Exercise.com vs Zen Planner

Exercise.com scores 8.0/10 vs 7.2/10. Best for: Personal trainers and gym owners who need robust workout programming and delivery alongside management features.

Exercise.com logo

Exercise.com

8.0
Better overall
vs

Exercise.com scores higher overall at 8.0/10 vs 7.2/10. Exercise.com stands out for workout programming and delivery, ideal for trainers and gyms selling online training alongside in-person. High starting price and no public pricing are barriers. Not the best fit if you only need scheduling and billing.

Exercise.com
Zen Planner

Rank

#2 of 15

Rank

#11 of 15

Features

18/18

Features

18/18

Starting at

$239/mo

Starting at

$99/mo

User reviews

4.7/5 (355)

User reviews

4.3/5 (365)

What they cost

Exercise.com Zen Planner
Starting at $239 /mo $99 /mo
Free trial No No
Number of plans 1 4
Exercise.com pricing verified: 2026-03-01 Zen Planner pricing verified: 2026-03-01

What the pricing really means

At first glance, Zen Planner looks cheaper at $99/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

  • Best-in-class workout and program builder with automated progression
  • Highest-rated customer service at 4.9/5 on Capterra
  • Custom branded apps for iOS and Android included
  • Covers in-person gym ops, online training, and e-commerce

Where Zen Planner wins

  • Simple transparent member-count pricing with no feature gating
  • All core features included at every price level
  • Solid attendance and belt/rank tracking for martial arts
  • Month-to-month with no long-term contract

Where Exercise.com falls short

  • No transparent public pricing, must go through sales
  • Higher starting price at $239/mo for solo trainers
  • Complex interface with steeper learning curve
  • No consumer marketplace like Mindbody

Where Zen Planner falls short

  • Add-ons for website, marketing, and branded app inflate costs fast
  • Users report persistent bugs disrupting workflows
  • Some billing and cancellation issues reported
  • Limited workout programming vs Exercise.com or Wodify

Who is each product built for?

Exercise.com

Target: 1-10 locations

Exercise.com stands out for workout programming and delivery, ideal for trainers and gyms selling online training alongside in-person. High starting price and no public pricing are barriers. Not the best fit if you only need scheduling and billing.

Zen Planner

Target: 1-5 locations

Zen Planner is solid mid-range for boutique gyms and schools that value simplicity. Base product reliable for scheduling and billing but add-on costs add up. Best for single-location studios under 500 members.

Feature comparison

Feature Exercise.com Zen Planner
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

Zen Planner is designed for 1-5 locations, making it a better fit for small shops. Exercise.com targets 1-10 locations.

Exercise.com starts at $239/month. Zen Planner starts at $99/month. Pricing was last verified in 2026-03-01.

No, Exercise.com does not offer a free trial. You will need to contact sales or sign up for a paid plan.

Yes, you can switch between Gym & Fitness Studio tools. The main effort is migrating your data and setting up new workflows. Plan for 1-2 weeks of overlap where you run both systems.

The bottom line

Pick Exercise.com if...

Personal trainers and gym owners who need robust workout programming and delivery alongside management features.

Pick Zen Planner if...

Boutique gyms, martial arts schools, and yoga studios wanting straightforward member-based pricing.