Private Pilates vs Group Reformer: Profit Framework
Does this sound familiar? A private session costs four times as much as a spot in a reformer class, so private sessions feel like the better deal. But your evening reformer classes are always full, your midday private slots are often empty, and you are not sure which one really earns more.
You do not need to pick one format: you just need to compare them on the right number.
In this guide, we will show you a simple way to work out what each format earns per hour, and how to build a weekly timetable that uses both well.
Still moving your studio online? Read How Sports Clubs Should Handle Online Bookings first.
Quick Answer
Compare earnings per hour, not price per person: A well-filled reformer class usually earns more per hour than one private session.
Count the spots you really sell: A half-empty class can earn less than a private session in the same hour.
Group classes at busy times, private sessions in quiet gaps: That gets the most out of your reformers and your instructors.
Use private sessions as a starting point: Beginners who start privately often go on to join group classes every week.
Why Price per Person Is the Wrong Comparison
Most studios compare the price of a private session with the price of one spot in a group class. That makes private sessions look like the obvious winner.
But the two use your studio very differently. A private session sells one hour of instructor and reformer time to one person. A group class sells the same hour to several people at once, at a lower price each.
The real question is: which one earns more for each hour of instructor and studio time?
And that depends on how full your classes are. An empty reformer earns nothing, so a class with only a few people booked can earn less than one private session.
The Simple Maths: Earnings per Hour
Use one number for both formats, so you can compare them fairly.
Private session per hour: This is simply the price of a one-hour private session.
Group class per hour: Multiply the price per spot by the number of spots you really sell, not the number of reformers you have. A 10-reformer class with 8 spots sold usually earns more than a private session in the same hour. The same class with 3 spots sold often does not.
Your break-even point: Divide the private session price by the price of one group spot. If a private session costs four times a group spot, you need to sell four group spots to match it. Every spot after that is where the group class earns more.
Think about reliability too: Group classes spread your instructor's time over more people and build weekly habits. Private sessions earn more per person, but when one is cancelled, that whole hour earns nothing.
The 3-Step Timetable Plan
1. Put group classes at your busiest times
Evenings and early mornings fill easily. Keep those reformers for group classes.
2. Put private sessions in quiet gaps
Midday and late slots often suit private and semi-private sessions, where one committed client earns more than a nearly empty class.
3. Link the two
Start beginners with one or two private sessions, then guide them into group classes.
Quick Checklist: Which Format for Which Slot?
How full are your group classes really? If they are usually more than two thirds full, group hours are probably your best earner. Below half full, a private session may earn more in that slot for now.
Is it a busy time or a quiet time? Busy times suit group classes. Quiet times suit private sessions.
What does the client need? Beginners, people coming back from an injury, and pre and post-natal clients often do best with private or semi-private sessions.
Are your reformers fully booked at peak times? Then keep them for group classes, because private sessions cannot grow the same way.
How often are private sessions cancelled late? If it happens a lot, set a stricter cancellation time and take payment upfront before you rely on private income.
Does it lead somewhere? A private first session that leads to a group membership is worth more over time than a one-off booking.
How Each Format Usually Behaves
Group reformer classes: The steady base of most studios. When they are well filled, they earn the most per hour and bring the most regular attendance. They rely on selling enough spots.
Private sessions: The most income per client and per booking. Great for new clients, injuries and premium clients. There is one client per slot, so a cancellation means an empty hour.
Semi-private sessions (2 to 4 people): In between the two. Close to private attention at a middle price, often a strong earner per hour, and a natural step from private sessions into group classes.
Setting Up Your Timetable
Work out earnings per hour for each format
Write down your private session price and your price per group spot. Work out what a group class earns per hour with a realistic number of spots sold, and find your break-even point.
Mark your busy and quiet times
Go through your week and mark each slot as busy, medium or quiet, based on real bookings.
Put group classes in your busiest slots
Keep your most popular reformer classes at peak times, and do not let private bookings take reformers that would otherwise fill a class.
Use the gaps for private and semi-private sessions
Early mornings, just after work and quiet midday slots work well, plus a fixed time each week for new clients.
Give each format its own booking rules
Group classes get a waitlist so cancelled spots fill up. Private sessions get a stricter cancellation time and payment upfront, because one cancellation empties a whole slot.
Guide new clients into group classes
Start beginners with one or two private or semi-private sessions, then invite them to a group membership once they feel confident.
Check every week, change every month
Look at how full each slot is and what it earns. Turn group classes that are always half empty into private slots, and turn private times that are always booked into new group classes. Make small changes each month rather than big changes every week.
Quick Do's and Don'ts
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Compare earnings per hour: Use the spots you really sell. | Compare price per person: It makes private sessions look better than they are. |
| Keep busy reformers for groups: They earn the most at peak times. | Fill peak slots with private sessions: You lose group income. |
| Start beginners privately, then move them to groups: They tend to stay longer. | Use one cancellation rule for both: Private slots need stricter rules. |
Simple Numbers to Watch in the First 90 Days
Group classes filled: Many studios aim for 70 to 90 out of every 100 spots filled in their main peak classes.
Break-even point: Often 35 to 50 out of every 100 spots, depending on the gap between your prices.
Private slots booked: Many studios aim for 75 to 90 out of every 100 private slots they offer.
Private and semi-private share of income: Usually 20 to 40 percent, with group classes as the base.
Beginners who join groups: Studios that start beginners privately often see 50 to 70 out of every 100 go on to join group classes.
Treat these as goals, not rules. Your own numbers matter more once you have a few weeks of data.
Final Takeaway
Compare private and group pilates on what they earn per hour, keep your busiest reformers for group classes, and use private sessions to welcome new clients and fill quiet gaps.
Keep going with How Pilates Studios Should Structure Intro Offers & Packs, Best Booking Software for Pilates Studios, Private Lessons vs Group Sessions: How to Run Both Profitably, and more Pilates guides.
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