The short answer
For a paint and sip studio, we recommend Painta. Run your booking website, classes, instructors, private parties, payments and check-in in one place, with one-on-one setup help from the Painta team. We also offer website design if you need a new site. Consider Occasion if a specific requirement, such as Square payments or automated abandoned-cart recovery, is essential to your business.
You run a paint and sip studio and want your booking website, class calendar, instructors, private parties and payments together, with a team that helps you get set up.
You need Square payments, automated abandoned-cart recovery or private parties that guests book into predefined time slots. Check those requirements before choosing.
Painta brings the guest-facing website and the day-to-day work of a paint and sip studio together. Occasion has additional payment and marketing options. We recommend Painta for running the studio; check Occasion if one of those specific options is a requirement.
One studio day
Follow the work, not the feature list.
Use this as a demo script. Ask each system to show the same workflow with your actual class rules.
Publish paint and sip classes through a branded studio storefront and calendar.
Publish one-time events, recurring classes, series, camps, and other experience listings.
Keep the inquiry, conversation, summary, scheduling, deposit, and final payment connected.
Offer predefined private-event listings that customers can book from available time slots.
Connect Stripe and receive customer payments directly through the studio's account.
Accept Square, Stripe, or cash and choose whether the business or customer pays Occasion's booking fee.
Sell gift cards, send booking reminders and request reviews after class. Show recent bookings on your class page as guests decide whether to book.
Use built-in abandoned-cart recovery, review requests, referrals, coupons, CRM, and ad tracking.
$19 USD per month plus $1 USD per ticket on Studio, before Stripe processing.
$19 USD per month plus a 4% booking fee on Start, with no fee cap.
Is Painta an alternative to Occasion?
Yes. Painta is our recommendation for a paint and sip studio that wants an all-in-one system. Guests book classes, buy gift cards and ask about private parties through your studio's page. Your team manages the calendar, instructors, payments and guest list in the same system.
Before you schedule a class, check instructor availability. When a private-party enquiry arrives, keep the quote, messages, deposit and final payment together. On class night, open the guest list on your phone and check people in. These are the jobs Painta is built around.
How does current pricing compare?
As checked on September 5, 2026, Painta lists Studio at $19 USD per month plus $1 USD per ticket, before Stripe processing. Occasion's plan cards list Start at $19 USD per month plus a 4% booking fee with no cap, Grow at $99 plus 2% with a $10 cap, Maximize at $299 plus 1% with a $5 cap, and Enterprise at $1,499 plus 0%. Its pricing FAQ describes the caps differently, so confirm the cap for your chosen plan in writing.
Occasion charges per online transaction; Painta's standard platform fee is per ticket. A booking for several guests is not the same as one ticket. Neither model is always less expensive. Occasion says its fee can be absorbed or passed to the customer. Compare the subscription, booking fee, payment processing, locations, and any marketing or support tools you would otherwise buy. Recheck both official pricing pages before signing because plans can change.
Who helps you get set up?
The Painta team works with you one on one to set up your studio. We'll review your upcoming classes, locations, instructors and prices, agree what can move from your current system, and check the setup together before launch. Need a new website? We offer website design for a separate, agreed fee.
Occasion advertises support seven days a week and a dedicated account manager for switching businesses. With either team, agree which records will move and what support is included before you change your booking link.
What might make you choose Occasion?
Square payments, automated abandoned-cart recovery and self-bookable private-party slots are specific reasons to consider Occasion. Painta uses Stripe, and its private-event process starts with an enquiry so your team can agree the details and price with the customer.
If those Occasion features are essential, ask to see them working with your own class and party rules. Running several locations alone is not a reason to rule out Painta: Painta also supports multiple locations, with Pro offering unlimited locations.
Why choose Painta for a paint and sip studio?
Choose Painta to run your studio from the first booking through class night and the follow-up review. Your guests get one place to book. Your instructors can share availability and see their classes. You can follow a private-party enquiry through to payment without piecing it together from separate messages.
Use your Painta page as your website, connect it to an existing site, or ask our team to design a new one. The Painta team will work with you one on one to get your studio ready.
Source dossier
What this decision file is based on.
Product claims come from official sources checked on the date shown. Practical judgment is labelled as Painta operator guidance.
- 01Occasion pricing
Occasion
Current plan prices, booking-fee caps, trial terms, processors, listing types, marketing, CRM, multi-location, roster, and check-in capabilities.
Checked: 2026-09-05 - 02Switch to Occasion
Occasion
The advertised dedicated account-manager offer for switching businesses; not an independently measured support outcome.
Checked: 2026-09-05 - 03Understanding booking fees
Occasion Knowledge Base
How Occasion calculates booking fees and lets a business absorb or pass them to customers.
Checked: 2026-09-05 - 04Add new time slots
Occasion Knowledge Base
Occasion's individual, repeating, and series scheduling options, including private-party time slots.
Checked: 2026-09-05 - 05Painta pricing
Painta
Painta plan prices, per-ticket fee, direct Stripe payments, location limits, and included studio capabilities.
Checked: 2026-09-05 - 06Painta setup and website help
Painta
Personal setup help, review of what can move, a standalone booking website and website design as a separately priced service.
Checked: 2026-09-05 - 07Painta product overview
Painta
Painta's public booking, calendar, instructor, private-event, payment, check-in, and reporting workflow.
Checked: 2026-09-05
FAQ
Questions operators ask next.
Is Painta an Occasion alternative for paint and sip studios?
Yes. We recommend Painta for paint and sip studios that want their booking website, classes, instructors, private parties and payments in one system, with one-on-one setup help. Check Occasion if you require a specific option such as Square payments or automated abandoned-cart recovery.
Is Painta always cheaper than Occasion?
No. Their fee structures differ by plan, ticket value, and booking volume. Model a normal month with subscription, booking fees, payment processing, and any extra tools before deciding.
Can Occasion use Square as well as Stripe?
Yes. Occasion's current pricing page says it supports Square, Stripe, or cash. Painta's current public payment setup is centered on the studio's connected Stripe account.
Which system is better for private events?
Choose based on the sales process. Occasion supports predefined private events with bookable time slots; Painta keeps a quote-led inquiry, conversation, scheduling, deposit, and final payment connected.
What should I test before switching from Occasion?
Test one public class and one private event from customer discovery through payment, roster, instructor handoff, check-in, change, refund, and reporting. Keep the old system read-only during reconciliation.