MyStudio's lead capture for martial arts is genuinely clever. If you run a karate school with 80 kids and zero interest in door access or 24/7 hours, it might be fine.
But "fine" stops being good enough when the $0.55 per-transaction fee starts eating your margins, the branded app you're paying for never materializes, and you realize there's no door access — not even as an add-on.
I run ManageMemberships and I train BJJ. I'm biased. I'll give MyStudio credit where it's earned and tell you where my own platform falls short. Draw your own conclusions.
Why Gym Owners Leave MyStudio
The $0.55 per-transaction fee. Industry standard is $0.25–0.30. MyStudio charges nearly double. On 200 transactions/month, that's $110/mo in flat fees vs $60 everywhere else. That's $600/yr you're overpaying just on the flat fee — before the percentage even kicks in.
No door access. Period. Not a bolt-on. Not a partner integration. Nothing. If you run a 24/7 facility or want off-hours open mat, MyStudio is a non-starter.
Branded app delivery failures. Users reported being charged $200/month for branded apps from April 2024 through February 2025 — apps that were never delivered. Ten months of payments for vaporware. Checkout links described as "suspicious, spammy, and malicious" by actual customers. (Source: G2 reviews)
SMS costs extra at every tier. In 2026, text messaging should be included. MyStudio charges add-on fees for it on Starter, Growth, AND Scale.
No QuickBooks. No Mailchimp. If your accountant needs QuickBooks integration, it's been requested for years and never built.
Stripe migration headaches. When you try to leave, MyStudio can't cleanly transfer payment tokens. That means members re-entering card info — and some won't bother. Plan ahead with a proper migration strategy.
The pattern in reviews: "great at first, quickly outgrown." MyStudio sits at 4.4/5 on G2 — but that's on only 23 reviews. Small sample.
MyStudio vs. the Field
| Platform | Price | Door Access | Branded App | CRM/SMS | Belt Tracking | Per-Txn Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MyStudio | $99–299/mo | ● No | ● $200+ add-on | ● SMS extra | ● No | $0.55 |
| ManageMemberships | Free / $29 / $99 | ● $89 native | ● Included | ● Included | ● Coming | $0.30 |
| Gymdesk | $75–200/mo | ● $100 add-on | ● No | ● Included | ● Yes | $0.25–0.30 |
| Wodify | $79+/mo | ● No | ● Yes | ● Limited | ● No | Varies |
| Kicksite | ~$60/mo | ● No | ● No | ● Basic | ● Yes | Stripe |
| GymMaster | $89–249/mo | ● Built-in | ● Higher tiers | ● Included | ● No | Varies |
| Zen Planner | $49–199/mo | ● Partner | ● Yes | ● Included | ● Yes | Hidden fees |
Processing Fees: MyStudio vs. ManageMemberships
$10,000/mo revenue · 150 transactions
$0.55 × 150 = $82.50
$0.30 × 150 = $45
On processing alone, MyStudio is $22.50/month cheaper. That's real. I'm not going to hide it.
But here's what MyStudio doesn't include that ManageMemberships does on the $99 Core plan: CRM, email marketing, SMS, and a branded app. MyStudio charges add-ons for each. Add SMS and the branded app fee ($200/mo when they actually deliver it) and you've blown past any processing savings five times over. Total cost of ownership is the number that matters. And if failed payment recovery matters, that's included too.
7 MyStudio Alternatives Worth Evaluating
1. ManageMemberships
This is mine. I built it because I was tired of seeing gym owners pay $300+/mo for software that couldn't lock a door when a membership lapsed. Core plan at $99/mo: unlimited members, CRM, email, SMS, branded app. Add door access for $89/mo and your all-in is $188/mo.
Door access is native and billing-tied. Member's card declines? Door locks. No manual intervention. No chasing people down. That's what makes 24/7 operations viable without a front desk.
What we don't have yet: belt tracking. If that's a dealbreaker, look at Gymdesk. It's on our roadmap but I won't tell you it's ready when it's not. Month-to-month, Stripe-based, and we offer hands-on migration help.
- Free tier (50 members)
- Native door access tied to billing
- Branded app included on Core
- CRM + email + SMS included
- Month-to-month, no lock-in
- No belt/rank tracking yet
- Higher processing % (3.5%)
- Younger platform, smaller user base
2. Gymdesk
Belt tracking is their DNA. Curriculum management, grading, promotions — if rank progression is central to your business, Gymdesk takes it most seriously. All features at every tier. Door access is a $100/mo add-on. No branded app.
Read our full Gymdesk vs ManageMemberships comparison for the detailed breakdown. Also see best software for martial arts schools.
3. Wodify
Wodify owns CrossFit. WOD programming, whiteboard results, leaderboards — it speaks CrossFit fluently. Branded app is solid. No door access. If your identity is CrossFit and your members live on leaderboards, Wodify is purpose-built. For everything else, it's a stretch.
4. Kicksite
The Toyota Corolla of martial arts software. Belt tracking, student management, basic billing. No door access, no branded app, no bells and whistles. If you're a small dojo with 60 students who just needs attendance, rank tracking, and billing in one place — Kicksite does that without the overhead.
5. Spark Membership
Spark is MyStudio's direct competitor. Belt tracking, lead management, automated follow-ups — same ground, without the $0.55 per-transaction penalty. CRM included. Branded app available as add-on. Still no door access. If the funnel-first workflow drew you to MyStudio, Spark keeps that model at a better price point.
6. GymMaster
One of the few platforms with native door access. It works. The catch: proprietary hardware lock-in. GymMaster uses its own door hardware. Leave GymMaster, and that hardware becomes dead weight — can't repurpose it. Support is NZ-based, so if something breaks at 3 PM Tuesday in the US, you're waiting for their morning.
7. Zen Planner
Belt tracking, branded app, low starting price. On paper it checks boxes. The problem is ownership. Zen Planner is owned by Daxko (private equity). The PE playbook: raise prices, cut support, let the product coast. Recent reviews confirm it — hidden fees, slower support, stagnant development.
For more on alternatives to PE-owned platforms, we covered that in detail.
When MyStudio Is Still the Right Call
I'm not going to pretend MyStudio is garbage. If you check all three of these boxes, it might still be your best option:
- Martial arts only — no 24/7 hours, no door access needed
- Under 100 students — the per-transaction fee hasn't become painful yet
- Lead capture is your priority — MyStudio's trial-to-student funnel is legitimately good
The moment you need door access, a reliable branded app, or your processing volume crosses ~200 transactions/month, the math stops working. That's when you start looking at platforms built for where you're headed, not where you started.
Frequently Asked Questions
MyStudio Works Until It Doesn't
MyStudio was built for simple martial arts billing and lead capture. It does that. The problems start when you need more: door access, a reliable branded app, SMS without add-on fees, or a clean migration path out.
If you're on MyStudio and it's working — don't fix what isn't broken. If you're here because something IS broken, the alternatives above are all worth a look. Try before you buy. Most have free tiers or trials.
ManageMemberships — free tier, no credit card, no annual contract. Start with 50 members and upgrade when you're ready.
Related: PushPress Alternatives · Gymdesk vs MM · Best Martial Arts Software · Best 24/7 Gym Software · Switch Without Losing Members
