Is a ClassPass Membership Worth It These Days? Here's What to Know
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ClassPass — a monthly membership program that you can use to book classes at fitness studios as well as salon and spa appointments — became famous for allowing wellness lovers to book unlimited classes for the relatively low cost. Unfortunately, the service eliminated its unlimited plan seven years ago, and boutique fitness fans mourn the loss to this day. But while its all-you-can-sweat days are over, ClassPass' remaining plans can still make regular studio visits more affordable.
CWhether or not the monthly cost is worth it to you will depend on factors like how often you book classes and where you live. If you'd like a breakdown of what you'd pay for a membership, read on.
How Much Does ClassPass Cost?
There's no simple answer to how much ClassPass costs, as pricing varies by location.
If you're unfamiliar with the current ClassPass model, the service uses a credits system. Your monthly membership cost earns you a certain number of credits, which you can then use to reserve spots at boutique fitness classes, gyms, salons, and more. That means the number of classes you can take per month with a given plan will depend on how many credits your selected classes require. There are six main options: buy a pack of eight credits per month ($19 and up), 26 credits per month, 43 credits per month, 80 credits per month, 100 credits per month, and 150 credits per month.
To give you a general sense of how much ClassPass costs, here are the prices of each membership tier in three cities across the US:
New York:
$19 for eight credits per month
$55 for 26 credits per month
$89 for 43 credits per month
$159 for 80 credits per month
Philadelphia:
$19 for eight credits per month
$45 for 21 credits per month
$69 for 33 credits per month
$119 for 58 credits per month
Atlanta:
$19 for eight credits per month
$55 for 25 credits per month
$79 for 38 credits per month
$129 for 63 credits per month
If you're running low on credits on a given month but don't want to upgrade your membership, you can purchase add-on credits to use that month via a Top-up (which lets you buy the exact amount of credits you need, typically at a few bucks per credit) or an Add-on pack (which lets you purchase a select number of credits for a one-time cost). Unused credits can roll over into the next month.
How Many ClassPass Credits Do Classes Cost?
When trying to determine which membership tier is right for you, you'll need to know what types of classes or appointments you'll mostly be using it for, and how many credits they call for.
How many credits a booking requires varies depending on several factors, "including reservation type, location, popularity, and time," says Jeana Esernio, public relations lead at ClassPass. "For example, a yoga class at lunch time in New York City might be a few credits cheaper than the same yoga class at 7:30 a.m. or 6 p.m."
In general, you can expect a class to require around three to 15 credits. According to this recent reddit thread, for someone in a high cost-of-living area, Pilates classes may cost roughly 10 to 20 credits; open gyms three to six credits; and HIIT classes around 10 credits. But classes may require fewer credits in other lower cost-of-living areas. The beauty and wellness appointments — which include everything from acupuncture to cryotherapy to manicures — typically call for more credits than the fitness classes, Esernio notes.
It's also worth familiarizing yourself with all of the things ClassPass credits can be used for besides just boutique classes, because there can be some surprising savings opportunities. For example, some plans combine credits with a gym membership (for example, 23 credits per month with unlimited access to local Blink Fitness gyms).
Is a ClassPass Membership Worth It?
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ClassPass is free to sign up for and you can cancel a membership at any time. The company has a free two-week trial with the caveat that it automatically transitions into a membership if you don't cancel at the end of the two weeks. So you can test out ClassPass and get a sense of the time slot availability and credit requirements of your favorite classes to help you decide if the membership is worth it.
If you want to weigh out the pros and cons before even creating an account, there are a few factors to keep in mind. You'll be more likely to find ClassPass worth the money if:
- You're not a studio loyalist. You can often score a discount when you purchase a pack of multiple classes directly from a studio. If you religiously purchase pricier single classes and studio hop, you stand to gain more from signing up for a service like ClassPass.
- You're somewhat flexible on timing. Or, you're ready to set a reminder in order to snag a class at peak time at a popular fitness studio. "ClassPass helps studios sell spots in their class that otherwise would have gone unsold, so there are a limited number of spots available per class," Esernio says. "Some great tips to keep in mind are to book as early as possible and to make reservations during off-peak times."
- You take at least one class per month. Given the usual cost of boutique fitness classes, you can expect to pay less per class with ClassPass, even with the lowest membership tier.
- You live in a densely populated area. If you live in a remote area, you may find that there are fewer fitness studios on ClassPass that appeal to you, or that it's not available at all.
The quickest way to find out how much you'd pay for ClassPass is to input your zip code into the company's site and compare plans in your area. Depending on which one you go with, your monthly fee may be less than the cost of an Erewhon smoothie — or it may enter the triple digits. Either way, your routine and usual costs can help you determine whether the fee is worth it to you or not.
Renee Cherry is a POPSUGAR contributor who specializes in beauty and wellness. Her writing has appeared in Shape, Women's Health, Glamour, and Well+Good, among other publications.