WheelOwl WheelOwl

For pottery studios and shared ceramic workshops

Kiln firing fees, billed without spreadsheets and paper slips

WheelOwl handles firing-fee billing and membership management for your studio. You set up your pricing model once and log each piece in seconds. Billing happens automatically.

By signing up you agree we may email you at launch, free and without spam. See our privacy policy.

WheelOwl dashboard showing studio members, monthly firings, revenue and quota usage

Sound familiar?

  • The kitchen scale next to the kiln.

    Every piece gets weighed, the price scribbled on a slip of paper. And at the end of the month half the slips are missing.

  • The laminated price sheet.

    Per kilo, minimum price, member discount, special rules for plates – nobody but you can make sense of it anymore.

  • The Excel monster.

    Hours of billing every month: who fired what? Which rate applies? What was included in the allowance?

  • "How much is my plate?"

    Members ask, you do mental math. Transparent pricing looks different.

WheelOwl was built exactly for this – by a potter, for studios.

How firing-fee billing works

  1. Set up your pricing model once

    Pick a template that matches your studio – per kilo, temperature-tiered, or flat rate. Then add your own rules: minimum price, member discount, included allowances.

    Three membership plans side by side showing monthly price, firing quota, studio access and pricing rule per plan

  2. Log pieces in seconds

    Weigh the piece, enter weight and member, done. The price is calculated instantly by your rules, on your phone right next to the kiln.

    Add-piece dialog: pick a member, enter the weight, and the price is calculated automatically

  3. Billing at the press of a button

    Firing done? Notify all members with one click by email, with photos of their pieces if you like. And at the end of the month, every member's statement is ready to export for your accounting.

    Finish notification email to a member: “Your pieces are ready” with piece count, weight and firing

Supported pricing rules:

  • Per kilo
  • Temperature tiers
  • Minimum price per piece
  • Round up per started kilo
  • Member vs. non-member rates
  • Included allowances
  • Fixed-price exceptions (e.g. plates)
  • Per-piece extras (e.g. glaze)
  • Express surcharge

Memberships and firing fees belong together

Member rates, included kilos, tiered plans: your firing price almost always depends on membership. That's why WheelOwl manages both in one system. You create plans and assign members, and the allowances are tracked on their own.

  • Plans with different firing rates and included amounts
  • Automatic deduction of included allowances
  • All memberships in one place
  • Members can see their own costs and usage at any time
Members list showing each member's plan, status and firing-quota usage

However your studio works

For open studios & shared workshops

Open studio

Your members check themselves in via QR code and book their time in the calendar. You keep an eye on capacity and hours.

  • QR self check-in
  • Calendar with bookable slots
  • Recurring slots
  • Capacity limits
  • Hour allowances per plan
  • Slot requests from members
  • Blockers for courses & holidays
For external firing orders

Firing service

The firing service that bills itself: guests drop off their pieces, you load the order into the next firing. The price is set before the kiln starts.

  • Guests without an account
  • Orders with cost estimate
  • External rates per firing type
  • Load into a firing
  • Mark paid & picked up

Or both: many studios combine open studio and firing service in one system.

  • GDPR-compliant – privacy built in from day one.

  • EU hosting (Frankfurt) – your studio data is stored in the EU.

  • German-language support – fast, personal answers.

  • No transaction fees – one fair monthly price, nothing else.

One fair price. No surprises.

Cancel monthly, no setup fee, no transaction fees.

🏺 Founding partner offer: We're looking for 5–6 founding studios. You get the Studio plan free for 6 months, in exchange for honest feedback.

  • Basic

    For small studios and solo workshops

    €19 /month

    • Firing-fee tracking with up to 3 pricing models
    • Up to 30 members
    • Monthly billing overview
    • CSV export for accounting
    • 1 admin account
  • Popular

    Studio

    For community studios with memberships

    €39 /month

    • Everything in Basic
    • Unlimited members
    • Multiple pricing models and rules
    • Membership management with plans and included allowances
    • 2 admin accounts
    • Planned: Lexoffice/sevDesk export and SEPA direct debit

  • Studio Plus

    For large studios with 100+ members

    €79 /month

    • Everything in Studio
    • Unlimited admin accounts with roles and permissions
    • Multiple locations and kilns
    • Personal onboarding and data migration
    • Priority support

All plans: 30-day free trial at launch. Final prices incl. VAT confirmed at launch.

FAQ

What happens to our data?
All data is stored in the EU, fully GDPR-compliant. You remain the owner of your data and can export or delete it at any time.
Is there a minimum contract period?
No. All plans can be cancelled monthly. No setup fee, no hidden costs.
Our pricing model is complicated – can you handle it?
Very likely, yes. We analysed the pricing models of many German studios – from simple per-kilo rates to tiered models with minimum prices, exceptions, and allowances. If your model doesn't fit, talk to us – those are exactly the cases we want to hear about.
Does it work with Lexoffice or sevDesk?
A CSV export for accounting is included from day one. Direct integrations with Lexoffice and sevDesk are firmly on the roadmap.
Do we need special hardware?
No. Your existing scale and a phone, tablet, or laptop with a browser is all you need.
When do you launch?
We're currently building the first release with selected studios. Join the waitlist – we'll get in touch as soon as we launch.
Can we manage classes with it?
Not yet. We're deliberately starting with firing fees and membership management – class booking is planned as the next module.

Done with paper slips?

Get early access for your studio – and maybe one of the 5–6 founding partner spots.

By signing up you agree we may email you at launch, free and without spam. See our privacy policy.

Run a studio in Hamburg?

I'm building WheelOwl and want to understand how you handle billing today, so I can build the right thing. 15 minutes over a coffee, no sales pitch.

kai@bytezoolabs.com