill monthly or annually. Over twelve months that is 12 × $15 = $180.

Brevo

Free plan; Starter from $9/mo at 5,000 emails a month · Pricing page

Where it fits. A new studio with a few hundred contacts can start on the free plan, which allows 300 email sends a day and storage for up to 100,000 contacts. That makes it useful during the months when a studio is still building its list. Booking and schedule emails that are sent in small daily batches fit within the free daily limit.

Where it falls short. The paid plans are priced by monthly email volume rather than by contacts, so a studio that sends several emails a week to a growing list will see the price follow its sending volume. Automation is listed on the Standard plan at $18 a month, so a studio that wants trial and winback flows should plan for Standard rather than Starter.

Price. Free for up to 300 sends a day. Starter from $9 a month at 5,000 emails a month; Standard from $18 a month at the same volume.

Mailchimp

Free up to 250 contacts; Essentials $13/mo at 500 contacts · Pricing page

Where it fits. A studio that is opening soon and wants a founding-member list, a launch email and a challenge sign-up page can set these up quickly. The free plan covers up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. When the list grows, the Essentials plan at 500 contacts costs $13 a month on monthly billing.

Where it falls short. The free plan allows at most 250 sends a day. Pricing is set by contact tier, so the bill increases as the list grows, even when the studio is not sending more. Membership-specific logic such as renewal and failed-payment notices is not part of the plan descriptions on the pricing page, so those flows need a billing system’s own notices or a separate tool.

Price. Free up to 250 contacts. Essentials $13 a month at 500 contacts. Standard $20 a month at the 500-contact selector, with up to 6,000 emails a month at that size.

Constant Contact

Lite $12/mo, or $10.20/mo billed annually · Pricing page

Where it fits. Studios that run community events such as transformation challenges, member socials or charity classes need event announcements, sign-ups and reminders more than complex branching. The Lite plan includes email and social media tools and monthly sends up to ten times the contact count. The free trial requires no credit card, so a studio can test its event template before paying.

Where it falls short. There is no ongoing free plan. Advanced automation and segmentation are on the Premium plan at $80 a month, so a studio that wants trial sequences will be paying well above the entry price. The product is strongest for events, and weaker for the membership lifecycle.

Price. Lite $12 a month, or $10.20 a month billed annually. Standard $35 a month ($29.75 annual). Premium $80 a month ($68 annual).

MailerLite

Free up to 250 subscribers; Comfort $12/mo for the 500-subscriber tier · Pricing page

Where it fits. A boutique studio with a small list and a weekly rhythm of schedule drops, instructor spotlights and member stories can run on the free plan while the list is under 250 subscribers. Free includes 2,500 emails a month. Once the list grows, the Comfort plan lists the 500-subscriber tier at $12 a month, or $10.80 billed annually.

Where it falls short. On Comfort, the monthly email allowance is ten times the subscriber tier’s ceiling. A studio that sends more than that must move to Power, which lists unlimited monthly emails at $25 a month on the 500-subscriber tier. Membership-specific automations are thinner than on ActiveCampaign, so trial and winback logic needs more manual setup.

Price. Free up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Comfort $12 a month ($10.80 annual). Power $25 a month ($22.50 annual), both on the 500-subscriber starting tier.

Kit

Free up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator $33/mo billed annually · Pricing page

Where it fits. Many studios are built around one or two coaches who sell programs, cohorts and digital products. Kit’s free plan covers landing pages, forms, unlimited email broadcasts, tagging and segmentation, and selling digital products and subscriptions for up to 10,000 subscribers. That suits a coach who writes to a large audience and sells a paid program on the side.

Where it falls short. Visual automations and email sequences start on the Creator plan. A studio that wants a trial sequence, a renewal notice and a winback flow will need Creator, which is listed at $33 a month billed annually. Kit is not built around class schedules or membership renewals, so booking and billing still need other systems.

Price. Free up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33 a month billed annually. Pro is listed at $66 a month billed annually and adds unlimited users and deliverability reporting.

GetResponse

Starter $19/mo, or $15.58/mo billed annually · Pricing page

Where it fits. Challenge-based studios that run a six-week transformation program benefit from its funnel tools. The Starter plan includes unlimited monthly email sends, a welcome series, landing pages and signup forms. The Marketer plan at $59 a month adds unlimited workflows, advanced segmentation and abandoned-cart recovery, and the Creator plan at $69 adds webinars and a course creator.

Where it falls short. There is no ongoing free plan, only a free trial. Starter includes one automation workflow, so a studio with a trial flow, a renewal flow and a winback flow needs at least the Marketer plan. The product is strongest for challenges and webinars, and less focused on class schedules.

Price. Starter $19 a month ($15.58 annual). Marketer $59 a month ($48.38 annual). Creator $69 a month ($56.58 annual).

Drip

$39/mo for 1–2,500 people, unlimited sends · Pricing page

Where it fits. Studios that sell apparel, supplements or equipment alongside memberships may want a tool that handles product-style flows. Drip’s plans list unlimited email sends, dynamic segments, onsite campaigns and up to 50 workflows at each people band, which gives a larger studio room for several parallel sequences.

Where it falls short. The price follows the number of people on your list, not your sending volume. Drip has no ongoing free plan, and its tools are built around online commerce more than class operations. A studio with only a few hundred members may find the price high for the features it uses.

Price. $39 a month for 1–2,500 people. $89 a month for 4,501–5,000 people. $154 a month for 9,001–10,000 people. Pricing for other bands is on the pricing page.

What it costs at real list sizes

Studios usually fall into three rough sizes. The table below lists the plan that matches each size, with the billing view and the list size the price applies to. Where a vendor does not publish a price for that exact size, the cell says so.

PlanBillingPriceSize the price applies to
ActiveCampaign StarterMonthly or annual, same price$15/moStarts at 1,000 contacts
ActiveCampaign PlusMonthly or annual, same price$49/moStarts at 1,000 contacts
Brevo StarterMonthly$9/moFrom 5,000 emails a month
Brevo StandardMonthly$18/moFrom 5,000 emails a month
Mailchimp EssentialsMonthly$13/mo500 contacts
Mailchimp StandardMonthly$20/mo500 contacts, up to 6,000 emails a month
Constant Contact LiteMonthly, or $10.20/mo annual$12/moContact count not stated on the plan line
Constant Contact PremiumMonthly, or $68/mo annual$80/moIncludes 500 SMS a month
MailerLite ComfortMonthly, or $10.80/mo annual$12/mo500-subscriber tier
MailerLite PowerMonthly, or $22.50/mo annual$25/mo500-subscriber tier, unlimited monthly emails
Kit CreatorAnnual billing$33/moAdds visual automations to the free plan
GetResponse StarterMonthly, or $15.58/mo annual$19/moUnlimited monthly sends
GetResponse MarketerMonthly, or $48.38/mo annual$59/moUnlimited workflows
DripMonthly$39/mo1–2,500 people
DripMonthly$89/mo4,501–5,000 people
DripMonthly$154/mo9,001–10,000 people
AWeber LiteMonthly$15/mo500 subscribers, 5,000 sends a month

A studio with 500 contacts. Mailchimp’s Essentials plan at $13 a month comes to 12 × $13 = $156 a year. MailerLite’s Comfort plan on the 500-subscriber tier is $12 a month, or $10.80 billed annually. Kit’s free plan covers this size for broadcasts, but automations need Creator at $33 a month billed annually. A studio at this size should decide first whether it needs automations, because that choice decides whether the free plan is enough.

A studio with 1,000 contacts. ActiveCampaign’s Starter plan is $15 a month at 1,000 contacts, so 12 × $15 = $180 a year. This is the first point where its automation features are priced in the facts. Brevo’s free plan still covers the list, but automations need a paid plan.

A studio with 2,500 or more contacts. Drip’s plan for 1–2,500 people is $39 a month, or 12 × $39 = $468 a year. Above that band, the price rises to $89 a month for 4,501–5,000 people. For other sizes, the vendor pricing pages list the band you need. Mailchimp’s price for 2,501–5,000 contacts is set by its contact tier, so confirm it on the pricing page before you commit.

The biggest cost mistake is letting a lead-magnet list grow faster than the paying member base. A free pass or challenge sign-up adds a contact on most plans, which can move the bill up a tier even when those names never buy. Clean the list each season, and separate prospects from members so that the people who should get a renewal notice are not mixed with those who only downloaded a guide.

Which tool to pick

Choose by the job you need done first. Price only decides between tools that already fit the job.

If you needPickBecause
Trial journeys that react to attendanceActiveCampaignStarter includes marketing automation from $15 a month at 1,000 contacts
A free start with no sequences yetBrevoFree plan covers 300 daily sends and up to 100,000 contacts
A first list launched quicklyMailchimpFree up to 250 contacts; Essentials $13 a month at 500 contacts
Community challenges and eventsConstant ContactEvent-style sends and scheduling on Lite at $12 a month
A weekly boutique newsletter on a budgetMailerLiteFree to 250 subscribers; Comfort $12 a month for the 500-subscriber tier
Coach brand plus paid programsKitFree to 10,000 subscribers; Creator adds automations at $33 a month billed annually
Six-week challenges with webinarsGetResponseLanding pages and webinars on paid plans; Marketer adds unlimited workflows at $59 a month
A shop alongside membershipsDripUnlimited sends and up to 50 workflows per people band from $39 a month

If you cannot decide between two tools, ask three questions. Do you need a sequence that changes based on what a member did? Do you need to send time-sensitive operational messages? And how many people will be on the list in twelve months? Answer those, then check the plan prices in the tables above. A tool that handles the first question at a modest price usually beats a cheaper tool that only sends broadcasts.

Studios with several locations should look at pipeline and permission features before anything else. Members who move between locations should not need to subscribe again, and offers approved centrally should still reach the right local segment. ActiveCampaign’s higher plans add advanced segmentation and dedicated support, which matters more once several staff members edit one list.

Setup in the right order

Most studios set up email in the wrong order: they write a welcome email before they have a clean list. The steps below take a studio from a messy list to working flows.

StepWhat to doDone when
1. Export and clean the listExport every contact from the booking system and spreadsheets. Remove duplicates and mark each contact as prospect, trial, member, or lapsed.Every contact has exactly one status.
2. Record where each contact came fromKeep the source of each sign-up, such as a challenge page, a trial booking or a free pass.You can show where a contact joined before you email them.
3. Set up segments and tagsCreate segments for trial, active member, failed payment, and lapsed (for example, no visit in 30 days).Each segment shows the right count when you test it.
4. Connect the membership sourceUse a CSV or an integration to pass attendance and renewal status into the email tool.A test contact moves between segments when its status changes.
5. Build three sequences firstTrial sequence, renewal or payment-failure notice, and a 30/60/90-day winback.Each sequence runs from its trigger and stops when the person converts.
6. Check consent and unsubscribeConfirm that every contact agreed to marketing email, and that the unsubscribe link works.You can name the consent source for each segment you email.
7. Send a test to your own addressRun each sequence with a test contact and check the links, the studio name and the timing.Every email in the sequence arrives in the right order.
8. Plan SMS separatelyDecide which operational messages go by text, then check the SMS price on the vendor’s pricing page.The SMS cost is in the monthly budget.

Three workflows that matter most

The trial sequence. Start it the moment a trial is booked. The first email confirms the class and shows how to book the next one. A second message should go to people who have not booked again within a few days. A third message can name the classes a trial member has attended, and an expiry reminder should arrive before the trial ends. Measure success by the number of trial members who book a third class, not by the number who open an email. The sequence should end as soon as the person joins, so a new member is not sent a trial offer.

The renewal and payment notice. When a payment fails, the member needs a clear message that tells them how to update their card and when the next attempt will happen. The notice should come from the billing system or from an integration that passes the failure into the email tool. Keep the wording plain and avoid discounts in the first message. If a member pauses rather than cancels, that status should stop the cancellation sequence and start a return sequence instead.

The winback ladder. A lapsed member needs a reason to return, not just a reminder. A practical ladder has three steps: a message about the community and what they have missed, a note about a new class or coach after a few weeks, and an offer to rejoin after a longer gap. Keep each step tied to a real change in the studio, such as a new timetable, a new coach or a new program. Stop the ladder when the member rejoins or unsubscribes.

Franchises and multi-location studios

A group with several studios should run one brand list with location segments, not a separate account for each site. That keeps the membership record in one place and lets a member move between locations without subscribing again. Local offers still need central approval so that the brand’s prices and promises stay consistent.

Once a group has several sites, the team that sends email is usually different from the team that runs the classes. Choose a tool that lets the central team set permissions and lets local managers edit only their own segments. ActiveCampaign’s pipeline and advanced segmentation features are designed for that kind of split, but they are priced above the entry tier, so model the cost at the list size you expect in a year.

How this page was prepared

The editorial team read each vendor’s pricing page and product documentation and recorded the plan names, prices, billing options and included features. The prices in this page are the plan prices shown on those pages on October 7, 2026. We did not run the tools with studio data, and the picks reflect how each plan is structured and what it lists as included.

Plan prices change, and features move between tiers. If a price or feature on this page does not match a vendor’s current page, the vendor’s page is the correct source. Corrections can be sent through the contact details on the site’s about page.

Frequently asked questions

Which tool should a studio with under 1,000 contacts start with?

Mailchimp’s Essentials plan lists 500 contacts at $13 a month on monthly billing, and MailerLite’s Comfort plan lists the 500-subscriber tier at $12 a month. If you only need broadcasts and forms, Kit’s free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, but its visual automations and email sequences start on the Creator plan, so trial and winback flows will need the paid tier.

Is ActiveCampaign worth it for a single studio?

It is worth a close look once you need automation. The Starter plan lists $15 a month at 1,000 contacts and includes marketing automation, standard CRM and ecommerce integrations. Over twelve months that is 12 × $15 = $180 at that size. Pricing rises with the contact count, so check the tier that matches your list before you commit.

Can email alone handle class reminders?

Email works well for weekly schedules, newsletters and winback. Time-sensitive messages such as same-day booking confirmations or waitlist offers are often better sent by text. SMS is priced separately on most vendor pages, so confirm the SMS cost on the vendor’s pricing page before you plan your reminder flow around it.

How many automations do I need to start?

Three is a practical minimum: a trial sequence, a renewal or payment-failure notice, and a lapsed-member winback. GetResponse’s Starter plan includes one automation workflow, which is enough for a single sequence but not for all three. Plans with unlimited workflows, such as GetResponse’s Marketer tier, are better once you run more than one flow at a time.

Which plan works for a challenge launch?

A six-week challenge needs a landing page, a sign-up form, an enrollment sequence and daily emails. GetResponse’s plans include landing pages and signup forms, and its Marketer tier adds advanced segmentation and abandoned-cart recovery. Constant Contact’s Lite and Standard plans suit simpler event-style emails with scheduling and A/B testing.

Does a bigger studio need a different tool?

Yes, when you have several locations, a sales team for high-ticket training, or a database of tens of thousands of people. Drip’s price tiers climb to $154 a month at 9,001–10,000 people, and ActiveCampaign’s higher plans add advanced segmentation and dedicated support. Once several teams share one list, check the tool’s permission model before choosing.

Are the prices on this page the final cost?

The prices are the plan prices shown on each vendor’s pricing page when we checked them on October 7, 2026. Taxes, add-ons such as SMS, and tiers not listed here can change the total. Vendors change plan names and limits, so confirm the current price on the vendor’s page before you buy.