Compare
BlackBeltCRM vs Spark, Gymdesk, Kicksite, Zen Planner and PushPress.
At 75 active students, BlackBeltCRM costs $119 a month with every feature included. On their own pricing pages at that size, Spark Membership is $199, Gymdesk is $125, Kicksite is $149, Zen Planner is $155 and PushPress is $159. Every figure below links to its source, checked November 2026.
Every fact comes from the vendor's own website, with a link to the page and the date it was checked. Where a competitor does something we do not, the chart says so.
Swipe the table sideways to see every competitor.
| Feature | BlackBeltCRM | Spark Membership | Gymdesk | Kicksite | PushPress | Zen Planner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price published on the website | Yes$49 to $249 a month by active members, every feature on every plan. | Yes$199/month after an 8-week free trial; one plan, no tiers listed. | Yes$100-$240/mo by active members; $75-$200 with Gymdesk Payments. | Yes$49 (0-25), $99 (26-50), $149 (51-100), $199 (101+) per month. | YesCore Free $0, Core Pro $159 and Core Max $229 a month per location; add-ons are priced in the FAQ. | YesStudio from $99, Essentials $198, Ultimate $348/mo; scales by active members. |
| Monthly cost at 75 active students | $119$119 a month (Club, 51 to 100 members). | $199$199/month; fee the same at 200 or 1,000 students. | $125Small Gym (51-100): $125/mo, or $100 with Gymdesk Payments. | $149$149/month for 51-100 students. | $159Members are unlimited on every plan: Pro $159, Max $229, or Free at $0 with 4.99% + $0.30 card processing. Belt tracking needs Pro or Max. | $15561-75 members: Studio $155, Essentials $254, Ultimate $404/mo. |
| No contract required | YesMonth to month. No contract, no setup fee. | YesMonth-to-month, cancel anytime; no long-term contract. | YesMonth to month; no setup fee, minimum term or cancellation cost. | PartlyMonthly plans need 30 days written notice to cancel; annual plans are 12-month contracts. | YesContracts are month to month. | YesMonth-to-month; annual contract available on request. |
| Keeps no percent of your tuition | YesFlat monthly price. Card payments 2.75% + 35¢ each, everything included. | YesFlat monthly fee; card processing averages 2.86%. | YesFlat tiers; Gymdesk Payments cards 2.9% + $0.30. | YesFlat tiers by student count; Basys cards 2.9% + $0.25. | YesFlat plans; card processing is 4.99% + $0.30 on Free, 2.89% on Pro and 2.75% on Max, ACH 0.79% + $0.30 on Pro and Max. | YesFlat tiers; processing is custom-priced, rates not listed. |
| Members billed in your own name | YesMembers pay in your name, on your own rules. | Not publishedName shown on family card statements is not stated. | YesGymdesk Payments shows "FWD* [Your Business Name]"; prefix cannot be removed. | Not publishedName shown on family statements is not stated. | Not publishedThe name shown on member statements is not stated. | Not publishedName shown on member statements is not stated. |
| Money goes straight to your merchant account | YesMerchant account opened through our partner, held in the business's name. | NoUS/Canada must use Spark's in-house merchant; outside them, own Stripe. | YesOwn Stripe, Square, Authorize.net or GoCardless supported; software costs more. | Not publishedBasys is the preferred partner; using another merchant account is not stated. | YesPayments run through "Your own Stripe account." | PartlyDaxko Payments in-house; "third-party processors are also supported." |
| Warning before a student quits | YesAt-risk warnings on Home, with a one-tap come-back message. | Not publishedAttendance reports and milestone automations; no at-risk alert described. | YesFlags members past a set absence window; can auto-send win-back messages. | PartlyAttendance Log shows who is at risk; no automatic alert described. | YesCore lists "Identify at risk members early and take action", plus a daily priorities list of overdue payments and expiring memberships. | Yes"Track at-risk members, churn rates, and engagement trends." |
| Retention, churn-rate and tenure reports | YesCohort retention, tenure at cancellation, churn as a rate. | PartlyCancelled Memberships and conversion reports; no churn-rate or tenure report named. | YesMember Growth report: monthly churn, average membership length, net growth. | Not publishedNo retention or churn report named. | PartlyCore shows retention signals and cancellations at a glance; churn-rate and tenure reports are not described. | YesChurn rates and membership lifecycle data in reporting. |
| AI reading of your business | YesA daily AI reading of your numbers on Home; every figure checked against your own data before it shows. | YesSparkAI Business Intelligence Reporting analyzes attendance, attrition and marketing data. | NoBlog: not interested in "stapling AI onto a feature list". | Not publishedWebinar says AI is being added carefully; no AI feature named. | Not publishedPushPress AI is linked from the features page without a description of what it reads. | Not publishedEngage AI covers calls, chat, reviews and content; no AI summary of your numbers. |
| AI helper inside the software | YesAsk how to do anything; steps for the screen you are on, from our help, in English or Spanish. | Not publishedNo staff how-to assistant described; SparkAI Email Writer drafts emails. | NoFounder post: "AI features are coming"; no assistant released. | Not publishedNo AI assistant named. | PartlyAI support is offered on every plan for questions to PushPress; an assistant inside the software is not described. | Not publishedEngage AI Agent automates messages; staff how-to assistant not described. |
| Import from your old software | YesDone-for-you import: our team moves your members from an export of your old system. | YesFree student data migration listed on the pricing page. | Yes"Migration support included"; $0 setup fees. | YesFree data migration when switching from another system. | YesMigration from several named platforms is "included at no cost"; the onboarding team moves your students, memberships and schedule. | YesData transferred during free onboarding sessions; no migration fee listed. |
| Your own Word or PDF waiver, made signable | YesUpload a Word or PDF file; preview it, edit it and publish it as an agreement members sign in the member portal. | Not publishedWaivers are built in the Forms & Surveys editor, where text can be pasted; importing a Word or PDF file is not described. | Not publishedSignable documents are templates built in Gymdesk; an uploaded PDF or image is stored for reference, not signed. | Not publishedAgreements start from a template, new text, or an already signed PDF; turning a file into a signable agreement is not described. | Not publishedWaiver text is typed or pasted into an editor in Digital Documents; uploading a PDF or Word file is not described. | Not publishedDigital signing and customizing a document per membership are described; importing your own file is not. |
| English and Spanish | YesApp and emails in English and Spanish. | Not publishedSpanish is not mentioned on the pricing, offer or help pages read. | Not publishedSite offered in English and Japanese; Spanish not mentioned. | Not publishedSpanish is not mentioned. | Not publishedSpanish is not mentioned. | Not publishedSpanish is not mentioned. |
| Belts, ranks and testing | YesRanks per program, promotion history and testing fees. | YesBelt history and rank progression with testing built in. | YesPromotion criteria per rank or belt, with readiness notifications. | YesCustom belt curriculum, belt testing events, one-click promotion. | YesCustom belt names, colors and stripes; promotion criteria by time at rank, classes attended or milestones. Pro and Max only; testing fees are not mentioned. | YesCustom ranks, testing events, eligibility lists, promotion history. |
| Two-way texting | YesTwo-way texting from your own number, with an inbox and automations; a paid add-on per location. | YesSpark SMS is two-way; text credits are sold separately. | YesReplies are captured on the member profile; any staff member can answer. | YesTwo-way texting with students and prospects since Dec 9, 2025. | PartlyThe Grow add-on ($329/mo) keeps every text and email in one inbox and automates SMS follow-up; two-way texting is not named. | PartlyTwo-way member messaging in Engage add-on ($249/mo) or Ultimate. |
| Automatic lead follow-up | YesLead pipeline with automatic follow-up emails and texts. | YesAutomated lead, trial and reactivation campaigns by email and SMS. | Yes"Capture leads and follow up automatically" via automations. | YesAutomated lead-nurturing message flows for prospects. | YesThe Grow add-on ($329/mo) follows up automatically when a lead no-shows or goes quiet. | YesAutomated lead follow-ups, trial tracking, re-engagement campaigns. |
| Marketing tools built in | YesLead forms, Google review requests, online join and pay, and a referral program. | YesMember app referrals, reviews posted to Google, in-app membership sales; Ignite landing pages. | YesLead capture forms, online member sign-up, referral program, automated review requests. | PartlyLead capture forms and online membership purchase via landing pages. | YesThe Grow add-on includes lead capture forms and automated review requests. | YesEmbeddable lead forms, automated review requests, online sign-ups. |
| Social media posts | In developmentIn development: AI-written posts from your own business's data; you approve them, then post in one tap, and we show which posts brought in new members. | YesIgnite add-on ($199/mo): monthly calendar of daily ready-made posts; who publishes is not stated. | Not publishedSocial media posting not mentioned on the marketing features page. | Not publishedNo social posting feature or service stated. | Not publishedA social posting feature is not described. | PartlyEngage add-on (from $249/mo): Content AI drafts social posts; posting not stated. |
| Website for your business | YesAnexan, the parent company of BlackBeltCRM, designs and builds the website; its lead form sends each inquiry into BlackBeltCRM. Class schedule and prices pulled live from your account are coming next. | YesIgnite add-on ($199/mo) builds the website during $1 setup. | YesNo-code website builder included in every plan. | YesKicksite professionals build the website; four tiers, prices not listed. | YesThe Grow add-on ($329/mo) includes an SEO-optimized website created for you. | YesZen Planner builds the website from $99/mo; included in Essentials. |
| Paid ads run for you | NoWe do not run ads for you. | NoIgnite FAQ: "We don't" run ads; provides ad copy and guides. | Not publishedAd management service not mentioned on marketing or pricing pages. | YesMarketing Services team manages Google, Facebook or Instagram ads (undated newsletter). | Not publishedFacebook lead ads are a lead source; an ads service is not described. | YesTeam-run Facebook/Instagram/Google campaigns from $79/mo plus $99 setup. |
| Branded app in the app stores | In planningYour own branded app in the App Store and Google Play is in planning; today the member portal adds to the phone's home screen. | YesWhite-label app: $1,200 first year, then $499/year. | YesBranded app $100/mo on App Store and Google Play; first month free. | Not publishedMember portal is a mobile web app; no branded store app mentioned. | YesA branded app is a $97/mo add-on. | YesBranded Mobile App add-on $39/mo. |
Sources and dates
Each competitor fact was read on its vendor's own public pages on the date shown; "Not published" means the vendor does not state it publicly. "Coming", "In development" and "In planning" mark our own features that are not live yet. Prices and features change, so check their sites, and tell us if something here is out of date.
- BlackBeltCRM: blackbeltcrm.com/pricing, blackbeltcrm.com, blackbeltcrm.com/features/analytics, blackbeltcrm.com/ai-gym-software, blackbeltcrm.com/switching, blackbeltcrm.com/features/members-families, blackbeltcrm.com/features/support, blackbeltcrm.com/markets/martial-arts, blackbeltcrm.com/features/communications, blackbeltcrm.com/features/leads-trials, blackbeltcrm.com/features, blackbeltcrm.com/#websites, blackbeltcrm.com/features/member-portal
- Spark Membership: sparkmembership.com/spark-membership-pricing, sparkmembership.com/special-offer, help.sparkmembership.com/en/articles/5273152-merchant-and-merchant-fees-information, help.sparkmembership.com/en/articles/15934015-how-do-i-set-up-and-manage-automations-based-on-attendance-milestones-in-spark-membership, help.sparkmembership.com/en/articles/14672656-how-can-i-track-and-troubleshoot-trial-and-membership-performance-metrics-in-spark-minds, sparkmembership.com/business-intelligence-reporting, sparkmembership.com/ai-email-writer, help.sparkmembership.com/en/articles/2017050-setting-up-forms-surveys, sparkmembership.com/compare/black-belt-alternative, sparkmembership.com/app, sparkmembership.com/ignite, help.sparkmembership.com/en/articles/16775010-what-is-the-process-for-setting-up-and-deploying-a-white-label-app-with-spark-membership
- Gymdesk: gymdesk.com/pricing, docs.gymdesk.com/en/help/docs/gymdesk-payments-faqs, docs.gymdesk.com/help/payment-processing, gymdesk.com/features/member-insights, gymdesk.com/blog/ai-for-gym-management, gymdesk.com/blog/gymdesk-founder-journey, gymdesk.com/10th-planet-jiu-jitsu, docs.gymdesk.com/en/help/docs/document-management, gymdesk.com/why-gymdesk, gymdesk.com/software/martial-arts, gymdesk.com/features/sms, gymdesk.com/features/marketing, gymdesk.com/features/website
- Kicksite: kicksite.com/pricing, kicksite.com/terms-of-service, kicksite.com/kicksite-vs-spark-membership, kicksite.com/faq, kicksite.com/features, kicksite.com/webinar/2025-year-in-review-2026-preview, kicksite.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-agreements, kicksite.com/newsletter/two-way-texting-the-next-phase-of-enhanced-kicksite-communications, kicksite.com/knowledge-base/step-5-bring-in-new-students-with-bizbuilders, kicksite.com/martial-arts-websites, kicksite.com/newsletter/google-ads-vs-social-ads-how-each-can-help-your-business
- PushPress: pushpress.com/fitness-business-software/martial-arts, pushpress.com/pricing, pushpress.com/products/core, pushpress.com/features, help.pushpress.com/en/articles/971819-how-to-set-up-and-manage-waivers-in-pushpress-core-digital-documents, pushpress.com/products/grow
- Zen Planner: zenplanner.com/pricing, zenplanner.com/pricing/active-member-tiers, zenplanner.com/payments, zenplanner.com/features/reporting-dashboards-software, zenplanner.com/engage/ai, zenplanner.com/blogs/protecting-your-business-with-gym-waivers-and-membership-agreements, zenplanner.com/features, zenplanner.com/features/belt-tracking-software, zenplanner.com/products/zen-planner-engage, zenplanner.com/services/best-fitness-websites, zenplanner.com/services/digital-marketing
Questions people ask
- What is the best martial arts school software in 2026?
- It depends on what you need most. If keeping students and a published price matter most, BlackBeltCRM is $119 a month at 75 students with retention reports and at-risk warnings. If you want the vendor to build your website, Kicksite, Zen Planner, PushPress and BlackBeltCRM (through its parent company, Anexan) all do that today. The chart above shows each vendor row by row, with sources.
- How much does martial arts software cost for 75 students?
- Checked October and November 2026 on each vendor's own site: BlackBeltCRM $119, Kicksite $149, Gymdesk $125 ($100 with Gymdesk Payments), Zen Planner $155 to $404 depending on the plan, Spark Membership $199, PushPress $159 (Core Pro, with belt tracking).
- Do I need a contract for martial arts software?
- Not with BlackBeltCRM, Spark Membership, Gymdesk, Zen Planner or PushPress, which all state month-to-month terms. Kicksite does not state its contract terms publicly.
- Can I keep billing my members in my own business's name?
- With BlackBeltCRM the merchant account is held in your business's name and members pay you. Spark requires businesses in the US and Canada to use its in-house merchant service, and Gymdesk Payments puts a FWD* prefix before your name on card statements.
One competitor at a time
- Kicksite alternative
- Spark Membership alternative
- Zen Planner alternative
- Jackrabbit Class alternative
- Mindbody alternative
- PushPress alternative
- Gymdesk alternative
- Martialytics alternative
- TheDOJOApp alternative
What each one costs, in detail
Moving from one of these? What switching to BlackBeltCRM involves.
How to read a comparison like this one: Best martial arts school software (2026), compared.