Zen Planner vs Gymdesk for Martial Arts Gyms
The incumbent against the polished challenger. Here is how they compare on the things that decide the bill, with published figures and dates, and a third option at the end.
At a Glance
| Comparison point | Zen Planner | Gymdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | By active member count, eight tiers | By active member count, four tiers plus Enterprise |
| Published range | $99 to $289 a month (as of Aug 27, 2026) | $75 (to 50 members), $100 (to 100), $150 (to 200), $200 (to 400), Enterprise above (as of Sept 1, 2026) |
| Add-ons | Website $99/mo, Engage marketing automation $249/mo, branded app $39/mo, EMV devices $39/mo | Branded member app $100/mo, door access from $100/mo, additional locations $50/mo each; website included |
| Contract terms | Month to month; annual contracts on request | Month to month from day one, no setup fee, no minimum term; 30-day free trial, no card required |
| Card processing | Through Daxko Payments or a preferred processor; rate not published; Flex Fees can pass a fee to members | Gymdesk Payments 2.9% + 30¢, ACH 1% capped at $5, or bring your own Stripe or Square (as of Aug 27, 2026) |
| Belt and rank tracking | Belt and skill tracking listed | Native rank tracking; founder is a BJJ black belt |
| Languages | Portuguese not listed | English and Japanese listed |
| Heritage | Fitness incumbent; part of Daxko since 2017; 6,000+ businesses claimed | Founded 2016 as Martial Arts on Rails by Eran Galperin; Austin-based; growth investment from Five Elms Capital |
| Review scores (Aug 27, 2026) | Capterra 4.3 from 270 reviews; G2 4.2 from 104 | Capterra 4.8 from 148 reviews; G2 4.8 from 21 |
Figures read from each vendor's own published pages on the dates stated. Prices and features change; verify before you buy.
Which One Fits
Choose Zen Planner if
You run a large multi-program facility that also sells fitness memberships, you want an incumbent with a big install base and workout tracking, and the add-on menu contains things you will actually use.
Choose Gymdesk if
You want a fast, clean generalist with martial-arts roots, month-to-month terms with a free trial, an included website, and the option to keep your own payment processor.
The Math at 100 Students
Take 100 students at the $146 US average membership (Gold BJJ's State of Jiu Jitsu survey), about $14,600 in monthly billing.
Gymdesk: the 51-to-100 tier is $100. Processing on Gymdesk Payments at 2.9% + 30¢ across 100 charges is about $453, so the month runs about $553 before add-ons. At 101 members the tier steps to $150.
Zen Planner: the subscription depends on which of the eight tiers 100 members falls in, and the processing rate is not published, so the month cannot be computed from the website. Get the tier and the rate in writing, then add any add-ons you would run.
For reference, Kmura at the same volume is $150 flat plus about $410 in processing at 2.6% + 30¢, about $560 a month: a few dollars more than Gymdesk at exactly 100 students, and less from 101 up.
The Third Option: Kmura
Kmura is built for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specifically. Belts, stripes, promotion history and a fully customizable curriculum are the data model, not custom fields bolted onto a generic member record, so attendance rolls up into who is actually due for a stripe.
Instructor hours and classes taught are tracked, and tracking is where it stops, because Kmura is not payroll software. A nightly AI review reads your academy's activity, flags students who are drifting and pre-drafts the follow-up for your staff to send. It never sends anything on its own. Pricing is $150 a month per location, flat, with every feature included at every size and card processing at 2.6% + 30¢. The only thing billed outside that flat price is SMS, which is pay-as-you-go with the cost shown before you send. Migration is free and white-glove, and the whole platform runs in English and Portuguese.
A demo is a walkthrough with our co-founder, Todd Snider, Co-Founder & CEO.
Zen Planner vs Gymdesk FAQ
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