Who's In vs Arketa
Arketa is a modern, well-designed booking platform for boutique studios — but it's $99–$249/mo. Who's In Studio delivers the core feature set (class scheduling, waitlists, client self-booking, QR check-in, memberships) from just $15.83/mo.
All features included · No credit card required
By Craig Pollard, Founder & CEO · Reviewed July 2026
Last updated: July 2026
Who's In
From $15.83/mo • No per-member fees
- Multi-room class scheduling from $15.83/mo
- Client self-booking with no guest accounts required
- Automatic waitlist with WhatsApp notifications
- Instructor profiles with public pages
- Apple & Google Wallet passes for class bookings
- Real-time QR check-in scanner with offline queue
- No platform fees on member payments
Arketa
Modern UX • Yoga-focused • Premium
- Beautiful, modern interface built for boutique studios
- Strong marketing suite and client retention tools
- Recurring-revenue focus with retention automations
- $99–$249/mo (as of April 2026, subject to change)
- Transaction fees apply on some plans
- Branded app requires higher tier
- Overkill for small or single-room studios
- Steeper learning curve than Who's In
Arketa is Premium.
Who's In is Affordable.
Arketa is a well-crafted, design-forward booking platform aimed at boutique studios willing to pay $99–$249/mo for polish and marketing automation. For growing studios with dedicated staff and a marketing budget, it's a strong choice.
Who's In Studio is purpose-built for independent and community studios that need the core job — scheduling, booking, waitlists, memberships, QR check-in — without the premium price. Same job-to-be-done, 6–16× cheaper.
💰 Arketa starts at $99/mo. Who's In Studio starts at $15.83/mo — no platform fees on member payments.
What Arketa Charges $99+/mo For
- • Class scheduling & capacity management
- • Client booking & waitlists
- • Memberships & class packs
- • Marketing & retention automation suite
- • Branded booking page
- • QR check-in & attendance tracking
- • Instructor management
- • Staff payroll & commission tracking
- • Retail inventory (top tiers)
Who's In Studio: The Core Set at a Fraction
- Multi-room class scheduling — from $15.83/mo
- Client self-booking — no guest accounts needed
- Automatic waitlist with WhatsApp notifications
- Instructor profiles with public booking pages
- Apple & Google Wallet passes
- Industrial-grade QR check-in with offline queue
- Memberships, class packs, drop-ins
- Studio analytics, revenue dashboard, no-show policy
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Who's In | Arketa |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $15.83/mo (annual) or $19/mo (monthly) | $99/mo (as of April 2026) |
| Highest Tier | $40.83/mo annual or $49/mo monthly | $249+/mo |
| Transaction Fee on Member Payments | No platform fees | Varies by plan |
| Setup Time | Minutes | Days |
| Guest Account Required | No — self-booking | Yes |
| Multi-Room Scheduling | Included | Included |
| Automatic Waitlist | Included + WhatsApp alerts | Included |
| Instructor Public Profiles | Included | Included (higher tiers) |
| Memberships & Class Packs | Included | Included |
| QR Check-In Scanner | Included — offline queue, duplicate-scan guard | Included |
| Apple & Google Wallet Passes | Included | Limited |
| Branded Booking Page | Included on Growth ($40.83/mo) | Included (higher tiers) |
| Branded Mobile App | PWA — included | Paid add-on |
| Marketing Automation Suite | Core retention emails only | Advanced suite |
| Staff Payroll / Commissions | No | Included (higher tiers) |
| Retail / Inventory | No | Yes (top tier) |
| WhatsApp Sharing & Alerts | Native | Limited |
| Contract Required | No — month-to-month | Annual preferred |
| Event Photo Album | Up to 10 images with lightbox, free | Limited |
| Downloadable Documents (PDF/Office/iWork) | Up to 3 files per event, free | No |
Who's In is Perfect For
Independent Yoga Studios
Full feature set without the $99+/mo premium
Boutique Pilates Studios
Reformer + mat scheduling with capacity limits
Dance Studios
Class packs and drop-in management
Martial Arts Dojos
Belt-level classes with waitlists
CrossFit & Bootcamps
Community fitness with strict capacity
Wellness & Meditation
Small-group sessions with retention tools
Need advanced marketing automation, retail POS, and staff payroll in one tool? Arketa excels there. Need affordable, focused studio software that handles the core job beautifully? That's Who's In Studio.
What Organizers Say on Trustpilot
"Oui, c'était parfait pour mon studio à Lyon, et le rapport qualité-prix est excellent. Merci."
Frederic
Studio in Lyon, France · Trustpilot review
"Finally, an App that takes out all the stress of organising classes and events."
Consumer
Classes & events · Trustpilot review
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Who's In Studio a good Arketa alternative?▼
Yes, particularly for independent and community studios. Who's In Studio offers multi-room scheduling, instructor profiles with public pages, automatic waitlists with WhatsApp alerts, memberships, class packs, QR check-in, and a branded booking page — all from $15.83/mo with no platform fees on member payments. It's the right fit for studios that don't need Arketa's advanced marketing automation or retail POS.
How much does Arketa cost vs Who's In Studio?▼
Arketa starts at $99/mo and ranges up to $249/mo for higher tiers. Who's In Studio starts at $15.83/mo (Starter, annual) and tops out at $40.83/mo (Growth, annual) or $19–49/mo on monthly billing. No platform fees on member payments. (Arketa pricing as of April 2026, subject to change.)
Can I migrate from Arketa to Who's In Studio?▼
Yes. Export your class schedule, members, and class-pack balances from Arketa as CSV, then import via the Who's In Studio onboarding wizard. Your members don't need a new account — they book via your new studio page at /s/:your-slug with no signup friction.
What does Who's In Studio NOT include that Arketa does?▼
Who's In Studio focuses on the core booking job and deliberately skips three things Arketa includes: (1) advanced multi-step marketing automation suites, (2) staff payroll and commission tracking, and (3) retail POS / inventory management. If those three are essential to your studio, Arketa (or Mindbody) is the better fit. If not, you're paying $80+/mo extra for features you don't use.
Does Who's In Studio have a branded app?▼
Yes — Who's In Studio is a Progressive Web App (PWA), so members install it to their home screen in one tap without visiting an app store. It works offline, syncs in the background, and looks native on iOS and Android. No Apple Developer account required, no $200+/mo branded-app add-on like Arketa's top tier.
Can my clients book without an account?▼
Yes. Who's In Studio is the only major boutique-studio platform that allows one-tap booking without a guest account or password. Clients receive a link, tap to confirm, and they're booked. This removes the biggest friction point in class booking and typically lifts conversion by 15–25% versus Arketa's account-required flow.
Get Arketa-Class Features at 1/6 the Price
From $15.83/mo — join studios that switched to Who's In Studio and kept the margin.
From $15.83/mo • No setup fees • No platform fees · All features included