Why Anjos Pilates Is Not on ClassPass

If you're entrenched in the global movement and Pilates community you may have noticed something over the last year; a quiet but meaningful exodus is occuring. Studios all over the world are leaving ClassPass. If you've ever searched for "Pilates Reformer Lisbon" or "Mat Pilates Lisbon" you may have noticed something else. Anjos Pilates is not on ClassPass. This is intentional. We want to be completely honest about with you why we made this decision, so let us explain why we're not on Class Pass.

We're not here to tell you not to be on ClassPass. This post is merely an explanation to why Anjos Pilates is not on it.

Here is why we chose not to be on ClassPass:

1. The economics don’t work for small studios

ClassPass operates on an algorithm-based payout system that takes up to 60% commission from studios.

ClassPass takes up to 60% commission

This alone makes the model unsustainable for many quality movement studios.

And it's not just the commission, it's the free trials too. When someone books a free trial class through ClassPass App, the studio receives €0. The instructor still gets paid. Rent still gets paid. Reception still gets paid. Electricity still gets paid etc. but the studio is left to absorbs the full loss.

For a billion-dollar company, that loss is negligible but for a small, independent Pilates studio, it is not.

2. Small studios carry all the risk, big platforms take the profit

ClassPass positions itself as a discovery platform, but the financial reality is this: studios subsidise the system.

We invest in high-quality equipment, small class sizes, experienced teachers, fair pay and high rents in Lisbon. When a platform extracts the majority of the revenue, it simply becomes unsustainable.

Over time, this model doesn’t create “more access.” It creates burnout, high teacher turnover, and studios that are forced to cut corners just to survive. In other words, for many studios, ClassPass creates the conditions for a "race to the bottom".

"Small studios make the loss, while the billion-dollar company profits"

Anjos Pilates opened to provide an excellent service and experience for our clients. Being on ClassPass goes against everything we've built.

3. We were asked to hand over control of our schedule

During conversations with ClassPass representatives, we were told that:

• We could not fully choose how many spots we open to ClassPass
• We could not reliably control which times those spots appear
• We would need to hand over our entire studio schedule to the ClassPass algorithm

That means less autonomy for the studio, less stability for teachers, and less consistency for our existing clients. Furthemore, being on ClassPass would also be incredibly unfair to our exisiting clients.

Our schedule is designed around quality, community and our teachers’ availabilty & energy. We are not willing to let an algorithm degrade our quality and values as a small studio.

4. The quiet erosion of teacher value

Pilates teachers are trained professionals. Teaching Reformer and mat Pilates classes safely and effectively requires deep anatomical knowledge, attention, and care. An education to become a good Pilates instructor takes many months and thousands of euros.

Platforms like ClassPass flatten that value. A reformer class becomes just another interchangeable booking tile, priced dynamically, detached from the teacher’s experience, preparation, and presence.

Teachers are pressured to teach more for less, studios struggle to retain good instructors, and quality slowly erodes.

5. What we’re building instead

Anjos Pilates was built on passion, integrity, and community.

We believe in:

• Small class sizes
• Personalised attention
• Fair pay for teachers
• High-quality reformer and mat Pilates
• Long-term relationships
• A studio where people are seen

That's the whole reason we started Anjos Pilates.

6. Accessibility matters, but not at any cost

Yes, movement should be accessible. But accessibility that relies on squeezing small studios is not real accessibility. It’s a race to the bottom.

True access means sustainable studios, respected teachers, and spaces that can still exist five and ten years from now.

Thank you for choosing us without ClassPass

By booking directly with us, you are choosing quality over convenience, community over algorithms, and respect over extraction.

We’re grateful you’re here and that you’re helping independent studios in Lisbon not just survive, but stay true to what they stand for.

Thank you for being a part of our community.

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Warm regards,

‍

The Anjos Pilates Team