This is how most coaches start. Pick the best tool for each job and connect them.
The Minimum Viable Stack
| Tool | Purpose | Free Tier | Paid Tier |
|---|
| Google Calendar | Scheduling | Free | Free |
| Zoom | Video calls | Free (40-min limit) | $13/mo (Pro) |
| PayPal / Venmo | Payments | Free (2.9% + $0.30) | Free (2.9% + $0.30) |
| Google Docs | Notes | Free | Free |
| Email | Communication | Free | Free |
Monthly cost: $0-13/month plus payment processing fees.
This works for the first 5-10 clients. But it breaks down quickly:
- Manual scheduling back-and-forth wastes 2-5 hours/month
- No automatic reminders (leads to no-shows)
- No session recordings unless you manually hit record
- No client portal or professional booking page
- Payments are awkward ("Venmo me before the call")
The Professional DIY Stack
| Tool | Purpose | Monthly Cost |
|---|
| Calendly Standard | Scheduling + payments | $10/month |
| Zoom Pro | Video (no time limit, recording) | $13/month |
| Stripe | Payment processing | 2.9% + $0.30/txn |
| Notion or Google Docs | Session notes | $0-10/month |
| Mailchimp or ConvertKit | Email follow-ups | $0-25/month |
Monthly cost: $23-58/month plus payment processing fees.
This is more professional but requires managing 4-5 tools:
- Separate logins and billing for each tool
- Integration points that can break
- Client information scattered across platforms
- Recording files stored on Zoom (separate from scheduling and notes)
- Time spent on admin instead of coaching
Advanced DIY Stack
| Tool | Purpose | Monthly Cost |
|---|
| Acuity Scheduling | Scheduling + intake forms + payments | $16-27/month |
| Zoom Business | Video + cloud recording + transcription | $22/month |
| Stripe | Payment processing | 2.9% + $0.30/txn |
| Dubsado or HoneyBook | CRM + contracts + invoicing | $20-40/month |
| Otter.ai | AI transcription + notes | $17/month |
Monthly cost: $75-106/month plus payment processing fees.
This is a premium stack with good capabilities, but you are managing 5 tools with 5 subscriptions. For a full breakdown on Acuity specifically, see our Acuity Scheduling pricing guide.
These platforms are built specifically for coaches and include scheduling, client management, and session tools.
Practice
Practice (formerly Practice Better for non-health coaches) is a coaching-specific platform with scheduling, client portals, contracts, invoicing, and session notes.
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|
| Basic | $50/month | Scheduling, 5 active clients, basic features |
| Professional | $75/month | Unlimited clients, packages, contracts, invoicing |
| Teams | Custom | Multi-coach support, admin |
What is included: Scheduling, client portal, contracts, invoicing, session notes, packages, automations.
What is not included: Built-in video (uses Zoom integration), session recording, AI summaries, digital product sales.
True cost with video: $50-75/month (Practice) + $13/month (Zoom) = $63-88/month
CoachAccountable
CoachAccountable is one of the oldest coaching platforms, focused on accountability tracking, action items, and client progress.
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|
| Starter | $20/month | 2 clients |
| Level 1 | $40/month | 5 clients |
| Level 2 | $60/month | 10 clients |
| Level 3 | $80/month | 20 clients |
| Level 4 | $120/month | 50 clients |
What is included: Scheduling, action tracking, worksheets, client portal, session notes, goals tracking, metrics.
What is not included: Built-in video, session recording, AI features, digital product sales.
True cost with video: $20-120/month (CoachAccountable) + $13/month (Zoom) = $33-133/month
Paperbell
Paperbell is a coaching platform focused on simplifying the business side: packages, scheduling, contracts, and payments.
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 client |
| Coach | $50/month | Unlimited clients, packages, scheduling |
| Pro | $80/month | Custom branding, multiple coaches, advanced features |
What is included: Scheduling, packages, contracts, payments (Stripe), client portal, session notes.
What is not included: Built-in video, session recording, AI features, digital product sales, group sessions beyond basic.
True cost with video: $50-80/month (Paperbell) + $13/month (Zoom) = $63-93/month
Coaching Platforms Comparison
| Platform | Starting Price | Max Price | Built-in Video | Recording | AI Features |
|---|
| Practice | $50/mo | $75+/mo | No | No | No |
| CoachAccountable | $20/mo | $120/mo | No | No | No |
| Paperbell | $0 (1 client) | $80/mo |
Notice the pattern: none of these coaching platforms include built-in video. Every single one requires a Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams subscription on top of the platform fee.
These platforms try to do everything: scheduling, content, courses, memberships, and email marketing.
Kajabi
| Plan | Price | Coaching-Relevant Features |
|---|
| Basic | $149/month | Courses, memberships, email, landing pages |
| Growth | $199/month | + advanced automations, affiliate program |
| Pro | $399/month | + multiple sites, advanced features |
What is included: Courses, memberships, email marketing, landing pages, community, podcast hosting.
What is not included: Built-in video calls, session scheduling (as a core feature), session recording, coaching-specific tools.
Verdict: Kajabi is powerful for courses and memberships but is overkill (and overpriced) for coaching sessions. It does not include live video calls.
Teachable
| Plan | Price | Coaching-Relevant Features |
|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 course, basic features, 10% + $1/txn |
| Basic | $39/month | 5 courses, 5% transaction fee |
| Pro | $119/month | Unlimited courses, 0% transaction fee |
| Enterprise | $499/month | Advanced features, priority support |
What is included: Course builder, coaching product type, basic scheduling.
What is not included: Built-in video calls, session recording, AI features.
Verdict: Teachable added a "coaching" product type but it is essentially a scheduled Zoom link. Not a coaching platform.
Talkspresso takes a different pricing approach: no monthly fee, with a percentage on paid transactions.
| Feature | Cost |
|---|
| Monthly subscription | $0 |
| Scheduling | Included |
| Built-in HD video | Included |
| Payment collection | Included |
| Automatic recording | Included |
| AI summaries and notes | Included |
| Client management | Included |
|
True cost by revenue level:
| Monthly Revenue | Talkspresso Cost | Practice + Zoom | CoachAccountable + Zoom | DIY Stack |
|---|
| $0 | $0 | $63 | $33 | $23 |
| $500 | $50 | $63 | $33 | $23 + fees |
| $1,000 | $100 | $63 | $33 | $23 + fees |
| $2,000 | $200 |
The break-even point: Talkspresso costs less than alternatives up to about $600-900/month in revenue (depending on which alternative you compare). Above that, fixed-price platforms cost less in raw dollars.
But the comparison is not just dollars. Talkspresso includes built-in HD video, automatic recording, and AI summaries that none of the other platforms offer at any price. Adding those features to other platforms costs an additional $28-45/month.
The Real Cost: Time
Dollar costs are easy to compare. Time costs are harder but often more significant.
Managing a 4-tool stack:
- Setting up integrations: 2-4 hours initially
- Troubleshooting broken integrations: 1-2 hours/month
- Managing billing for 4 subscriptions: 30 min/month
- Switching between tools during sessions: adds friction to every call
- Manually organizing recordings, notes, and client info: 2-3 hours/month
- Total admin overhead: 4-6 hours/month
Using an all-in-one platform (Talkspresso or a coaching platform):
- Setup: 1-2 hours initially
- Ongoing admin: 30-60 min/month
- Everything in one place, nothing to integrate
- Total admin overhead: 0.5-1 hour/month
If your coaching rate is $150/hour, 5 hours of admin time costs you $750/month in opportunity cost. That makes the "expensive" all-in-one platform look much cheaper.
What Coaching Software Should Actually Include
Based on what working coaches actually need, here is the essential feature set:
Must-have:
- Scheduling with availability management
- Payment collection at time of booking
- Video conferencing (built-in or integrated)
- Automatic reminders to reduce no-shows
- Client management (session history, notes)
- Professional booking page
Nice-to-have:
- Session recording (automatic)
- AI summaries and action items
- Intake forms and pre-session questionnaires
- Group session support
- Digital product sales
- Workshop hosting
Rarely needed:
- Course builder
- Email marketing (use a dedicated tool)
- Membership gating
- CRM with sales pipeline
- Contract management (use DocuSign or HelloSign)
How to Choose Based on Your Stage
Just starting out (0-5 clients)
Use free tools. Google Calendar + Zoom free tier + PayPal. Spend $0/month. Focus on getting clients, not perfecting your tech stack.
Or start with Talkspresso (also $0/month) and have scheduling, video, and payments ready from day one. The 10% fee only matters when you start earning.
Growing (5-15 clients)
You need real scheduling (stop the back-and-forth emails). You need payment collection at booking (stop chasing invoices). You need a professional booking page.
Options:
- Budget: Cal.com (free) + Zoom ($13/month) = $13/month
- Mid-range: Paperbell ($50/month) + Zoom ($13/month) = $63/month
- All-in-one: Talkspresso ($0/month + 10%) = pay as you go
Established (15+ clients)
You need client management, session history, intake forms, and possibly group sessions or workshops. Admin time is your biggest cost.
Options:
- Coaching-specific: Practice ($75/month) + Zoom ($13/month) + recording tool ($15/month) = $103/month
- All-in-one: Talkspresso ($0/month + 10%). At 20 clients paying $150/session monthly, that is $300/month but with zero additional tools.
Scaling (30+ clients, building a team)
You may need team scheduling, multiple coaches, and enterprise features. This is where Calendly Teams, Practice Teams, or custom solutions make sense.
Options:
- Team scheduling: Calendly Teams ($16/user/month) + Zoom Business ($22/month) = $38+/month per coach
- Coaching platform: Practice Teams (custom pricing)
The Bottom Line
Coaching software costs anywhere from $0 to $400+/month depending on your approach:
| Approach | Monthly Cost | Includes Video? | Includes Recording? |
|---|
| Free DIY | $0 | Free Zoom (40-min limit) | No |
| Basic DIY | $23-58 | Zoom Pro ($13) | Manual only |
| Advanced DIY | $75-106 | Zoom Business ($22) | Separate tool |
| Coaching Platform | $33-133 | No (add $13 for Zoom) |
The cheapest path is free tools. The most complete fixed-price path is a coaching platform plus Zoom. The most integrated path is Talkspresso, where everything is included and you pay only when you earn.
For most coaches, the right choice depends on revenue level. Below $1,000/month, Talkspresso's pay-as-you-go model costs less than monthly subscriptions. Above $2,000/month, fixed-price tools cost less in raw dollars but require more admin work.
The best coaching software is the one that lets you spend your time coaching, not managing tools. Choose accordingly.
For more on pricing your sessions to cover your software costs (and much more), see our guides on setting rates as a new coach and how much money you can make with paid video calls.
For a full breakdown, see our 9 best platforms for paid video calls or read how creators sell paid video calls to their followers.
For a full breakdown, see our 9 best platforms for paid video calls or read how creators sell paid video calls to their followers.
Try Talkspresso free (no monthly fee, no credit card) →
