Disclosure: Mako CRM publishes this comparison and is one of the products discussed. This is vendor-authored analysis, not an independent review or hands-on product test.
Method: We checked the official sources below on September 1, 2026. Features, prices, fees, promotions, limits, and contract terms can change. Quote-only or unverified items should be labeled; absence from an official page is not proof that a feature is unavailable.
| Publisher | Source | What it supports | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise.com | Exercise.com platform pricing | Quote/demo-only platform pricing; check-ins booking member management apps reports and automations | No public numeric subscription or implementation price |
| Exercise.com | Exercise.com | Fitness programming memberships booking payments ecommerce apps marketing and CRM are described | Migration and PCI statements are vendor claims |
| Mako CRM | Pricing - Transparent Plans for Service Businesses | Public plan prices, annual totals, included team members, additional-location price, and month-to-month contract statement | Vendor-authored and changeable; checked date required; does not independently prove value, superiority, or competitor differences |
| Mako CRM | Invoicing and Payment Software for Service Businesses | Invoice creation, payment links, partial-payment tracking, reminders, recurring billing, Stripe processing, and Mako fee statements | Vendor-authored; Stripe fees can vary by market and account; sample collection and speed figures are not independent outcome evidence |
Exercise.com occupies a specific and defensible position: it builds you a custom-branded app, handles workout programming and delivery, and lets a trainer or coaching business sell training as a digital product. For personal trainers, online coaches, and gyms whose brand lives in an app, that is exactly the right shape. Mako is a different category — the CRM, scheduling, billing, and financial layer underneath a service business. The two overlap less than the shared "fitness software" label suggests.
Exercise.com: No published pricing. Quote-only, scoped per business, with the custom app build priced into the engagement. Expect a discovery call and a proposal, and expect the number to reflect that you are commissioning software, not subscribing to it. Reported figures vary widely because the deliverable varies widely.
Mako: Pulse is free. Paid plans are Mako Basic at $139/month, Mako Team at $249/month, and Enterprise at $999/month — roughly 20% less on annual billing at $1,334, $2,390, and $9,588 per year. Basic includes 3 team members, Team includes 15, Enterprise is unlimited. No contract, published, no sales call.
This is a genuine difference in kind, not just amount. Exercise.com is closer to a build engagement with ongoing support. Mako is a subscription you can start this afternoon and cancel next month — or test for nothing using the free retention benchmark first.
The cleanest way to decide. If your revenue comes from programming delivered through an app — online coaching, hybrid clients, workout plans sold as products — Exercise.com is built for that and Mako simply is not. If your revenue comes from booked time and recurring memberships — sessions, classes, treatments, packages — then a custom app is an expensive answer to a question you did not ask, and the thing you actually need is reliable recurring billing and visibility into whether you are profitable.
Exercise.com: The core offering. Your logo, your app store presence, your member experience. Nobody in this comparison matches it.
Mako: Customer portal and mobile-friendly booking under the Mako platform. No white-label app build.
Edge: Exercise.com, decisively.
Exercise.com: Deep. Exercise library, plan builder, progressions, client assignment, and performance tracking.
Mako: Not a programming tool. Classes, appointments, packages, and attendance — not sets and reps.
Edge: Exercise.com, decisively.
Exercise.com: Payment processing and revenue reporting for the training business. Not built around owner-level financial dashboards.
Mako: Native MRR, LTV, churn, CAC, automated P&L, cash flow, and per-service profitability.
Edge: Mako, significantly.
Exercise.com: Supports gyms, but the centre of gravity is digital training delivery.
Mako: Built for booked services — scheduling, staff, commissions, inventory, invoicing, and estimates.
Edge: Mako for a business that runs on appointments and staff.
Exercise.com: Custom scoping, longer sales cycle, meaningful upfront commitment.
Mako: Published price, free tier, self-serve demo, month-to-month.
Edge: Mako.
Exercise.com: Purpose-built for packaging and selling programming to clients you may never meet in person.
Mako: Sells packages, memberships, and class credits — for clients who show up.
Edge: Exercise.com for online and hybrid coaching.
Pick Exercise.com if:
Pick Mako if:
Your training business is a business. Not a hobby, not a side project, not a calendar with a cash register. It deserves software that treats it accordingly. If your platform cannot tell you whether you are financially healthy, it is not doing its job. And in 2026, you have better options.
See Mako in action — no sales call required
Mako is built for independent operators who would rather spend their time on clients than on demo calls. Open the live demo, poke around, and see exactly how scheduling, billing, and financial intelligence come together in one place.
Try the demo: Open the Mako CRM live demo
Self-serve. Instant access. No forms, no calendars, no "talk to sales."
