Booking software or instructor software: what a solo instructor needs
Booking software runs a studio: timetables, bookings, memberships, payments, and staff. Instructor software runs your side of the work: planning classes, teaching them, and invoicing the studios and clients you teach for. If you teach on your own, you most likely need the second, and only need the first if students book with you directly.
Written by Flowfetti's founder, a working Pilates and Yin yoga instructor who invoices studios every week. Updated 27 September 2026.
Two kinds of software, two different jobs
| Booking software | Instructor software | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | A studio, gym, or business with staff | One person who teaches |
| Main job | Filling classes and taking payment for them | Planning, teaching, and getting paid for your classes |
| Who pays for it | Usually the studio | Usually you |
| Typical features | Timetables, online booking, memberships, staff | Class planning, in-class timing, invoices, reminders |
You need booking software if
- You run your own studio or timetable that other people teach on.
- Your students book and pay you directly for classes online.
- You sell memberships or class packs, or manage staff.
You need instructor software if
- You teach on your own, at one studio or several, or with private clients.
- The hours that eat your week are planning classes and sending invoices.
- The studio already handles bookings, or your students book with you by message.
Five questions to ask any software before you pay
- Is it built for one person or for a studio? Software made for a front desk can bury what one teacher needs.
- Do you pay for what you use? Check whether the price assumes staff, locations, or features you will never touch.
- Are its invoices right for your country? In Australia that means your ABN, and the GST when you are registered.
- Can you take your data with you? Look for an export of your clients, invoices, and records.
- Can you try it first? A free trial on your real week tells you more than any feature list.
General information to help you choose. Features and prices of any product change, so check each one directly.
Questions people ask
Do I need booking software as a solo instructor?
Only if your students book and pay you directly for classes online. If you teach at studios that take the bookings, the studio already has that covered, and your own admin is planning and invoicing.
Can I use instructor software at a studio that uses booking software?
Yes. The studio uses its booking platform to fill the class. You use your own software to plan the class and invoice the studio for it. The two do different jobs and do not overlap.
Does Flowfetti take class bookings?
No. Flowfetti does not take bookings or sell memberships. It plans your classes, runs them with you in Teach Mode, and handles your invoicing.
Software built for one person who teaches
Flowfetti plans your classes from your own library, runs them with you, and sends your invoices. Try it free for 14 days.
Try Flowfetti free for 14 days