Running an MMA gym is no walk in the park. You're juggling belt tracking, fight team management, and the headache of drop-in guests. The problem is, most gym software isn't built with MMA in mind. That's why finding the best software for MMA gyms can feel like an uphill battle.
Why MMA Gyms Need Different Software Than Regular Gyms
MMA gyms aren't CrossFit boxes or yoga studios. The software built for those places doesn't fit. Here's what MMA gyms actually need:
- Belt/rank progression across multiple disciplines like BJJ, Muay Thai, and wrestling
- Open mat vs structured class distinction
- Drop-in management for visiting cross-trainers
- Fight team management separate from general membership
- Robust waiver management
- Family billing that handles complexities
- Check-in systems that provide clear data on who's on the mat
Most gym owners end up keeping belts in spreadsheets and handling fight team billing manually. That's the problem.
The Comparison
PushPress — Popular But CrossFit DNA
Pricing: Free (Core) / $159 / $229. Free tier has 4.19% + $0.30 processing fees.
Pros: Clean interface, strong community, free tier is a real product, built-in POS, Kisi door access integration.
Cons: Originally built for CrossFit — martial arts features are bolted on. No native belt tracking. Per-member pricing means a 200-member gym pays more than flat-rate competitors. Transaction fees on the free tier eat into margins fast. Users report classes disappearing from schedule and waivers duplicating.
Best for: CrossFit boxes that also offer some striking or BJJ classes.
Explore PushPress Alternatives
Compare PushPress and ManageMemberships
Zen Planner — Feature-Deep But Painful
Pricing: $99 / $198 / $348 flat rate.
Pros: Belt/rank tracking built in, deepest operational feature set on this list, Kisi door access.
Cons: Steep learning curve, sluggish support, locked-in payment processing, outdated UI, frequent crashes reported. Add-ons like the marketing module, branded app, and website push the real cost past $400/mo. Now owned by Daxko (private equity) — prices creep up yearly with no new value.
Best for: Mid-size martial arts schools that need rank tracking and can tolerate the complexity.
See How Zen Planner Compares to ManageMemberships
Kicksite — Martial Arts Native, But Limited
Pricing: $49 / $99 / $149 / $199 by student count.
Pros: Best belt/rank tracking in the industry — this was built for martial arts schools from day one. Family-owned, strong support, affordable.
Cons: Too narrow for mixed-model gyms running striking + BJJ + S&C. No real fight-team tools. Slow on mobile. Can't take attendance for specific classes. Pop-up nags students about unpaid balances at check-in (embarrassing). No door access control.
Best for: Traditional martial arts schools (TKD, karate) under 200 students who primarily need belt tracking and basic billing.
Spark Membership — Martial Arts Focused But Buggy
Pricing: $239 / $299 / $499.
Pros: Built for martial arts schools, belt tracking included, POS included.
Cons: Hidden setup and processing fees not advertised upfront — real cost is higher than listed. Software freezes. Buggy payments. Limited customization for non-standard class structures. Scalability problems at multi-location. No door access.
Best for: Larger single-location martial arts schools willing to pay premium — if the bugs don't drive you crazy.
Wodify — CrossFit Tool Trying to Be MMA
Pricing: $79+/mo, higher tiers require sales call.
Pros: Good performance tracking, POS included, strong for CrossFit.
Cons: Built for CrossFit, bolted on martial arts. Weak on belt/promotion workflows. "Too expensive for the amount of glitches" is a recurring user complaint. No native door access. Reports of double-charged invoices.
Best for: CrossFit boxes, not dedicated MMA gyms.
Read More About Powerlifting Gym Software
GymDesk — Good Value, PE Risk
Pricing: $75 / $100 / $150 / $200 by member count. All features at every tier.
Pros: Belt ranking included, clean interface, affordable, Kisi integration.
Cons: Recently acquired by private equity — quality declining. Can't bulk-update belt ranks. App logs you out weekly. Some hidden charges post-acquisition.
Best for: Small martial arts schools under 200 students on a budget — but watch the PE trajectory.
Kombat Evolve — Built by a Black Belt
Pricing: Claims zero transaction fees.
Pros: Built specifically for BJJ/combat sports by a practitioner. No transaction fees is a real differentiator.
Cons: Very new, very small. Limited reviews. Feature set still maturing. Risk of using a platform that might not exist in 2 years.
Best for: BJJ academies willing to bet on a newer platform.
ManageMemberships — Access Control Native, Built at an MMA Gym
Pricing: Free tier (50 members) / Starter $29/mo (150 members) / Core $99/mo (unlimited). Door access $89/mo. POS $59/mo.
Full disclosure: this is ours. The author trains BJJ at an MMA gym that uses this software.
Pros: Only platform where door access is native to the billing engine — payment fails, door stops opening. Built-in CRM with text/email campaigns and automated triggers (14-day no-show alerts). Waiver management. Kiosk check-in with QR code. Free migration with Stripe token transfer. Month-to-month, no contracts.
Cons: No native belt tracking yet (in development). Newer platform with fewer third-party reviews. Smaller team means fewer integrations than established players.
Best for: MMA gyms and BJJ academies that want billing + access control + check-in + waivers in one system without paying enterprise prices. Especially strong for gyms offering open mat or off-hours training.
Learn About Our Door Access Control
Quick Comparison Table
| Platform | Price | Belt Tracking | Door Access | POS | Fight Team Tools | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PushPress | Free/$159/$229 | No | Via Kisi | Yes | No | CrossFit + some MA |
| Zen Planner | $99-348 | Yes | Via Kisi | Yes | No | Mid-size MA schools |
| Kicksite | $49-199 | Best | No | No | No | Traditional MA schools |
| Spark | $239-499 | Yes | No | Yes | No | Larger MA schools |
| Wodify | $79+ | No | No | Yes | No | CrossFit boxes |
| GymDesk | $75-200 | Yes | Via Kisi | Yes | No | Budget MA schools |
| Kombat Evolve | Varies | Yes | No | Unknown | Yes | BJJ academies |
| ManageMemberships | Free/$29/$99+addons | Coming soon | Native | $59/mo | No | MMA gyms needing access control |
What We'd Actually Recommend (And Our Bias)
Let's be transparent: we built ManageMemberships so we're biased. But here's the deal:
- If belt tracking is your #1 priority today: Kicksite
- If you need access control tied to billing: ManageMemberships — nobody else does this natively
- If you're a CrossFit box that also teaches BJJ: PushPress
- If you want the deepest feature set and can tolerate complexity: Zen Planner
- If you're on Mindbody: you're overpaying. Almost anything on this list is better for an MMA gym.
Mindbody Alternatives for Small Gyms
Best Membership Software for Martial Arts Schools
The Real Talk — Nobody Has It All
No platform on this list does everything an MMA gym needs perfectly. Belt tracking + door access + fight team management + POS + CRM in one platform doesn't exist yet. You're always going to make tradeoffs.
- Pick based on what's MOST broken in your current setup — if you're losing money on failed payments and people sneaking in, access control matters more than belt tracking.
- If your belts are a mess and parents are confused about promotions, Kicksite matters more than door access.
- Whatever you pick, make sure you can leave without penalty. Month-to-month contracts only.
Switch Gym Software Without Losing Members
Smarter Billing, Better Control, Stronger Tools
Explore calendar billing, subscription management, automated door scheduling, digital waivers, reporting dashboards, and full member portal customization built specifically for gym and studio operators.
