How Much Does Studio Management Software Really Cost in Australia?

2026 Australian pricing guide

$0 a month. $29 a month. $89 a month.

Three starting prices for studio management software in Australia.

But which one will actually cost your studio less?

The answer isn't necessarily the cheapest number.

Some platforms charge a fixed monthly subscription. Others charge when clients pay you. Some combine both, and additional features or payment-processing fees can change the final bill.

There's also something studio owners need to consider:

What happens to that cost when your studio grows? Has a great month? Or, on the flip side, a slow one?

The right pricing model isn't just about what your software costs today. It's about how that cost behaves as your business changes.

The price on the page isn't always the price you pay

The Australian Government recommends assessing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) when choosing digital business tools.[1]

In other words, don't just look at the subscription.

Look at everything you'll actually pay to use the software.

For a studio, that means considering:

• Subscriptions: The fixed monthly or annual cost.
• Transaction fees: Additional charges linked to payments or sales.
• Payment processing: What it costs to accept payments from clients.
• Features and extras: Anything you need that isn't included in the advertised plan.
• Switching costs: The time and expense involved in moving systems.

It's a useful distinction because studio software providers don't all make money the same way.

Here's a snapshot of publicly advertised Australian pricing.

Reviewed October 2026.

These aren't identical products or directly comparable fees.

But they demonstrate why the advertised monthly subscription isn't enough to determine what you'll pay.

And why understanding the pricing model matters.

What happens when your studio grows or slows down?

Imagine your studio has a particularly strong term.

Enrolments are up, classes are full and more payments are coming through.

Under a fixed subscription, your software fee may stay the same.

Under an uncapped percentage model, your fees can keep increasing alongside those payments.

Now imagine the opposite.

You take a break, reduce your timetable or have a quieter term.

Your fixed subscription may stay exactly where it was, even though your studio is processing less.

Percentage-based fees can decrease, provided fewer payments are processed.

Neither model is automatically better.

A fixed subscription offers predictability. A percentage-based model can offer flexibility.

But there's a third approach worth considering:

What if your software fee could decrease during quiet periods, without continuing to climb indefinitely when business is booming?

That's the thinking behind PassM8's growth fee, the best of both worlds.

Why PassM8 caps its growth fee

At PassM8, we don't think a studio's software bill should become increasingly expensive simply because the business is doing well.

But we also recognise that studios don't grow in a straight line.

There are busy terms, quiet terms, seasonal breaks and periods where owners intentionally choose to run fewer classes.

So we built our pricing around both situations.

PassM8's standard monthly pricing combines:

$29/month + 1.5% of successful transactions, with the growth fee capped at $130/month.

Here's what that looks like:

Illustrative monthly subscription and growth-fee calculations.

At A$4,000 in eligible monthly payments, the growth fee is A$60.

At around A$8,667, it reaches its A$130 cap.

After that, additional eligible payments don't increase the standard growth fee for that month.

The result is a model designed to work in both directions.

When your studio is quieter, PassM8's growth fee decreases. When your studio is thriving, PassM8's growth fee has a ceiling.

And you don't have to move between feature tiers to benefit from it.

PassM8 includes its software features in one pricing plan, rather than requiring an upgrade to access different functionality.

But the cheapest software isn't always the best value

A lower software bill means little if you're spending hours maintaining spreadsheets, chasing payments or moving information between disconnected systems.

That's another important part of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

The Australian Government recommends checking for overlapping subscriptions and choosing digital tools based on what your business actually needs.[1]

For studios, that might mean considering whether your software handles bookings, passes, payments, scheduling and communication in one place.

And before switching, ask what onboarding, migration and ongoing support actually involve.

The goal isn't simply to find the lowest price.

It's to find software that makes running your studio easier without costing more than the value it provides.

A better way to compare studio software

Before deciding, run the numbers for three scenarios:

A quiet month. A normal month. A great month.

Calculate the software subscription, transaction charges, processing fees and any extras you would actually need in each scenario.

Then ask yourself two things:

Is the cost manageable when business is quiet?

And does it still make sense when business is going exceptionally well?

Those answers are more valuable than any headline price.

See what PassM8 would cost your studio

PassM8 is Brisbane-based studio management software supporting dance, yoga, Pilates, fitness and martial arts businesses across Australia.

We publish our pricing because we believe studio owners should understand the costs before committing to a platform.

You can use our pricing calculator to estimate how PassM8 would work with your own numbers.

Or book a one-on-one demo to explore the software, understand the pricing and see whether it suits the way your studio operates.

Because good studio software should make running your business easier.

Its pricing shouldn't make it harder.

Frequently asked questions

Is studio software with no monthly subscription actually cheaper?

Not necessarily. Platforms without subscriptions may charge fees on individual transactions. Depending on how many payments your studio processes, these can cost more than a fixed subscription. Compare total monthly costs using your actual payment volume.

How much does PassM8 cost per month?

PassM8 starts at A$29 per month, plus a 1.5% growth fee on successful transactions, capped at A$130 monthly. That puts the standard subscription and growth fee at a maximum of A$159 per month, excluding separate payment-processing charges.

What happens to PassM8's pricing during a quiet month?

The $29 subscription stays the same, but the growth fee decreases when fewer eligible payments are processed. For example, $4,000 in eligible monthly payments results in a $60 growth fee, bringing standard software charges to $89 before processing fees.

Does PassM8 charge extra for features?

No additional feature tiers are advertised. PassM8 includes all its software features in its standard pricing, rather than requiring upgrades to unlock functionality. Payment-processing costs are separate, and applicable usage conditions still apply.

Is PassM8 an Australian studio management software provider?

Yes. PassM8 is based in Brisbane, Australia, and supports dance, yoga, Pilates, fitness and martial arts studios across the country. Its software brings together class scheduling, bookings, memberships, payments, communication and client management.

Sources & further reading

[1] Australian Government, Digital tools for business. Guidance on Total Cost of Ownership and evaluating digital tools.