Spreadsheets & WhatsApp alternative · Updated October 2026
PicklePro vs spreadsheets & WhatsApp: is it time to move on?
Most pickleball clubs start with a WhatsApp group, a shared spreadsheet and bank transfers. It’s free and it works — until sessions fill up, courts get double-booked and someone spends every Sunday chasing payments.
- No charge for 30 days
- 0% platform fee
- Free member import
What changes when you leave the spreadsheet
The DIY setup costs nothing but time. PicklePro gives that time back by letting members do the booking and paying themselves.
- 1
Members book themselves, 24/7
No more posting sessions in WhatsApp and copying replies into a sheet. Members see live availability for sessions, courts and lessons, and book in seconds from the app.
- 2
Paid upfront, every time
Payment is taken by card at the point of booking, so there’s no checking bank statements, no cash tin and no chasing. Membership renewals collect themselves.
- 3
One source of truth
No conflicting copies of the sheet or lost messages. Member details sit behind individual logins with role-based access for admins and coaches — not in a link anyone can forward.
PicklePro vs the DIY setup, feature by feature
What you get from spreadsheets, WhatsApp, Google Forms and bank transfers compared with a purpose-built system.
| Feature |  PicklePro | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|
| Bookings & sessions | ||
| Members book courts and sessions themselves | Yes | No: Via an organiser |
| Double-booking prevention | Yes | No: Manual checks |
| Session capacity and skill levels | Yes | Partly: Count the replies |
| Automatic waiting lists | Yes | Partly: Manual reserves list |
| Booking reminders | Yes | No |
| Coach schedules and 1-to-1 lessons | Yes | Partly: Separate calendars |
| Payments | ||
| Pay by card when booking | Yes | Partly: Bank transfer or cash |
| Every payment matched to its booking | Yes | No: Check the bank statement |
| Recurring membership payments | Yes | No: Chase renewals |
| Refunds | Yes: From the dashboard | Partly: Manual transfer |
| Members & data | ||
| Member records | Yes | Partly: Shared sheet |
| Individual logins with role-based access | Yes | Partly: Depends on sharing |
| Revenue and attendance reporting | Yes | Partly: Build your own formulas |
| Listed in a player app for local discovery | Yes | No |
| Pricing | ||
| Subscription | From £29/month | Free |
| Fee on each UK card payment | 0% platform fee + Stripe 1.5% + 20p | None for bank transfer or cash |
- Yes
- Partly
- No
Stripe rate shown is the standard UK card rate; fees vary by card and region.
A week of admin, side by side
None of these jobs is hard on its own. Together they quietly eat a volunteer’s evenings — every single week.
With Spreadsheets
3h 40mper week
- MonPost this week’s sessions in the WhatsApp group15 min
- TueCopy names from WhatsApp replies into the spreadsheet30 min
- WedHandle drop-outs and shuffle the reserves list30 min
- WedField court requests and update the court calendar40 min
- ThuMatch bank transfers to names in the sheet45 min
- FriChase players who haven’t paid30 min
- SunChase membership renewals and update totals for the committee30 min
With PicklePro
25 minper week
- MonGlance at the week’s bookings and sessions on the dashboard10 min
- WedBlock out a court for maintenance — members can’t book it5 min
- FriCheck the week’s revenue and bookings10 min
About 14 hours back every month
Illustrative week for a club running six sessions and regular court hire. Your numbers will vary.
The honest verdict
Spreadsheets aren’t wrong — they’re just manual. Here’s where each approach comes out ahead.
Where spreadsheets and WhatsApp comes out ahead
- Completely free, with no card fees on cash or bank transfer
- Endlessly flexible — track anything you like
- Everyone already has WhatsApp
- Perfectly fine for a small group with one regular session
Where PicklePro comes out ahead
- Members book and pay themselves — no copying names
- No chasing: payment is taken at the point of booking
- Waiting lists and reminders run automatically
- Memberships renew and collect on their own
- Admins and coaches share one up-to-date system
- Your club listed in the PicklePro app for local players to find
“PicklePro transformed our club operations. It has made managing our club so much easier.”
Move off the spreadsheet in an afternoon
Your existing sheet is a great head start. Most clubs are taking bookings the same day.
- 1
Tidy up your member list
Names and email addresses are all you need. Phone numbers, skill levels and membership types are a bonus.
- 2
We import it for free
Upload it as a CSV using our template, or just send it to us. We’ll help set up your courts, sessions and membership tiers too.
- 3
Tell the WhatsApp group
Members get an email invite to the free PicklePro app. Keep your WhatsApp group for chat — just stop running bookings through it.
Frequently asked questions
About this comparison
We compared PicklePro with spreadsheets and WhatsApp using publicly available information, last checked on . Products change — if something here is out of date, please let us know and we’ll correct it.
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Read the comparisonGive your Sundays back
Set up your club today and let members book and pay themselves. Free for 30 days, and we’ll import your spreadsheet for you.
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