Studio software transaction fees: the 2026 pricing index

The phrase “no additional fees” is ambiguous. A studio that accepts cards will normally pay a payment processor even when the software vendor adds nothing. The comparison that matters is:

1. the software subscription;
2. any percentage kept by the software vendor;
3. the underlying processor fee;
4. per-location, per-calendar, add-on and onboarding charges.

This article uses “0% platform fee” for the narrow, verifiable claim. It does not use “free payments.”

The underlying 12-platform comparison dataset records the source URL and last-check date for every row. It is downloadable under CC BY 4.0 through the studio software comparison, where quote-led and unknown fields remain visible instead of being filled with estimates.

Quick comparison of published platform fees

The table only includes combinations whose vendor publishes enough information to separate the subscription and platform percentage. It is not a claim that these are the only products worth considering.

Annual platform-fee examples

These are original calculations from the published percentages. They exclude the subscription and underlying processor so the effect of the software-vendor fee remains visible.

Formula: eligible annual payment volume × published platform percentage. A studio should replace these example volumes with its own online sales and confirm which payments the vendor treats as eligible.

Which plans publish a 0% platform transaction fee?

Junocal adds no Junocal percentage to transactions on any plan. The studio connects its own Stripe account, pays Stripe's regional processing rate and pays Junocal's published subscription. There is no consumer marketplace, per-booking Junocal fee or payment markup.

OfferingTree Pro, Pro Plus and the studio plans publish a 0% OfferingTree transaction fee. Essentials is different: it publishes 2.9% plus processing. At $100,000 in annual online sales, that 2.9% line is $2,900 before processing, so the monthly step to a 0% plan can be economical well before that volume.

Momence no longer publishes the previous self-serve plan-and-fee table on its current pricing page. It asks studios to describe the business and receive tailored pricing. That makes the public platform fee unknown, not 0%. Ask the salesperson to itemise the subscription, operator and client-paid fees, processor rate, messaging and implementation.

Which products publish an additional percentage?

Arketa Individual publishes a 3% Arketa fee plus Stripe fees. At $100,000 in online sales, the Arketa portion alone is $3,000, before the subscription and Stripe. Arketa's studio plans are quote-only, so ask the account executive to itemise the studio platform and processing terms.

OfferingTree Essentials publishes 2.9% plus processing. It can still fit a new solo business with low sales, but compare it with Pro at the point where the extra percentage overtakes the subscription difference.

What about Mindbody, Walla, Mariana Tek and other quote-led totals?

Mindbody now publishes a US starting price of $79 per location; plans still vary by country, and payment processing is quoted by the selected plan. Its current official FAQ publishes a 20% marketplace fee, capped at 30 in local currency, on the first purchase from a qualifying new client delivered by the app; existing-client and later bookings are commission-free under the stated rules. This acquisition fee is not the same thing as a platform percentage on every direct payment.

Walla publishes $299/month per location for Core and $599 for Pro, plus optional services and onboarding. Its pricing page says it does not charge clients additional booking fees. That is not the same claim as “no payment-processing cost,” so confirm the studio's processor rate in the quote.

Mariana Tek uses a demo and custom quote. Glofox publishes an Essential starting price but quotes higher tiers. WellnessLiving publishes plan prices and lists some add-ons or pay-per-use features. For all three, the safe comparison is the signed order form, not an old figure from an aggregator.

A total-cost formula that works

Use this formula for every shortlist:

Annual total = subscription + (platform percentage × online sales) + payment processing + required add-ons + per-location or staff charges + onboarding.

Keep marketplace or directory value on the other side of the calculation. If a platform generates new clients, compare the attributable gross profit—not gross bookings—with the extra annual cost. If it cannot provide source reporting, do not assume the channel paid for itself.

The bottom line

Junocal publishes a 0% software-vendor platform fee on every plan. OfferingTree publishes 0% on Pro, Pro Plus and its studio plans. Those products still have subscriptions and payment-processing costs. OfferingTree Essentials and Arketa Individual publish additional percentages that scale with sales. Momence and other quote-led products require an itemised annual total before they can be placed in either group.

Related: compare 12 studio software platforms, run the studio software cost calculator, understand payment-processor lock-in, compare dance studio software, and compare the most affordable studio software.