Gymdesk Is Rated Best Ease of Use in Gym Management
Capterra has recognized Gymdesk with a Best Ease of Use award in their 2026 gym management software rankings, based on verified user reviews.
Gymdesk vs Kicksite
Looking for Kicksite alternatives?
We'll take an honest look at Gymdesk vs Kicksite—where each one shines and where each falls short—so you can pick the right fit for your gym.
VS
GYMDESK
Kicksite
Gymdesk vs Kicksite at a Glance
Both Gymdesk and Kicksite serve martial arts gyms well. Here's how they compare on the features that matter most.
Gymdesk
Kicksite
Built For
Martial arts schools from day one—founded by a BJJ black belt.
Martial arts only—founded by Taekwondo instructors with nearly 20 years in the space.
Starting Price
$75/month. All features included at every tier.
$49/month (0–25 students). Basys gateway adds $29/month on top.
Payment Processing
Five processors—Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, GoCardless, and Gymdesk Payments. You own your account.
Basys (US/Canada) or Stripe (international only). Basys charges $29/month plus 2.9% + $0.25 per transaction.
Member App
Native iOS and Android app—check-in, class booking, payments, push notifications.
No native app. Members use a mobile browser.
Marketing Tools
Email marketing, automations, lead tracking, and referral management included in every account.
Automations for prospects only, with message limits. Prospect board added August 2025.
Rank/Belt Tracking
Attendance-based progression, technique library, bulk promotions, evaluation forms, student-visible progress.
Belt ranking and promotion tracking. No bulk promotions—students promoted one at a time.
Reporting
Accounting ledger, revenue graphs, growth reports, product revenue tracking.
Pre-built attendance and finance reports. Gym owners report limited filters and customization.
Contracts
No contracts. Cancel anytime. 30-day free trial.
Month-to-month. 30-day cancellation policy. No free trial—demo only.
Support
Same-day responses. Email, chat, phone, or video. No bots.
Dedicated onboarding specialist for 60 days. Some gym owners report slower response times after that.
Why Choose Gymdesk Over Kicksite?
Both have strengths. Here's where the day-to-day experience actually differs—and why it matters for your gym.
A real app for your members
Kicksite doesn't have a native mobile app. Your members access their account through a mobile browser—and gym owners report it's slow and clunky.
Gymdesk includes a native iOS and Android app at no extra cost. Members check in, book classes, track their belt progress, and view payment history—all from their phone. You get unlimited push notifications instead of paying per text.
Your payment processor, your Rates
Kicksite locks US and Canadian gyms into Basys for payment processing—$29/month for the gateway alone, on top of 2.9% + $0.25 per transaction. At 100 members, published pricing puts your total at $178/month or more.
Gymdesk gives you five processors to choose from with no mandatory gateway fee. You negotiate your own rates, and your payment account stays yours if you ever leave. At 100 members, Gymdesk is $100/month with all features included.
Automations that work for every member
Kicksite's automations work for prospects only—not your existing members—and they come with message limits. If you want to follow up with current students, not just new leads, you're on your own.
Gymdesk's automation engine covers the full member lifecycle—new leads, active members, frozen accounts, promotions, and bookings. No message caps. It's the difference between automating lead capture and automating your entire gym.
Gymdesk vs Kicksite: What the Users Have to Say
We could talk for hours about the difference between Gymdesk and Kicksite, but we'd rather let the users speak for themselves.
GYMDESK
Overall
Highest rated
4.8 (148)
Ease of Use
4.7
Customer Service
4.9
Features
4.6
Value for Money
4.8
Kicksite
Overall
4.8 (125)
Ease of Use
4.8
Customer Service
4.9
Features
4.6
Value for Money
4.9
GYMDESK
“Gymdesk saved my life…and business. Such a simple, clear user interface (staff AND students) with incredibly robust tools that are consistently updated and added upon. Every few weeks, they add on new features and make existing ones more streamlined. [Gymdesk is helping me] managing students, payments, recruiting, communication, planning and keeping me and my staff sane!”
Joe R.
Kicksite
"Right now, it appears that there are a few features that are either in development or non-existent. It would have been nice to be able to import our existing attendance data into Kicksite rather than having to manually enter the info."
Thomas W.
GYMDESK
"What I like best is that you can access all different areas from one page and it is convenient to use. The Dashboard is also great as it tells you what is going on with the member's payment, birthdays and who has been absent from class lately."
Kam L.
Kicksite
"I wish the reports were easier to get to and customize. Only being able to download them via Excel limits us."
Sean S.
GYMDESK
"We LOVE being able to integrate emails and texts within gymdesk so all communication is visible to all staff. The tasks and automations are also crucial for helping us stay organized."
Meghan R.
Kicksite
"Email/SMS communication for booked classes. Students are able to book 12 weeks out and get 0 reminders. This fills classes and creates lots of "no shows" preventing new students from signing up"
Mike D.
Summary: When to Choose Kicksite vs Gymdesk
Here’s our summary of when to choose Gymdesk vs Kicksite gym management software:
When to Choose Gymdesk
You want a native mobile app for your members—check-in, booking, payments, and belt progress all in one place
You want to choose your own payment processor instead of being locked into Basys
You need automations that work for existing members, not just prospects
You run a non-martial-arts gym, a multi-location operation, or you need detailed financial reporting
Transparent, all-inclusive pricing matters more to you than the lowest entry price
When to Choose Kicksite
You're a traditional martial arts school and their Taekwondo-founder story and nearly 20-year track record matter to you
You have 25 or fewer students and want the lowest monthly cost
You want a professionally managed website built and maintained by their team (available as an add-on)
Built-in texting is a priority for your day-to-day communication
You value their long track record in martial arts and don't have a pressing reason to switch
Gymdesk is the fastest growing Kicksite Alternative!
Every Feature From Day One
No gated tiers, no surprise costs as you grow. You get everything at every price point—billing, marketing, scheduling, rank tracking—and your price only changes when your member count does.
Simple Enough to Use Between Classes
A clean interface you can learn in a day, built to fit any gym—BJJ, yoga, CrossFit, gymnastics. You don't need a training manual or an IT person. It just works.
Support From People Who Get It
Same-day responses from a team that understands how gyms actually run. Reach them by email, chat, or video—no hold music, no bots.
You Can Ask Us Anything, Really!
We're martial artists, fitness junkies, and software developers—and we built this because you're exactly the person we had in mind. Your success is our success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Gymdesk's payment processing fees?
All payment processing runs through your chosen processor—Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, GoCardless, or Gymdesk Payments—each with their own fee schedule depending on your
location and payment types. We don't charge anything extra beyond what your processor charges. No proprietary markup, no mandatory gateway fee.
Can I charge members using direct bank debits?
Yes, depending on your location and payment processor. In the US, Stripe and Authorize.net support ACH and eCheck payments. Internationally, Stripe supports bank debits in the EU, Australia, and Canada. GoCardless is another option if you want a processor built specifically around direct debit.
Is Kicksite better than Gymdesk for some gyms?
It can be. If you're a traditional martial arts school (Taekwondo, Karate) and value Kicksite's founder story and two-decade track record in that space, that history is real. Gyms with 25 or fewer students will also pay less per month with Kicksite. And if you want a hands-off, professionally managed website where their team handles updates for you, that's a service Gymdesk doesn't currently replicate.
For most martial arts gyms—especially BJJ academies and growing schools with 50+ members—Gymdesk covers what you actually use day to day, at a lower total cost, with features Kicksite doesn't offer (like a native app and full-lifecycle automations).
Do you track ranks, levels, and promotion requirements?
Yes—it's one of our strongest features. For each program you run, you set up promotion criteria based on attendance, time at rank, age, or skill requirements. Your students can see their own progress toward their next belt in the member app, and you can promote individually or in bulk with scheduled dates and evaluation forms.
Can I use Gymdesk's online features with my existing website?
All of our online features work independently from the website we provide and can be added to your existing website. This includes the gym weekly schedule, lead capture forms, the member sign-up form, and access to the member portal.
How easy is it to switch from Kicksite to Gymdesk?
Most gyms complete the switch in two to four weeks. Our team can request your Kicksite login and pull your member data, attendance, and billing records directly. One thing to know: Kicksite's payment processor Basys may charge $500–$1,000 to export your stored payment tokens to a new provider. Our migration partner Evolv covers that fee for you.
Start Your 30-day Free Trial
No sales call or credit-card required. Try our software for free 30 days!
Why Choose Gymdesk for Your Gym
- Easy member sign-up and onboarding
- Automated billing keeps your payments running
- Track attendance and skill progression
- Provide a professional experience for your members
- Pricing starts at $75/month, with no contracts or long-term commitments