A group chat, a spreadsheet, or PadelTab
Most social groups start with a group chat on LINE or WhatsApp and a spreadsheet, and many never need more. Here is how the jobs of a session compare, and where each fits.
Last updated
Job by job
| Job | Group chat | Spreadsheet | PadelTab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who's coming | Replies arrive as messages, and someone counts them | Someone copies names in from the chat | Players add their name and hours from one link, and the list keeps itself |
| How many courts | Worked out by hand from the count | A formula, if someone keeps it up to date | Worked out for each part of the session as people sign up |
| Late arrivals and early leavers | Usually left out | A column per hour, filled in by hand | Players choose the hours they will play |
| Splitting costs | Mental arithmetic, or an equal split | Formulas you build and keep working | Courts split by the hours each player signed up for, extras equally, worked out for you |
| Who has paid | Scrolling back through messages and slips | A column you tick by hand | Tick players off as they pay; the money never goes through the app |
| Running the courts | By hand | By hand | Fair rotation, balanced sides and tournaments on the court board |
| What players need | The chat app | Nothing; the organizer keeps it | A browser. No account, no app |
| Cost | Free | Free | A prepaid plan after a 30-day free trial. See pricing |
When a group chat is enough
If the same few people play the whole session every week, on the same courts, and split the fee equally, a group chat does the job and you don't need PadelTab.
When PadelTab helps
- Numbers change from week to week, and you book courts on a guess.
- People come for different hours, and an equal split feels unfair.
- More than one person runs the group.
- You spend the week after a session chasing who has paid.
What PadelTab doesn't do
- Book courts with the venue for you.
- Take, hold, or move any money.
- Keep ratings or rankings from one session to the next.
Every new organizer gets a 30-day free trial covering one group, and no card is needed to start. See how PadelTab works.