Online Personal Trainer Pricing: How Much to Charge for Online Coaching

This guide covers what online coaches charge, how to build three tiers, what is left in your pocket per client, and how to set up recurring payments. Market figures come from pages we read on 7 October 2026. Anything we calculated ourselves is marked as a worked example. If you are just starting out, read how to become an online personal trainer first.

What is the going rate for online personal trainer pricing?

FitBudd, a coaching software company, published a 2026 pricing guide for online personal training. It puts typical online coaching at $100 to $500 a month, depending on the coaching model, niche and experience. The same guide says a coach with one to three years of experience and an active social presence usually charges $150 to $300 a month for a full-service subscription.

The price follows what the client gets. FitBudd splits it by coaching model and by how established the coach is:

These are one company's benchmarks, not a survey, so treat them as a range to position yourself in. The low end is a coach still building results and testimonials. The high end is a coach with a niche and documented outcomes. For what clients pay in person, see our guide to personal training prices. trainwell puts a single online session at $25 to $75, which is why most coaches sell a monthly subscription instead of single sessions.

How should you structure online coaching tiers?

Three tiers is the structure FitBudd suggests, and it is easy to explain on a sales call. Each tier needs a difference the client can feel, not just more messages. Here is the sample ladder from the same guide:

• Foundation is for the client who is self-driven and wants a plan that fits their gym. It is the entry point and your easiest sale.
• Premium is where most clients should land. A weekly check-in plus nutrition is what produces results, and results produce referrals.
• Elite is limited by your time. Cap the number of places so you can answer fast and keep the quality high.

Put the middle tier in the middle of the page and make it the one you are happy to sell all day.

How much do you keep per online client?

Online coaching has fewer costs than a studio, but they are not zero. Here is a worked example for a single client on the Premium tier at $250 a month. These are our assumptions, not survey data.

1. 1.Fee: $250.00 a month.
2. 2.Card fee: Stripe charges 2.9% plus 30 cents on a domestic US card. On $250 that is $7.55.
3. 3.Software: a $69 a month plan spread over 20 clients is $3.45 per client.
4. 4.You keep: $250.00 minus $7.55 minus $3.45 is $239.00 before your time and before tax.

The cost that matters most is your time. FitBudd says a full-service client takes 1.5 to 3 hours of work a week: writing the programme, reviewing check-ins, answering messages, updating the nutrition plan. At 2 hours a week, that is about 8 hours a month. A short client check-in form keeps the weekly review fast.

FitBudd's own sums are $150 a month for 8 hours, which is $18.75 an hour, and $250 a month, which is $31.25. Our worked example on the same hours gives $43.75 at $350. Our $239 example works out to about $29.88 an hour. The lesson is plain: a $150 client who messages a lot costs you more than you earn. Raise the price, or limit what the tier includes.

How much should you charge for online coaching?

Work backwards from the hours, then check the answer against the market:

1. 1.Pick an hourly target. What you want for each hour of client work, for example $35.
2. 2.Estimate the hours per client. 1.5 to 3 a week for full service, per FitBudd. Lighter tiers should take much less.
3. 3.Multiply. 8 hours a month at $35 is $280 a month. Add card fees and software, so about $295.
4. 4.Compare with the ladder. $295 sits inside the Premium range of $200 to $350. If your number lands far above your market, narrow your niche or cut the hours the tier includes.

Niche is the biggest lever. FitBudd gives the example of a coach for perimenopausal women who can charge $350 to $500 a month, where a generalist may struggle to reach $200. A specialist is harder to compare with the next Instagram coach.

Compare, too, with what the client would pay otherwise. FitBudd puts in-person sessions at $60 to $120 in most US cities, so three sessions a week is $720 to $1,440 a month. A $250 online client is getting coaching for a fraction of that. If you also sell in person, combine both in a hybrid package, and see personal training packages for how to price the bundle.

How do you set up recurring billing for online clients?

Monthly billing only works if the money arrives without you chasing it. The set up has four parts:

Keep a cancellation rule in writing: the notice period, and whether a client who pauses keeps their place. Billing is also where cash flow is won. Automatic billing also saves you the awkward conversation about late payments.

When should you raise your online coaching prices?

Most coaches wait too long and raise by too little. FitBudd's guide gives a few signals: a waiting list, a new certification or specialism, and results you can show. Raise the price for new clients first. Existing clients can keep their rate for a set period, which avoids a wave of cancellations. A few percent a year, applied to every new sign up, adds up faster than one big jump.