NForge vs Arketa
LOOKING FOR A ARKETA
ALTERNATIVE?
Arketa charges $49-124+/month plus a 3% platform fee on top of Stripe — and its live streams still run through Zoom. NForge is free with native HD video, personal training tools, safety-reviewed AI, and one 7.9% all-in fee.
AT A GLANCE
Monthly fee
NForge: Free
Arketa: $49-124+/mo (Studio: custom)
Transaction fee
NForge: 7.9% (all-in)
Arketa: 3% + Stripe + subscription
1:1 PT tools
NForge: Yes, with Forge AI
Arketa: No
Live video
NForge: Built-in (50 ppl)
Arketa: Via Zoom / 3rd party
AI
NForge: Programme generation, safety-reviewed
Arketa: Front-desk AI only
FEATURE-BY-FEATURE COMPARISON
See how NForge stacks up against Arketa across every key feature.
| Feature | NFORGE | Arketa |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | Free | $49-124+/mo |
| Client limit | Unlimited | Varies |
| Free tier clients | Unlimited | None |
| AI programme generation | Workout + nutrition, free | Front-desk AI only |
| AI safety review | Every plan — code + AI + you | No |
| Nutrition builder | Yes | No |
| Live video classes | Built-in (50) | Via Zoom |
| In-person class booking | Built-in | Yes |
| Memberships & session credits | Built-in | Yes |
| Marketplace & public storefront | Free — directory + plan sales | No (ClassPass) |
| Auto invoicing | Yes | Yes |
| Transaction fee | 7.9% all-in | 3% + Stripe |
| Add-on fees | None | Yes (unpriced) |
| Per-client fees | None | None |
| Client needs app | No | No |
Monthly fee
Client limit
Free tier clients
AI programme generation
AI safety review
Nutrition builder
Live video classes
In-person class booking
Memberships & session credits
Marketplace & public storefront
Auto invoicing
Transaction fee
Add-on fees
Per-client fees
Client needs app
Pricing and feature data sourced from competitor websites as of July 2026. Visit each platform's website for current pricing.
The gap
WHAT YOU GET ON NFORGE THAT ARKETA DOESN'T OFFER
Native live video
Arketa's livestream classes run through Zoom or another third party — Arketa creates the link, Zoom hosts the call. NForge's HD video for up to 50 is built in: schedule, host, and get paid on one platform.
The coaching toolkit
Arketa has no sets-and-reps programme builder and no nutrition planning — 1:1 sessions are bookable, but the coaching content lives elsewhere. NForge includes both builders plus Forge AI generation with safety review.
A marketplace of your own
Arketa is deliberately direct-to-consumer — your own site, your own audience, with ClassPass as the only discovery channel. NForge adds a free public directory and storefront where new clients find you and buy plans, commission-free.
Zero monthly, one fee
Arketa's Individual tiers run $49-124/month plus a 3% platform fee on top of Stripe's processing. NForge charges nothing monthly and 7.9% all-in — on a $50 booking you pay $3.95, with no subscription underneath.
To be fair: Arketa's native on-demand video library and content monetisation — Netflix-style branded collections, VOD subscriptions, digital products — are genuinely ahead of ours, and its design-led branded sites and apps are the best-looking in studio software. If content libraries are your business model, that strength is real.
Why trainers switch
ARKETA VS NFORGE — THE REAL DIFFERENCES
Two pillars versus one
The problem
Arketa is studio management software. It handles class scheduling, bookings, and payments beautifully. What it doesn't do is personal training management: no workout programming, no nutrition planning, no 1:1 programme delivery — and its new Arketa AI is a front-desk assistant for enquiries and bookings, not a coaching tool. If you're a hybrid coach, Arketa covers half your business.
NForge's approach
NForge covers both pillars. Schedule and deliver classes for groups — online with native video or in person with session credits — and build personalised programmes for 1:1 clients, by hand or with Forge AI. One login, one workflow, one set of payments.
Subscription plus fees versus fees only
The problem
Arketa charges a monthly subscription starting at $49 plus a 3% platform fee on top of Stripe's standard processing (2.9% + 30¢). On a $50 class booking, the combined fees are approximately $3.45 in payment processing plus Arketa's 3% ($1.50) — about $4.95 per transaction — plus your $49-124+ monthly subscription. Studio tiers are quote-only.
NForge's approach
NForge charges 7.9% per transaction with no monthly subscription. On the same $50 booking, you pay $3.95. No subscription on top. In months when you earn nothing, you pay nothing.
Modern design should not cost $49+/month
The problem
Arketa's design is the pitch. Clean interface, modern feel. In 2026 that's table stakes for any new platform, not a $49-124/month premium on its own. NForge was built in the same era, with the same design principles, at $0/month. Good design gets you past the first five minutes. What matters past minute five is whether the platform actually runs your business.
NForge's approach
NForge covers live classes, in-person bookings, 1:1 programmes, nutrition, Forge AI, a marketplace, and payments, all with a clean client experience that needs no app. No monthly subscription. No missing half of the business to go and find somewhere else.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is Arketa's class management more advanced than NForge's?
Does Arketa have its own live video?
Does Arketa have a website builder?
How do Arketa's transaction fees stack up?
Can I do 1:1 coaching on Arketa?
I teach yoga/Pilates. Is NForge relevant for me?
STILL PAYING MONTHLY
FOR SOFTWARE?
Every month you spend on platform subscriptions is money out of your pocket. NForge has classes online and in person, AI-written programmes, client management, automated payments, and a marketplace that sends new clients your way. It costs you nothing until a client pays you.
Free forever • No monthly fees • No credit card needed