Agon vs Arketa

Agon is self-hosted studio management software for fitness studios, installed as a desktop application on a studio’s Mac or Windows computer. It covers schedules, client records, memberships, payments, check-in, and reports without requiring the studio to set up or maintain a server. Timetables support recurring classes and configurable booking windows. Clients can book through the mobile app, with automatic waitlist management and credit deduction. Profiles include booking history and membership tracking, with GDPR data tools. Membership types integrate with Stripe and include payment history. Check-in can use QR codes, manual entry, or the app; attendance, revenue, and retention reports can be exported to CSV. Agon says studio data stays in a local SQLite database on the user’s machine and that it does not store or access it. A secure tunnel lets mobile apps and remote devices reach the installation without directly exposing the database. The AI Assistant can use a Google Gemini or Groq key, or a local model. A free download includes all modules, with no subscription, account, or activation needed to run it.

Arketa provides fitness and wellness studio software for scheduling, payments, payroll, and business automations. Clients can book classes, appointments, and events, with waitlists and guest passes. The Individual plan includes class, private, and event scheduling, client management, an on-demand library, memberships and packages, and an embeddable booking widget. Higher-tier plans add features such as staff management, payroll reporting, email and text campaigns, automated workflows, lead management, and an AI-powered email builder. Studios can publish a branded app in the App Store and Google Play for clients to book, pay, and watch classes. Listed integrations include Google Calendar, Google Business, Facebook, ClassPass, Wellhub, Kisi, Mailchimp, and Zapier. Arketa targets businesses including yoga, Pilates, gyms, recovery, personal training, and massage, and says it supports operations from one to 100 locations. Individual costs $49 a month billed annually, plus a 3% Arketa transaction fee and Stripe fees. The stated U.S. Stripe card processing fee is 2.9% plus $0.30.