CountedIn vs Trainerize: Session Tracking vs Workout Programming

Quick Comparison

Understanding the Core Difference

CountedIn and Trainerize solve fundamentally different problems.

Trainerize is a workout programming and delivery platform. Its core function is letting trainers build exercise programs and deliver them to clients through a mobile app. Clients open the app, see their workout for the day, log their sets and reps, and track progress over time.

CountedIn is a session credit tracking platform. Its core function is tracking how many sessions a client has purchased, how many they’ve used, and how many remain. It handles packages, payments, and gives clients a clear view of their credit balance.

These are different tools for different workflows. The question isn’t really “which is better” — it’s “which problem do you actually need to solve?”

The Trainerize Pricing Trap

Trainerize looks cheap at first glance. Their base plan is $9/month for up to 2 clients. But here’s where it gets expensive fast.

Per-Client Pricing Balloons Quickly

Trainerize prices scale with your client count:

• Starter: $9/mo — 2 clients
• Grow: $20/mo — 10 clients
• Pro: $40/mo — 30 clients
• Studio: $70/mo — unlimited clients

If you’re a trainer with 25 clients, you’re paying $40/month for Trainerize. With CountedIn, you’d pay $29/month for the Starter plan (up to 50 clients) and still have room to grow.

And if you hit 31 clients on Trainerize? You jump to $70/month. On CountedIn Studio at $49/month, you get unlimited clients plus Stripe payments and team members.

The Hidden Cost: Time Building Workouts

This isn’t a software cost, but it’s real. If you’re paying for Trainerize, you’re presumably using it to program workouts. Programming workouts takes time — often hours per week per client. If your business model doesn’t require delivering custom workout programs (maybe your clients train with you in-person and you program on the fly), you’re paying for a feature you don’t need.

What Trainerize Does Well

Workout Programming and Delivery

Trainerize has a genuinely excellent workout builder. You can:

• Build custom programs from an exercise library
• Schedule workouts across multiple weeks
• Include video demonstrations
• Track client progress (weights, reps, sets)
• Create workout templates and assign them to multiple clients
• Deliver programs through a polished mobile app

If your business model is built around delivering workout programs — especially for online or hybrid training — Trainerize is purpose-built for this and does it well.

Habit Tracking and Nutrition

Trainerize includes habit tracking, nutrition logging, and progress photo features. For trainers who take a holistic approach (workouts + nutrition + habits), this creates an all-in-one client experience.

Client Engagement

Trainerize’s client app is designed to keep clients engaged between sessions. Push notifications, workout reminders, in-app messaging, and progress tracking all help maintain client motivation.

Where Trainerize Falls Short on Session Tracking

Here’s where the problem starts for many trainers: Trainerize was built for workout programming, not session tracking.

Session Package Management Is an Afterthought

Many personal trainers sell session packages: a client buys 10 sessions, uses them over a few weeks, then buys another pack. This is the most common business model for in-person training.

Trainerize doesn’t have a dedicated session credit system. You can set up “packages” of sorts, but tracking remaining credits, managing different package types per client, and giving clients visibility into their balance requires workarounds.

No Credit Dashboard

With CountedIn, you open the app and immediately see every client’s credit balance. Who’s running low? Who needs to re-up? It’s all right there.

Trainerize doesn’t offer this view because it wasn’t designed around the session credit model. You’d need to manually track credits outside the app or cobble together a workaround using Trainerize’s features.

No Low Credit Alerts

CountedIn automatically alerts you when a client’s credits are getting low. This is critical for cash flow — you want to prompt clients to purchase their next package before they run out, not after.

Trainerize has no equivalent. You’re tracking this mentally or in a separate spreadsheet, which defeats the purpose of paying for software.

The Client Portal Gap

CountedIn gives every client a shareable link to their portal. They tap it, see their remaining credits, session history, and any upcoming packages. No app download, no account creation, no password to remember.

Trainerize requires clients to download the Trainerize app, create an account, and navigate through workout-focused screens to find any billing or package information. If your client just wants to know “how many sessions do I have left?” — that’s a lot of friction for a simple answer.

The “I’ll Just Use Trainerize for Everything” Problem

Many trainers sign up for Trainerize thinking it will handle both workout programming and session management. Here’s what actually happens:

1. You set up Trainerize and start programming workouts
2. A client asks “how many sessions do I have left?”
3. You realize Trainerize doesn’t clearly track this
4. You open a Google Sheet to track credits manually
5. Now you’re paying for Trainerize AND doing manual tracking
6. The Google Sheet gets out of sync
7. You accidentally give away free sessions
8. You spend 30 minutes every week reconciling your spreadsheet with reality

This is the exact problem CountedIn was built to eliminate.

Different Tools for Different Business Models

You Need Trainerize If:

Your business model revolves around delivering workout programs remotely. You write custom programs, your clients follow them independently, and the workout delivery is the core service. You might train some clients in person, but the program is the product.

Examples:

• Online-only personal trainers
• Hybrid trainers who deliver programs between sessions
• Trainers who sell workout templates or group programs
• Fitness coaches focused on progressive overload tracking

You Need CountedIn If:

Your business model revolves around in-person (or live virtual) sessions sold as packages or credits. The session itself is the product. You might plan workouts, but you do that in your head or on a whiteboard, not through an app.

Examples:

• Personal trainers who sell 10-session or 20-session packs
• Music teachers who sell lesson packages
• Yoga instructors running small group or private sessions
• Tutors tracking hourly credits
• Coaches of any kind selling session-based services

You Might Need Both If:

Your business model involves both workout programming delivery AND session credit tracking. Some trainers deliver programs through Trainerize for their online clients and use CountedIn to track in-person session credits. At $29/mo for CountedIn Starter plus $9-20/mo for Trainerize, this dual setup is still cheaper than many alternatives.

Pricing Deep Dive

Scenario: 25 In-Person Clients, Package-Based Billing

Scenario: 60 Clients, Studio With Team

What About Workout Programming?

A common question: “If I choose CountedIn, what do I do about workout programming?”

The honest answer: most session-based professionals don’t need a dedicated workout programming app.

• Personal trainers who train clients in person typically program on the fly, use a whiteboard, or keep notes in their phone. The client doesn’t need an app to see their workout — they’re standing right there.
• Music teachers don’t deliver “workout programs” — they teach lessons and assign practice.
• Yoga instructors plan their sequences, not client-specific programs.
• Tutors follow curriculum, not pre-programmed exercise routines.

If you genuinely need to deliver workout programs to clients, use a tool built for that. But don’t pay for workout programming software when what you actually need is session credit tracking.

Who Should Choose Trainerize

Choose Trainerize if you:

• Build and deliver custom workout programs as your core service
• Train clients remotely/online and need a program delivery system
• Want clients to log their own workouts and track progress
• Need habit tracking and nutrition features
• Focus on progressive overload and exercise tracking
• Don’t primarily sell session packages or credit-based services

Who Should Choose CountedIn

Choose CountedIn if you:

• Sell sessions as packages or credits
• Need to track how many sessions each client has remaining
• Want clients to see their credit balance without downloading an app
• Need automatic low-credit alerts for timely package renewals
• Want flexible billing (packages, per-session, monthly)
• Don’t need to deliver workout programs through software
• Want a simpler, more affordable solution focused on your actual workflow

The Bottom Line

Trainerize is a great workout programming platform. CountedIn is a great session credit tracking platform. They solve different problems.

If you’re paying for Trainerize but spending half your time tracking session credits in a spreadsheet, you’re using the wrong tool for the job. If you don’t deliver workout programs but you do sell session packages, CountedIn gives you exactly what you need — nothing more, nothing less — at a lower price.

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