An honest comparison of Google Sheets and Trainerize for managing online coaching clients. Cost, flexibility, features, and which one actually helps you scale.
If you coach clients online, you have already asked yourself this question: do I pay for Trainerize, or do I just use Google Sheets?
Both tools get the job done. But they get it done in very different ways, at very different price points, and with very different trade-offs. This post breaks down the real differences so you can make the right call for your business — not the one some affiliate marketer wants you to make.
The Quick Comparison
| Feature | Google Sheets + GSheetsPro | Trainerize |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £199 one-time | £20–50/month (£240–600/year) |
| Recurring fees | None | Yes, forever |
| Client limit | Unlimited | Depends on plan |
| Custom branding | Full control | Limited to their templates |
| Workout programming | Fully customisable | Pre-built exercise library |
| Nutrition tracking | Build exactly what you need | Built-in (basic) |
| Check-in forms | Completely custom | Template-based |
| Client app | Shared via link (mobile-friendly) | Dedicated app |
| Automations | Google Apps Script + integrations | Limited built-in |
| Learning curve | Medium | Low–Medium |
| Ownership of data | 100% yours | On their servers |
Price: This Is Where It Gets Obvious
Trainerize charges between £20 and £50 per month depending on your plan and client count. That is £240 to £600 per year. Every year. For as long as you coach.
If you have been coaching for three years on the mid-tier plan, you have spent over £1,000 on software that you do not own and cannot customise beyond what they allow.
Google Sheets is free. And with GSheetsPro templates, you pay £199 once and you are done. No monthly fees. No per-client charges. No price increases when they decide to "update their plans."
Over two years, that is a saving of anywhere from £280 to £1,000+. For most online coaches — especially those in the early stages — that money is better spent on marketing, education, or just keeping the lights on.
Features: What Each Tool Actually Does Well
Let's be honest. Trainerize is not a bad product. It has a polished client-facing app, a built-in exercise video library, and in-app messaging. If your entire coaching model revolves around sending cookie-cutter workout plans and tracking completion, Trainerize handles that smoothly.
But here is the thing: most good coaches do not run cookie-cutter programmes.
You want custom check-in forms. You want to track metrics that matter to your specific clients. You want to lay out a programme the way you think about programming — not the way some product designer in Vancouver decided it should look.
Google Sheets gives you a blank canvas. With GSheetsPro, that canvas comes pre-built with professional templates for programming, nutrition, check-ins, progress tracking, and client dashboards. You get the structure without the restrictions.
Where Trainerize wins:
- Client app — a dedicated mobile app is a nice touch for clients who want that "premium software" feel
- Exercise library — hundreds of pre-loaded exercises with video demos
- In-app messaging — keeps communication inside the platform
Where Google Sheets + GSheetsPro wins:
- Total customisation — change anything, add anything, remove anything
- No client limits — scale to 50 or 500 clients without paying more
- Ownership — your data, your templates, your business
- Integrations — connect to anything via Google Apps Script, Zapier, or Make
- Familiar tool — most clients already know how to use a spreadsheet
Flexibility: The Real Differentiator
This is where the gap between the two tools becomes a canyon.
Trainerize gives you a set of features and a set of ways to use them. That is it. Want to add a custom field to your check-in form that does not exist in their system? Tough. Want to change how your programme layout looks? You are stuck with their format. Want to build a client-facing dashboard that shows exactly what you want? Not happening.
With Google Sheets, you build what you want. Period.
Want a macro-tracking sheet that auto-calculates based on bodyweight and goal? Build it. Want a check-in form that feeds into a master dashboard where you can see all your clients at a glance? Build it. Want to automate welcome emails when a new client fills out their onboarding sheet? Build it.
GSheetsPro gives you the starting templates so you are not building from scratch. But the point is: you are never locked in. You can modify, extend, and rebuild anything to match how you actually coach.
That flexibility compounds over time. Every month you coach, you learn something new about what works. With Sheets, you can act on that immediately. With Trainerize, you submit a feature request and hope for the best.
Learning Curve: Honest Assessment
Trainerize is easier to get started with. You sign up, you follow the setup wizard, you start adding clients. The interface is purpose-built for fitness coaching, so the terminology and layout make immediate sense.
Google Sheets has a learning curve — especially if you want to do anything beyond the basics. Formulas, conditional formatting, data validation, and automation take time to learn.
But here is the nuance: with GSheetsPro, most of that learning curve disappears. The templates are pre-built with the formulas, formatting, and structure already in place. You are not starting from a blank spreadsheet. You are starting from a professional system that you can use on day one and customise over time as you get more comfortable.
And the skills you build with Google Sheets transfer everywhere. Learning Trainerize teaches you how to use Trainerize. Learning Sheets teaches you a tool you will use for the rest of your career.
Client Experience: Does Your Client Care?
Here is a question most coaches overthink: does your client care what software you use?
The answer, overwhelmingly, is no. Your clients care about results. They care about clear communication. They care about having a programme that is easy to follow and a coach who responds to their check-ins.
Trainerize has a nicer-looking app. That is true. But a well-designed Google Sheet shared via a clean link works perfectly on mobile. Clients can view their programme, log their workouts, fill in check-in forms, and see their progress — all from their phone.
The coaches who obsess over having a branded app are usually the ones with 3 clients. The coaches doing 50+ clients consistently? They care about systems that work, not software that looks pretty in a screenshot.
The Verdict
If you want a plug-and-play app experience and you are happy paying £20–50 per month for the privilege, Trainerize is a solid tool. No shame in using it.
But if you want to actually own your coaching system — customise everything, pay once, scale without limits, and build something that grows with your business — Google Sheets with GSheetsPro is the smarter move.
The maths alone makes the case. £199 once versus £240–600 every single year. But it is not just about cost. It is about control. It is about building a system that works the way you coach, not the way a software company thinks you should coach.
Every pound you save on software is a pound you can reinvest into growing your business. Every hour you spend learning Sheets is an hour invested in a skill that pays dividends forever.
Ready to Make the Switch?
Stop renting your coaching system. Get the GSheetsPro templates — one payment, full ownership, unlimited clients. Build the coaching business you want, on your terms.
