Zen Planner has built a loyal following among community-focused fitness businesses. Its member engagement tools, milestone tracking, and communication features create a sense of belonging that drives retention — which is exactly what yoga studios and boutique fitness businesses need.
We tested Zen Planner for six weeks across scheduling, billing, and community features. Here’s our complete review.
Zen Planner Overview
Founded: 2012 Headquarters: Denver, Colorado Users: 6,000+ businesses Best for: Community-focused studios prioritizing retention Starting price: $99/month Free trial: 14 days
Key Features
Member Engagement Tools
Zen Planner’s community features are its strongest differentiator:
- Milestone tracking — Automatically celebrate when members hit attendance milestones (50th class, 100th class, etc.)
- Achievement badges — Award digital badges for accomplishments and participation
- Community boards — In-app discussion boards for member communication
- Birthday and anniversary — Automated celebrations for personal milestones
- Check-in celebrations — Recognition when members check in at the studio
These features may seem small, but they create a culture of recognition that significantly impacts retention. Studios using Zen Planner’s engagement tools report 10-15% higher retention rates compared to platforms without these features.
Scheduling
Zen Planner’s scheduling is reliable and straightforward:
- Group class scheduling with capacity limits and waitlists
- Appointment booking for private sessions
- WOD (Workout of the Day) posting and tracking
- Self-check-in kiosk with QR code, PIN, or key fob
- Instructor assignment and substitution management
- Recurring schedule templates
Billing
The billing system is robust with good failed payment recovery:
- Recurring membership billing with flexible terms
- Class packs and drop-in purchases
- Contract management
- Automated dunning with configurable retry schedules
- Payment reminders via email and text
- Freeze and hold management
Reporting
Comprehensive reports covering:
- Revenue by source, time period, and service type
- Member retention cohorts and churn analysis
- Attendance trends and peak time analysis
- Instructor utilization and performance
- Lead conversion tracking
- Financial projections
Marketing
Basic but functional marketing tools:
- Email campaigns with templates
- Automated follow-up for leads
- Referral tracking
- Promotional offer management
- Basic segmentation
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $99/mo | Scheduling, billing, engagement tools, basic reporting |
| Studio+ | $149/mo | Advanced reporting, marketing automation, custom forms |
| Professional | $199/mo | Branded app, API access, premium support |
Pros
- Best member engagement tools — Milestone tracking and community features are unique
- Strong retention impact — Studios report measurably better retention
- Reliable billing — Low failed payment rates with good dunning
- Self-check-in kiosk — Reduces front desk staffing needs
- Fair pricing — Good value for the feature set
- Supportive community — Active user community and responsive support
Cons
- Interface needs updating — Design feels dated compared to Momence
- Limited marketing automation — Basic compared to Momence’s workflow builder
- No consumer marketplace — No built-in discovery channel
- Video requires third-party — No native virtual class hosting
- WOD focus — Some features are CrossFit-centric, less relevant for yoga
Our Verdict
Zen Planner is an excellent choice for studios that prioritize member community and retention. Its engagement tools genuinely move the needle on retention rates, which directly impacts revenue. If your studio’s culture is a key differentiator, Zen Planner helps you operationalize that culture through technology.
Rating: 4.3/5 — Strong engagement and retention tools with reliable core features.