What Platform Works Best for Your Coaching Model?
When you’re building a coaching business, choosing a platform can feel overwhelming.
Too many tools. Too many features. Too many opinions.
But here’s the truth:
You don’t need the “best” platform. You need the one that fits your coaching model.
Let’s keep this simple.
We’ll break down a few common coaching styles — and what kind of setup actually works for each one.
1. If You Do 1:1 Coaching…
What you need:
A way for people to book time with you
A way to take payment
A clean, simple client experience
Best tools for this setup:
Calendly or Acuity for booking
Stripe or PayPal for payments
A simple website (like Squarespace) to describe your offer and collect payments
Optional: Zoom or Google Meet for the calls
Optional: Notion or Google Drive to share notes and action plans
You can keep this lean.
If you offer just one or two coaching packages, a Squarespace page with a booking link and Stripe button is enough.
Tip: This site (yes, the one you’re reading) runs on Squarespace. You can keep yours just as simple.
2. If You Run Group Coaching or Cohorts…
What you need:
A hub for your group to meet and interact
A way to schedule live calls
A way to drip content or resources over time
A way to take payments and manage members
Best tools for this setup:
Circle, Skool, or Mighty Networks for the community and course delivery
Zoom for live sessions
Stripe or PayPal for payments
A sales page (again, Squarespace works perfectly here)
Each platform has a slightly different vibe:
Circle feels more flexible, clean, and creator-led
Skool is super simple and includes gamified engagement
Mighty Networks is all-in-one but a bit more “platform-y”
Pick what feels natural to your teaching style — not just what’s trending.
Tip: If your group is small (under 15 people), you can even run it via email, Zoom, and Google Drive to start. Don’t overbuild.
3. If You Sell Coaching + Digital Products
Some coaches like to blend 1:1 sessions with self-paced learning or templates.
What you need:
A platform to host your downloadable content
A way to offer bundles (session + course, for example)
A way to track access
Best tools for this setup:
Squarespace Member Areas (yes, you can do it all in one place)
Gumroad for easy downloads or pay-what-you-want options
Thinkific or Podia if you want a more “course-style” experience
This model works well if your time is limited but you still want to offer value in multiple formats.
4. If You Want to Keep It Really Simple
You can always start here:
A one-page website (Squarespace)
A booking link (Calendly)
A way to get paid (Stripe or PayPal)
A follow-up email with session details
You don’t have to build a backend, LMS, or full ecosystem to get started.
Just serve your people. Upgrade later.
Final Thought
The “right” platform isn’t about what’s popular — it’s about what fits you.
If you’re teaching live → focus on calendar + video tools
If you’re delivering content → look at course or membership tools
If you’re just starting → keep it light and focused
The more aligned your tools are with your coaching style, the less time you’ll spend fiddling — and the more energy you’ll have to serve.
