Both tools are great for helping you to deliver personal training workout programs and centralizing communication, but each has its own strengths.
Below is a comparison of each software. Here's what you need to know...
QUICK OVERVIEW:
Both Coach Catalyst and Trainerize allow you to create workouts, send messages and track client progress. They both have client apps and are customizable for showcasing your brand. Trainerize is currently better for macro tracking, built-in onboarding forms, and delivering online classes (for an additional cost). Coach Catalyst is easier to use and has a broader range of done-for-you programs that include nutrition and education. It is packed with features that help you to keep your clients accountable, allow you to support your clients with habits and behavior change, and enable you to educate your client.
What are the Strengths of Coach Catalyst vs Trainerize?
Easier to Use
Coach Catalyst is extremely easy to use. You have all the tools you need to coach effectively, laid out on a dashboard that is clear, uncluttered, and intuitive to use.
Creating client programs is also very simple. Using the calendar grid or list view, just click on the day you want to add content to and choose from a combination of lessons, habits, messages, or workouts. From the drop-down menu, you can either select from your own content, done-for-you content, or create new content.
In our experience, Trainerize is clunky and complicated. Trying to find the important information I need as a coach is time consuming and simple tasks take far too long to complete.
In a side by side comparison to complete the following four tasks...
- Build a workout
- Assign a repeating habit
- Assign a lesson
- Assign an automated message
...Coach Catalyst was 3 times as fast as Trainerize in completing these tasks and Trainerize was unable to assign a lesson.
Habit Coaching and Accountability
Trainerize introduced habits eighteen months ago. There is a list of nineteen ready-to-prescribe habits and you can also create your own. You can bulk assign a habit to multiple clients but you can only assign one habit at a time. Once assigned, however, habits can't be edited or changed in bulk, they can only be amended from within a client dashboard.
Habits and accountability are at the very core of Coach Catalyst. You can create programs with single habits, multiple habits, or sequences of habits. Assigning a habit program is easy and Coach Catalyst allows you to make bulk edits at any time. You can also assign bespoke habits to an individual client through their dashboard (journey) or amend content.
The Trainerize habit builder feels like an afterthought. Albeit sufficient for one off habits, if you want to run a 6-week habit course or transformation challenge combining habits and education Coach Catalyst is a superior choice.
Add Lessons and Education to Programs
Being able to coach and educate clients was one of the reasons Coach Catalyst was first created. Giving clients habits is one way to facilitate behavior change, but being able to teach them why they should make those changes is extremely powerful. When they know how to embed habits into their lifestyle and learn how to make those changes sustainable, that is when client see results.
Lessons in Coach Catalyst can contain any information you want - from text and hyperlinks to images and videos. You can use them to share research, blog posts, tips, recipes, motivational quotes...the possibilities are endless. As with all program elements, you can even repeat lessons if you want to help your client to build a specific routine.
Quick and Flexible Workout Builder
Both platforms have a workout builder to deliver custom workouts to your clients. Both have large libraries of pre-built exercises and the facility to embed your own videos. You can add notes and descriptions to each exercise and you can also build templates on both that you can copy from client to client. When a client completes their workout, they can share feedback and add notes.
An advantage of the Coach Catalyst library is that the provided videos are animations highlighting the muscle groups being used, which is brand-neutral (rather than videos of another coach). The Coach Catalyst workout builder is more flexible and much quicker to use.
Audio/Video Messaging and Scheduled Messaging
Both platforms have real-time messaging and the functionality to send emojis, file attachments, and images. Each has a client app that notifies clients if they have a message to read or need to check-in, and each has a coach app that sends notifications and allows you to reply on the go. Bulk messaging with name fields is also available on both platforms.
In Coach Catalyst, you can also send audio or video messages, which allows you to give better feedback, and you can add gifs to messages directly within the app. To keep your inbox organized, you can highlight messages that need to be followed up, or mark messages as done. You can schedule messages ahead of time on specific dates on an individual client journey or at specific points within a program.
I've tried several workout builders throughout the last three years and CC is definitely the fastest, easiest, and no BS approach to building out workouts. It's obvious that it's built by trainers and coaches FOR trainers and coaches to use for all types of populations -- from GPP and to elite or age group athletes. Some are robust but make things too complicated and not super intuitive both for the coach and client. Others are too simple to a fault. I think the blocks feature is genius and makes it easy to piece workouts together. I know other applications that have this but it's so complicated.
Jayme del Rosario,
Lift with Jay
Coach Catalyst
Trainerize
Customizable Habits
Help your clients practice better habits
Coach Catalyst
Fully customizable habits which can be repeated in any pattern
Trainerize
Ability to select pre-made habits or make your own
Client Check-Ins and Notifications
Keep your clients accountable
Coach Catalyst
App notifications for lessons, habits, workouts, check-ins and messages.
Trainerize
App notifications for workouts and check-ins.
Workout Library
A library of pre-built exercises, workouts and programs
Coach Catalyst
Over 1300 exercises with animated videos and done-for-you templates
Trainerize
Large library with videos of another coach and done-for-you templates
Macro Tracking
Integrates with food tracking apps
Coach Catalyst
Integrates with MacrosFirst, Cronometer, FatSecret, and Nutracheck for calories and macros
Trainerize
Integrates with MyFitnessPal (and Fitbit) for calories and macros
Messaging
Ability to message individuals clients and groups through an app
Coach Catalyst
Individual and group, schedule messages, send audio and video messages
Trainerize
Individual and group, and deliver Skype calls through app, send video messages
Branding
Ability to change colors and add your logo with own white-label branded app
Coach Catalyst
Your brand color theme and logo
Full white-label available
Trainerize
Dark/light theme with your logo
Own app included with Studio Plan
Tiered Pricing
Pricing based on number of clients
Coach Catalyst
Up to 50 clients costs $79 /month
Up to 100 clients costs $119 /month
Trainerize
Up to 50 clients costs $120 /month
Up to 100 clients costs $200 /month
Integrated Payments
Take payments via the platform
Coach Catalyst
Integrates via Stripe
No additional monthly charge
Trainerize
Additional $7.00 per month
Card charges 3.15% + $0.30
Done-For-You Nutrition Programs
Programs for client education, nutrition and habit changes
Coach Catalyst
Large collection of done-for-you nutrition and habit change programs
Trainerize
Workout programs available but no nutrition or habit change programs
Client Education and Behavior Change
Add educational lessons, drip information and tips for programs.
Coach Catalyst
Large collection of done-for-you nutrition and habit change programs
Trainerize
No ability to coach or educate clients through lessons
Done-For-You Challenges
Programs for front end offers or lower ticket programs
Coach Catalyst
Large collection of modifiable done for you challenges
Trainerize
No challenges available
Groups/Communities
Ability to run groups inside the software (rather than relying on Facebook)
Coach Catalyst
Communities feature which allows clients to interact within a group
Trainerize
No feature for interactive group coaching
Forms
Collect information about your clients. Initial intake forms, PAR-Q, surveys or weekly check-ins.
Coach Catalyst
Native form builder: open ended, ranking, number, and multiple choice questions.
Trainerize
Does not have a native form feature
Resource Folders
Create folders to organize documents like meal plans, recipes, or even a supplement store
Coach Catalyst
Create folders and attach clients to folders. Upload pdfs, videos, images, and links.
Trainerize
Only upload documents to individuals
Features and pricing information correct on July 31, 2023