When Does ClassPass Actually Make Sense for Studios?
Why studios struggle to decide when and how to use ClassPass – and what questions actually matter.
I’ve already touched on the main benefits and drawbacks for studios engaging with ClassPass and other boutique fitness aggregators. By now, it’s clear that these platforms are here to stay. The real challenge with ClassPass isn’t deciding whether to use it. It’s that studios often don’t realize which decision they’re making by being on it.
This post isn’t about leaving ClassPass. It’s about understanding the tradeoffs well enough to choose deliberately.
What role is ClassPass actually playing?
Most studios think they’re using ClassPass as marketing. In practice, it often becomes something else. Bookings increase, energy in the room improves, and things look promising.
Then, a few months in, the numbers start to sink in. Studios realize they’re effectively making e.g. $7 per seat. Suddenly, financial projections no longer hold. What initially felt like growth begins to feel like pressure.
At that point, studios usually start weighing a few options:
Try to build systems to convert ClassPass users into direct customers
Switch to a competitor with better terms
Gradually reduce ClassPass inventory and plan an exit
Leave the platform altogether, cold turkey
Some studios do manage to stay on ClassPass and do well. But that success is often misunderstood, and that misunderstanding is at the heart of why this topic feels so difficult.
The “Low-Demand Slot” Argument and Why It No Longer Holds
ClassPass has long argued that its core value proposition is filling low-demand slots. On paper, that sounds reasonable, and many studios still operate under this assumption.
The problem isn’t that studios don’t want to fill low-demand slots. It’s that this is fundamentally not how students use ClassPass anymore.
For most users, ClassPass is not a discovery tool or a marginal add-on. It’s simply their default booking app.
From a ClassPass user’s perspective, there are no “low-demand slots.” There are just available classes. This creates a disconnect. Studios think using ClassPass is tactical, but for students it’s just a habit. Conversion into direct membership is not something most ClassPass users consider, and studios are for the most part unsuccessful in convincing them.
If ClassPass is no longer filling marginal demand, then studios need to reassess what role it’s actually playing.
Are you using ClassPass to protect revenue, or to protect the class experience?
Truth is, empty classes are sad. They’re not a great customer experience, and they’re demoralizing for instructors. Most studios also have internal thresholds below which classes are canceled entirely.
In that sense, ClassPass can act as a buffer for customer experience, but I’d be very careful not to see it as a buffer for revenue. It can help classes feel alive, energetic, and worth attending.
But that distinction matters. If ClassPass is being used to improve the feel of classes rather than to generate sustainable income, then it probably shouldn’t be factored into revenue projections at all. Maybe I’m being too hard-line on this, but I think that as soon as you see ClassPass revenue with rose-colored glasses, it’s easy to look past the other downsides of ClassPass.
Policy-wise, direct bookings should still determine whether a class runs. Instructor and staff costs should still be covered without assuming any ClassPass income. Otherwise, studios risk keeping unviable classes alive simply because they don’t look empty.
Seeing ClassPass as a customer-experience buffer rather than a revenue stream changes how risky it is and how long it should stick around.
Is the ClassPass customer someone you want to keep?
For some studios, intentionally targeting ClassPass users and actively wanting them as their core community is a good brand strategy. For instance, I think it’s reasonable for some studios to position themselves as lower-cost alternatives for students/GenZ and to target volume. For others, the target audience and brand direction is misaligned with ClassPass. In this case, once direct bookings can sustain the class experience you want, the question becomes less about revenue and more about who you’re building for.
Studios that have always strongly limited ClassPass seats are in a much better position here. The transition is less jarring, and customers don’t suddenly experience half-full classes that used to be full.
Given all of this, using ClassPass right after launching can make sense. Using it indefinitely without revisiting its role is where problems tend to creep in.
Why “but successful studios are on ClassPass” is misleading
One factor that makes studios optimistic about using aggregators: the most successful studios are on ClassPass!
But there’s a huge difference when you’re a Barry’s on ClassPass versus when you’re a nice-brand-thats-cool-but-not-hype.
These studios aren’t simply benefiting from ClassPass’s demand. They’re actively bringing students to the platform themselves. That changes the negotiation dynamic entirely.
If a studio is able to negotiate truly good terms, with ClassPass pricing that’s on par with direct bookings, then aggregators can make a lot of sense. In those cases, ClassPass isn’t distorting the business model; it’s simply another distribution channel.
The challenge is that most studios don’t have that leverage and they don’t realize just how little they’ll get paid until late in the game.
What breaks first if ClassPass works “too well”?
Being on ClassPass doesn’t necessarily dilute a studio’s brand in a qualitative sense. The bigger issue is pricing.
ClassPass anchors what people think a “fair” price is. Even if a studio offers a premium experience, the price a student sees on ClassPass starts to feel like the correct reference point.
That’s especially tricky for studios with:
small class sizes
high instructor involvement
medical or therapeutic positioning
In these cases, the financial mismatch can become painful very quickly.
Studios with many spots per class are generally more compatible with aggregator economics, assuming they can actually fill those spots. Studios with fewer spots need to be much more cautious. A handful of underpriced seats can turn a class unprofitable fast.
Studios that promise progress face an additional challenge. Existing clients may grow frustrated if every class includes a rotating cast of first-timers. One way to address this is to list only specific intro classes on ClassPass, requiring direct booking to continue. That approach protects the core community and limits dependency, but it also means you may lose curious first-timers to competitors more easily.
There’s no perfect answer, only tradeoffs.
Why This Feels So Hard
Staying on ClassPass can sometimes be a way to avoid confronting deeper issues: pricing, retention, product-market fit. Not because studio owners are avoiding responsibility, but because ClassPass softens the emotional blow.
Full rooms feel reassuring. Empty ones force uncomfortable questions.
Understanding what role ClassPass is playing doesn’t make the decision easy, but it makes it honest.