The Best Martial Arts Management Software in 2026: 7 Platforms Compared
By Jonathan Yee, Dojo Champ. Prices verified Oct 9, 2026 from each vendor's public pricing page. Disclosure: written by the Dojo Champ team. We make one of these products, so we've stuck to each vendor's published prices and told you where competitors are the better fit.
The short answer
The best martial arts management software depends on your size and what you want the software to do. For a growing school that wants one flat price and help keeping students, Dojo Champ ($199/month, unlimited students) is built for that. For the lowest bill at under 100 students, Gymdesk ($75 to $100/month) and Kicksite ($49 to $149/month) cost less. For a school that also runs fitness classes and wants consumer-marketplace exposure, Mindbody (from $79/month per location) fits. Zen Planner, Spark Membership and PushPress are solid established options with different pricing models.
At a glance
| Software | Published starting price | Pricing model | Best for | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dojo Champ | $199/mo | Flat, unlimited students | Growing schools that want churn prediction and one predictable bill | Newer platform; costs more than tiered tools for very small schools |
| Gymdesk | $75/mo (up to 50 members, with Gymdesk Payments) | Tiered by active members | Small and mid-size gyms that want a polished all-rounder | Price steps up at 51, 101 and 151 members; SMS is a paid add-on |
| Kicksite | $49/mo (0 to 25 students) | Tiered by active students, capped at $199 for 101+ | Traditional schools that want martial-arts-only software | You start by booking a demo; processing rates are not published |
| Zen Planner | $99/mo (Studio) | Scales with active members; website and marketing packages extra | Established schools that want a long-running platform | Member-tier prices are not public; Engage marketing is $249/mo |
| Spark Membership | $199/mo after an 8-week free trial | Published monthly price | Schools that want a long trial and hands-on setup | Confirm whether SMS, payments or extra locations add cost |
| PushPress | $0 (Core) / $159 (Core Pro) | Monthly plans; card rates drop on paid tiers | Owners who want a free start and accept higher processing fees | The free plan costs 4.99% + $0.30 per card payment |
| Mindbody | $79/mo per location (Starter) | Per location; higher tiers by quote | Multi-discipline studios that want marketplace exposure | 20% new-client commission (capped at $30) on first purchases through the Mindbody app |
Dojo Champ: best for growing schools that want to keep more students
Dojo Champ is martial arts management software priced at a flat $199/month with unlimited students. It covers billing, belt ranks, scheduling, a member portal, public landing pages for calendars, products, memberships and events, and an AI churn engine that flags students likely to quit before they cancel. Payments run through Stripe at standard rates, and Dojo Champ adds no platform fee. It is rated 5.0 on Capterra (5 reviews). Watch-out: it is young, so there are fewer reviews and integrations than older platforms, and under about 100 students tiered tools cost less each month.
Gymdesk: best all-rounder for small and mid-size schools
Gymdesk serves more than 4,500 gym owners in 34 countries, and martial arts is one of its core markets. It includes rank promotion criteria, attendance, billing, a website, automations and a member app. With Gymdesk Payments it costs $75/month up to 50 active members, $100 for 51 to 100, $150 for 101 to 150 and $200 for 151 to 250, with custom pricing above that. Its trial is 30 days and needs no card. Watch-out: SMS is a usage-based add-on, and retention alerts are based on an absence threshold you set rather than prediction.
Dojo Champ vs GymdeskKicksite: best for traditional schools on a tight budget
Kicksite is martial arts software priced by active students: $49/month (0 to 25), $99 (26 to 50), $149 (51 to 100) and $199 (101+). Every tier includes every feature. It covers belt tracking, recurring billing with failed-payment alerts, lead-capture landing pages, and free unlimited one-way texting. Processing runs through its partner Basys, and an annual discount is available on request. Watch-out: you start by booking a demo, and processing rates are not published.
Dojo Champ vs KicksiteZen Planner: best for established schools that want a long-running platform
Zen Planner was founded in 2006 and serves more than 5,000 customers. Its Studio plan starts at $99/month and scales with active members. It includes belt and skill tracking, billing and member apps. The Essentials ($198/month) and Ultimate ($348/month) packages add a website and Engage marketing automation. It runs month to month. Watch-out: it does not publish member-tier prices, so ask for a written quote at your student count.
Dojo Champ vs Zen PlannerSpark Membership: best for schools that want a long trial and hands-on setup
Spark Membership is built for martial arts schools, with belt history, family accounts, Spark Payments and two-way SMS. Its pricing page offers an 8-week free trial, then $199/month, with free student data migration and a dedicated rep who handles setup. Watch-out: confirm with Spark whether SMS, payments or extra locations add cost.
Dojo Champ vs Spark MembershipPushPress: best for a free start
PushPress is gym software with rank tracking for martial arts academies. Its Core plan has no monthly fee but charges 4.99% + $0.30 per card payment. Core Pro ($159/month) lowers card rates to 2.89% + $0.30, and Core Max ($229/month) to 2.75% + $0.30. Its Grow CRM plan is $329/month. Watch-out: on the free plan, a school processing $15,000 a month by card pays about $780 in fees.
Mindbody: best for multi-discipline studios
Mindbody starts at $79/month per location in North America and Asia, with unlimited staff logins, booking, payments, a customized website and a listing on the Mindbody consumer app. Accelerate and Ultimate, where automated marketing sits, are priced by quote. Watch-out: Mindbody charges a 20% new-client commission, capped at $30, on a new client's first purchase made through its consumer app, and its pricing page does not list belt ranks.
Dojo Champ vs MindbodyHow to choose
- Count your active students today and in 2 years. Price both numbers on every vendor's own pricing page, or use our pricing comparison at 50, 100 and 200 students.
- Add processing. Ask each vendor for card and ACH rates in writing. At $15,000 a month in tuition, a 2-point difference is $300 a month.
- Check retention tools. Ask, "How will I know who's about to quit?" An absence report and a predictive score are different things. See how churn prediction works.
- Run a real trial. Import your roster, bill five families and run one belt test before you commit.
Also worth a look
Martialytics, MyStudio, ATLAS Martial Arts, WellnessLiving and Wodify also serve martial arts schools. See our comparison hub for those pages.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best martial arts management software in 2026?
There isn't one best choice for every school. Dojo Champ suits growing schools that want a flat $199/month price and predictive churn alerts. Gymdesk and Kicksite are cheaper for schools under 100 students. Mindbody suits studios that also sell fitness and want marketplace exposure.
How much does martial arts school software cost?
Published prices in 2026 run from $0 (PushPress Core, which charges higher card fees) and $49/month (Kicksite, up to 25 students) to $199 to $229/month for flat or top-tier plans. Most tools charge more as your student count grows. Dojo Champ is $199/month at any size.
Is per-student or flat pricing better for a dojo?
Per-student (tiered) pricing is usually cheaper for small schools. Flat pricing is cheaper and more predictable once you pass about 150 to 250 active students, or if you plan to grow. Price both at your 2-year student goal.
Which martial arts software has the best retention tools?
Dojo Champ scores every student's churn risk and flags who needs a call before they cancel. Gymdesk and most other tools flag students who haven't attended within a set number of days, which tells you who has already drifted.
Do I need software built specifically for martial arts?
You need belt and rank tracking, family billing and promotion workflows. Dojo Champ, Kicksite and Spark are martial-arts-specific. Gymdesk, Zen Planner and PushPress serve several gym types and include rank tracking.
Can I switch martial arts software without losing student data?
Yes. Most platforms export members, attendance and payment history, and Dojo Champ, Spark and Zen Planner all offer migration help. Plan the billing cutover with your payment processor so nobody is charged twice.
Which software is cheapest for a 50-student school?
On published prices, Gymdesk ($75/month with Gymdesk Payments) and Kicksite ($99/month for 26 to 50 students) cost less than Dojo Champ ($199/month). PushPress Core has no monthly fee but charges 4.99% + $0.30 per card payment.
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