Music teacher scheduling software at a glance
All five let students book lessons online. They differ in who they're built for, how families pay and how they handle groups.
Facts checked on each tool's own pages; the sources at the end give each date. Prices are for one teacher, as each site lists them.
| Tool | Built for | Price for one teacher | Online booking | Payments | Groups and events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmartCookie | Language teachers and small academies | €19 a month, or €15.20 a month paid yearly. 14-day trial | Students book from your link and see your free times | Card and Bizum through Stripe, from a link, and packs that count down on their own | Private group classes and open sessions with a seat limit. Nothing built for recitals |
| My Music Staff | Music teachers and studios | $16.95 a month, plus $4.95 per extra teacher. 30-day trial | Optional self-service scheduling in the student portal, and lesson booking on your studio website | Stripe and PayPal integrations | Private lessons, groups and workshops on one calendar |
| Fons | Music teachers and studios, also tutors and trainers | $19.95 a month (US price), plus $4.95 per extra staff member. 14-day trial | A personal booking link; clients reschedule and you confirm | Billing per lesson, monthly or by package, charged automatically. Card fee in the US: 2.9% + $0.30 | Private lessons, group classes, masterclasses and workshops |
| TutorBird | Tutors of any subject. Its maker, Port 443, sends music teachers to My Music Staff | €16.95 a month. 30-day trial | Students and parents book from the portal; new students sign up with a form | Stripe and PayPal, invoices and Auto Pay | Private and group lessons |
| Calendly | Any kind of meeting | €12 a month (Standard), or a free plan with one event type | Booking pages, but no recurring bookings | Stripe and PayPal, on paid plans | Group event types on paid plans: several people book the same slot |
We didn't find a dedicated recital planner on the pages we checked. In all five, you can add a recital as a group lesson or event.
One honest line per tool
Short verdicts, keeping in mind that SmartCookie is our product.
- SmartCookie: for teachers in Spain who want weekly lessons, packs and card or Bizum payments in one place. Built for language lessons, not music.
- My Music Staff: made for music studios, with a 30-day trial and $4.95 a month per extra teacher.
- Fons: made by a guitar teacher for music studios, with automatic billing per lesson, monthly or by package. Priced in dollars and pounds, not euros.
- TutorBird: for tutors of any subject, from the same company as My Music Staff, which its own site recommends to music teachers.
- Calendly: enough if students book a time and pay as they go. It has no recurring bookings, so weekly students book every lesson again.
Where SmartCookie loses for music teachers
SmartCookie is built for language teachers. For a music studio, here's where another tool fits better.
- Made for language lessons: My Music Staff and Fons are made for music studios.
- Shorter trial: 14 days, against 30 at My Music Staff and TutorBird.
- Higher monthly price for one teacher: €19, against €16.95 at TutorBird and $16.95 at My Music Staff. Paid yearly, SmartCookie is €15.20 a month.
- No free plan. Calendly has one, with a single event type.
Which one fits your studio?
Pick by where you teach, how families pay and how many teachers your studio has.
- Solo music teacher in the US, the UK, Canada or Australia: Fons or My Music Staff, both made for music studios.
- A studio with several teachers: My Music Staff ($4.95 per extra teacher) or TutorBird.
- Teaching in Spain, with families who pay by Bizum or buy packs: SmartCookie.
- You only need students to pick a time: Calendly's free plan.
Add a cancellation policy
Whichever tool you pick, write your cancellation rules down before recital season starts moving lessons around.
Our free cancellation policy generator has a Music lessons option that adds a line about recitals, concerts and exams. For more booking tools, see the best scheduling apps for tutors.
Lessons, packs and payments in one place
Try SmartCookie for 14 days, no card needed, and keep your current tool while you decide.