The WellnessLiving alternative with no hidden fees
Tired of surprise processing fees, gated integrations, and an overwhelming platform? Punchpass gives you transparent pricing, higher ratings, and a simpler experience built for studios.
Punchpass vs WellnessLiving at a Glance
Punchpass
- ✓ 4.8/5 overall on Capterra with 177 reviews
- ✓ Zero hidden fees — connect your own Stripe account
- ✓ Mailchimp and MailerLite on all plans (from $59/mo)
- ✓ Unlimited staff members on every plan
- ✓ 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- ✓ Cancel anytime — no hassle, no persistent charges
WellnessLiving
- ✕ 4.4/5 on Capterra with 587 reviews
- ✕ Hidden processing fees: gateway, PCI, annual maintenance
- ✕ Mailchimp/Constant Contact gated behind $349/mo plan
- ✕ Starter plan limited to 1 staff member ($69/mo)
- ✕ No prominently offered free trial
- ✕ 24+ BBB complaints — billing and cancellation issues
Ratings from Capterra
Seven Reasons Studios Choose Punchpass Over WellnessLiving
No hidden payment processing fees — ever
WellnessLiving doesn't use Stripe. They route payments through third-party processors like Paragon and Argus, which charge monthly gateway fees ($16–27/mo), per-transaction fees ($0.11–0.32), an annual maintenance fee ($199/yr), and PCI compliance fees ($189/yr in the US). Users describe these fees as "borderline predatory." With Punchpass, you connect your own Stripe account and pay standard Stripe rates — we add zero markup.
Higher rated across every single category
Punchpass leads WellnessLiving on every Capterra sub-score: Ease of Use (4.8 vs 4.3), Customer Service (4.9 vs 4.3), Features (4.6 vs 4.3), and Value for Money (4.8 vs 4.3). That's not a gap in one area — it's a consistent pattern across 177 reviews.
Transparent pricing — what you see is what you pay
Punchpass plans are $59, $99, or $149 per month. That's it. No add-on fees for streaming, no extra charges for a website builder, no gateway fees, no annual maintenance charges. WellnessLiving's published prices ($69–349/mo) are just the starting point — when you add processing fees and add-ons, a Business plan can cost over $3,000 per year.
Email marketing integrations on every plan
Punchpass includes native Mailchimp and MailerLite integrations on all plans — starting at $59/mo. WellnessLiving gates Mailchimp and Constant Contact behind their BusinessPro plan at $349/mo. That means you'd pay nearly 6x more just to connect your email marketing tool.
Unlimited staff on every plan
Every Punchpass plan includes unlimited staff members and instructors. WellnessLiving's Starter plan ($69/mo) is limited to just 1 staff member — you need to upgrade to Business ($199/mo) for unlimited staff. That's a $140/mo jump just to add another staff member. How are you supposed to reduce your admin work if you can't even create a second staff login?
Support that actually picks up the phone
WellnessLiving users report phone support being increasingly replaced by AI assistance, with 4+ day waits for callbacks that sometimes never come. Their BBB profile has 24+ complaints, many about billing and cancellation issues. Punchpass is rated 4.9/5 for Customer Service on Capterra — and when you reach out, you talk to a real person who knows the product.
Built for studios, not for everything
WellnessLiving tries to serve gyms, spas, salons, martial arts studios, and more — and users say the platform "can feel overwhelming and not very user-friendly at times." Punchpass is purpose-built for independent class-based studios. It does scheduling, booking, passes, and memberships brilliantly — without the bloat.
Pricing: Punchpass vs WellnessLiving
WellnessLiving's published prices look reasonable — until you factor in the payment processing fees, add-on costs, and feature-gating that push the real cost much higher.
| Punchpass | WellnessLiving | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $59/mo | $69/mo (1 staff member only) |
| Mid-tier price | $99/mo | $199/mo |
| Top tier price | $149/mo | $349/mo (+ Enterprise at custom pricing) |
| Payment processing fees | Standard Stripe rates only | Gateway ($16–27/mo) + per-transaction + annual fees |
| Annual maintenance fee | $0 | $199/year |
| PCI compliance fee | $0 | $189/year (US) |
| Email marketing integrations | Mailchimp, MailerLite (all plans) | Mailchimp, Constant Contact (BusinessPro $349/mo only) |
| Staff members included | Unlimited (all plans) | 1 on Starter, unlimited on Business+ |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | Not prominently offered |
| Capterra rating | 4.8/5 (177 reviews) | 4.4/5 (587 reviews) |
The true annual cost: a side-by-side comparison
WellnessLiving's subscription price is just the start. Here's what a year actually costs when you include the payment processing fees that WellnessLiving's pricing page doesn't highlight:
Punchpass Banyan
- Subscription $99/mo × 12 = $1,188
- Gateway fees $0
- Annual maintenance $0
- PCI compliance $0
- Total annual cost $1,188/yr
WellnessLiving Business
- Subscription $199/mo × 12 = $2,388
- Gateway fees ~$20/mo × 12 = $240
- Annual maintenance $199
- PCI compliance (US) $189
- Total annual cost $3,016+/yr
* Does not include per-transaction fees ($0.11–0.32 each)
That's a difference of over $1,800 per year — before per-transaction fees.
Ready for transparent pricing?
Try Punchpass for 14 days, on us. No credit card required. No hidden fees, ever.
Is Punchpass right for your studio?
Punchpass is a great fit if you...
- ✓ Run an independent studio — yoga, Pilates, fitness, dance, or martial arts
- ✓ Want transparent pricing with no surprise fees or annual charges
- ✓ Need email marketing integrations without paying $349/mo
- ✓ Want a focused tool that does scheduling, booking, and passes really well
- ✓ Value responsive, personal support from a team that knows your name
WellnessLiving may be better if you...
- • Run a multi-service business (gym + spa + salon) that needs one platform for everything
- • Need built-in marketing automation, lead management, and drip campaigns
- • Want a points-based rewards and loyalty program built into the software
- • Need Google Reserve or ClassPass integrations for discovery
Switching is easier than you think
We've helped many studios migrate from WellnessLiving. The process is quick, painless, and completely free.
Start a free trial
Try Punchpass for 14 days alongside WellnessLiving. No credit card, no obligation.
We migrate your data
Send us your WellnessLiving exports and we'll upload your customers, passes, and memberships — usually within 24 hours.
You're up and running
Many studios launch while still in their trial. It's that straightforward.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Punchpass plans range from $59–149/mo with zero additional fees. You connect your own Stripe account and pay standard Stripe processing rates — we add nothing on top.
WellnessLiving's published prices ($69–349/mo) don't include payment processing fees, which add up significantly: monthly gateway fees ($16–27/mo), per-transaction fees ($0.11–0.32), annual maintenance ($199/yr), and PCI compliance fees ($189/yr in the US). A WellnessLiving Business plan at $199/mo can cost over $3,000/yr before transaction fees — compared to $1,188/yr for Punchpass Banyan at $99/mo.
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WellnessLiving doesn't use Stripe. They partner with regional third-party payment processors (Paragon, Argus, Nuvei, Paysafe, and others depending on your country), each with their own fee structures. These fees — gateway fees, PCI compliance fees, annual maintenance — are charged by the processor, not by WellnessLiving directly. But since WellnessLiving chose this architecture, the fees become part of your total cost.
Punchpass uses Stripe, which has simple, transparent per-transaction pricing with no monthly fees, no annual maintenance, and no PCI compliance charges for you to worry about.
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WellnessLiving frequently offers 80% off for the first 2 months — for example, Business at $39/mo or BusinessPro at $69/mo. Those are genuinely good prices. But after 2 months, you'll jump to the full price: $199/mo for Business or $349/mo for BusinessPro, plus all the payment processing fees.
Make sure you're comparing the full-price cost, not just the promotional period. Punchpass offers 50% off your first two months, but we're not nearly as aggressive about it — and the regular price is still dramatically lower than WellnessLiving's.
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Punchpass is month to month. No contracts, no commitments. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime — and you won't be billed again once your current month ends.
WellnessLiving also claims month-to-month billing, but multiple BBB complaints and user reviews report difficulties canceling, persistent charges after cancellation, and inability to remove payment information from the system.
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Absolutely. Start a free 14-day trial — no credit card required. You can run Punchpass alongside WellnessLiving to see how it works before making any changes.
Many studios get fully set up during the trial period. You can add classes, test customer bookings, and explore the reporting before you commit. WellnessLiving does not prominently offer a free trial.
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Punchpass takes a different approach: instead of building a marketing suite into the platform, we integrate natively with dedicated marketing tools — Mailchimp and MailerLite — on all plans. Your customer data syncs automatically, and you get the full power of a purpose-built email platform.
If you're using WellnessLiving's built-in email and SMS on the Business plan ($199/mo), you could get comparable email capabilities with Punchpass ($59–149/mo) plus a free Mailchimp or MailerLite plan — and likely save money overall.
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Yes. Punchpass has deep, native Zoom integration so you can run virtual or hybrid classes directly from your schedule. WellnessLiving also offers Zoom integration plus their proprietary FitLIVE streaming (up to 300 participants) — though FitLIVE is a paid add-on.
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WellnessLiving's points-based rewards program is a genuine feature Punchpass doesn't offer. If gamified loyalty is core to your retention strategy, that's worth considering.
Many Punchpass studios find that excellent class experiences, reliable booking, and personal communication drive retention more effectively than points systems — but it depends on your studio's approach.
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We've helped many studios migrate and we make it as painless as possible. If you can export your data from WellnessLiving, we can upload your customer information for you — and we don't charge for data migration.
We'll help you transfer customer information and any active passes or memberships. Most studios are up and running quickly, often while still in the free trial.
See how Punchpass can work for your studio
