The Best Online Coaching Tools in 2025—And One That Actually Pays You!
Why More Coaches Are Choosing Step.co Over Expensive Platforms Like Kajabi or Upcoach?
Why Coaches Need Digital Tools
Today’s coaching world demands hybrid delivery—live sessions, in‑person practice, plus at-home drills via video, messaging, programs or pre‑recorded content. Digital tools let coaches manage schedules, host live classes, deliver training programs, and communicate with clients seamlessly.
They also help reach a broader audience—anywhere, anytime—making healthy living accessible. Platforms reduce administrative friction so coaches can focus on service and growth, not tools.
Categories of Coaching Platforms
We can categorize eight competing platforms into:
- Course‑plus‑coaching platforms: Teachable, Kajabi, Podia
- Integrated admin tools: Practice Better, CoachAccountable, CoachVantage
- End‑to‑end coaching systems (programs, community, scheduling): Trainerize, Upcoach, Step.co
Now, let’s compare them side by side—with focus on cost and financial opportunity.
1. Course‑plus‑coaching
Teachable: Free plan exists ($0/month) but charges $1 + 10% per sale; basic plan is ~$59/month with 5% fee; Pro plan around $159/month (no fee)
Ideal for selling courses, but not built specifically for ongoing coaching or live sessions. Monthly costs or transaction fees can eat into earnings.
Kajabi:Plans start at $69‑$119/month (annual rate) up to $399/month for Growth/Pro tiers.
All‑in‑one for content, marketing, webinars—but expensive relative to smaller coaching businesses.
Podia: Mover plan $33–39/month with 5% transaction fee; Shaker plan $75–89/month with no fees.
Great for creators but less focused on client management, scheduling or live coaching features.
Bottom line: These platforms require monthly investment or transaction costs, and while powerful for course sellers, they lack coach‑focused admin workflows.
2. Admin & client‑management platforms
Practice Better: Plans from $25 to $145/month, offering telehealth, messaging, scheduling, forms, client tracking—especially for wellness professionals.
No built‑in course hosting or group training modules.
CoachAccountable: Pricing depends on client count. Starts at ~$20/month for up to 2 clients, then scales to ~$70/month for 10 clients, up to $400+/mo for 100 clients.
Offers sessions, tracking, billing, scheduling. Reliable but costs grow as business grows.
CoachVantage: Fixed‑fee plans like Clarity $29/mo, Aha! $49/mo, Team $245/mo—no per‑client extra fees. Uncapped clients, scheduling, invoices, content library.
These tools excel in admin and secure client management, but require monthly subscription fees, and none directly help you earn revenue beyond enabling coaching delivery.
3. End‑to‑end coaching platforms (Trainerize, Upcoach, Step.co)
Trainerize: Fitness‑oriented. Offers free 30‑day trial, then tiered plans—e.g. Grow/Pro plans: up to 5 or 15 clients for $20–40/month; mid‑range coaches report paying ~$77/month for 30 clients including payments and analytics integration.
Great for health, sports, martial arts: workouts, program delivery, client tracking—but still costs upfront.
Upcoach: All‑in‑one for coaches and group programs. Starter ~US $49‑59/month for up to 15 clients, Pro ~US $99‑119/month for up to 100 clients, Business plan ~US $199+/mo for ≈250 clients, with transaction fees of 4, 2 or 1 % depending on plan.
Combines program builder, courses, community, payments, admin—all at moderate cost.
Step.co (new!): Completely free for coaches. No monthly fee.
But unlike others, it also shares revenue: clients buying programs or live sessions through Step.co generate income both for the coach and the platform—Step shares performance‑based revenue with coaches. Other tools do not offer revenue sharing or income upside beyond enabling you to sell.
It supports scheduling, live class hosting, program building, communication, plus business growth tools—all at zero subscription cost. Functions continue to develop—but it’s already a strong virtual studio option for fitness, dance, martial arts, mindfulness, sports coaches to try.
Financial comparison: cost vs opportunity
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Transaction / Revenue Share | Business Growth Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trainerize | ~$20–80+ | None beyond Stripe/CC fees | Yes |
| Upcoach | $49–199 | Small % (1–4%) | Yes |
| Practice Better | $25–145 | None | Admin, telehealth only |
| CoachAccountable | $20–400+ | None | Scheduling, client management |
| CoachVantage | $29–245 | None | Admin and client portal |
| Podia | $33–89 | 5% on lower plan | Course selling mostly |
| Kajabi | $69–399 | None | Full marketing stack |
| Teachable | $0–159+ | 5–10% on lower tiers | Course selling primarily |
| Step.co | $0 | Shares revenue with coach | Scheduling, live classes, program building, communication, business growth tools |
Why Step.co stands out financially
- Zero cost to get started. Coaches incur no subscription or transaction fees.
- You earn revenue when students pay—Step.co shares performance-based income with you. Other platforms don’t pay coaches; you only keep what you sell minus their fees.
- No revenue ceiling—more students means more income for you, without paying more for the tool.
- Hybrid delivery focus—built around live classes, program building, messaging, scheduling, and virtual studio features for disciplines like fitness, dance, martial arts, mindfulness, sports coaching.
Other tools may charge $1,500–4,800 per year (e.g. Kajabi Basic to Growth), or percentages, or bill per client. Step.co lets coaches keep costs zero and monetize from day one.
When to choose what
- If you want to sell self‑paced courses, build email autoresponders and marketing funnels, consider Teachable, Kajabi, or Podia—but be aware of fees and monthly commitment.
- If scheduling, intake, telehealth, forms or therapy-style client tracking is core, tools like Practice Better, CoachAccountable, and CoachVantage give robust admin but still cost money.
- For fitness, martial arts, sports, hybrid training—program delivery, live group classes, coaching workflows—Trainerize or Upcoach may fit, but you’ll still pay monthly.
- If you’re excited to try a coach-centric virtual studio that costs nothing to you and even pays you when students engage, Step.co is worth testing now while its features grow.
Final thoughts
Digital tools are no longer optional for coaches—they’re essential for managing schedules, hosting live classes, building programs, and communicating with students. They enable hybrid training experiences and scale your reach—allowing clients to access healthy lifestyle guidance anytime, anywhere.
Most existing platforms require a monthly fee or take a cut of your sales. Step.co flips the model—it’s 100 % free to coaches, integrates all key functions, and lets you earn via shared revenue, with no cost to you as your client base grows.
It may be new, but it’s already a compelling alternative for any coach wanting to manage, deliver, and monetize without overhead—especially in fitness, dance, martial arts, sports, mindfulness or any discipline with hybrid in‑person and digital demand. Give it a try.
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