5 GymMaster Alternatives: The Top Solutions for Gym Management

According to Mordor Intelligence, the global fitness club market is valued at $70.3 billion and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11% for at least the next five years. With businesses scaling rapidly, many gym owners are seeking effective gym management solutions.

While GymMaster is a common choice when searching for “gym management software” in the search engine, it’s important to consider various alternatives to find software that meets your specific needs.

That’s exactly what we did in our comprehensive search. We explored various gym management solutions and selected the top contenders and best alternatives to GymMaster. So, let’s take a closer look at our findings.

How to choose gym management software?

Choosing gym management software can be challenging. With dozens of options, finding the one fitting your gym’s size and needs is often difficult. Keeping that in mind, the primary goal in searching for a gym management solution is to identify software with particular features and pros your business can benefit from and cons you can handle.

The top GymMaster alternatives should have particular characteristics making them stand out among the competition. However, to have a starting point for the search, choosing particular variables to guide the process is crucial.

In such a case, to choose the right gym management software, you need to focus on these aspects:

• Features
• User interface
• Customer service
• Pricing
• Reviews

Features

These are the essential elements that a decent gym management software must have in its general toolkit of features:

1. Membership management 
2. Billing and payment processing 
3. Attendance tracking 
4. Point-of-sale (POS) system
5. Marketing and retention tools 
6. Scheduling features 
7. Reporting and analytics
8. Third-party integrations 

When looking for a GymMaster alternative, keep these features in mind. There may be some variations, but most effective gym management solutions should include this toolkit of features.

User Interface

Visual appeal, user-friendliness, and seamless navigation are the top qualities of a good user interface for gym management software. When looking for a solution, prioritize software with an intuitive and user-friendly interface. This will make the learning curve not that steep and will offer a good user experience. Besides, check how the software works on different devices to ensure it is adequately adapted to desktop and mobile.

Customer Service

According to Bloomberg, after COVID-19 hit the fitness club market, gym owners found a solution by offering more offline workout sessions. The numbers suggest 72% of gyms, fitness clubs, and martial arts schools offer on-demand and live-stream group workouts.

In the context above, customer support becomes even more important when users join online workouts. Namely, when a gym member cannot access staff directly, like with offline workout sessions, they need to get answers to their inquiries directly from the platform’s customer support. Respectively, opt for gym management software coming with great customer support.

Pricing

Every gym owner wants to get a gym management solution that is worth its price. In other words, the software should have a good quality-to-price ratio. Check the platform’s pricing plans and decide whether you are ready to pay such a price for the features offered. Finally, make sure there are various pricing packages available. It grants a broader choice for gyms of different sizes.

Reviews

Finally, one of the key variables in searching for gym management software is to check reviews and references. You need to go through third-party websites like g2, GetApp, and Software Advice, to name a few, and look for a chosen solution that the users rated. Read through reviews and consider both positive and negative comments.

With all the variables explained you are equipped with tools to find the best GymMaster alternative. Respectively, the factors above were among the ones we used to search for the top 5 GymMaster competitors. It is time to address the elephant in the room and discover the best GymMaster alternatives.

Top 5 GymMaster alternatives

1. Gymdesk

Gymdesk was founded by a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. From the get-go, it was clear that this gym management software would be right to the point because of the extensive expertise and massive experience its founder brought on board.

While launched in 2016, Gymdesk has since evolved and broadened the scope of its offerings. Initially, the platform focused on martial arts schools. Now, Gymdesk helps streamline business operations and provide top-notch user experience for gyms, fitness centers, yoga studios, and martial arts schools.

At the moment, Gymdesk is a leading GymMaster alternative. Users recognize the platform for its sleek user interface, prompt communication via customer support, and overall toolkit of features directed at business growth. However, when speaking of the aspect of making Gymdesk at the top of the game, one should mention the user-centric approach the software has been dedicated to for more than 7 years in business.

Overview of features

Gymdesk offers this toolkit of general features:

• Member management for any types of membership records 
• Automated billing to control the payments
• Attendance tracking to check-in members (also includes mass check-in)
• POS system to charge clients on the reception desk
• Marketing to acquire new customers
• Reporting tool to get business insights
• Integrations with Zapier, WordPress, Stripe, Mailgun, and Kisi and more
• Branded mobile app allowing class scheduling, class booing, account, and member management

With Gymdesk’s fast and easy setup process, users can start testing the product right away, and with a 30-day free trial, there’s no risk in trying it out. Gymdesk also provides an up-and-running free gym website with widgets and upgrades to boost gym sales.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Simple and intuitive interface
• Fast and easy setup
• Automation features
• Free gym website

Cons:

• Limited integrations

Pricing

1. Micro Gym at $75/month
2. Small Gym at $100/month
3. Medium Gym at $150/month
4. Large Gym at $200/month
5. Enterprise with custom pricing

Reviews

g2: 4.8 

GetApp: 4.9

Software Advice: 4.85

2. Spark

Image source: Gymdesk

Spark is a comprehensive solution that can handle multiple aspects of gym management. It is a GymMaster alternative designed to help sports clubs, fitness centers, and gyms to manage day-to-day operations more effectively.

Spark puts a massive emphasis on making sure gym owners spend less effort and time when managing their businesses. Besides, the platform provides the tools gym owners need to attract more members and grow revenues without any limits. Spark wants to deliver solutions that help businesses thrive and not survive.

Overview of features

From a general standpoint, Spark comes with these common features:

• Member management tool to help gym owners streamlining member onboarding, profile updates, membership renewal, and cancellation processes
• Scheduling and bookings to allow platform users create class schedules, manage class appointments, and deal with member bookings
• Billing and invoicing to bring automated payment processing with customized billing cycles, automated reminders, and payment methods
• Reporting and analytics provides in-depth reports to help have a broader perspective on your business operations to identify issues and take data-driven decisions based on different performance metrics
• Access control measures to offer seamless integration to access control systems to help manage member access
• Marketing tools enabling targeted email, SMS, and social media promotions
• Mobile app running on iOS and Android, and allowing users to book classes, and manage their profiles
• Integrations with Facebook Lead Ads, Webhooks, Zapier, LeadConnector, Wufoo, and ActiveCampaign

Along with general features, Spark offers some standalone tools:

• Multi-school dashboards to help users manage different schools and centers from one account
• Advanced tagging feature to help transform day-to-day tasks into seamless workflows by tagging data and metrics having the biggest impact on your business

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Comprehensive feature toolkit
• Numerous integrations
• Advanced analytics and business intelligence

Cons:

• Steep learning curve
• High-cost

Pricing

1. All-in-one plan at $199/month

Reviews

g2: 4.2 

GetApp: 4.7 (3 reviews)

Software Advice: 5.0 (5 reviews)

3. Kicksite

Kitcksite is a gym software management designed for martial arts school owners. It is currently used by more than 1,500 martial arts schools in 22 countries. As a family-owned business, Kicksite comes with a strong reputation and focuses on unique user experience and brand awareness.

Kicksite comes with a user-friendly interface. This helps users to build up and organize their businesses in a manner to offer top-notch services while growing their revenues. As a GymMaster alternative, Kicksite is there to help bring your martial arts school to the next level.

Overview of features

For a general feature set, Kicksite presented these tools:

• Student management to deal with detailed student profiles including information on contacts, belt rank, attendance, and progress
• Attendance tracking through either manual input or barcode scanning
• Communication via SMS, in-app messaging, and email for keeping members and staff updated
• Billing and payment tools to manage payment, invoices, and recurring charges
• Event management to schedule belt testing, tournaments, and seminars
• Mobile app running on both iOS and Android
• Integrations with Stripe

Yet, to boast its standalone features, consider these tools Kicksite offer:

• Advanced business reporting allowing users to handle complex management tasks and generate vital insights automatically from comprehensive data analysis
• Automated communication channels presenting martial arts school owners with a toolkit of automated messages deliver via notifications, reminders, and alerts

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Comprehensive toolkit
• Advanced business analytics
• Automated communication

Cons:

• Only Stripe integration
• Limited reporting capabilities 

Pricing

1. 0-50 students at $85/month
2. 51-100 students at $125/month
3. 100+ students at $165/month

Reviews

g2: 5.0 (2 reviews)

GetApp: 4.8

Software Advice: 4.85

4. PerfectMind

PerfectMind is a gym management software and a GymMaster alternative that has been in the game for more than 20 years. It is a full-scale solution for gyms and martial arts schools.

What is impressive about PerfectMind is its website. A broad range of features is showcased there. All in all, PerfectMind is the solution offering services based on tons of expertise and knowledge.

Overview of features

PerfectMind comes with these feature set of common to gym management software tools:

• Membership management allowing gym owners track member attendance, create automated billing and manage memberships
• Class and appointment scheduling enabling users to schedule group and individual classes, as well as personal training sessions
• Marketing and sales tools helping gym owners generating new leads and retaining existing customers
• Reporting and analytics offering users detailed reports on business operations to drive data-drive decisions
• Branded mobile app allowing users make payments, sign up for classes, and manage accounts
• Integrations with Google Analytics, PayPal, Facebook, Azure Active Directory, Wordplay, Paysafe, and Moneris

Along with general toolkit, PerfectMind have these standout features:

• Advanced business resources offering gym owners with insights, guides, and webinars showing how to grow business effectively
• Round-of-the-clock support using email, phone, and live chat to help platform users with any potential inquiry they might have

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Customizability
• Great knowledge base with business resources
• Automated billing and scheduling functions

Cons:

• Hard-to-understand pricing
• Bad reviews
• Steep learning curve

Pricing

Pricing is not publicly available. Users report can range from $125/month to $325/month

Reviews

g2: 4.2

Software Advice: 3.16

5. Jackrabbit

Image source: Crozdesk

Jackrabbit is a cloud-based business management solution and a GymMaster alternative designed to aid users in managing multiple business operations within different sports and fitness centers. Jackrabbit works with gymnastics, winning, cheer, music, and dance classes. In such a case, one can say Jackrabbit is a comprehensive solution occupying different niches.

Occupying the niche of sports centers is something that should be promoted even further, and business management software can help to do that.

Overview of features

For a general set of features, Jackrabbit comes with these:

• Staff management offering tools to manage staff scheduling, timesheets, and payroll
• Analytics and reporting providing users with detailed reports to help businesses make decisions based on the key performance metrics tracking
• Billing and payments bringing forward automated billing, invoicing, and customized billing cycles
• POS system help users promote merchandise, subscriptions, and new services
• Student skill tracking to help teachers track student class skills and alert parents on issues that may arise
• Online class registration helping sports center to get rid of tedious paperwork to boost customer experience
• Parent portal allowing users to have all the information on students at one place
• Communication tools encompassing targeted emails, SMS, and social media campaigns
• Branded mobile app running on both iOS and Android
• Integrations with SafeSave, C&H Financial, Twilio, Express Payroll, and others

As to the standout Jackrabbit features, consider these:

• Integration partner marketplace provides an array of advanced payroll and revenue management tools that you can easily integrate into your business operations. 

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Communication tools included
• Industry-specific features
• Cloud-based solution

Cons:

• Limited customization
• Complex pricing structure

Pricing

1. Jackrabbit Class ranges from $49 for 0-100 students to $245 for 3,000+ students
2. Jackrabbit Plus+ ranges from $89 for 0-100 students to $315 for 3,000+ students

Reviews

g2: 3.9

GetApp: 4.6

Software Advice: 4.6

Zen Planner alternatives: comparison table

Tool Name	Features	Pricing	Pros and Cons	Recommendations*	Rank
GymMaster	Comprehensive access control Advanced reporting and analytics Member self-service	Foundation at $89/monthAdvanced at $129/monthProfessional at $209/monthEnterprise with custom pricing	Pros:Robust scheduling instrumentsComprehensive access control optionsSelf-service portalMobile-friendlinessCustomizabilityCons:Limited integration optionsSteep learning curveHigh costPoor customer support	For larger gyms and fitness centers	g2: 3.8GetApp: 4.7Software Advice: 4.6
Gymdesk	Member management Automated billing Attendance tracking POS system Marketing Reporting Branded mobile app Super fast set up and onboarding An up-and-running free gym website Customizable skill and rank progression tracking	Micro Gym at $75/monthSmall Gym at $100/monthMedium Gym at $150/monthLarge Gym at $200/monthEnterprise with custom pricing	Pros: Simple and intuitive interface Fast and easy set up Automated functions Affordability Free gym website Cons: Limited integrations	For small to mid-sized gyms, fitness studios, and martial arts schools	g2: 4.8 GetApp: 4.9Software Advice: 4.85
Spark	Member managementScheduling and bookingsBilling and invoicingReporting and analyticsAccess controlMarketing toolsMobile appMulti-school dashboardsAdvanced tagging feature	All-in-one plan at $199/month	Pros:Comprehensive feature toolkitNumerous integrationsAdvanced analytics and business intelligenceCons:Steep learning curveHigh cost	For wide range of gym sizes from small boutique fitness centers to large-scale gyms	g2: 4.2 GetApp: 4.7 Software Advice: 5.0
Kicksite	Student management Attendance tracking Billing and payment tools Event management Mobile app Automated communication Tailored martial arts tools Business reporting	Pros: Comprehensive toolkit User-friendly interface Advanced business analytics Automated communication Great customer support Cons: Only Stripe integration Limited reporting capabilities	0-50 students at $85/month51-100 students at $125/month100+ students at $165/month	For martial arts schools of all sizes	g2: 5.0 (2 reviews)GetApp: 4.8Software Advice: 4.85
Perfectmind	Membership managementClass and appointment schedulingMarketing and salesReporting and analyticsBranded mobile appAdvanced business resourcesRound-of-the-clock support	Pros:CustomizabilityUser-friendly interfaceGreat knowledge base with business resourcesAutomated billing and scheduling functionsExcellent and round-the-clock customer supportCons:Hard-to-understand pricingNot that great reviewsSteep learning curve	Pricing is not publicly available. Users report can range from $125/month to $325/month	For small and mid-sized gyms	g2: 4.2GetApp: 3.16Software Advice: 3.16
Jackrabbit	Staff management Analytics and reportingBilling and paymentsPOS systemStudent skill trackingOnline class registrationParent portalCommunication toolsBranded mobile appIntegration partner marketplace	Pros:User-friendly interfaceIndustry-specific featuresCloud-based solutionCons:Steep learning curveLimited customizationComplex pricing structure	Jackrabbit Class at $49 for 0-100 students and $245 for 3,000+ studentsJackrabbit Plus+ at $89 for 0-100 students and $315 for 3,000+ students	For sports clubs and centers	g2: 3.9GetApp: 4.6Software Advice: 4.6

*Recommendations based on gym size and needs

Why do you need a GymMaster alternative?

Image source: Capterra

You need a GymMaster alternative for these reasons:

1. If you seek more cost-effective options
2. If you search for a solution with more third-party integrations
3. If you explore options with features that GymMaster does not offer
4. If you desire a more user-friendly and intuitive interface for a gym management solution
5. If you look for a platform that can better support your business growth than GymMaster
6. If you want to find software that aligns more closely with your preferences

These are some key aspects to consider when searching for a GymMaster alternative. However, it is essential to remember that there could be other reasons for seeking alternatives, and the list above does not encompass all possibilities.

Conclusion

At the moment, there are some notable GymMaster alternatives on the market. Each competitor has its pros and cons and comes with standout features. With the top choices above, we have narrowed the search scope for the best gym management software to meet your needs.

Neither of the tools above don’t come as close to an all-fits-one solution as Gymdesk. It is a gym management platform for gyms owners built by gym owners. With the platform, you will get the degree of user experience none of the other GymMaster alternatives can offer.

If you need to run a sports center with hundreds of students, Jackrabbit is a great choice. If you crave round-the-clock support, don’t go past PerfectMind. If you run a martial arts school and search for a tool with a comprehensive automated communication toolkit, your choice is Kicksite. Finally, focus on Spark if you need to manage day-to-day operations quickly.

Yet, if you feel lost among all the choices of gym management software, there is always a light in the end of the tunnel. Sign up, and we will show you where and how to find the best business management solution. 

FAQ

What is the GymMaster app?

A GymMaster app is a mobile software app designed to aid gym owners in efficiently managing their businesses. Does the app provide tools that help with member management, bookings, class scheduling, invoicing, payments, reporting, analytics, and access control. Overall, the GymMaster app can deal with numerous tasks allowing gym owners to streamline their tasks.

What is gym membership software?

Gym membership software is a category of software applications and platforms designed to aid fitness centers, gyms, and sports clubs in managing memberships, scheduling, billing, and administrative tasks. Overall, gym membership software simplifies day-to-day tasks linked to membership management. Besides, it can reduce manual workload and improve the member experience when used correctly. 

Who is GymMaster?

GymMaster offers comprehensive software solutions for managing gyms, fitness studios, and martial arts schools. In most cases, this firm caters to the needs of gym owners, managers, and members by offering software products that streamline business operations through member management, class scheduling, and access control. 

How do I pause my GymMaster membership?

In short, to pause your GymMaster membership, you need to contact your gym or fitness center directly. Often, they are responsible for membership management and can help you with pausing, freezing, or canceling memberships. However, if you want to do the process yourself and suspend your GymMaster membership, go to Settings > Company Details and click the [Hold Membership] button.

How can I migrate from GymMaster?

To migrate from GymMaster, follow these steps:

1. Research and select a suitable GymMaster alternative. We consider Gymdesk to be the best alternative out there.
2. Contact the support team to inquire about the migration process
3. Export data from GymMaster in a suitable format, for instance, CSV or Excel
4. Follow the instructions a new software provider offers to import the data into the new system
5. Verify the imported data
6. Train your staff and inform gym members about the transition