Best Free Music Studio Software for Private Teachers (2026)
Which music studio software is actually free? Student limits, payment fees and paid prices for DuetStudio, Adagio, Trio, My Music Staff and Duet Partner, from each company's own site.
Short answer: only a few music studio tools are free with no student limit. DuetStudio and Adagio both offer unlimited students on a free plan. Trio is free up to 10 students. Setmore and Cal ID are free general-purpose booking tools rather than music teaching software. My Music Staff and Duet Partner have free trials but no free plan.
We build DuetStudio, so weigh our pick accordingly. Every fact about another product below comes from that company’s own website, checked October 2026, and the sources are linked at the end.
The comparison
| Feature | Free plan | Paid plan | Fee on family payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| DuetStudio | Yes, unlimited students | $12/mo Pro, or $120/yr | 1% on card payments on Free, none on Pro |
| Adagio | Yes, unlimited students | $5/mo Pro, $10/mo Organization | Not stated |
| Trio | Yes, up to 10 students | $5/mo Pro | None on top of Stripe's rate |
| My Music Staff | No (30-day free trial) | $16.95/mo, plus $4.95 per additional teacher | Not stated |
| Duet Partner | No (30-day free trial) | $20/mo or $99/yr | 1% transaction fee on family payments |
How we judged “free”
- Is there a student limit? A free plan that stops at a handful of students is a trial with extra steps.
- Does the company take a cut of what families pay you? A percentage fee costs more every year your studio grows.
- Can you run lessons, notes and billing without upgrading? Scheduling alone is a calendar, not a studio tool.
The picks
DuetStudio: best free option for solo teachers
Our pick for teachers who teach on their own, and yes, we built it. The Free plan has unlimited students and covers scheduling, lesson notes, practice assignments, a student portal and invoices that show your Venmo, Zelle, Cash App or PayPal, and every teacher gets a page with their links, rates, hours and an interest form.
The honest limits: there is no payroll. Pro includes your teachers, but DuetStudio does not pay them. The free page is a simple card; the full page with links, photos and video is Pro at $10 a month billed yearly ($12 month to month), as is automatic invoicing. Card payments work on Free with a 1% DuetStudio fee on top of Stripe’s processing, and Pro has no DuetStudio fee. There is no instant booking: on Pro, families request your weekly openings and you confirm every student.
Adagio: best for practice tracking on a budget
Adagio’s free plan also has unlimited students, and it includes practice tracking, a calendar and lesson scheduler, homework and goals, billing management and a free website. Pro is $5 a month and adds automated billing and invoices, a custom domain, newsletters and listening to students’ practice audio. If automatic invoicing matters to you, that is a paid feature here too.
Trio: best if you have under 10 students
Trio is free up to 10 students, with invoicing included. Card payments start on Pro at $5 a month, with nothing added on top of Stripe’s rate. It is a good fit for a small studio; past 10 students you are on the paid plan.
Setmore and Cal ID: if you only need a booking link
Both are general-purpose schedulers with free plans and pages aimed at music lessons. They are good at a booking link and reminders. Lesson notes, practice assignments and a student portal are not what they are built for, so you would pair them with something else.
My Music Staff: best if you need payroll
My Music Staff has a 30-day free trial and no free plan. It costs $16.95 a month for the first teacher plus $4.95 for each additional teacher or staff member, with unlimited students. Its strengths are the things a studio with staff needs: teacher accounts, payroll, and a drag-and-drop website builder. See DuetStudio vs My Music Staff.
Duet Partner: a flat price for established teachers
Duet Partner, formerly Music Teacher’s Helper, is $20 a month or $99 a year after a 30-day free trial, at a flat rate regardless of studio size. Families pay a 1% transaction fee on payments. It is a separate company from DuetStudio despite the similar name.
Questions to ask before you commit
- Can I start free or trial it? You should never have to pay to find out if it fits.
- How do families pay me? Check whether your Venmo or Zelle can stay, and what card payments cost.
- Does it work on my phone? You will use it between lessons, so mobile matters.
- Does the price grow with my roster? Per-student and per-tier pricing gets expensive as you add students.
- Can I get my data out? Your student list should never be locked in.
Common questions
What is the best free music studio management software?
For solo private teachers, DuetStudio and Adagio are free with unlimited students. DuetStudio adds a public page families can find you on and invoices showing your Venmo, Zelle, Cash App or PayPal.
Is there free music lesson software with no student limit?
Yes. DuetStudio and Adagio both offer free plans with unlimited students as of October 2026. Trio is free up to 10 students.
Do music teacher apps take a fee from payments?
Some do. Duet Partner charges a 1% transaction fee on family payments. DuetStudio’s Free plan adds 1% on card payments and Pro adds nothing; Venmo or Zelle payments have no fee on any plan. Trio adds nothing on top of Stripe’s rate.
Is DuetStudio the same as Duet Partner?
No. They are separate products from separate companies. Duet Partner (formerly Music Teacher’s Helper) is a paid tool; DuetStudio has a free plan.
Sources, checked October 2026: Adagio, Trio, My Music Staff, Duet Partner.