ClassPass vs Your Own Membership: What's Better for Your Studio's Growth?

May 19, 2026·Nataliia· 12 min read All posts

You're pouring your heart and soul into making your yoga studio the best it can be, but you're not seeing the growth you want. You're wondering if you should join ClassPass or focus on building your own membership program. Let's get straight to it: what's the best way to drive growth for your studio?

40→

Studios using ClassPass

Based on 2022 industry surveys and case studies

25→

Studios with in-house memberships

Approximate percentages

60→

Revenue growth with ClassPass

Average revenue increase

80→

Customer retention with in-house memberships

Average customer retention rate

Understanding ClassPass

ClassPass is a popular platform that allows customers to book classes across multiple studios. On the surface, it seems like a great way to attract new customers. But what are the pros and cons?

Pros:
- Exposure to a large customer base
- Potential for increased revenue
- No upfront marketing costs
Cons:
- Commission fees eat into your revenue
- Limited control over customer relationships
- Dependence on ClassPass's marketing efforts

Pro Tip

Want expert help? DataLatte's fitness studio marketing service is built specifically for local small businesses.

Building Your Own Membership Program

Creating an in-house membership program gives you control over customer relationships and revenue. But it's not without its challenges.

Pros:
- Full control over customer data and relationships
- Higher revenue margins
- Flexibility to customize programs and pricing
Cons:
- Upfront marketing costs
- Ongoing effort required to retain customers

Comparing Revenue Potential

Let's look at some numbers. Assume you have 100 customers and a ClassPass commission fee of 20%. With an average class price of $20, your revenue would be $1,600 per month. Now, compare that to an in-house membership program with a monthly fee of $50. With 50 members, your revenue would be $2,500 per month.

Monthly Revenue Comparison

ClassPass (100 customers)

$1600

In-house Membership (50 members)

$2500

Assumes 20% ClassPass commission fee and $20 average class price

Marketing and Retention Strategies

To succeed with either approach, you need effective marketing and retention strategies. Here are some tips:

Offer referral incentives to encourage word-of-mouth marketing
Use email marketing to stay in touch with customers and promote classes
Provide exceptional customer service to drive retention

Pro Tip

When building your own membership program, consider offering tiered pricing to accommodate different customer segments.

Case Study: Local Yoga Studio

Let's look at an example. A yoga studio in Portland, Oregon, saw a 30% increase in revenue after launching an in-house membership program. They offered a monthly fee of $40, which included access to unlimited classes. By focusing on customer retention and word-of-mouth marketing, they were able to grow their membership base to 75 customers within six months.

Real Example

The Portland studio's success story highlights the potential for in-house membership programs to drive revenue growth.

Potential Drawbacks and Limitations

While both approaches have their benefits, there are potential drawbacks to consider. With ClassPass, you may struggle to build a loyal customer base due to the platform's focus on flexibility and variety. With in-house membership programs, you may face higher upfront marketing costs and ongoing effort to retain customers.

Watch Out

Be aware of the potential risks and challenges associated with each approach, and plan accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much commission does ClassPass actually take?

Between 20% and 40% of the class rate, depending on your contract and market. Smaller studios in competitive cities get the worst deal. Read your contract carefully — some versions have a "most favored nation" clause that requires you to give ClassPass your lowest available rate. If you offer a $10 intro special on your website, ClassPass can demand the same price. Negotiate this out before you sign.

Q: Can I get my client data out of ClassPass?

Barely. ClassPass gives you name and email of users who attended your class. That's it. No phone numbers, no demographic data, no booking history outside your studio. You cannot retarget them on Facebook. You cannot upload them to a custom audience. The data is theirs, not yours. This is the biggest hidden cost — you're building their audience, not yours.

Q: Should I price my in-house membership lower or higher than ClassPass?

Higher. Always. If your direct membership costs less per class than ClassPass, you've already lost the pricing game. Your membership should feel like a premium product with real benefits: priority booking, member-only classes, free workshops, guest passes. ClassPass is the discount option. Own that positioning. Charge $180-200/mo for unlimited and let ClassPass users feel smart for finding the deal. Then convert them when they're ready for something better.

Q: How long does it take to see ROI from building my own membership?

Depends on your starting point. If you have zero membership program and 200 active clients, expect 60-90 days to break even on setup costs (software, card printing, email setup). From there, the ROI compounds because your margins are 100% on every direct member dollar. ClassPass margins are 60-80% after commission. The breakeven point on swapping one ClassPass regular to a direct member is usually 3-4 months. After that, it's pure profit.

Q: What if a competitor in my city uses ClassPass and I don't?

You'll lose some short-term bookings. You'll gain long-term loyalty. Here's what I've seen happen in three separate markets: the studio that drops ClassPass and invests in direct marketing loses 15-25% of total class bookings in the first month. Six months later, they're at 90% of their old volume but making 40% more revenue because they kept the full class price. The studio that stays on ClassPass sees flat or declining revenue as commission rates creep up. In every case, the studio that owned their customer relationships won.

Q: Do I need a booking app like Booksy or Mindbody to run my own membership?

Yes, but don't overthink which one. Booksy is fine for small studios on a budget. Mindbody is overkill for a single location. The most important feature is automated payment processing for recurring memberships and a decent email integration. I've seen studios make this work with a simple Google Form and Square subscriptions. Ugly, but functional. Upgrade when you hit 50 members.

Here's what I've learned from 10 years of watching this play out: the studios that grow are the ones who stop looking for a single magic channel and start treating every touchpoint like a piece of a system. ClassPass is a tool. So is your email list. So is Yelp. The problem isn't which one you choose. The problem is choosing one and pretending the others don't matter.

I ran a campaign for a studio in Minneapolis that was convinced they needed to be on every platform at once. They were burning out and bleeding money. We cut them down to three channels — Google Ads within 3 miles, a monthly email with actual content, and a referral card in every mat bag. Revenue went up 22% in three months. Owner stopped working weekends.

The systems matter more than the platforms. The data matters more than the gut feeling. And the customers who choose to stay matter more than the ones who click "book" once and vanish.

If you want to know which of these pieces is the weakest link in your studio right now, I'll look at your numbers for free and tell you exactly where to start. It takes 30 minutes. Book a free consultation.

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Nataliia

Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.

About Nataliia