An Opus1 alternative for teachers who don’t run a school

Opus1 is management software for music and dance schools. Its Starter plan starts at $98 a month for up to 200 active students, with Growth and Ultimate plans for up to 500 and 1,000 active students. If you’re a solo private teacher, that is a school’s toolset at a school’s price. DuetStudio is free for unlimited students and covers scheduling, lesson notes, practice tracking, a student portal and invoicing, with no cut of what families pay you. Pro is $12 a month.

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Opus1 details checked October 2026.

At a glance

DuetStudio compared with Opus1
Feature	DuetStudio	Opus1
Built for	Private teachers and small studios	Music and dance schools
Starting price	Free	$98/mo (Starter, up to 200 active students)
Free plan	Yes, unlimited students	No, a free trial
Plans by size	One price, any number of students	Starter up to 200, Growth up to 500, Ultimate up to 1,000 active students
Contract	Month to month, or yearly	Month to month
Fee on what families pay you	None	Not stated on its pricing page

Which one fits you

Choose Opus1 if

You run a school with several teachers.
You need class and course management, event and performance management, and a CRM for prospective families.
You have the staff and the time to set up a larger system.

Choose DuetStudio if

You teach on your own, from a home studio, a school room or students’ homes.
You don’t want a monthly bill just to stay organized.
Families already pay you by Venmo or Zelle, and you want that on a real invoice.
You find students through Instagram, flyers and word of mouth, and want one link that answers rate and schedule questions for you.

Year-one cost for one teacher

Year-one cost for one teacher
Feature	Year one
DuetStudio Free	$0
DuetStudio Pro, paid yearly	$120
Opus1 Starter	$1,176 or more

Questions

How much does Opus1 cost?

As of October 2026, Opus1’s Starter plan starts at $98 a month for up to 200 active students, according to its pricing page. Growth covers up to 500 active students and Ultimate up to 1,000. Billing is month to month, and there is a free trial but no free plan.

Is there a free alternative to Opus1?

For solo teachers and small studios, yes. DuetStudio is free for unlimited students, and Pro includes your teachers. It does not do classes and courses, events, payroll or several locations; for a school that needs those, Opus1, My Music Staff and Jackrabbit are better fits.

Is Opus1 good for a single private teacher?

It can work, but it is designed and priced for schools. Most solo teachers do not need class, event and prospect management.

Other companies’ prices and features were checked on their own websites in October 2026 and can change. Check their sites for current terms: Opus1 pricing, Opus1 home page.

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Free for every student you teach. Pro when you want card payments and the full page builder.

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