When tracking class attendance and instructor payroll simultaneously, the best software options usually fall into two categories: all-in-one studio/gym management platforms (which link attendance rosters directly to automated pay rates) and dedicated payroll/time-tracking tools (paired with a booking system).
Top All-In-One Studio & Fitness Platforms
These options tie client check-ins/rosters directly to custom instructor pay rules (flat rate per class, tier-based headcounts, or hourly rates).
WellnessLiving
Best For: Independent gyms, yoga/Pilates studios, and wellness centers wanting an all-inclusive system.
Attendance & Payroll Features: Offers robust staff management tools where class attendance automatically feeds into staff payroll calculation. You can configure complex pay rates (e.g., base pay plus per-head bonuses based on attendance count).
Pros/Cons: Transparent tiered pricing, but has a learning curve similar to older enterprise giants.
Best For: Smaller boutique studios, multi-instructor fitness classes, and personal trainers.
Attendance & Payroll Features: Excellent, intuitive mobile and desktop check-in. Instructors can track attendance easily, and payroll lets you assign custom commission percentages, flat rates, or hourly wages tied directly to services and classes taught.
Pros/Cons: Highly affordable and user-friendly, though scaling massive multi-location enterprise structures can feel tight compared to enterprise suites.
Mindbody
Best For: Established, larger-scale studios and multi-location operations relying on a massive built-in client marketplace.
Attendance & Payroll Features: Deep staff reporting suite. Attendance tracking links directly to a detailed payroll calculator supporting tiered pay rates based on attendance thresholds.
Pros/Cons: Industry-standard and powerful, but notorious for high costs, steep learning curves, and extra fees layered into the ecosystem.
Glofox (ABC Glofox)
Best For: Premium boutique fitness franchises and high-end independent spaces.
Attendance & Payroll Features: Clean, modern interface where tracking roster check-ins and managing class capacities is seamless. Staff pay configurations support standard fitness studio structures.
Pros/Cons: Great aesthetic and member app experience, but pricing is heavily demo-gated and transaction fees can add up.
Dedicated Payroll / Time-Tracking Pairing Options
If your booking/attendance system has weak payroll features, many business owners use a dedicated platform alongside a simple roster app:
OnPay
Best For: Full tax-service payroll built specifically for small fitness businesses and gyms handling W-2 or 1099 instructors.
Capabilities: Allows customizable pay rates by class type, client count, or hours, managing automated filings with an accuracy guarantee. (Note: You will still need an external tool or manual export for basic class headcounts).
Deputy
Best For: Shift-based, schedule-heavy instructor teams.
Capabilities: Excellent clock-in/out and roster management, making it easy to track exact hours worked, though less integrated with specific client-attendance headcounts unless paired via Zapier.
To help narrow down the best choice for you, tell me:
What type of classes or business are you running (e.g., yoga studio, martial arts, crossfit, independent coaching)?
Do your instructors get paid flat rates per class, hourly, or scaled bonuses based on how many students show up?
For tracking instructor payroll + class attendance in the same system, the strongest current options are WellnessLiving, Pike13, Zen Planner, Glofox, and Mindbody. The key distinction is whether you need payroll calculation/reporting or a full payroll processor that actually handles taxes and payments.
Platform
Attendance
Instructor pay
Payroll workflow
Published starting price*
Best fit
WellnessLiving
Check-in, no-show/late-cancel, attendance reports
Hourly, per-class, commissions, advanced rates
Payroll tracking + reports
$69/mo
Studios wanting an all-in-one system
Pike13
Detailed roster/check-in tracking
Pay rates, headcount/tiered bonuses
Attendance feeds instructor payroll
$139/mo annually
Service/class businesses with attendance-based pay
*Published prices can vary by location, billing term, staff count, add-ons, and payment processing.
1. WellnessLiving
This is particularly relevant if attendance should directly drive instructor compensation. WellnessLiving lets you configure staff pay rates for hours, classes and commissions, and its reports include instructor earnings and attendance. Its staff app can also handle check-ins, no-shows and cancellations.
The current published plans start at $69/month, but the Starter plan is limited to one staff member; the Business plan is $199/month and includes unlimited staff.
Watch for: if you have several instructors, the staff limit on the entry plan matters considerably.
2. Pike13
Pike13 has an unusually direct connection between attendance and instructor pay. Its documentation says confirming attendance records the roster for payroll and that instructors can be paid according to individual rates, including tiered bonuses/headcount pay.
That makes it interesting if your compensation formula looks like:
Base class rate + $X per attendee after 10 students
or involves different rates by service/class.
Pike13 also gives owners/managers dedicated permissions for creating pay rates and running payroll.
3. Zen Planner
Zen Planner is built heavily around fitness businesses. Its current product includes attendance tracking, payroll, reporting and staff management, while its mobile app supports instructor clock-in/clock-out specifically for payroll accuracy.
Its Studio plan currently starts at $99/month and includes attendance tracking and payroll.
Particularly useful if: instructors are hourly or you need to track both teaching hours and class attendance.
4. Glofox
Glofox has made its payroll functionality more explicit recently. Its 2026 Pay Rates feature lets you assign base rates to classes/appointments, associate rates with trainers and create bonus thresholds. Payroll reports can be exported as CSV with event, pay-rate, booking and attendee information.
Its Trainer Insights report also includes trainer hours worked and cost-per-session calculations.
The Essential plan is currently advertised from $99/month and includes payroll, reporting and the staff app.
Particularly useful if: you want payroll data that can be exported and reconciled in Excel/accounting software.
5. Mindbody
Mindbody is the broadest platform here. It supports teacher scheduling, attendance, reporting and multiple types of staff compensation. Its Pay Rates report shows teacher rates for classes and courses.
One important caveat: Mindbody's documentation says its Pay Rates report doesn't maintain historical versions of pay rates—changing a teacher's rate can affect how historical rates appear in that report. That's worth testing if you need an auditable payroll history.
What I'd test in a demo
Rather than comparing feature checkboxes, I'd give every vendor the same payroll scenario:
Instructor teaches a 60-minute class.
Base pay = $40/class.
Attendance bonus = $3 per student over 10.
14 students attend.
2 students late-cancel.
Instructor substitutes for another teacher once.
Instructor's rate changes halfway through the month.
Export the resulting payroll for your payroll provider.
Ask the vendor to perform that entire workflow live. That will reveal much more than a generic "we support payroll" claim.
Also, don't assume "payroll" means payroll processing. These systems primarily calculate/track instructor compensation; you may still need a payroll provider for employee payments, withholding, tax filings and year-end reporting.
Bottom line: If your main requirement is attendance → instructor compensation, I'd put WellnessLiving, Pike13, Zen Planner, Glofox and Mindbody on the demo shortlist, with particular attention to how each handles your exact compensation formula and historical rate changes.
