Trainerize vs Kahunas: the honest comparison.
Trainerize (also branded ABC Trainerize) is one of the most established workout-first coaching platforms, with a deep exercise library and a tiered plan that scales by client count. Kahunas is a newer, app-led coaching platform that bundles a fully branded iOS and Android app into a single top tier and takes no commission on your sales. Both are real, capable tools, and the right pick comes down to fit, not winners and losers. This is a fair, fact-checked side-by-side, and the short version with the full table is right below.
By Markus Evers · Updated June 2026
How this comparison is made: we check every competitor's pricing and features against their live websites and re-verify them on a recurring basis. Coachway is our product - we flag it where it appears, we credit real competitor strengths, and we say who each platform fits better than us. Browse all platform comparisons.
the short version
Pick Trainerize if your coaching is workout-first, your clients are English-speaking and largely in North America, and you want one of the deepest exercise libraries in the category, with a free entry tier and a 30-day no-card trial to test it. Its tiered pricing scales by client count, and Stripe, the branded app, and advanced nutrition are separate add-ons. Pick Kahunas if you want a fully branded iOS and Android app in one bundled tier, payments via Stripe or PayPal with no commission taken, and flat pricing that includes unlimited clients at the top tier rather than charging per head. Trainerize wins on workout-library depth and a low starting price; Kahunas wins on a bundled white-label app and commission-free payments. The full side-by-side is below.
Trainerize vs Kahunas, side by side.
| Trainerize | Kahunas | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Workout-led coaches in North America who want a deep training library | Coaches who want a branded app and commission-free payments in a flat tier |
| Pricing model | Tiered by client count: Grow USD 9/mo, Pro 5-200 from USD 23/mo, Studio Plus USD 248/mo per location | Three flat tiers: Essentials USD 35/mo, Growth USD 69/mo, Ultimate USD 99/mo (annual saves 25%) |
| Entry / free option | Free Basic tier (1 client); 30-day trial, no credit card | No free tier; 14-day free trial |
| Branded client app | USD 169 one-time add-on on Pro; included on Studio | Branded iOS and Android app included on Ultimate (USD 99/mo) |
| Payments | Stripe add-on USD 10/mo on Grow and Pro; included on Studio | Stripe or PayPal; states no commission on your sales |
| Nutrition | Basic included; advanced nutrition USD 20-45/mo add-on | Large food-tracking database (1.6M foods) with macro and micro tracking |
| Language | English; the vendor states the app is available only in English | English-first; site and help center are in English |
| Origin | North American (Vancouver, Canada) | UK and European fitness market focus (exact HQ not published) |
Pricing and features change. Verify the current plan structure and add-on costs on each vendor's own pricing page before you commit. For a deeper look at each tool on its own, see our full Trainerize review, the Trainerize pricing breakdown, our Kahunas review, and the Kahunas pricing breakdown. For the wider field beyond these two, see our ranked list of the best online coaching platforms for fitness coaches.
A deep workout-first platform vs an app-led, commission-free one.
It is worth being honest from the start: both of these are genuinely capable tools, and this is not a teardown of either. Trainerize is one of the most established names in the category, with years of polish behind it and one of the largest exercise libraries any coaching platform offers. Kahunas is a newer entrant that has leaned hard into two things coaches ask for often: a fully branded app on the stores under your own name, and payments that do not take a cut of your sales. On the core checklist they overlap more than they look at first glance: both have a workout builder, a client mobile app, nutrition tracking, check-ins, in-app messaging, and payments. The real difference is how each one packages those pieces and who it is built for.
Trainerize prices by client count and treats Stripe, the branded app, and advanced nutrition as add-ons you layer on as you grow, which keeps the entry point low (a free tier and a USD 9/mo Grow plan) but means the white-label app and payments cost extra until you reach the top Studio tier. Kahunas keeps fewer tiers and folds the branded iOS and Android app into its Ultimate plan, with unlimited clients at that tier and no commission on payments through Stripe or PayPal. So the trade tends to be: Trainerize for the deepest training tooling and the cheapest way in, Kahunas for a bundled branded app and commission-free billing without scaling your bill by every new client. For the full feature checklist behind these criteria, our online coaching platform guide walks through the entire stack.
where trainerize wins
Trainerize
Trainerize has real, concrete strengths, and there are coaches for whom it is the obvious choice. Its biggest asset is the workout library: the exercise library and program builder are mature, developed over many years, and that depth is hard to replicate. The entry point is genuinely low, with a free Basic tier for a single client and a Grow plan at USD 9/mo for up to 2 clients, so a coach can test the workflow before paying much at all, and there is a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. The North American ecosystem around it is established, with a Zapier integration and a familiar presence for coaches and clients in that market. Stripe payments (a USD 10/mo add-on on Grow and Pro) and the custom branded app (a USD 169 one-time fee on Pro, included on Studio) give a clear upgrade path. If you are a workout-led coach with English-speaking clients, it is hard to beat on the training side.
Choose Trainerize if: your coaching is primarily training programming, your clients are English-speaking, you want one of the deepest exercise libraries in the category, the lowest cost to start, and you are comfortable adding Stripe, the branded app, and advanced nutrition as separate line items as you scale. None of this is a weakness in Kahunas, it is simply a different design target.
where kahunas wins
Kahunas
Kahunas leans into the two things that often push a coach to upgrade, and bundles them in rather than charging them as add-ons. The headline is the branded app: on the Ultimate tier (USD 99/mo) you get a fully branded iOS and Android app with your own App Store and Play Store listings, included in the subscription rather than billed separately. Payments are the other strength: Kahunas supports both Stripe and PayPal and states it takes no commission on your sales, so the billing relationship stays yours. Its pricing is flat and easy to reason about, with three tiers (Essentials USD 35/mo for up to 25 clients, Growth USD 69/mo for up to 50, Ultimate USD 99/mo for unlimited clients) and annual billing saving 25%, so a growing client base does not keep pushing your bill up per head. On the product side it markets a large food-tracking database (1.6 million verified foods, plus barcodes and restaurant items) with macro and micronutrient tracking, 1,000+ exercise videos, check-ins, progress photos, content drip, and in-app messaging, and there is a 14-day free trial to test it.
Choose Kahunas if: a fully branded app on the stores under your own name is a priority, you want payments through Stripe or PayPal with no commission taken, and you prefer flat pricing that includes unlimited clients at the top tier over scaling by client count. If your need is the deepest workout library or the lowest possible entry price, Trainerize may serve you better.
Which should you choose?
The decision really comes down to four questions: is training programming the heart of the job, how many clients will you carry, do you want a branded app bundled or as an add-on, and how do you want to be paid? Here is the fair way to land it.
- Your coaching is primarily training programming and you want the deepest library. Trainerize. Its exercise library and program builder are among the most mature in the category, and the free tier plus 30-day no-card trial make it easy to test.
- You want the lowest cost to start. Trainerize. A free Basic tier (1 client) and a USD 9/mo Grow plan give the cheapest way in; Kahunas starts at USD 35/mo for up to 25 clients with no free tier.
- You want a fully branded iOS and Android app without a separate fee. Kahunas. The branded app is bundled into the Ultimate tier (USD 99/mo); on Trainerize it is a USD 169 one-time add-on on Pro, included only on Studio.
- You want commission-free payments and a choice of Stripe or PayPal. Kahunas. It supports both and states it takes no commission; on Trainerize, integrated Stripe is a USD 10/mo add-on on Grow and Pro.
- You expect a large client base and dislike per-client scaling. Kahunas. Its Ultimate tier covers unlimited clients at a flat USD 99/mo; Trainerize Pro scales by client count up to 200 before Studio.
- Advanced nutrition coaching tools matter to your offer. Either can work, but check the packaging: Trainerize gates advanced nutrition behind a USD 20-45/mo add-on, while Kahunas markets a large food-tracking database within its plans. Confirm the exact feature set for your needs with each provider.
If neither feels like the perfect fit, it is worth shortlisting a third option. Coaches who want training, nutrition, and weekly check-ins in one focused workflow, with their own Stripe included and a branded in-app experience on every plan, often look at Coachway against Trainerize and Coachway against Kahunas. Coachway uses predictable per-client pricing and a client and coach UI reviewed by native speakers across six languages, which matters most for Nordic and DACH client bases. Our walkthrough on choosing an online coaching platform turns all of this into a step-by-step shortlist.
Frequently asked.
Is Trainerize or Kahunas better for online fitness coaches?
It depends on your business. Pick Trainerize if your coaching is workout-first, your clients are in North America and English-speaking, and you want one of the deepest exercise libraries in the category with a low entry tier. Pick Kahunas if you want a branded iOS and Android app, payments via Stripe or PayPal with no commission, and pricing that bundles unlimited clients into a single top tier rather than scaling by client count.
How does Trainerize pricing compare to Kahunas pricing?
They use different models. Trainerize is tiered by client count: Basic (free, 1 client), Grow at USD 9/mo (up to 2 clients), Pro from USD 23/mo (5 to 200 clients), and Studio Plus at USD 248/mo per location (500 to 1000 clients), with Stripe (USD 10/mo), the branded app (USD 169 one-time), and advanced nutrition (USD 20-45/mo) as separate add-ons. Kahunas runs three flat tiers: Essentials USD 35/mo (up to 25 clients), Growth USD 69/mo (up to 50 clients), and Ultimate USD 99/mo (unlimited clients), with annual billing saving 25%. Confirm current figures with each provider before you commit.
Which one includes a branded client app?
On Kahunas, a fully branded iOS and Android app with your own App Store and Play Store listings is included on the Ultimate tier (USD 99/mo); lower tiers ship the standard Kahunas-branded apps. On Trainerize, the custom branded app is a USD 169 one-time fee on Pro and is included on Studio. So if a white-label app on the client home screen is a priority, Kahunas Ultimate bundles it into the subscription while Trainerize charges a separate one-time fee unless you are on Studio.
How do payments and fees differ between Trainerize and Kahunas?
Both let coaches collect client payments, but the packaging differs. Kahunas supports Stripe and PayPal and states it takes no commission on your sales. On Trainerize, integrated Stripe payments are a USD 10/mo add-on on Grow and Pro and are included on Studio. Coaches connect their own processor in both cases. Verify the current fee structure with each provider, since payment terms change.
What about nutrition and language support?
Trainerize includes basic nutrition on all plans, with advanced nutrition coaching as a USD 20-45/mo add-on, and the vendor states the app is available only in English. Kahunas markets a large food-tracking database (1.6 million verified foods, plus barcodes and restaurant items) with macro and micronutrient tracking; its marketing site and help center are in English, so it is best described as English-first. Neither publishes a list of multiple in-app interface languages.
Is there a third option worth considering alongside Trainerize and Kahunas?
Yes. If you want training, nutrition, and weekly check-ins in one focused workflow with your own Stripe included and a branded in-app experience on every plan, Coachway is an honest third option to shortlist. It uses predictable per-client pricing (EUR 69/mo for up to 5 active clients plus EUR 9 each additional) and ships a client and coach UI reviewed by native speakers across six languages, which matters more for Nordic and DACH client bases than for an English-speaking North American one.
Features are not the deciding factor. The workflow is.
Trainerize and Kahunas may match or beat Coachway on raw feature count, and that is fine. It is not the question that decides your week. What decides it is how fast you can run the actual work, week after week: following up a client, sending video feedback, and reviewing a weekly check-in. Coachway is built from working hands-on with online fitness coaches scaling past 1,000 clients, where shaving minutes off every client interaction is the whole game.
The entire product is tuned for one outcome: handle more clients, at a higher satisfaction rate, in less time. A smoother workflow is not just cheaper for you, it is a better experience for the client, and that is what keeps clients paying for longer.
check-ins
Review a weekly check-in in minutes, with notes, data, photos, and exercise history in one view.
follow-up
Messages, video feedback, and plan tweaks happen from one tab, not six different tools.
automation
Automatic reminders run the cadence, and a smart-send mode holds messages back when a client still has an unread one, so the experience stays personal.
Keep reading
all guidesCoachway vs Trainerize: the honest comparison (2026)
Coachway and Trainerize compared honestly: pricing and add-on math, branded app costs, native-language UI, and nutrition depth for online fitness coaches.
Read the guideCoachway vs Kahunas: honest comparison (2026)
Kahunas's unlimited Ultimate tier genuinely wins at volume - the fair comparison on pricing math, branded app access, nutrition, and languages.
Read the guideEverfit vs Trainerize: an honest comparison (2026)
Everfit vs Trainerize, compared honestly on programming, nutrition, branded app, pricing, and who each suits - plus where a third option fits.
Read the guideKahunas vs TrueCoach: Honest 2026 Comparison
Kahunas and TrueCoach compared fairly: pricing tiers, Stripe and PayPal payments, branded app, exercise library, and nutrition - and which fits your coaching.
Read the guideSee what Coachway can do for your coaching business
Coachway was built after working with 150+ coaches who all had the same frustrations - slow platforms, clunky workflows, wasted hours. Book a demo and see what we fixed. 15 minutes, and you'll know if it's the right fit.
