How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Zen Planner and Mindbody lead for established schools that need full billing, scheduling and marketing in one system.
- Kicksite, Spark Membership and Martialytics are built specifically for martial arts, with belt tracking and attendance that generic gym software misses.
- Gymdesk and RhinoFit suit smaller schools that want simplicity and lower cost.
- Clubworx and Upper Hand fit multi-program facilities that run martial arts alongside fitness classes.
- Almost every vendor prices by quote or demo, so shortlist three and compare real proposals.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Zen Planner | Established schools, all-in-one | See website | No |
 Mindbody | Large schools with marketing needs | $129/month | No |
 Kicksite | Martial arts specific workflows | See website | Free trial |
 Spark Membership | Billing-focused martial arts schools | See website | Free trial |
 Martialytics | Data-driven school management | See website | Free trial |
 Clubworx | Multi-program facilities | See website | Free trial |
 Gymdesk | Small schools wanting simplicity | See website | Free trial |
 RhinoFit | Budget-friendly school management | See website | Free trial |
 Upper Hand | Sports and training businesses | See website | No |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best martial arts software
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Zen Planner was built for exactly this market: martial arts schools, CrossFit boxes and boutique studios. Membership billing, attendance tracking, belt rank management and workout logging live in one system, and the member app keeps students engaged between classes. Schools that outgrow spreadsheets usually land here first.
Pricing is quote-based, which frustrates comparison shoppers. The feature depth also means a learning curve for a school with one part-time admin. For an established academy with a few hundred students, Zen Planner covers the whole operation without add-ons.
What we like- Purpose-built for martial arts and boutique fitness
- Strong billing and member management
- Workout tracking included
Watch out for- Pricing not published
- Can feel complex for very small schools
Starting price$129/month
Free planNo
Mindbody brings something no competitor matches: the Mindbody app marketplace where millions of consumers discover and book classes. A martial arts school on Mindbody gets listed where prospects already search, which is genuine marketing value. Scheduling, point of sale, marketing automation and reporting are all mature.
The $129 per month starting price puts it at the premium end, and the platform is built for the broader fitness industry rather than martial arts specifically. Belt tracking exists but is not the focus. Large schools that want discovery plus management will justify the cost. Small traditional dojos often do better with a martial arts specialist.
What we like- Largest class-booking network drives discovery
- Strong marketing tools
- Polished client app
Watch out for- $129 per month starting price is steep for small dojos
- Feature breadth adds complexity
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Kicksite does one thing: run martial arts schools. Belt rank tracking, stripe and tip management, class attendance tied to rank requirements, and membership billing are designed around how dojos actually operate. Owners switching from generic gym software notice the difference immediately in the attendance workflow.
The tradeoff of specialization is ecosystem. Integrations are fewer than Mindbody or Zen Planner, and the company is smaller. Pricing requires a demo. For a traditional martial arts school that wants software speaking its language, Kicksite is the most focused option here.
What we like- Built only for martial arts schools
- Belt and attendance tracking done right
- Billing automation for memberships
Watch out for- Smaller company with a narrower integration list
- Pricing not published
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Spark Membership centers on the money: recurring billing, failed payment retries, and membership management that keeps revenue steady. Schools losing income to expired cards and missed payments see the value fast. The interface stays simple enough for an owner who also teaches six classes a day.
Marketing and lead management are thinner than the bigger platforms. Pricing is quote-based. Spark fits schools whose main pain is billing chaos rather than lead generation. If your trials convert fine but your collections leak, start here.
What we like- Strong recurring billing and failed-payment recovery
- Simple interface
- Quick setup
Watch out for- Fewer marketing features than Mindbody
- Pricing not published
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Martialytics approaches school management through data. Dashboards show attendance trends, retention by program, instructor performance and revenue per student, which helps owners make decisions instead of guessing. The core features, billing, scheduling, belt tracking and communication, are all present.
As a newer vendor, the reference base is smaller and long-term stability is less proven than Zen Planner. Pricing requires a conversation. Owners who run their school on numbers will appreciate the analytics focus. Those who want the safest established choice should look at the bigger names.
What we like- Analytics show which programs and instructors perform
- Modern interface
- Martial arts specific features
Watch out for- Newer vendor with a smaller user base
- Pricing not published
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Clubworx suits facilities where martial arts is one program among several. The platform manages class bookings, memberships, access control and billing across martial arts, fitness classes and open gym time. Larger academies with diverse programming avoid running two systems.
Pure martial arts schools may find the belt and curriculum features less deep than the specialists. Pricing is quote-based. If your facility runs karate classes next to spin bikes, Clubworx fits. If it is all martial arts all the time, the specialists fit better.
What we like- Handles martial arts alongside fitness classes well
- Strong booking and access control
- Good for larger facilities
Watch out for- Less martial arts specific than Kicksite or Spark
- Pricing not published
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Gymdesk keeps things simple on purpose. Billing, class scheduling, waivers, attendance and a member app come in a clean package a small school can set up in days. The price positioning is friendly, and the interface does not require training to understand.
Larger schools will hit limits in reporting depth and advanced automation. Support is a smaller team than the enterprise vendors. For a school under 150 students that wants to stop using spreadsheets this week, Gymdesk is the fastest path.
What we like- Clean, simple interface
- Quick to set up
- Covers billing, scheduling and waivers affordably
Watch out for- Fewer advanced features for large schools
- Smaller support organization
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
RhinoFit has served small fitness businesses for years with affordable, no-nonsense management software. Billing, class scheduling, attendance tracking and waivers cover the daily needs of a small martial arts school. The learning curve is gentle.
The interface shows its age next to Gymdesk or Martialytics, and advanced marketing features are limited. Pricing is not published but positions at the budget end. Schools that want the essentials at the lowest cost should include RhinoFit in the comparison.
What we like- Affordable pricing positioning
- Covers billing, scheduling and attendance
- Straightforward to use
Watch out for- Smaller vendor
- Interface less modern than newer competitors
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Upper Hand serves sports training businesses: private lessons, camps, clinics and team training alongside regular classes. Martial arts schools that run heavy seminar, camp or private lesson businesses get scheduling and payment tools built for that model. Multi-coach payroll and scheduling work well.
Traditional curriculum features like belt tracking are not the focus. Pricing is quote-based with a demo-led process. Schools built around private training and events will find Upper Hand a natural fit. Curriculum-driven dojos should prefer the martial arts specialists.
What we like- Strong for training-based businesses with sessions and camps
- Scheduling and payments in one
- Good for multi-coach operations
Watch out for- Less martial arts specific
- Demo-led sales with unpublished pricing
How we chose
We evaluated software used by martial arts schools, dojos and academies in 2026, favoring products with martial arts specific features over generic gym tools. Research covered vendor sites and documentation, school owner reviews on Capterra and Software Advice, and martial arts business community discussion. We weighted billing reliability, belt and attendance tracking, scheduling quality, pricing transparency and fit for different school sizes. Prices come from vendor pages where published.
What a martial arts school actually needs from software
Start with billing, because failed payments are where schools lose money silently. The software should handle recurring memberships, retry failed cards automatically and make it easy to see who owes what. Everything else is secondary if the revenue leaks.
Next comes attendance tied to rank. Generic gym software tracks check-ins; martial arts software tracks classes toward the next belt, stripes and tips, and testing eligibility. If the tool cannot tell you who is ready to test, it is not martial arts software.
Finally, check the student and parent experience. Online sign-up for trial classes, a parent portal for kids programs and automated reminders for renewals all drive revenue. Demo the parent-facing side, not just the admin dashboard.
Belt tracking and attendance: the features generic gym software misses
This is the real dividing line. Martial arts schools run on curriculum progression: students attend classes, earn stripes, test for belts and advance through a defined syllabus. Software built for gyms treats every visit the same, which forces schools to track rank in spreadsheets alongside the software they pay for.
Ask each vendor to show the full belt workflow during the demo: recording attendance, awarding a stripe, marking a student eligible to test, and promoting them after. If any step happens outside the system, the software is not finished for your use case. Kicksite, Spark and Zen Planner handle this natively, so use them as the benchmark.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best martial arts software?
For established schools, Zen Planner offers the most complete martial arts specific package. Mindbody suits larger schools that want marketing reach. Kicksite and Spark Membership are the most focused on traditional dojo workflows, while Gymdesk fits small schools on a budget.
How much does martial arts school software cost?
Most vendors do not publish pricing. Small-school tools typically run $50 to $150 per month, while full platforms like Mindbody start at $129 per month and scale with features. Always get a written quote and ask about payment processing fees, which are often separate.
Can I use Mindbody for a karate school?
Yes, many martial arts schools run on Mindbody. It handles scheduling, billing and marketing well, and its app marketplace drives discovery. The tradeoff is that belt tracking and curriculum features are less deep than martial arts specific tools like Kicksite or Zen Planner.
What is belt tracking in martial arts software?
Belt tracking records each student's rank, stripes, class attendance toward promotion requirements and testing eligibility. Good martial arts software ties attendance directly to rank progression so instructors can see who is ready to test at a glance.
Do I need software for a small dojo?
Even a 50-student school benefits from automated billing and online trial sign-ups. Failed payment recovery alone often pays for the software. Start with an affordable option like Gymdesk or RhinoFit and upgrade when the school grows.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://www.zenplanner.com
- https://www.mindbodyonline.com
- https://kicksite.com
- https://sparkmembership.com
- https://www.martialytics.com
- https://www.clubworx.com
- https://gymdesk.com
- https://rhinofit.ca
- https://upperhand.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.