CogNote vs Trio
CogNote
cognote.studio
Trio
musicaltrio.comSide by side
| Figure | CogNote | Trio |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5/mo | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 3 | 3 |
| Spec score · Music School Software | 9.2 (#2) | 7.3 (#16) |
| Spec score · Music Lesson Scheduling Software | 9.2 (#2) | 7.3 (#21) |
| Billing | CogNote can generate invoices from attendance and billing policies, email PDF invoices, record payment and export payment CSV files. | Trio supports itemized family invoices, card and bank payments, autopay, and payment processing through Stripe; online payments require Pro or Max. |
| Scheduling | It supports recurring weekly lessons and one-tap attendance while preserving local lesson times across daylight-saving changes. | Features include recurring and group lessons, family self-booking, makeup credits, and calendar feeds for Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook. |
| Support | The hosting page directs product questions to [email protected]. | Free includes the help center and Ask Trio; Pro includes ticket support with a one-business-day target, and Max includes priority support with a four-hour target. |
Plans
In their own words
CogNote
CogNote is an open-source studio management suite for private music teachers, combining lesson scheduling, attendance, family communication, student progress tracking, quizzes, and flashcards. Teachers can schedule recurring weekly lessons and record attendance with one tap; cancellation windows, banked credits, and credit expiry are configurable studio settings. Families can use a private link to see schedules, practice links, and notes without logging in, and teachers can email lesson notes. Progress views include skill radar charts, trend lines, attendance, and per-note quiz analytics. Students can start practice from a link without an account, using note and symbol quizzes with instant feedback or SM-2 spaced-repetition flashcards. Notation appears on a staff with clefs, key signatures, and more than 40 musical symbols. CogNote is MIT-licensed, supports data export, and can be self-hosted. Hosted Free has soft caps of five active students, five practice lessons, and five sheet music items; Hosted Pro costs $5 a month and includes a 30-day trial for new accounts. Self-hosting is free but requires running the stack, including Docker or Supabase, email, and backups.
Trio
Trio is a web service for music teachers and studios to manage scheduling, billing, student learning, and family communication. Teachers can create recurring or group lessons, allow family self-booking, manage makeup credits, and publish calendar feeds for Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook. Families receive a portal for schedules, invoices, and practice assignments. Billing supports itemized invoices, card and bank payments, autopay, and Stripe processing; online payments require Pro or Max. Students can use assignments, streaks, badges, reminders, practice-video uploads, and a repertoire library. AI features compile lesson notes, answer questions through Ask Trio, draft messages, and import library material; teachers approve generated notes before saving. Max adds MCP connections for external AI assistants. Trio says it uses encryption, access controls, audit logs, and several sign-in methods. Plans are Free, Pro at $5 per month, and Max at $20 per month.