Why More Fitness Enthusiasts Choose ClassPass Instead of Gym Memberships
ClassPass has become one of the most-talked-about names in fitness as the $30 billion US health and fitness industry keeps expanding. Here is how the subscription works, what it costs and why users say it actually keeps them moving.
How Does ClassPass Work in 2026?
ClassPass is a subscription that gives members access to thousands of studios and classes in their city through a single app, using a credit system rather than unlimited access. Members buy a set number of credits each month and spend them on classes they book.
Popular boutique sessions can cost up to 9 credits, while general classes may run as low as 1 or 2. ClassPass launched in 2013 with a flat $45 monthly fee for five classes regardless of type or location, but pricing now varies by market. The company partners with more than 8,500 studios across 50-plus cities. As of January 2025, 94% of users were brand-new to the venues they booked through ClassPass, a sign the app is steering members toward studios they would not have found on their own. The broader fitness industry has grown 3 to 4% annually for the past decade, with boutique studios now driving more than 35% of revenue.
Why Does ClassPass Keep Members Coming Back?
Variety, not any single workout, is what keeps members committed, according to Jeff Bladt, senior vice president of pricing and marketplace at ClassPass parent company Playlist.
"All those fundamental problems that prevent people from forming a fitness habit, ClassPass solves," Bladt told Forbes. He pointed to price, discovery and availability as the biggest friction points that stop people from sticking with a routine. The credit system also creates urgency. A member with 40 credits and a month to use them has to plan ahead, and the "use it or lose it" structure pushes members to catch up after a missed week rather than walk away. Bladt describes fitness as a "habit-forming frequency thing," and the product is built around that behavior. Locking users into one studio or modality, he argues, may produce short-term commitment but long-term fatigue. The pattern Playlist sees is members starting with yoga, shifting to Pilates, trying strength training and dabbling in recovery services.
What Classes and Services Can You Book on ClassPass?
ClassPass members can book yoga, Pilates, spin and boxing alongside newer favorites like HIIT, Barre and dance cardio. The app also surfaces trending formats such as aerial yoga and extends beyond fitness into recovery services like massage and meditation, plus beauty appointments including nails and haircuts.
That breadth lines up with what research has flagged as the fastest-growing fitness activities of 2017, including event-style classes, equipment-based classes, HIIT, Barre, yoga and HIIT small group training. Writer Alina Tang said in a piece for Medium that she had tried more than 30 different studios since signing up, sampling yoga, spin, boxing, Pilates, Zumba and bootcamps. "It wasn't until I started using ClassPass that I discovered the joy of exercise," she wrote. "Not simply for results, but for pure pleasure."
How Much Does ClassPass Cost?
ClassPass pricing varies by city and runs on credits rather than a flat unlimited rate. When the company launched in 2013, members paid $45 a month for five classes regardless of class type or location.
That model has been replaced by tiered credit packages, where members choose how many credits they want each month and spend them on the classes they book. The cost per class varies, with high-demand boutique sessions sitting at the top of the range and standard offerings priced significantly lower. Pricing also flexes by location since ClassPass operates in more than 50 cities and partners with over 8,500 studios, so the same package may unlock different numbers of classes in different markets. The monthly credit structure gives members a built-in target and a deadline to use what they paid for, which Playlist's Jeff Bladt has described as central to how the product reinforces a fitness habit.
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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 7:43 AM.