Arketa vs WellnessLiving for Boutique Fitness Studios (2026)
An honest 2026 breakdown of Arketa and WellnessLiving for boutique fitness studios — pricing, features, and how Joya's AI Sales Agent layers on top of whichever you choose.
TL;DR
- Arketa — best for independent instructors and small boutiques that want simplicity and no lock-in
- WellnessLiving — best for studios that want marketing automation and reporting built in, at accessible pricing
- Neither solves after-hours lead response — that's where Joya comes in
Quick comparison
Side-by-side comparison
Arketa
Lightweight, flexible software with no lock-in
Starting price
Custom / flexible
Best for
- •Independent instructors and solo operators
- •Small boutique studios under 100 members
Pros
- No long-term lock-in
- Simple, easy-to-learn interface
- Competitive transaction fees
Cons
- Less feature-rich than full-suite platforms
- No built-in marketing automation
- Smaller ecosystem
WellnessLiving
Full-featured studio platform with strong support
Starting price
~$99/month
Best for
- •Studios wanting full features without enterprise pricing
- •Yoga and pilates studios that want marketing automation built in
Pros
- Significantly more feature depth than lightweight platforms
- Higher customer support ratings
- Full-featured: marketing, scheduling, reporting
Cons
- Pricing scales with features and volume
- More setup complexity than a lightweight platform
- Smaller brand recognition than category leaders
Make your choice
Who should pick what
APick Arketa if...
Pick Arketa if you are a small studio or independent instructor who wants core scheduling and payments without long-term commitments or enterprise overhead.
WPick WellnessLiving if...
Pick WellnessLiving if you want marketing automation, reporting, and a fuller feature set than Arketa, and are comfortable scaling pricing with usage.
Deep dive
Detailed comparison
Feature comparison
| Feature | Arketa | WellnessLiving |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Membership management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Marketing tools | No | ✓ |
| Reporting and analytics | No | ✓ |
| No lock-in contract | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transaction fees | ~2.9% | ~2.9% |
| Mobile member app | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing comparison
| Pricing | Arketa | WellnessLiving |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom / flexible | ~$99/month |
| Transaction fees | ~2.9% | ~2.9% |
| Contract | No lock-in | Flexible terms |
| Setup fees | Usually none | Varies |
Arketa
Lightweight, flexible software with no lock-in
Arketa is a lightweight, flexible studio management platform designed for boutique studios and independent instructors who want core scheduling and payments without enterprise complexity or long-term commitments.
Pros
- No long-term lock-in
- Simple, easy-to-learn interface
- Competitive transaction fees
- Fast to get started
Cons
- Less feature-rich than full-suite platforms
- No built-in marketing automation
- Smaller ecosystem
- Less suited for studios needing deep reporting
Pricing
Custom pricing with no long-term lock-in. Transaction fees from around 2.9%.
Best for
- •Independent instructors and solo operators
- •Small boutique studios under 100 members
- •Studios that want flexibility over features
WellnessLiving
Full-featured studio platform with strong support
WellnessLiving is a full-featured studio management platform offering scheduling, memberships, marketing, and reporting at accessible pricing. It is consistently rated higher than larger incumbents for customer support and offers more feature depth than lightweight platforms like Arketa.
Pros
- Significantly more feature depth than lightweight platforms
- Higher customer support ratings
- Full-featured: marketing, scheduling, reporting
- Flexible contract terms
Cons
- Pricing scales with features and volume
- More setup complexity than a lightweight platform
- Smaller brand recognition than category leaders
- Marketing tools require some onboarding time
Pricing
Starts around $99/month, scaling with features and volume. Payment processing around 2.9%.
Best for
- •Studios wanting full features without enterprise pricing
- •Yoga and pilates studios that want marketing automation built in
- •Studios that prioritize support quality
Grow with FitJoy
Whichever you pick, FitJoy.ai works on top
You don't need to switch CRMs to grow your studio. FitJoy layers on top of Arketa and WellnessLiving.
Joya - AI Sales Agent by FitJoy.ai
Joya integrates with Arketa and WellnessLiving. It handles new lead follow-up, win-back sequences, review funnels, and website chat - automatically, on the platform you already use.
FitJoy Done-For-You Services
Not ready to DIY? FitJoy's services team handles Local SEO, Review Management, and Website Development for boutique fitness studios - on top of whichever CRM you run.
Common questions
FAQ
Pick your CRM. Add FitJoy. Book a demo.
Joya AI Sales Agent and FitJoy's Done-For-You Services work on top of Arketa, WellnessLiving, and most other fitness platforms.