CoachAccountable vs. upcoach: Which Coaching Software Deserves Your Time?
Coaching software isn't just about features.
It’s about results—your results as a coach and the results your clients experience. And let’s be honest, the wrong software can make your life harder, not easier.
I’ve been in this world for a while. I spent over four years as the Director of Customer Love and Handholding at CoachAccountable (yes, that was my actual title). Now, I help coaches set up their platforms and create impactful courses. So yes, I’m biased. But it’s a bias rooted in experience—experience that I’m sharing with you so you can make the best decision for your coaching business.
The Pricing Puzzle
Here’s the deal: CoachAccountable and UpCoach price their platforms differently, and how you’ll feel about their pricing depends on how you run your business.
CoachAccountable’s Approach
- You pay for the number of active clients in your system. That’s it. No hidden fees, no feature restrictions.
- Pricing starts at $20/month (for 2 active clients) and scales with your business. At $120/month, you can serve 20 active clients.
- Bonus: Inactive clients can still access their past content, so if you promise lifetime access, CoachAccountable has your back.
- Admins, team members, and all features are included—no nickel-and-diming here.
UpCoach’s Approach
- Pricing is feature-restricted, with tiers:
- Basic Plan ($40/month): Up to 15 clients, unlimited programs and courses, but still no branding or API access.
- Pro Plan ($99/month per seat): Includes branding, custom domain, and API access. Each admin or coach on your team costs extra. This can get pricey.
What Both Platforms Offer:
- Groups and community tools
- Action assignments and habit tracking
- Admin and team roles
Where They Differ:
- CoachAccountable:
- Includes appointment booking, payments, and billing. Your clients can book and pay right inside the platform. Simple, seamless, done.
- No built-in chat. Important if you're running a low-touch online course coaching model but disruptive if you're managing 1:1 coaching clients.
- UpCoach:
- Offers chat, but lacks appointment booking and payments. You'll need external tools to handle scheduling and billing.
- Bonus: You get a custom domain (something CoachAccountable doesn’t offer).
So, what’s more valuable to your business? Integrated payments and scheduling? Or a chat feature and custom domain? It depends on your priorities.
User Experience: A Tale of Two Systems
Let’s not sugarcoat it: user experience matters. If you can’t figure out how to use the platform, your clients won’t either.
CoachAccountable
- Built by a coach. Every feature, every update, every improvement. Inspired by real coaches and their feedback.
- It’s been around for 11 years—ancient in software terms. That longevity means it’s refined, reliable, and robust.
UpCoach
- UpCoach, founded by a software investor, is a newer platform (4 years old). While it offers some modern features, I found its interface unintuitive. As someone with a decade of software experience, I struggled to set up and navigate the platform. For example:
- Assigning tasks to clients was confusing.
- Booking an onboarding demo was impossible due to a broken calendar system.
- Several bugs, such as emails missing personalization fields, left me feeling stuck.
- UpCoach may work for those willing to invest time in troubleshooting, but for a smooth and professional experience, CoachAccountable comes out ahead.
So, Which Should You Choose?
It comes down to this: what do you need?
- If you’re looking for software that works reliably, offers powerful features, and simplifies your business? CoachAccountable is the clear choice.
- If you’re okay with some bumps in exchange for a custom domain, UpCoach might be worth a shot.
But here’s my honest take: you don’t want software that adds frustration to your already busy life. You want something that helps you deliver results for your clients. And for me, that’s CoachAccountable.
