ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a brick-and-mortar studio selling classes + merchandise, you’ll want an ecommerce platform that combines:

• Class scheduling/booking
• Online payments
• Customer management
• Product inventory and shipping/POS
• Memberships or class packages (if needed)

The strongest options are:

My recommendation by studio type

• Yoga, Pilates, dance, art, photography, workshops, small creative studio:

Start with Squarespace or Wix. They let you run your website, sell classes, and sell shirts/merch without stitching together many systems. Squarespace specifically supports selling classes/workshops and physical products from the same site. Squarespace Help Squarespace Help

• Your merch is becoming a major business (hundreds of SKUs, frequent drops, shipping operations):

Use Shopify for the store and connect a dedicated booking tool.

• You run a membership-based fitness/wellness studio with many instructors:

Consider Mindbody or a studio-specific platform.

A practical setup for many small studios:

1. Website + branding: Squarespace or Wix
2. Class booking: built-in scheduling/booking tools
3. Merch: built-in store
4. Payments: Stripe/PayPal/Square depending on your needs

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (fitness, art, music, beauty, dance, etc.), approximate class volume, and whether merch is a side offering or a major revenue stream, I can narrow it down.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling classes + merchandise online, I’d narrow it to Square and Wix.

🥇 Best overall: Square

Square is especially strong if you already sell in person and want your online and physical operations under one system.

• Classes: Create one-time or recurring classes, set capacity, instructors, schedules, and online booking. squareup.com
• Merch: Sell physical products online, with shipping and pickup options. squareup.comsquareup.comsupport.wix.com
• In-studio POS: Your online and in-person sales can run through the same Square ecosystem.
• Packages: You can sell prepaid packages, such as 5 or 10 classes. squareup.com
• Website: Square can provide the actual storefront/booking website, or you can embed booking into an existing site. squareup.com
• Inventory: Particularly useful if your merch is also sold at the studio.

I'd pick Square if: your studio is primarily a physical business and you want booking + POS + inventory + ecommerce to work together with minimal complexity.

🥈 Best for a more polished website: Wix

Wix is attractive if the website/branding experience is a major priority.

Wix Bookings supports classes, workshops, group sessions, private appointments, memberships and packages, while Wix Stores handles your merchandise. support.wix.com

Customers can also put services and physical products into the same cart and check out together. support.wix.com

I'd pick Wix if: you want a beautiful, highly customizable studio website and your ecommerce needs are relatively straightforward.

My recommendation

One important distinction: Shopify is excellent for merchandise, but I wouldn't make it my first choice for a class-based studio unless your merch business is going to become the dominant part of the operation.

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (fitness, art, pottery, dance, photography, music, etc.), roughly how many classes you run per week, and whether you already use Square/Wix/Shopify for anything, I can tell you which setup I'd actually use and what it would cost.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling classes + merchandise from the same website, I’d put Wix at the top of your list.

Best fits

Wix: Wix Bookings supports classes, courses, workshops, and appointments, including recurring classes, capacity limits, staff/resources, online payments, memberships and packages. Wix Stores handles your physical products, and customers can put services and merchandise into the same cart/checkout. support.wix.com

That combination is particularly good for a studio. For example, someone could book a Saturday pottery class and add a $25 studio T-shirt to the same order.

Squarespace: Also worth considering if your website/branding is a major priority. Its current commerce tools specifically support selling classes, workshops and retreats as service products, including limited-capacity, scheduled events. support.squarespace.com

Shopify: I'd choose this if your business is going to become primarily a merchandise ecommerce operation and classes are secondary. Its ecommerce ecosystem is stronger, but you'll generally be assembling booking functionality rather than getting the studio-booking experience as naturally integrated as Wix.

My recommendation

For your particular model:

Wix → best overall
Squarespace → best if visual/design quality is the priority
Shopify → best if merch will eventually dominate

One other nice Wix feature: you can run in-person and online classes, and connect online sessions to Zoom or Google Meet. support.wix.com

Wix · Squarespace · Shopify

If you tell me what kind of studio/classes you run (yoga, art, pottery, dance, fitness, etc.) and roughly how many classes/appointments per week, I can narrow it down further—including fees, POS/in-person sales, memberships, class capacity, and merch shipping.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling scheduled classes + physical merchandise, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Wix

Wix is probably the simplest fit for what you described. Wix Bookings supports appointments, classes, and courses, while Wix Stores handles physical merchandise. Customers can even put booking services and merchandise into the same cart. support.wix.com

It also supports memberships/packages, online payments, reminders, and both online and in-person sessions. support.wix.com

Strong alternative: Square

Square is particularly compelling if your studio already takes payments through Square. Square Appointments supports single and recurring classes, while Square Online lets you sell products, handle shipping/pickup, and keep bookings and product sales in the same ecosystem. support.wix.comsquareup.comwww.squarespace.com

When I'd choose Squarespace

Squarespace + Acuity is a good choice if the visual presentation of your studio brand is especially important. Acuity handles scheduled classes/appointments, while Squarespace Commerce handles physical products. www.squarespace.com

Bottom line:

• Wix → easiest all-in-one solution
• Square → best if your physical studio/POS is central
• Squarespace → best design/branding
• Shopify → best if merch/ecommerce is going to become a major revenue stream

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (fitness, art, pottery, dance, photography, etc.) and roughly how many classes/students you have, I can narrow this to the best 1–2 options and compare their current pricing/features.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling classes + physical merchandise, I’d narrow it to three:

My pick: Squarespace

Squarespace is probably the cleanest fit if your primary business is a studio rather than a retail store. It supports physical products alongside classes, workshops, events, appointments, memberships, and digital offerings. Its current documentation specifically describes selling scheduled classes/workshops as service products with online registration and payment. support.squarespace.comwww.wix.com

Example setup:

• “Beginner Pottery — Tuesdays 6 PM” → bookable class
• “8-Class Package” → membership/package
• “Private Studio Session” → appointment
• T-shirts, mugs, tools, etc. → normal ecommerce products
• One website, checkout, customer database, and marketing system

Wix is a very strong alternative

Wix is especially attractive if you have lots of different classes, instructors, schedules, or memberships. Wix says customers can put services and merchandise in the same cart and check out together, while Wix Bookings handles group-class capacity, scheduling, cancellations, and rescheduling. www.wix.com

Shopify if merch is going to be big

Shopify is the one I'd choose if you expect the merchandise side to become substantial—lots of SKUs, shipping, inventory, promotions, potentially selling through Instagram/in-person POS, etc.

The catch is that Shopify doesn't natively give you the same studio-booking experience out of the box. You add a booking app. There are currently apps specifically designed for classes and workshops; for example, Bookable supports classes, recurring sessions, group/private bookings, capacity, waivers, and checkout through Shopify. apps.shopify.com

So my ranking for your use case:

1. 🥇 Squarespace — easiest all-in-one studio website + classes + merch
2. 🥈 Wix — best if scheduling/classes are complex
3. 🥉 Shopify — best if ecommerce/merch is the bigger growth engine

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (fitness, art, pottery, dance, photography, music, etc.) and roughly how many classes per week, I can tell you which one I'd actually choose and what the setup would look like.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling both classes and merchandise, I’d shortlist these:

My top pick: Square

Square Appointments is particularly well suited to a physical studio. You can create one-time or recurring classes, set capacity and instructors, take online bookings/payments, and sell physical products through the same ecosystem. api.squareup.com

The big advantage for a brick-and-mortar business is that your online sales and in-studio POS can run through Square, so inventory, customer records, payments, and orders don't have to be split across different systems. my.squareup.com

It also supports packages—useful if you want to sell something like "10 classes for $150" rather than only individual class bookings. my.squareup.com

Wix is a strong alternative

Wix is attractive if your website/branding is a major priority. Wix Bookings supports appointments, classes, and courses, while Wix Stores handles merchandise. Customers can put services and physical products into the same cart. support.wix.com

Squarespace is worth considering for a design-heavy studio

Squarespace Commerce supports physical products and service products, including classes, workshops, and events with set times and limited spots. support.squarespace.com For appointment-style services, it integrates with Acuity Scheduling. www.squarespace.com

For your particular setup, I'd choose Square if the studio is the center of the business and you want online + physical sales tightly integrated. I'd choose Wix instead if having a highly customizable, polished website is more important than having the strongest POS/studio operations.

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (fitness, dance, art, ceramics, photography, etc.) and roughly how many classes/customers you have, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options and compare their current pricing and transaction fees.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling both classes and physical merchandise, I’d narrow it to these three:

🥇 My pick: Square

Square Appointments is unusually well suited to your situation because classes, appointments, merchandise, online checkout, and your physical studio POS can all live in the same ecosystem.

Square supports single and recurring classes, including setting capacity and pricing, and lets you sell products alongside services. squareup.com

You can also have a single online storefront where customers book a class and buy merch, with options for shipping and in-store pickup. squareup.comsupport.wix.comapps.shopify.com

That's particularly attractive for a studio because your customer could, for example:

Book Saturday pottery class → add a studio T-shirt → pay once → pick up the shirt at the studio.

And your in-person sales and online sales stay in the same Square system.

🥈 Wix — if the website experience matters more

Wix + Wix Bookings is a strong alternative if you want a more polished, highly designed website.

Wix allows customers to put services and physical merchandise into the same cart, provided you add Wix Stores. support.wix.com

I'd favor Wix if your studio is visually driven—fitness, dance, art, beauty, wellness, creative workshops, etc.—and the website/branding is a major part of selling.

🥉 Shopify — if merch is going to become substantial

Shopify is excellent for ecommerce, but bookings aren't as native. You generally add a booking app; Shopify's App Store has numerous apps specifically for appointments, workshops, events and classes. apps.shopify.com

I'd choose Shopify if you expect the merchandise side to grow into a significant retail business—lots of SKUs, shipping, inventory, promotions, etc.

Bottom line: If your primary business is studio + classes + some merch, I'd start with Square. If it's brand-heavy studio + classes + beautiful online store, consider Wix. If it's ecommerce/merch first with classes as an additional revenue stream, choose Shopify.

If you tell me what kind of studio you run and roughly how many classes/bookings and products you expect per month, I can recommend the best one and compare the actual monthly costs.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling scheduled classes + physical merchandise, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Wix

Wix is probably the cleanest fit if your studio is primarily a service business that also sells merch.

Wix Bookings handles classes, courses, appointments, online payments, calendars, and client booking, while Wix Stores handles your physical products. Customers can even put services and merchandise into the same cart before checkout. support.wix.comsupport.squarespace.com

That means you could have something like:

• Classes: Beginner Pottery — Tuesdays 6 PM
• Workshops: Saturday Wheel-Throwing Workshop
• Private sessions: 60-minute studio lesson
• Merch: T-shirts, mugs, tools, branded supplies
• Packages/memberships: e.g. 5-class pass or monthly studio membership

Squarespace is a very close second

Squarespace is particularly attractive if your studio's visual brand and website design are important.

It supports physical products and "service products" such as classes and workshops. For classes that occur at specific times, Squarespace recommends Acuity Scheduling, which can handle booking and payment. support.squarespace.com

I'd choose Squarespace over Wix if you're thinking "beautiful studio website with a shop attached." I'd choose Wix if you're thinking "studio management + bookings + shop in one place."

Shopify makes sense if merch is the priority

Shopify has a much stronger ecommerce ecosystem, but scheduled classes generally require a booking app. Shopify's App Store currently has numerous apps specifically for appointments, classes, and events. apps.shopify.com

So I'd use Shopify if you expect to eventually have lots of SKUs, inventory, shipping, promotions, multiple sales channels, or a substantial online merchandise business.

Bottom line: For most brick-and-mortar studios, I'd start with Wix. If you tell me what kind of studio you run (dance, art, fitness, pottery, photography, music, etc.) and roughly how many classes you run per week, I can narrow it down to the best platform and plan for your setup.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling both classes and merchandise online, I’d narrow it to these:

My pick: Square

Square is probably the cleanest fit for your situation. Square Appointments supports online appointment booking and classes, while Square Online lets customers purchase merchandise from the same site. It also keeps your online and in-studio sales, inventory, payments, and customer information in the same ecosystem. squareup.comsupport.squarespace.com

That matters for a studio because you can have, for example:

• Classes: “Saturday Pottery — 10 AM” → customer books and pays
• Merch: T-shirts, mugs, supplies, gift cards → customer purchases online
• In person: Same Square system handles your studio checkout
• Inventory: Online and physical-store sales can stay synchronized
• Website: Booking and shopping can live together rather than sending customers to separate systems. squareup.com

When I'd choose Shopify instead

Choose Shopify if you expect merchandise to become a substantial ecommerce operation—lots of SKUs, shipping, promotions, email marketing, etc. Shopify has a large ecosystem of booking apps specifically supporting appointments, services, events, and classes. apps.shopify.com

The tradeoff is that booking isn't as native: you'll generally add a booking app to Shopify.

Squarespace is the middle ground

If your priority is a beautiful studio website and relatively straightforward selling, Squarespace is attractive. It supports both service products such as classes/events and physical products, and also has a scheduling/appointments capability. support.squarespace.com

Bottom line:
Square → best for a physical studio where classes + in-person operations + merch all need to work together.
Shopify → best if you're building a serious online merch business.
Squarespace → best if website/design is the priority and operations are simpler.

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (yoga, ceramics, dance, fitness, art, etc.) and roughly how many classes you run per week, I can tell you which one I'd actually choose and what the setup would look like.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling both classes and merchandise online, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Wix

Wix is particularly well suited to your setup because Wix Bookings supports classes, courses and appointments, including recurring classes, capacity limits, pricing and online payments. support.wix.com

You can also add Wix Stores and let customers put merchandise and bookable services into the same cart before checkout. support.wix.com Wix also supports memberships/packages, which could be useful if you eventually want something like a 10-class pass or monthly studio membership. support.wix.com

Squarespace is a close second

Squarespace has specifically added tools for selling in-person classes, workshops and retreats, including limited-capacity events and online registration/payment. support.squarespace.comapps.shopify.com It also handles physical merchandise through its Commerce tools. support.squarespace.com

For appointment-style services, Squarespace uses Acuity Scheduling, which adds scheduling, payments, reminders and client management. support.squarespace.com

Shopify if merch is a major part of the business

Shopify is excellent if you're going to build a substantial merchandise operation. The catch is that booking isn't as native: you'd typically install a booking app. Shopify's App Store currently has numerous apps specifically supporting appointments, events and classes. apps.shopify.com

So for a studio, I'd rank them:

1. Wix — best balance of classes + bookings + merch + simplicity
2. Squarespace — best if your website/branding is especially important
3. Shopify — best if merchandise/inventory will eventually dominate

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (dance, art, fitness, pottery, photography, etc.) and roughly how many classes per week, I can narrow it down further and compare pricing, booking features, memberships, POS/in-person sales, and transaction fees for the best 2–3 options.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling classes + merchandise, I’d narrow it to three:

My pick: Wix

For your specific setup, Wix is probably the simplest fit. Wix Bookings supports recurring classes, courses, appointments, group sessions, participant limits, online payments, memberships and packages. support.wix.com

You can then use Wix Stores for your physical merch, so customers can buy a class and a T-shirt from the same website. Wix even supports selling services alongside store products. support.wix.com

Wix Bookings

When I'd choose Squarespace instead

If your studio is design/arts/fashion/creative-focused and the website's visual presentation matters a lot, Squarespace is particularly compelling. It now explicitly supports selling in-person classes and workshops with limited spots, alongside physical products and ecommerce. support.squarespace.com

Squarespace

When Shopify makes more sense

Choose Shopify if you're expecting merch to become a substantial ecommerce operation—lots of SKUs, shipping, inventory, product variants, promotions, etc. Shopify's core strength is ecommerce; classes/bookings are handled through apps. Its app store currently has numerous booking apps specifically supporting classes and events. apps.shopify.com

Shopify

Bottom line:

• Classes are the core business + some merch → Wix
• Creative studio + classes + polished website + some merch → Squarespace
• Merch/ecommerce is becoming a major revenue stream → Shopify

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (dance, fitness, art, ceramics, photography, music, etc.) and roughly how many classes/week + how much merch, I can tell you which one I'd actually choose and what the setup would look like.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling classes + merchandise, I’d narrow it to three:

My pick: Squarespace

For a studio, Squarespace is probably the cleanest fit. It combines an online store with appointment/class scheduling, payments, subscriptions, and in-person POS. Its Acuity scheduling system handles booking and calendar management, while the store handles physical merchandise. www.squarespace.comecommerceparadise.com

That means you could have:

• Classes → customers choose a class/date/time and pay online
• Merch → shirts, branded goods, equipment, etc.
• In-person sales → POS at your physical studio
• Memberships/packages → useful if you eventually sell class packs or memberships
• Website → one branded site rather than stitching several services together

When I'd choose Wix instead

If your studio is class-heavy—yoga, dance, fitness, art, pottery, etc.—I'd seriously consider Wix. Wix Bookings supports group classes and courses in addition to regular appointments, and you can manage bookings, customers, payments, and the store from the same ecosystem. www.squarespace.comecommerceparadise.com

When I'd choose Shopify

If you're thinking, "The studio is the physical location, but I ultimately want a serious online merch business," I'd choose Shopify. It's much stronger for inventory, shipping, product variants, marketing, and scaling an online store, but class booking generally comes through a third-party booking app rather than being native. technologyadvice.com

My rule of thumb:

• 🎨 Studio/brand first, merch second → Squarespace
• 🧘 Classes/bookings first, merch second → Wix
• 👕 Merch/ecommerce first, classes second → Shopify

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (yoga, photography, ceramics, dance, music, fitness, etc.) and roughly how many classes you run per week, I can tell you which one I'd actually use and what the setup would look like.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling classes + merchandise online, I’d narrow it to Square, Wix, and Shopify:

My pick: Square

For your particular setup, Square is probably the cleanest choice. Square Appointments supports online booking, including classes, while Square Online lets customers purchase merchandise from the same site. It also connects your online sales and bookings with your physical studio/POS. squareup.com

You can even have a customer book a class and buy merch in the same checkout flow, which is particularly useful for a studio. squareup.com

Square Appointments

Wix is a close second

Wix is attractive if you want a more polished, highly customizable studio website. Wix Bookings handles services/classes, while Wix Stores handles merchandise, and customers can put services and products into the same cart. support.wix.com

Wix

Shopify makes sense if merch is the priority

Shopify is excellent for ecommerce, but booking classes isn't its native strength. You'd typically add a booking app. Shopify's App Store currently has numerous apps specifically for appointments, services, and classes. apps.shopify.com

Shopify

Bottom line: If your business is primarily a physical studio with scheduled classes and merch as an additional revenue stream → Square. If you're building a beautiful branded website and online experience → Wix. If you expect merch/ecommerce to become a major revenue channel → Shopify + booking app.

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (fitness, dance, art, pottery, photography, etc.) and roughly how many classes/students you have, I can recommend the specific platform and plan I'd choose.

Yes. For a brick-and-mortar studio selling classes + merchandise online, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Square

Square is particularly well suited to a physical studio because its system handles online class booking, appointments, payments, POS, inventory, and ecommerce together.

Square lets you create individual or recurring classes, set capacity and pricing, and allow customers to book online. squareup.com

It also lets the same website sell physical products, with shipping or in-store pickup, and bookings/orders sync with the Square system. squareup.com

That means you could have something like:

YourStudio.com

• Classes → Book a class
• Private sessions → Book appointment
• Packages → Buy 5 classes
• Merch → Shop
• Gift cards
• In-studio checkout → same Square system

Square even supports prepaid packages such as a five-class package. squareup.com

When I'd choose Wix instead

Wix is a strong alternative if the website/branding experience matters more than having the deepest connection to your physical POS. Wix Bookings supports workshops, courses and private sessions, while Wix Stores can sell merchandise; customers can put services and products into the same cart. support.wix.com

One caveat with Squarespace

Squarespace can absolutely sell both merchandise and classes. Its Commerce system supports physical and service products, and Squarespace specifically documents selling workshops/classes through service products and its calendar tools. support.squarespace.com

But for a studio where class scheduling and in-person operations are central, I'd put Square ahead of it.

Bottom line: If you're starting from scratch and want the fewest moving parts, I'd choose Square. If you already have a beautiful Wix/Squarespace site and mainly need to add bookings + ecommerce, I'd consider staying there.

If you tell me what kind of studio you run (fitness, dance, art, pottery, photography, etc.) and roughly how many classes/clients you have, I can narrow it down to the best platform and plan.