Exercise.com vs Vagaro
Exercise.com scores 8.0/10 vs 7.5/10. Best for: Personal trainers and gym owners with 1-10 locations who sell online workout programs alongside in-person training and need custom branded apps.
Exercise.com scores higher overall at 8.0/10 vs 7.5/10. Buy Exercise.com if you are a trainer or gym owner selling online programming alongside in-person sessions. The workout builder and custom branded app are unmatched. Skip if you only need class scheduling and billing, because you will pay $239+/mo for workout features you never use.
Exercise.com 
Vagaro Rank
#4 of 21
Rank
#14 of 21
Features
18/18
Features
17/18
Starting at
$239/mo
Starting at
$30/mo
User reviews
4.7/5 (355)
User reviews
4.6/5 (3787)
What they cost
| Exercise.com | Vagaro | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting at | $239 /mo | $30 /mo |
| Free trial | No | 30 days |
| Number of plans | 1 | 4 |
What the pricing really means
At first glance, Vagaro looks cheaper at $30/month vs $239/month. But sticker price is only part of the story. Look at what is included on the base plan, how many users you get, and whether you need add-ons to get the features you actually need. The $99/month plan that requires $200 in add-ons is actually more expensive than the $250/month plan that includes everything.
Where Exercise.com wins
- Workout builder is the best in the category. You can program progressions, assign plans to clients, and deliver workouts through a custom branded app
- Custom branded iOS and Android apps included in your plan: your gym name, your logo, your colors. Clients download your app, not a generic one
- Covers in-person scheduling, online training delivery, and e-commerce (sell programs, merch, supplements) in one platform
- Support team rated 4.9/5 on Capterra. Trainers report getting setup help and workout template guidance within hours
Where Vagaro wins
- Extremely affordable pricing starting at $30/month with all features unlocked at every tier
- Monthly cost caps at $90 regardless of how many staff calendars you add
- Built-in marketplace gives your business free exposure to Vagaro's consumer user base
- Generous 30-day free trial with no credit card required
Where Exercise.com falls short
- Starts at $239/mo with no public pricing breakdown: you must sit through a sales call to get your actual quote
- A solo personal trainer paying $239/mo needs to sell at least 3-4 extra online clients per month just to cover the software cost
- Interface is feature-dense with a steep learning curve. Plan on 2-3 weeks before you feel comfortable navigating everything
- No consumer marketplace for client discovery. Unlike Mindbody, new clients will not find you through the app itself
Where Vagaro falls short
- Primarily built for salons and spas, so gym-specific features like workout programming are missing
- No public API limits custom integrations and third-party development
- Users report recurring bugs, slowdowns, and crashes during peak booking hours
- Many useful features like forms and branded apps are paid add-ons that increase the real cost
Who is each product built for?
Exercise.com
Target: 1-10 locations
Buy Exercise.com if you are a trainer or gym owner selling online programming alongside in-person sessions. The workout builder and custom branded app are unmatched. Skip if you only need class scheduling and billing, because you will pay $239+/mo for workout features you never use.
Vagaro
Target: 1-500 members
Vagaro is the best value pick for solo trainers and small fitness studios that also offer wellness or beauty services. The flat pricing model is unbeatable, but the lack of workout builders and API access means serious gym-only operations may outgrow it quickly.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Exercise.com | Vagaro |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling & Booking | ||
| Class/session scheduling | ||
| Online booking | ||
| Attendance tracking | ||
| Members & Staff | ||
| Member management | ||
| Membership plans | ||
| Staff management | ||
| Client portal/app | ||
| Payments & Billing | ||
| Payment processing | ||
| Automated billing | ||
| Retail/POS | ||
| Fitness Tools | ||
| Workout/program builder | ||
| Mobile app (client) | ||
| Mobile app (staff) | ||
| Waivers/forms | ||
| Marketing & Growth | ||
| Website builder | ||
| Marketing/email tools | ||
| Reporting/analytics | ||
| Integrations/API | ||
Common questions
Exercise.com scores 8.0/10 vs Vagaro's 7.5/10 in our ranking. Exercise.com is the better pick for 1-10 locations. Vagaro is better if you need budget-conscious fitness studios, personal trainers, and multi-service businesses (salon/spa/fitness combos) that want full features at an affordable flat rate.
Exercise.com starts at $239/month. Vagaro starts at $30/month. Watch for add-on costs — the base price often does not include all features. Pricing last verified 2026-03-01.
Exercise.com: No free trial. Vagaro: Yes, 30-day free trial. Always test with your actual workflow before committing to an annual plan.
Exercise.com covers 18 of 18 features we track. Vagaro covers 17 of 18. Exercise.com has broader feature coverage, but more features does not always mean better — pick the tool that covers what your business actually needs.
No, Exercise.com does not have a mobile app. Vagaro does not have one either.
Yes. The main effort is migrating your data (customer lists, job history, invoices). Plan for 1-2 weeks of overlap where you run both. Most gym & fitness studio tools can import CSV data. Ask both vendors about migration support before you sign.
The bottom line
Pick Exercise.com if...
Personal trainers and gym owners with 1-10 locations who sell online workout programs alongside in-person training and need custom branded apps
Pick Vagaro if...
Budget-conscious fitness studios, personal trainers, and multi-service businesses (salon/spa/fitness combos) that want full features at an affordable flat rate.