Shinnpad vs Trio
Shinnpad
shinnpad.com
Trio
musicaltrio.comSide by side
| Figure | Shinnpad | Trio |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $8.99/mo | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 3 |
| Spec score · Music School Software | 8.4 (#4) | 7.3 (#16) |
| Spec score · Music Lesson Scheduling Software | 8.4 (#5) | 7.3 (#21) |
| Intended users | The maker describes Shinnpad as built for independent music teachers and says Studio Admin serves music directors, non-profits, and organizers running multiple studios. | Trio is designed for music teachers and studios, with an Enterprise option described for schools, conservatories, and franchises with 15 or more teachers or multiple locations. |
| Privacy | The privacy policy says Shinnpad does not sell personal or studio data, does not use third-party advertising, and stores and processes data in the United States. | Trio says it does not sell personal information and that AI requests are sent with OpenRouter zero-data-retention and no-training settings. |
| Purpose | Shinnpad provides lesson management for independent music teachers, including scheduling, rosters, payments, a parent portal, and bookkeeping and tax tools. | Trio helps music teachers schedule lessons, bill families, track student learning, and provide families with a portal for schedules, invoices, and practice assignments. |
| Support | Support is available through in-app Settings or by email; typical replies take 2–3 business days, while Studio Max includes priority support with a one-business-day reply aim. | 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
Shinnpad
- StudioFree
- Studio Pro$8.99 a month
- Studio Max$17.99 a month
- Studio Admin$19 a month
In their own words
Shinnpad
Shinnpad is web-based lesson-management software for independent music teachers. It combines scheduling, student rosters, payments, a parent portal, bookkeeping, and tax-report preparation. Teachers can create rotating A/B or red/green campus days, with schedules shifting around holidays, breaks, and days off. The free Studio plan is always free for up to 10 students and includes manual payment tracking, a read-only parent portal, a public studio site, and manual bookkeeping tools. Studio Pro costs $8.99/mo or $89.99/yr and adds unlimited students, Stripe card payments and autopay, automatic mileage, calendar sync, Schedule C export, and an email suite. Studio Max costs $17.99/mo or $169/yr and adds receipt scanning, an AI deduction finder, an AI year-end tax report, and priority support. Studio Admin costs $19/mo plus $7 for each additional studio. Shinnpad tracks mileage, expenses, and income, but does not file taxes or provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. Records can be exported to spreadsheets.
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.