Blog 7 PT Distinction Alternatives & Competitors in 2024
Post
Cancel

7 PT Distinction Alternatives & Competitors in 2024

Looking for a PT Distinction alternative for your personal training business? You’ve come to the right place.

PT Distinction is one of the most feature-rich personal trainer software out there – but it does have some downsides.

In this article, we’re going to be exploring some of the best alternatives to PT Distinction. We’ll take a look at a variety of different personal trainer software and compare features, pricing, and user experience to help you find a software that is the perfect fit for your business.

Why you may want to consider a PT Distinction alternative

No personal trainer software is without shortcomings, and PT Distinction is no exception. There are many reasons why you may be looking for a PT Distinction alternative, for example:

  • Some customers complain that the PT Distinction mobile apps are very limited. There are only a few features available on the mobile apps. Because of this personal trainers need to constantly switch to their computer.

  • PT Distinction mobile apps look dated.

  • PT Distinction is a fairly complex piece of software and comes with a steep learning curve for new users.

  • The PT Distinction mobile apps are buggy, constantly freezes and have random crashes.

Does that sound familiar? Or maybe you’re just comparing options and curious about what else is out there. Fortunately, there are many great PT Distinction alternatives to choose from.

In this article we will explore 7 alternatives and see how they compare to PT Distinction in terms of features, pricing, and user experience. The table below provides a quick summary. Below the table we will deep-dive into each criterion and evaluate in detail.

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
Workout planning feature & performance ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
Workout planner type Fast Unified Fast Unified Fast Unified Slow Fragmented Slow Fragmented Fast Unified Fast Unified Slow Fragmented
Keyboard shortcuts support No Yes Yes No No No No No
Workout progression support No Yes Yes (Limited) No Yes No No No
Features Availability on Mobile App ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
What percentage of features are available on mobile app 20% 90% 20% 70% 60% 60% 30% 70%
Automation ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
Schedule messages by date Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes
Schedule messages by events No Yes No No No No No No
Support for multiple automation sequences per client Yes Yes No No No No No Yes
News Feed ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
News feed type Simple Detailed Detailed Simple Simple Simple Detailed Simple
Ability to comment & like No Yes Yes No No No No No
Ability to post on news feed No Yes No No No No No No
Social networking features No Yes No No No No No No
Online Group Training ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
Group Workout Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Social Feature Group Chat News Feed No No Group Chat Forum No No
Group messaging automation Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes
White label (Custom Branded App) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
Available on all plans No Yes No No No (Studio and above plan) No (only on Enterprise plan) No No
Cost No $75/month No No Included in Studio plan ($250/month) Included in 500 clients plan No No
Nutrition Coaching ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
MyFitnessPal Integration Yes (Partial) Yes Yes (Partial) Yes Yes (Partial) Yes (Partial) No No
Photo Food Logging Yes Yes No No No No No No
Meal Planner No No No No Yes Yes No Yes
Habit Coaching ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Create, assign, and track client habits. Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Pricing ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Monthly price for 20 clients $59.90/month $49/month $63.99/month $55/month (unlimited) $70/month (30 clients) $49/month $44.99/month (25 clients) $49/month (30 clients)
Payment integration Free Free Free Free $7/month $9/month Free Free
Automation Free Free Not available Free Free $29/month Not Available Free
On Demand Library Free Free Not available Free $10/month $25/month Not Available Free
User Interface & Learning curve ⭐⭐⭐
Convoluted user interface with steep learning curve.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Simple user interface with easy learning curve
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Simple user interface with easy learning curve
⭐⭐⭐
Simple but in-efficient user intererface. Takes too many clicks.
⭐⭐⭐
Complex software with too many features. Steep learning curve
"⭐⭐⭐
Simple but in-efficient user intererface. Takes too many clicks. Easy learning curve.
⭐⭐
Convoluted but efficient user interface
⭐⭐⭐
Convoluted user interface with moderate learning curve.
Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Apple app store (US) 4.4/5.0 4.8/5.0 (unified coach and client app) 1.8/5.0 (coach app), 4.8/5.0 (client app) 4.1/5.0 4.9/5.0 4.8/5.0 (coach app), 3.6/5.0 (client app) 4.5/5.0 4.8/5.0
Google Play 3.3/5.0 4.7/5.0 (unified coach and client app) 1.7/5.0 (coach app), 4.8/5.0 (client app) 3.9/5.0 4.7/5.0 4.6/5.0 (coach app), 4.2/5.0 (client app) 3.2/5.0 4.8/5.0

Deep Dive: Workout Planner Performance

No matter what software you choose, the workout planner is most likely where you will be spending most of your time. Because of this, it’s really important to evaluate this feature and think about what would work best for you. Let’s see how workout planner is implemented in different personal trainer software:

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
Workout planning feature & performance ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
Workout planner type Fast Unified Fast Unified Fast Unified Slow Fragmented Slow Fragmented Fast Unified Fast Unified Slow Fragmented
Keyboard shortcuts support No Yes Yes No No No No No
Workout progression support No Yes Yes (Limited) No Yes No No No

Two Types of Workout Planners: Unified vs Fragmented

In a unified workout planner all the workout planning features are in one view. From this single view, you can:

  • Create workouts
  • Schedule workouts
  • Review plans
  • See exercise history
  • See logged workouts
  • And more

Unified vs Fragmented Workout Planner

With a fragmented workout planner, the view where you create your workouts is different from the view where you schedule them.

So which type is the best? Unified workout planner, like the one in Trainerfu, is much more efficient than the fragmented workout planner for two reasons:

  1. No going back and forth between different views to build the workout plan.
  2. Much easier to build workout progressions because you can see other workouts in the plan and move around to edit them.

If you simply like to send workouts to clients and not schedule them, then a fragmented workout planner may fit your needs better. But if you want a way to quickly and easily build and schedule comprehensive workout plans, consider a unified workout planner.

Keyboard Shortcuts Support

How would you feel if the common shortcuts you used like CMD + V (CTRL + V) and CMD + C (CTRL + C) stopped working. Pretty frustrated, right? Keyboard shortcuts in the workout planner can help you efficiently build your workouts without your hands leaving the keyboard, saving you precious time.

Surprisingly, not all apps for personal trainers have this feature. If you think that keyboard shortcuts are a game-changer for your workflow, you’ll want to go with an app that offers this option.

Deep Dive: Mobile App Features Availability

Personal trainers are part of the deskless workforce – conducting most of their business away from their computers. Some personal trainer software have a fully-featured mobile app that makes this possible, while others have a bare-bones app that doesn’t offer the same mobile experience coaches need.

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
Features Availability on Mobile App ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
What percentage of features are available on mobile app 20% 90% 20% 70% 60% 60% 30% 70%

Trainerfu has 90% of its features available on the mobile app. This is the most of any other personal training software. If working on the go is important for you, and you want a solution that performs just as well on mobile, Trainerfu is the obvious choice.

Deep Dive: Automation

Being able to automate some of the tedious tasks in your business saves you time and helps you deliver more value to your clients.

Here are a few examples of tasks you can automate for your business:

  1. Sending welcome messages on sign-up.
  2. Congratulating clients on milestones like completing 50 workouts.
  3. Keeping them accountable if they don’t log workout for a week.
  4. Educating them by sending them useful content.

Now you know how automation can help, let’s see how different personal trainer software implements automation.

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
Automation ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
Schedule messages by date Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes
Schedule messages by events No Yes No No No No No No
Support for multiple automation sequences per client Yes Yes No No No No No Yes

In date based automation, you can schedule automatic messages by date or days (like X days after joining). In event based automation, you can schedule messages by event. For example: schedule a congratulatory message after the client completes 50 workouts.

Some apps do not offer both types of automation, which limits what you can do. Out of the apps in this comparison, Trainerfu is the only app that supports both date-based and event-based automation _and _is one of the few that allows for multiple automation sequences for each client.

Deep Dive: News feed

Trainerfu News Feed

Your trainer news feed is where you get to see what your clients are doing on a day-to-day basis. It enables you to easily provide your clients with support, motivation, and accountability, while also building a strong community, where clients can support each other.

Let’s see how this feature is implemented in different software.

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
News Feed ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
News feed type Simple Detailed Detailed Simple Simple Simple Detailed Simple
Ability to comment & like No Yes Yes No No No No No
Ability to post on news feed No Yes No No No No No No
Social networking features No Yes No No No No No No

Two Types of Feed View: Simple vs Detailed

A simple news feed (or activity feed) tells you what activity your clients have completed, but that’s pretty much it. For example: If your client, Kate completes a workout, a simple newsfeed will only tell you just that, “Kate completed a workout.”

However, a detailed news feed will go one step further and show you details like the entire logged workout, PR achieved, achievement unlocked, and other interesting facts about that workout. A detailed news feed makes it easier to monitor how your clients are doing, so that you can provide them with more customized support and guidance.

Collaboration and Social Features

Just like in your social media accounts, some personal training apps will allow commenting and liking on the news feed updates. These features make it easy to interact with your clients and provide them with support and motivation.

Personal trainer software like Trainerfu has added features to turn news feeds into social groups. Clients can choose to share their updates on the feed for other clients to see and comment. This really helps build a community, especially if you are running a group training program. Coaches can also post on the news feed with announcements, education materials, or simply to share some fun content.

Deep Dive: Online Group Training

Online group training is a great way to expand your offerings and grow your business. The right software can help you deliver a successful online group training experience – if it has the right features. Specifically:

  1. Ability to get registration and accept payment using a sign-up page.
  2. Ability to assign the workout plan to the entire group.
  3. Ability to engage the group using news feed, group chat or forum.
  4. Ability to automate messaging and other tasks.
PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
Online Group Training ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
Group Workout Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Social Feature Group Chat News Feed No No Group Chat Forum No No
Group messaging automation Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes

Trainerfu and other platforms allow you to create and send group workouts, but Trainerfu is the only software that fully optimizes a group training program and allows you to engage the group with the most robust news feed and the best automation options.

Deep Dive: White Labeling

Branded Fitness Apps

Having a fitness app with your own logo and design can help you stand out, earn trust, and boost your brand.

Trainerfu and a few others do offer white-labeling, giving you the ability to build your own branded app – but Trainerfu’s price point is much better, with custom-branded app plans costing just $75 per month.

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
White label (Custom Branded App) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
Available on all plans No Yes No No No (Studio and above plan) No (only on Enterprise plan) No No
Cost No $75/month No No Included in Studio plan ($250/month) Included in 500 clients plan No No

Deep Dive: Nutrition Coaching

Even if you don’t prescribe meal plans, coaching about nutrition is an important part of personal training. If you want to offer comprehensive nutrition coaching, here are some things to consider when comparing apps:

Setting macro goals: Does the software allow you to set daily macro goals for your clients? Can you track them?

MyFitnessPal integration: Can you see just the macros or the entire meal log logged by your clients in MyFitnessPal? Some apps have limited integrations with MyFitnessPal, while Trainerfu fully integrates so you can see all the important details of your clients’ meal logs like calories and macronutrients.

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
Nutrition Coaching ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
MyFitnessPal Integration Yes (Partial) Yes Yes (Partial) Yes Yes (Partial) Yes (Partial) No No
Photo Food Logging Yes Yes No No No No No No
Meal Planner No No No No Yes Yes No Yes

Deep Dive: Habit Coaching

Habit coaching is generally not a part of traditional personal training. That isn’t necessarily because it’s not valuable, but because it requires a lot of back-n-forth check-ins between personal training sessions. Fortunately, the right personal trainer software can support habit coaching, and make it simple to add to your coaching plan.

Many of these platforms give you the ability to create, assign, and track habits for your clients. With Trainerfu, you can also use the reporting feature to get a bird’s eye view of how your clients are doing, and quickly see who might need extra encouragement or reminders.

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
Habit Coaching ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Create, assign, and track client habits. Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Deep Dive: Pricing

Some personal trainer software offer all the features at a single price point. While others charge a lower price for bare-bone functionality, and then charge additional price for add-on features. That is why it is important to know what features you will end up using and then calculate your monthly price. That way there aren’t any surprises, and you are confident you have all the features you need, and none that you don’t!

It’s also a good idea to consider how many clients you’ll be working with per month on your app – as many packages are priced by client count.

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
Pricing ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Monthly price for 20 clients $59.90/month $49/month $63.99/month $55/month (unlimited) $70/month (30 clients) $49/month $44.99/month (25 clients) $49/month (30 clients)
Payment integration Free Free Free Free $7/month $9/month Free Free
Automation Free Free Not available Free Free $29/month Not Available Free
On Demand Library Free Free Not available Free $10/month $25/month Not Available Free

Deep Dive: User Interface & Learning curve

User interface design and the learning curve for using the product is a very subjective criterion. Every trainer’s experience and opinion might be a little different. When figuring out which platform you like best, it can be helpful to try them all out. Having said that, let’s break down some of the criteria and how these three apps compare.

PT Distinction Trainerfu Truecoach My PT Hub Trainerize Everfit TrainHeroic FitSW
User Interface & Learning curve ⭐⭐⭐
Convoluted user interface with steep learning curve.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Simple user interface with easy learning curve
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Simple user interface with easy learning curve
⭐⭐⭐
Simple but in-efficient user intererface. Takes too many clicks.
⭐⭐⭐
Complex software with too many features. Steep learning curve
"⭐⭐⭐
Simple but in-efficient user intererface. Takes too many clicks. Easy learning curve.
⭐⭐
Convoluted but efficient user interface
⭐⭐⭐
Convoluted user interface with moderate learning curve.

With a simple interface you can get started easily and master the software without reading any tutorials. A **complex user interface **will require you to go through the tutorial, videos, and training to get started and master the software. With a complicated interface, there is a bigger learning curve to get started using the app.

Another thing to think about is efficiency. An efficient user interface makes it fast for you to complete your tasks. A simple interface can be non-efficient if it takes too many clicks to get the job done.

Trainerfu combines simplicity and efficiency, making the user experience intuitive and enjoyable. This is key for streamlining your business and saving you time and effort.

To sum it all up

The right personal trainer software can help you automate tedious tasks, provide your clients customized support, build fully online training programs, and more. Picking the right software for your business can be a challenge, and depends on your unique needs.

PT Distinction is a good choice for some, but is missing some features that make it easier to run online group training programs. The mobile app experience is lacking all of the platform’s capabilities, and some users report a steep learning curve to using the software.

If you’re looking for a PT Distinction alternative, Trainerfu combines ease-of-use with a comprehensive platform. Our software has the tools you need to build great online programs and grow your business – plus the mobile app is fully functional and can be custom-branded. Sign up for a free trial to try Trainerfu today.

Trending Tags