Paperbell vs. Traditional Coaching Tools Does It Really Simplify Your Workflow?

A coaching business thrives on transformation, but behind the scenes, a coach’s workflow can feel anything but transformational. Managing client relationships, scheduling sessions, collecting payments, tracking progress, handling contracts, and ensuring accountability are all part of the business. 

If you’re a coach, you know how overwhelming it can be to juggle these tasks while staying focused on what truly matters: helping your clients achieve their goals. The truth is the more time you spend on administrative tasks, the less time you have to deliver the value your clients expect. 

And let’s face it, your clients aren’t paying you to manage spreadsheets or chase payments. They’re paying you to guide them toward transformation.

You didn’t become a coach to spend hours on manual tasks, did you? That’s where Paperbell came in. Marketed as an all-in-one coaching platform, Paperbell aimed to simplify these tasks by consolidating essential business operations in one place. But is it truly an efficient solution for professional coaches, or does it fall short compared to more robust coaching tools? 

If you’re searching for honest Paperbell reviews, this blog will provide a detailed comparison between Paperbell and traditional coaching tools, highlighting its capabilities, limitations, and why Simply.Coach might be a better fit for growth-focused coaches.

The Challenges of Managing a Coaching Business Without an Integrated Platform

Many coaches initially rely on a mix of different software tools to run their business. While this may seem manageable at first, it becomes unsustainable as the business grows. You might start with a few clients and think, “I can handle this manually.” 

Many of you start by piecing together different tools, Google Calendar for scheduling, Stripe or PayPal for payments, PDFs for contracts, and spreadsheets for tracking progress. While this may work initially, it quickly turns into an administrative burden, consuming time that could be better-spent coaching. 

But as your client base expands, the cracks begin to show. You’re spending more time on admin work than on actual coaching, and your clients may start to feel the effects of a disorganized system. 

The reality is that the more clients you take on, the more complex your workflow becomes. Without an integrated platform, you’re setting yourself up for burnout, and that’s the last thing you want.

Why Do Coaches Need an Integrated Platform?

There are several factors that can answer the question, and we will take a brief look at all of them individually.

Scattered workflow & disorganization

When you’re managing clients across different platforms, you increase the risk of losing track of progress, payments, and important details. Imagine having to switch between Google Calendar, Stripe, and a spreadsheet just to prepare for a single session. It’s not only time-consuming but also frustrating. 

Juggling multiple login credentials, separate invoicing systems, and unstructured notes leads to inefficiency and inefficiency is the enemy of growth. The more tools you use, the more fragmented your workflow becomes, and the harder it is to maintain a professional image.

Time-consuming admin work

Without automation, you’re spending hours on manual follow-ups, scheduling, and payment tracking. You’re constantly reminding clients about upcoming sessions, chasing overdue payments, and trying to keep everything organized. This leaves little time for what you do best: coaching. 

No built-in accountability mechanisms mean you must remind clients manually to stay engaged, which can feel like herding cats. And let’s be honest, your clients don’t want to feel like they’re being nagged. They want a seamless experience that keeps them motivated and on track.

Client experience & engagement drop

Your clients need seamless scheduling and booking, structured action plans and goal tracking, and engagement tools to stay accountable. If they’re struggling to book sessions, can’t see their progress, or feel disconnected from their goals, their motivation will drop. 

A lack of transparency about their progress or upcoming sessions reduces their commitment to the coaching process. And when clients aren’t engaged, they’re less likely to achieve the results they’re paying for. As a coach, your reputation depends on your ability to deliver results, and that starts with providing a professional, streamlined experience.

Paperbell was created to solve some of these inefficiencies by bringing scheduling, payments, and contracts under one roof. But is that enough?

What Paperbell offers: features & benefits

Paperbell is designed primarily for solo coaches who need an entry-level business management solution. If you’re just starting out or running a small coaching practice, Paperbell might seem like a great fit. It offers basic features that can help you streamline some of your administrative tasks. However, as your business grows, you’ll likely find that Paperbell’s limitations outweigh its benefits.

Core features of Paperbell

• Scheduling – Clients can book sessions directly through the platform.
• Payments – Stripe and PayPal integration for seamless transactions.
• Contract management – Digital contract signing before coaching begins.
• Basic client tracking – View session history and track payments in one place.
• Client portal – Clients have their own easy-access home for buying packages, booking appointments and more. 

For new or part-time coaches, these features provide convenience. However, for coaches managing structured programs, executive coaching, or team coaching, Paperbell has some limitations. If you’re serious about scaling your business, you’ll need more than just the basics.

Where Paperbell Falls Short

While Paperbell serves as a basic coaching management tool, it lacks key functionalities that many professional coaches require to scale, automate, and enhance client outcomes. Let’s dive deeper into where it falls short.

1. Limited goal tracking & progress monitoring

Effective coaching requires more than just logging past sessions; it should offer structured goal setting and progress tracking. Paperbell does not provide any built-in accountability systems, leaving you to manually track client development.

• No SMART goal-setting framework – Clients must track progress independently.
• No automated reminders for progress updates – Clients do not receive structured nudges between sessions.
• No structured action plans – You cannot assign tasks with deadlines or accountability measures.

Why does this matter? Without structured goal tracking, clients are less engaged and more likely to drop off before achieving meaningful transformation. As a coach, you know that accountability is key to success, and Paperbell doesn’t provide the tools to enforce it. Your clients deserve better, and so do you.

2. No advanced reporting or ROI tracking

For coaches working with corporate clients, executives, or leadership programs, proving ROI is essential. However, Paperbell lacks the reporting capabilities needed to demonstrate measurable progress.

• No client progress analytics – You cannot track behavioral changes over time.
• No corporate stakeholder feedback collection – No way to integrate manager or HR evaluations.
• No automated progress reports – You must manually compile insights.

This makes it harder for business coaches, leadership trainers, and team coaches to provide tangible results to their clients. If you’re working with organizations, you need a platform that can showcase the value of your coaching, and Paperbell falls short. Without robust reporting tools, you’re left scrambling to prove your worth.

3. Lack of customizations

Many coaching frameworks depend on pre-session forms, self-reflection exercises, and feedback surveys. Paperbell provides simple client questionnaires, but it lacks deeper customization and automation.

• No automated progress tracking surveys – Clients don’t receive structured evaluations.
• No engagement tracking – No way to monitor whether clients complete assigned exercises.

For coaches who rely on structured assessments and behavioral tracking, Paperbell requires too much manual effort. You’re left piecing together tools again, which defeats the purpose of an all-in-one platform. Your clients deserve a seamless experience, and you deserve a system that works as hard as you do.

4. Scalability challenges for growing coaching businesses

Paperbell is suitable for one-on-one coaching, but it lacks scalability for larger coaching businesses.

• No group coaching management – No way to track team-based coaching programs.
• No centralized dashboard for multiple clients – You must manage each client separately.
• No automated client onboarding workflows – Everything must be handled manually.

As a result, coaches who want to scale beyond a handful of clients often outgrow Paperbell quickly. If you’re planning to expand your business, you’ll need a platform that grows with you. Paperbell’s limitations can hold you back from reaching your full potential.

Paperbell Reviews: What Coaches Are Saying

If you’re considering Paperbell for your coaching business, it’s helpful to hear directly from coaches who’ve used the platform. Here’s a collection of honest Paperbell reviews that highlight both the strengths and limitations of the tool, giving you a clearer picture of what to expect.

1. “Better than a virtual assistant”

What do you like best about Paperbell?

“Paperbell takes care of 80% of the administrative overhead of my coaching business. I do the accounting and pay the taxes and do a little setup tweaking here and there, but mostly I just show up and coach. Paperbell does the scheduling and rescheduling, most of the emailing, handles payments, holds all my packages, syncs up my calendars, sends reminders about sessions as they’re coming up and session credits as they’re coming up on expiration. All the things! On the rare occasions I’ve had issues, their team is a delight to work with, and there’s been a steady trickle of thoughtful improvements to the platform in the two years I’ve been using it. It’s the most expensive software I use in my business, and the renewal charge I’m happiest to see.”

What do you dislike about Paperbell?

“I wish the built-in contracting was a bit more customizable, for example requiring fillable fields from clients. My lawyer says my contracts aren’t enforceable without the client’s location in them, so I’m not able to use the built-in contracting features, and I’m sad about it. That said, there’s no upcharge for the contracting feature (or any other feature), and I think to use that aspect of pretty much any digital signature gathering platform would require Paperbell to pay more for API access, so it makes tons of sense to me that this limitation exists.”

2. “They offer many great features to help you automate your coaching business”

What do you like best about Paperbell?

“Paperbell makes it easy to offer different packages and collect payments for them. They also make it easy to give out resources with your packages, and you can make notes on your client’s profile that only you can see.”

What do you dislike about Paperbell?

“Paperbell doesn’t include any big marketing features to help you find clients. You have to find clients and then send them to Paperbell to purchase your packages.”

3. “Paperbell payment platform gets better and better”

Overall:

“One thing I love about Paperbell is that they’re constantly improving and upgrading. The Paperbell I signed up for last year was already a lot of bang for my buck (and I’m so glad I signed up for a full year rather than month-to-month!), but the Paperbell of today is on a whole other level. For example, I had an issue where the wrong Zoom link would show up in my scheduled sessions. Shortly thereafter, Paperbell sent an email saying that they had tweaked the online conferencing process such that I could plug my own Zoom link into the session more easily. I think I got a better feel for the calendar management process, but there’s room for that process to be even more streamlined.”

Pros:

“I’ve had Paperbell for almost a year now, and it has been great! I love that it streamlines the payment, scheduling, and client management process into a one-stop shop.”

Cons:

“Payment processing is its strongest suit, while calendar management could stand to be more user-friendly. I have had difficulty in the past with plugging in my calendar availability for certain programs, even though my synced calendar would show a time slot as being available. I had to disconnect and reconnect my Google calendar to get it to work correctly.”

4. “Almost the bell of the ball”

Overall:

“I enjoyed my initial trial phase and enjoyed much of what was offered, but in the end, it was not the most ideal for me or the clients I help to find smart solutions. I do think it’s a great option for established coaches looking to streamline their processes, and I appreciate that they are still finding ways to improve their offerings.”

Pros:

“I like that it provides an all-in-one solution, the automated contracts, and that you can customize bundle options depending on clientele. It is super convenient for someone looking for ease in execution once you are familiar with the process. They have recently done some upgrades which add to their appeal.”

Cons:

“Although it is an all-in-one, it has limited integrations, and the price point is a bit high, which can be cost-prohibitive, especially for newer and smaller businesses. The fact that you can only access it via the web is also a bit restrictive.”

5. “Glad I Found This”

Pros:

“It was very easy to set up Paperbell compared to other pricier brands. It easily connected to my website and allows scheduling to happen without redirection from my site. I have a clean client-facing interface.”

Cons:

“I wish the storefront could be more customizable because it just looks like a bunch of boxes thrown on the screen without regard to making it look attractive. It would be nice to choose from a pre-existing template for how the storefront will look or even the package landing/checkout pages. I wish clients could message me or email me directly in the app. A testimonial feature built-in would be amazing.”

The verdict from Paperbell reviews

These reviews paint a clear picture: Paperbell is a solid choice for coaches looking to streamline administrative tasks like scheduling, payments, and contract management. However, it has its limitations, particularly when it comes to customization, advanced reporting, and scalability. If you’re a newer coach or running a small practice, Paperbell might be a great starting point. 

But for those looking to grow their business and deliver more structured, results-driven coaching, a more robust platform like Simply.Coach could be a better fit.

Why Simply.Coach is a Better Alternative for Professional Coaches

Unlike Paperbell, Simply.Coach is built for structured coaching programs, automation, and business growth. If you’re a professional coach looking to streamline your workflow, enhance client outcomes, and scale your business, Simply.Coach offers the tools you need. Let’s explore why it’s the superior choice.

Key advantages of Simply.Coach

• Comprehensive goal tracking accountability – SMART goals check-ins and automated reminders.
• In-depth progress reports ROI tracking – Demonstrate measurable coaching impact.
• Scalable business management tools – Group coaching subscription packages and automated workflows.

1. Structured client engagement accountability

Simply.Coach ensures your clients stay on track with their coaching journey.

• Personalized client workspaces – Clients can set updates and review their goals in real time.
• Automated check-ins & action plans – Keeps clients accountable between sessions.
• Progress tracking tools – You can monitor results and adjust strategies accordingly.

With Simply.Coach you are not just managing clients; you are empowering them to take ownership of their progress. This level of engagement leads to better outcomes and happier clients.

2. Customizable forms automated feedback collection

Simply.Coach allows seamless feedback gathering without external tools.

• Various intake forms serve different ways of progress measuring and assessments
• Custom self-reflection surveys for deeper insights
• Realtime client feedback tracking

With Simply.Coach you don’t need to manually request updates; your clients are engaged automatically. This saves you time and ensures you always have the information you need to deliver impactful coaching.

3. Business automation scalability

Simply.Coach isn’t just a management tool; it helps you grow your business.

• Subscription-based coaching models
• Automated invoicing contract signing
• Lead generation CRM integrations

Unlike Paperbell, Simply.Coach eliminates manual work, allowing you to focus on your clients. Whether you’re managing one-on-one coaching group programs or corporate clients. SimplyCoach scales with you. It’s the ultimate platform for coaches who are serious about growth and at an affordable pricing.

Ready to Upgrade Your Coaching Workflow?

If you’re looking for Paperbell reviews, you’ll see it’s a great entry-level tool. But for structured coaching, automation, and scalability, Simply.Coach is the better choice. Don’t let administrative tasks hold you back from transforming lives. Upgrade your coaching business with a platform designed to help you succeed. 

With Simply.Coach, you’ll save time, enhance client outcomes, and scale your business with ease. The question is, are you ready to take your coaching practice to the next level?

Schedule a demo or sign up for a free 14-day trial with Simply.Coach today!