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 — and most gym software wasn't built with any of that in mind. This breakdown cuts through the noise: what each platform actually does well, where it falls short, and which type of gym it's actually right for.
No affiliate deals. No sponsored rankings. We built one of the platforms on this list, so we'll tell you upfront when we're biased.
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 — BJJ, Muay Thai, 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 complexity
- Check-in systems with clear mat data
- 24-hour door access tied to membership status
Most gym owners end up keeping belts in spreadsheets and handling fight team billing manually. That's the gap this guide is here to address.
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 →
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Cons: Steep learning curve, sluggish support, locked-in payment processing, outdated UI, frequent crashes reported.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 in front of other members). 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. 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.
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.
GymDesk vs ManageMemberships →
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 be around in two 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, automatically. 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 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 →
What MMA Gym Owners Actually Say
"MM swooped in to help us at just the right time. My business partner and I were brand new gym owners and learning all the ropes — having a system that just worked let us focus on running the gym instead of fighting the software."
"I couldn't ask for anything more. Jon has come up with solutions to every issue and random idea I've had — quickly to boot. I can't praise him enough for how much he has helped us."
"ManageMemberships has made a big difference in the time we spend managing our members. Jon is very responsive to every request and works to implement any improvement ideas."
"MM is very user friendly, provides great customer service, and the best part is that it's constantly improving based on clients' wants and needs."
Quick Comparison Table
| Platform | Price | Belt Tracking | Door Access | POS | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PushPress | Free/$159/$229 | No | Via Kisi | Yes | CrossFit + some MA |
| Zen Planner | $99–348 | Yes | Via Kisi | Yes | Mid-size MA schools |
| Kicksite | $49–199 | Best | No | No | Traditional MA schools |
| Spark | $239–499 | Yes | No | Yes | Larger MA schools |
| Wodify | $79+ | No | No | Yes | CrossFit boxes |
| GymDesk | $75–200 | Yes | Via Kisi | Yes | Budget MA schools |
| Kombat Evolve | Varies | Yes | No | Unknown | BJJ academies |
| ManageMemberships | Free/$29/$99+ | Coming soon | Native | $59/mo | MMA gyms needing access control |
What We'd Actually Recommend (And Our Bias)
We built ManageMemberships, so we're biased. Here's the honest breakdown anyway:
- Belt tracking is your #1 priority: Kicksite. Nobody does it better for traditional martial arts schools.
- You need access control tied directly to billing: ManageMemberships — nobody else does this natively. Kisi integrations on other platforms still require manual management.
- You're a CrossFit box that also teaches BJJ: PushPress.
- You want the deepest feature set and can tolerate complexity: Zen Planner — just know what you're getting into.
- You're on Mindbody: You're overpaying. Almost anything on this list is better for an independent MMA gym.
Mindbody Alternatives for Small Gyms →
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 place 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 after their membership lapses, access control matters more than belt tracking right now.
- If your belts are a mess and parents are confused about promotions, Kicksite matters more than door access.
- Whatever you pick: month-to-month contracts only. Never sign a year upfront with a platform you haven't lived with.
How to Switch Gym Software Without Losing Members →
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best free gym software for MMA gyms?
PushPress has the most capable free tier, though processing fees at 4.19% + $0.30 add up fast on high volume. ManageMemberships also has a free tier capped at 50 members. For a new gym under 50 members, either works. Once you're past that threshold, the monthly subscription pays for itself in lower processing rates.
Does any gym software have belt tracking AND door access?
Not natively in one platform — yet. Zen Planner has belt tracking and door access via Kisi (a separate integration). ManageMemberships has native door access but belt tracking is in development. If you need both today, Zen Planner is your closest option, though the Kisi integration still requires separate management.
What gym software works best for gyms open 24 hours?
For unattended 24-hour access, you need software where door access is directly tied to billing — not a third-party integration that can fall out of sync. ManageMemberships is the only platform where a failed payment automatically suspends door access without any manual step. More on 24-hour gym access control →
How do I switch gym software without losing my members?
The main concern is Stripe payment token migration — if your members have cards on file, you want those tokens to carry over so nobody has to re-enter their card. ManageMemberships handles this migration free. Other platforms vary widely on whether they'll help with this. Full migration guide →
See How ManageMemberships Works for MMA Gyms
Billing, door access, waivers, check-in, and member management in one platform. No contracts. Free migration. Built by someone who actually trains.
