DanceStudio-Pro is a dance studio management software designed to simplify the administrative tasks for dance schools across the world.
Many dance studios choose DanceStudio-Pro as their class management software for two main reasons:
However, studios using DanceStudio-Pro may encounter a few challenges:
In this post, we’ll explore 10 alternatives to DanceStudio-Pro—starting with our own solution, Activity Messenger. We’ll compare how these options tackle the issues mentioned above and introduce additional features that could benefit your studio.
In this review, we’ll cover the following tools:
Author’s note: Olivier shares tips and tricks he’s learned over the past decade as the owner of a children’s activity centre. Today, as the co-founder of Activity Messenger, he helps hundreds of dance studios across North America simplify the management of their studio and increase their revenue.
Activity Messenger is a modern dance studio management software that helps you simplify communication, registration, and payments for dance studios across North America.
Here’s how we address some of the main issues with most dance studio software
One of the most common complaints about Dance Studio Pro is that its interface can feel outdated and rigid.
Activity Messenger solves this problem by providing an easy-to-use platform with the right customization options for dance studios.
Activity Messenger is also built for mobile, so the smartphone user experience is not an afterthought; it is the foundation of all our product designs.
Make the registration process easier for parents by designing registration forms that reflect your brand personality. The platform offers seamless integration with their favorite tools, like Stripe for payments and Canva for design.
You can choose a pre-designed template or build your forms from scratch using the drag-and-drop form builder. The platform gives you the flexibility to create exactly what you want, just like Google Forms, with all the features of online registration softwares like Dance Studio Pro.
Activity Messenger helps you automate your entire workflow, from waitlists to recital ticketing, to staff management and surveys, giving you more time to focus on your students.
A key limitation of Dance Studio Pro is the lack of built-in marketing tools.
Activity Messenger offers marketing automation to help you convert more leads and re-engage clients.
Activity Messenger’s automated tools, such as conversion tracking and abandoned cart retargeting, allow you to follow up with families who started the registration process but didn’t complete it.
If a parent starts the registration process up but doesn’t complete it, the system automatically sends follow-up emails or SMS reminders.
You can even offer incentives to complete the registration, such as a first-time client discount. Built-in analytics track the effectiveness of your efforts, allowing you to refine your campaigns over time.
You can also run advanced email marketing campaigns.
List segmentation and automation tools let you target specific groups, such as members who haven’t signed up for the current season or parents who have expressed interest in a particular program.
You can create compelling, branded messages using customizable templates and set up automated sequences to nurture your leads without manual intervention.
Communicating effectively with your dance students is critical to retention and growth, but Dance Studio Pro’s communication tools can be limited.
Activity Messenger combines all communication channels, email, SMS, and newsletters, into a single platform, with powerful list segmentation to ensure you’re always in touch with your customers.
You can schedule important messages, such as session reminders or new program updates, to reach members at the right time. For example, you can send automatic session start SMS reminders to parents to reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations.
After events or classes, use automated surveys to gather feedback, improving your offerings based on direct input from your participants.
Talk to us about setting up a Activity Messenger plan that fits your dance studio’s needs.
Jackrabbit Dance is a top-rated class management software designed for dance studios. It offers a wide range of features to simplify studio operations, including online registrations, automated billing, attendance tracking, staff management, and reporting.
The platform also includes a parent portal where families can manage enrollments and payments, making the entire process seamless. Jackrabbit also integrates with popular apps and systems, ensuring that dance studios can customize their setup according to specific needs. With 24/7 access to data and free, unlimited support, it’s a powerful choice for growing your dance studio efficientl
IClassPro is a versatile dance studio that offers a wide range of features including scheduling, online registration, payment processing and attendance tracking. Parents can manage registrations and payments through a customer portal, while staff can use a branded app to manage their schedules and class details on the go.
IClassPro also includes skill tracking, automated notifications and reporting tools to help studio owners stay organized. The platform’s easy-to-use interface and comprehensive customer support make it an excellent choice for growing dance studios,
Studio Director is class management software for dance studios that streamlines essential studio tasks such as class scheduling, billing, and online registration. With features such as automated payment processing, costume management, recital organization, and attendance tracking, StudioDirector is designed to save time and reduce administrative tasks.
The software also supports communication tools for email and SMS to help you stay in touch with students and staff. Its user-friendly interface and customizable reports make it easy to track performance and growth.
Amilia‘s SmartRec is an all-in-one management platform designed specifically for dance studios. Amilia makes it easy for studio owners to track attendance, manage schedules, and even automate financial processes such as recurring billing and payment reminders.
The platform includes tools for managing memberships, selling merchandise and managing waitlists. Amilia also enhances communication with dancers and parents through automated updates and reminders, helping to manage studio operations and improve customer satisfaction.
MindBody is a management platform used by fitness and wellness studios, including dance schools. It offers a wide range of tools to manage scheduling, booking, payments, marketing and staff coordination.
Clients can easily book classes through the Mindbody app, ClassPass or even your own branded app. Its automation features for marketing, payments and reporting simplify administrative tasks, freeing up time to grow your studio.
Mindbody integrates with third-party apps to seamlessly sync tools for payroll, staff management and client data. The platform also provides business insights and financing options to fuel growth.
WellnessLiving provides solutions for managing student registrations, memberships, scheduling and payment processing. With marketing automation tools, the platform allows dance studio owners to send personalized emails, texts, and push notifications to keep students engaged.
It also supports event management for recitals and workshops, making it easier to organize and promote these events. WellnessLiving’s mobile apps – Achieve for clients and Elevate for staff – allow students to book classes and manage schedules, while staff can track attendance, payments and payroll, all in real time.
Zen Planner is a feature-rich software designed to simplify the operations of dance studios. It includes student management, billing, class scheduling, and skill tracking, all accessible from any device. The platform supports automated billing, reporting, and payment processing, streamlining the business side of dance schools.
Zen Planner provides robust family management tools, making it easy to manage multiple children and parents under a single account. Studios can also track student progress through shared curriculum features, while the branded member app facilitates check-ins and purchases.
Akada is a dance studio management platform that has been serving the industry for over 25 years. It simplifies key administrative tasks such as online registration, class scheduling, and billing, allowing dance studio owners to focus more on teaching and less on paperwork.
The software includes tools for tracking staff hours, managing costume orders, and organizing performances. Akada also offers over 200 customizable reports to monitor finances, attendance, and student progress. With a mobile-friendly interface and customer support options, it’s a reliable choice for both small and large dance studios looking to streamline their operations.
Pike13 is a management software tailored for dance studios, offering a user-friendly interface to streamline operations. It provides features for scheduling, client management, billing and reporting. Students can easily register for classes and studios can automate tasks such as invoicing, payments and notifications.
Pike13 also includes a branded mobile app for clients to manage their bookings and payments on the go. Staff can access schedules, monitor attendance and track student progress through the integrated app. With its reporting tools, Pike13 helps owners make data-driven decisions to optimize their business and improve customer retention.
Vagaro is a management platform used by dance studios, salons, fitness centers and more. It offers features for online booking, scheduling, client management, and automated reminders to help streamline daily operations. With integrated payment processing, Vagaro allows businesses to accept payments online and efficiently track financials.
The software includes marketing tools that help you send email and SMS campaigns to engage customers and reduce no-shows. Vagaro also supports branded mobile apps, giving studios a professional edge. Its easy-to-use interface, customer support and customization options make it a great choice for growing businesses.
ClassJuggler is an easy-to-use platform designed to meet the needs of dance studios. It offers robust features for managing student registration, class scheduling and payments, all within a secure, cloud-based system. ClassJuggler allows studios to automate billing, manage student records, and efficiently manage staff schedules.
It also provides a customer portal where students and parents can manage their accounts, register for classes, and make payments. With customizable reporting tools and mobile-friendly access, ClassJuggler simplifies studio operations, allowing owners to focus on their students instead of administrative tasks.
Activity Messenger was created to address the shortcomings of traditional class management systems and provide a modern alternative.
Unlike older, rigid platforms with clunky interfaces, Activity Messenger offers a sleek, intuitive design that’s fully customizable, allowing dance studios to reflect their unique branding and streamline operations.
From personalized registration forms to customized communications, the platform makes it easy to automate routine tasks while maintaining a professional appearance.
With built-in features for sending reminder emails, SMS text messages and newsletters, Activity Messenger centralizes all communications and increases engagement with your community.
The platform’s advanced marketing capabilities – such as tracking conversions, retargeting abandoned carts and segmenting email lists – enable clubs to increase membership and revenue.
To learn more, book a 20-minute intro call with one of our experts.
