Mako vs Momence: Which Platform Is Right for Your Studio in 2026?

Momence launched with a genuinely interesting pitch: zero monthly subscription, pay only per booking. For a studio just starting out or running low volume, that math works. For a studio doing 600+ bookings a month, the per-booking fees quietly become the most expensive platform in the category. Mako runs flat-rate with no per-booking component. Whether that matters depends entirely on your booking volume — and this post does that math explicitly.

The Pricing Models Side by Side

Momence pricing (2026):

• Free plan: $0/month + 3% per booking (capped at a dollar amount per transaction)
• Basic plan: ~$30/month + 1.5% per booking
• Standard plan: ~$80/month + 1% per booking
• Pro plan: ~$150/month + 0.5% per booking

Mako pricing (2026):

• Starter: $99/month, no per-booking fees
• Pro: $199/month, no per-booking fees
• Business: $299/month, no per-booking fees

The per-booking math at scale:

A studio running 800 bookings/month at an average ticket of $22:

• Momence Pro ($150 + 0.5%): $150 + (800 × $22 × 0.5%) = $150 + $88 = $238/month
• Mako Pro: $199/month flat

At 1,200 bookings/month:

• Momence Pro: $150 + (1,200 × $22 × 0.5%) = $150 + $132 = $282/month
• Mako Pro: $199/month flat

At 2,000 bookings/month:

• Momence Pro: $150 + (2,000 × $22 × 0.5%) = $150 + $220 = $370/month
• Mako Pro: $199/month flat

The crossover point — where Mako becomes cheaper than Momence Pro — is around 900 bookings/month. Above that, Mako's flat-rate model wins on cost. Below that, Momence's lower base is competitive or cheaper depending on the tier.

Feature Comparison

Class Scheduling

Momence: Clean, modern class scheduling. Good support for workshops, retreats, and non-standard programming alongside regular classes. Strong checkout flow and a polished booking UX that members find intuitive.
Mako: Full class and appointment scheduling, recurring sessions, waitlists, instructor assignments. Strong on the operational side — studio manager workflows, staff scheduling, admin views.

Edge: Momence on member-facing UX. Mako on admin and operations.

Membership and Billing

Momence: Solid recurring membership billing, class pack handling, and intro offers. The per-booking fee applies to all transactions routed through the platform. Failed payment handling is manual in most configurations.
Mako: Flat-rate billing with full failed-payment recovery automation — retry sequences, dunning emails, SMS card-update requests. No per-booking component on any plan.

Edge: Mako on failed payment recovery and predictable billing costs.

Workshops, Retreats, and Events

Momence: Purpose-built for non-standard programming. Workshops, retreats, teacher trainings, and multi-session events are first-class features. If your studio runs a significant retreat or teacher-training business, Momence handles it more natively than most competitors.
Mako: Handles events and workshops through the standard scheduling system. Functional, not specialized.

Edge: Momence for studios with significant retreat/workshop/teacher-training revenue.

Virtual Classes

Momence: Built-in video streaming for virtual classes. If you run a hybrid in-person/virtual model, this is native.
Mako: No built-in video streaming. Virtual classes would require a third-party integration (Zoom, etc.).

Edge: Momence for hybrid studios.

Financial Intelligence

Momence: Revenue reporting and booking analytics. Does not natively track MRR, LTV, CAC, or cash runway.
Mako: Native financial dashboard with MRR, LTV, churn, CAC, revenue per member, cash runway.

Edge: Mako, clearly.

Communication and Retention Automation

Momence: Class reminders and basic email sequences available. Marketing automation is less mature than older platforms.
Mako: Full retention automation native: class reminders, post-class follow-ups, at-risk member alerts, win-back sequences, intro-conversion sequences.

Edge: Mako on retention automation depth.

Who Should Pick Momence

• Studios with under 900 bookings/month where the free or low-tier plan makes financial sense
• Studios with significant workshop, retreat, or teacher-training revenue that need first-class event handling
• Studios running a hybrid virtual/in-person model that needs built-in video streaming
• Studios that prioritize member-facing booking UX over back-office financial intelligence
• New studios in their first 6 months where $0/month base is meaningful

Who Should Pick Mako

• Studios doing 900+ bookings/month where flat-rate pricing saves money
• Owner-operators who need MRR, LTV, and churn on a dashboard — not in a spreadsheet
• Studios with meaningful failed payment volume that want automated recovery, not manual follow-up
• Studios that want all retention automation native — not built with workarounds
• Studios planning to scale membership without their software cost scaling proportionally

Your wellness 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 CRM can't tell you whether your business is financially healthy, it's not doing its job. And in 2026, you have better options.

See Mako in action — no sales call required

Mako is built for independent studio and service-business owners who'd 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: https://app.makocrm.so/demo

Self-serve. Instant access. No forms, no calendars, no "talk to sales."