Dojo Champ vs Gymdesk: Which Is Better for a Martial Arts School?
Reviewed by Jonathan Yee, Dojo Champ. Prices verified Oct 9, 2026 from each vendor's public pricing page.
Our verdict
Gymdesk and Dojo Champ both run billing, attendance, belt ranks, websites and automated messaging for martial arts schools. The main difference is pricing and retention. Gymdesk charges by active members, from $75/month for up to 50 members to $200/month for 151 to 250, while Dojo Champ is a flat $199/month for unlimited students. Dojo Champ also scores every student for churn risk; Gymdesk flags members who haven't checked in within a window you set, and its own site says it does not use a predictive algorithm. If you have fewer than 150 students and want the lowest software bill, Gymdesk usually costs less. If you're growing, or you want a system that predicts who is about to quit, Dojo Champ is built for that.
Why Schools Choose Dojo Champ
Flat $199/month at any size
Predictive churn score on every student
SMS credits and extra locations included
Pricing: Gymdesk vs Dojo Champ
Gymdesk prices by active member count. Dojo Champ charges one price at any size.
| Active students | Gymdesk (with Gymdesk Payments) | Gymdesk (your own processor) | Dojo Champ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 | $75/mo | $100/mo | $199/mo |
| 51 to 100 | $100/mo | $125/mo | $199/mo |
| 101 to 150 | $150/mo | $175/mo | $199/mo |
| 151 to 250 | $200/mo | $240/mo | $199/mo |
| 251+ | Custom (Enterprise) | Custom | $199/mo |
| Extra location | +$50/mo | +$100/mo | Included |
| Free trial | 30 days, no card required | 30 days, card required, first charge on day 31 | |
| Contract | Month to month | Month to month, cancel anytime | |
Gymdesk doesn't count visitors, frozen or cancelled members, or prospects toward the active total. Optional Gymdesk add-ons include door access ($100/mo for up to 3 doors, plus hardware) and a branded member app ($100/mo).
Payment processing. Dojo Champ uses Stripe at standard rates (for example 2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment, and 0.8% ACH capped at $5) and adds no platform fee of its own. Gymdesk offers Gymdesk Payments or connects to Stripe, Square, GoCardless or Ezypay; Gymdesk Payments rates aren't published.
Want to see the retention side? Read how Dojo Champ churn prevention works, or the best martial arts software roundup.
What this means: at 50 students Gymdesk costs $124/month less than Dojo Champ on subscription alone. At around 200 students the two are about the same. Above 250 students Gymdesk moves to a custom quote and Dojo Champ stays at $199. See the full martial arts software pricing comparison.
Who should pick Gymdesk instead
- You're under about 100 students and cost matters most. At $75 to $100/month, Gymdesk is cheaper than Dojo Champ.
- You want a trial without entering a card. Gymdesk's 30-day trial needs no credit card.
- You compete a lot. Gymdesk's Smoothcomp connection ties tournament results to student records.
- You want staff-free door access. Gymdesk sells a door-access add-on.
- You want a long track record. Gymdesk serves thousands of gyms; Dojo Champ is a newer platform.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Dojo Champ Recommended | Gymdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat $199/mo, unlimited students | Tiered by active members |
| Belt and rank tracking | Yes, with curriculum and promotions | Yes, promotion criteria per rank and "ready to test" alerts |
| Automated recurring billing and failed-payment retry | Yes | Yes |
| Retention / churn alerts | Predictive churn score on every student | At-risk flags from an absence window you set |
| Marketing automation | Yes: lead scoring, trial workflows, campaigns | Yes: nurture, welcome and win-back flows |
| SMS | Included (100 credits), plus email and push | Usage-based paid add-on; email and push included |
| Public website and landing pages | Yes | Yes |
| Tournaments and events | Event and tournament management | Events, plus Smoothcomp integration |
| Facility door access | No | Paid add-on |
| Multi-location | Included | +$50 or +$100/mo per location |
| Kiosk check-in and digital waivers | Yes | Yes |
| Data migration | Free migration help from our team | Self-serve data export |
| Capterra rating | 5.0 (5 reviews) | 4.8 (148 reviews) |
Transparent Pricing Comparison
Dojo ChampBest Value
$199/month, unlimited students
- All features included
- No setup fees
- 30-day free trial
- Cancel anytime
Gymdesk
$75 to $200+/month by active members
With Gymdesk Payments: $75 (up to 50), $100 (51 to 100), $150 (101 to 150), $200 (151 to 250), Enterprise above 250. With your own processor: $100, $125, $175, $240.
What Schools Say About Switching
"The automated billing is flawless and has saved us countless hours chasing payments. It understands the needs of a dojo, especially belt tracking and class scheduling."
Stacey Bessmer
Martial arts school owner · Trustpilot
"It keeps student information, attendance, billing, and communication organized in one place. It has already saved us time and made managing our school much more efficient."
Karla L.
Capterra review
Where Dojo Champ Is the Better Pick
Growing past 150 students or several locations
Your bill stays $199/month however many students you add, and extra locations are included.
Know who's about to quit
Dojo Champ scores every student on attendance, payment and engagement signals and flags who needs a call this week. Gymdesk shows you who has gone quiet; Dojo Champ predicts who is about to.
No extra charge for texting
SMS credits and email sending are included in the $199 plan.
Built only for martial arts
Dojo Champ serves martial arts schools only. Gymdesk serves martial arts gyms alongside yoga, Pilates, CrossFit, dance and gymnastics.
Belt tracking and promotions
Ranks, curriculum, promotions and certificates are built in, and rank progress feeds the churn engine.
Predictable cost
One flat price, no per-member thresholds to watch as you grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dojo Champ cheaper than Gymdesk?
Not for small schools. Gymdesk costs $75 to $150/month up to 150 active members (with Gymdesk Payments), while Dojo Champ is $199/month at any size. The two cost about the same from 151 to 250 members, and above 250 Gymdesk switches to custom pricing while Dojo Champ stays at $199.
Does Gymdesk have belt tracking?
Yes. Gymdesk lets you set promotion criteria for each rank or belt, report on progress and get alerts when students are ready to test. Dojo Champ also includes belt and rank tracking, curriculum management and promotions.
What is the biggest difference between Dojo Champ and Gymdesk?
How each one handles retention, and how each one charges. Dojo Champ gives every student a predictive churn score and charges a flat $199/month. Gymdesk flags members who pass an absence threshold you set and charges by active member count.
Does Gymdesk charge for text messages?
Yes. Gymdesk includes email and push notifications, but SMS is a usage-based add-on with a monthly number fee plus a per-message rate. Dojo Champ includes 100 SMS credits and 2,000 emails per day in its $199 plan.
Do I need a credit card to try either one?
Gymdesk's 30-day trial doesn't require a card. Dojo Champ's 30-day trial does, and the first $199 charge happens on day 31 only if you haven't cancelled.
Can I move my data from Gymdesk to Dojo Champ?
Yes. Gymdesk lets you export members, attendance history, payment records, waivers and documents from your account, and Dojo Champ's team imports them for free.
Which is better for a school with multiple locations?
Dojo Champ includes multiple locations in its $199/month price. Gymdesk adds $50/month per extra location with Gymdesk Payments or a preferred partner, or $100/month with your own processor.
Switching from Gymdesk to Dojo Champ
Free white-glove migration, usually completed within a week. Here's exactly how it works.
1. Export from Gymdesk
Gymdesk lets you export members, attendance, payments, waivers and documents yourself. Send us the files.
2. We import everything
Our team loads members, families, memberships, ranks and history into your Dojo Champ workspace for free, usually within a week.
3. Reconnect billing
Move recurring memberships to Stripe. We help schedule the cutover so no student gets double-charged.
4. Go live
Train your staff in a single session and start using churn alerts and automation on day one.
Sources, verified Oct 9, 2026
- Gymdesk pricing
- Gymdesk martial arts software (rank promotion criteria)
- Gymdesk member insights (at-risk flags)
- Gymdesk SMS add-on
- Gymdesk automations
- Gymdesk Payments
- Dojo Champ pricing
- Dojo Champ on Capterra
Disclosure: Dojo Champ publishes this comparison. Competitor details come from their public pages and can change.