Best Gym Management Software and Platforms for 2023
The best gym management software simplifies daily tasks, improves customer engagement and provides unique features for your gym’s needs.
8 min readUpdated October 26th, 2023
MKWritten By Michelle King
OVERVIEW
StudioGrowth
As a gym owner, you have a lot to manage. From ensuring members have a positive experience to keeping track of your gym’s finances, your “to-do” list can feel never ending. Gym management software helps gym owners streamline tasks and protect their most valuable resource: time.
Below, we explore the top gym management software for a variety of facilities, helping you make the best decision for your business.
GymBird’s Top Picks for Gym Management Software
- Best for Small Gyms: PushPress
- Best for Large Gyms: Motionsoft
- Best for Boutique Studios: GLOFOX
- Best for Martial Arts Studios: Zen Planner
- Best for Yoga Studios: StudioGrowth
- Best for Personal Trainers: TrueCoach
- Best for Crossfit Gyms: WODify
Benefits of Gym Management Software
Gym management software can help you with staff management, marketing, member experience, and financial management. You can also gain insights from data and reporting to help inform decision-making.
Staff Management
To keep your gym running smoothly, you need a dedicated team of fitness professionals to train clients, lead classes, and assist with daily tasks. Managing multiple employee schedules via pen and paper or spreadsheets can quickly become overwhelming. Gym management software makes it easy to schedule employees, track daily duties, create timesheets, and conduct payroll, all from one simple platform.
Marketing Assistance
Experts predict that the fitness industry will grow 171.75% by 2028. Gym owners can capitalize on this growth by increasing their marketing efforts.
From creating targeted email campaigns to automating lead nurturing tasks, gym management software offers marketing tools that help optimize and simplify your marketing efforts. This makes it easier to market consistently, helping turn prospects into customers.
Improved Member Experience
Running a successful gym isn’t just about attracting new members. You also need to prioritize keeping the ones you have. Most gyms lose 50% of their new clients within six months. Gym management software can save your facility from becoming a negative statistic by improving the client experience.
Gym management systems offer a variety of features to enhance the customer experience. These features often include easy onboarding, members-only content, simple scheduling, and email or text messaging. Opting for a gym management software that offers your members a quality experience helps ensure they stick around longer and increases the value of each member.
Better Financial Management
To ensure your company meets revenue goals, it’s essential to track revenue, expenses, and financial goals. . It can be difficult to manage bookings, payments, cash flow, and profit and loss by category.
Gym management software automates billing and tracks revenue, expenses, and cash flow, simplifying financial management tasks, so they don’t have to be tracked manually.
Access to Essential Data
Without the right data, it’s tough to make informed decisions about your business. Gym management software offers a wealth of information you can harness to improve gym operations. These systems collect and organize membership trends, class attendance, and financial performance data. Gym owners can use this information to gauge the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, identify popular classes, and track member retention rates.
How to Choose a Gym Management Software
With so many options on the market, it’s easy to accidentally choose a gym management system that isn’t the best fit for your business. Avoid this mistake by keeping the following considerations in mind during your software search.
Ease of Use
Gym management software should save you and your team time and energy. But complicated systems can be more of a time suck than an efficiency tool. The best gym management software is streamlined, user-friendly, and easy to learn. Unsure if a tool is too complicated for your team? Most gym software systems provide a free demo, letting gym owners see how the software works before making a purchase.
Scalability
Onboarding gym management software is a time-consuming process you don’t want to have to repeat. Avoid hours of employee training and data re-entry by finding a system that can scale with your organization as your gym grows.
If you plan on expanding your business, opt for a gym management software that can easily accommodate more memberships, trainers, and classes.
Integrations
Your gym management software is likely one of many tools you use to run your business. Choosing software that integrates with other systems, like marketing automation tools and accounting software, ensures you can seamlessly track and improve your business’s essential functions from one place.
Customer Support
If you run into a challenge with your gym management software, you need it resolved quickly. Look for a software provider that offers fast, reliable support through multiple channels, including chat, email and phone.
Individual Reviews
Pro starting at $159/mo
PushPress
Best for small gyms
- Many direct integrations with tools you already use
- Sign up forms to convert new members
- Sell product via your website
- Automated billing
PushPress Pros
- Created by gym owners
- Free option
- Trainers app for members
- Member engagement tools
- Simple to use
- Easy integrations
- Branded app add-on available
PushPress Cons
- Advanced features cost more
Created by gym owners who understand the nuances and challenges of managing a fitness facility, PushPress helps eliminate the complexities of running a gym. This simple-to-use software has a client-friendly interface, making it easier for members to reserve classes, check in for workouts, and view their attendance history. You can even add one-time visitors and drop-ins with ease.
PushPress also offers features that simplify day-to-day tasks for you and your team. This software integrates with Google Calendar and Slack, giving you visibility into your team’s schedule and making communication easier. For additional insights, check out your personal dashboard to explore information on clients, leads, and daily priorities.
PushPress offers various ways to grow your gym and increase the value of members. You can track and follow-up with leads automatically and utilize optimized sign-up forms. You can also sell retail products in seconds and automate billing. You can even identify high flight-risk members and quickly re-engage them.
Why We Love his PushPress for Small Gyms
PushPress has six “Best Software for Small Business” awards, making this software a top-rated, obvious pick for small gyms. Additionally, smaller fitness facilities don’t always have the same budget as their larger counterparts. PushPress recognizes this challenge, so it offers a free basic membership.
Motionsoft Pros
- Scales with growth
- Membership portal
- Location-based pricing
- Integrates with financial tools
Motionsoft Cons
- Steep learning curve
- No transparent pricing
- No member app
- No free trial
As pioneers in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for the fitness industry, Motionsoft has a global reach, serving fitness clubs, corporate fitness centers, wellness centers, and universities worldwide. They bundle gym management, payment processing, and revenue recovery into a straightforward solution that’s easy to use.
Motionsoft’s software package includes 28 club software applications that handle everything from sales automation to paperless contracts, making tracking and managing member activities easy.
Why We Love Motionsoft for Large Gyms
Trusted by industry icons like Crunch Fitness, Equinox, and Blink Fitness, Motionsoft’s specialty is building top-notch applications for commercial gyms. Their software doesn’t penalize gym owners for membership growth. Instead of charging per-contact like other software solutions, Motionsoft’s pricing is location-based.
GLOFOX Pros
- Simple to use
- Customizable branded app
- Trainerize integration
GLOFOX Cons
- No free trial
- No coupon or discount code features
GLOFOX empowers gym owners across 80 countries to manage and scale their businesses. The software’s user-friendly platform simplifies class scheduling, membership management, attendance tracking, payment automation, marketing and sales tools, and member experience tools.
On top of its easy-to-use platform, GLOFOX has a customizable branded app. This unique feature makes it easier for gyms to engage with members and enables members to book classes and make purchases through the app, increasing the value of each member.
Why We Love GLOFOX for Boutique Studios
While GLOFOX works with a variety of fitness facilities, their bread and butter are boutique studios. The app is popular amongst beloved boutique franchises like 9Round, Club Pilates, and Rumble Boxing.
Starting at $99/mo
Zen Planner
Best for martial arts studios
- Member and staff app available
- Automating billing and payments
- Community engagement features
- Attendance Tracking
Zen Planner Pros
- Founded by martial artists
- Integrations available
- 15-day Free Trial
- Branded member app
Zen Planner Cons
- Limited customization
- Bland interface
- Steep learning curve
Founded by martial artists who saw a gap in the fitness industry, Zen Planner helps manage all your gym’s daily tasks. The software’s comprehensive features allow owners to grow and engage their fitness community through an interactive online calendar, skill tracking, email templates, and auto-billing.
Stay informed on your business’s performance by exploring Zen Planner’s dashboard and reporting tools. To help you make the most of these key features, Zen Planner offers every customer three free forty-five-minute sessions with a personal coach.
Why We Love Zen Planner for Martial Arts Studios
Zen Planner offers a unique set of features designed specifically for martial arts schools. The software’s Belt Tracking tool helps you keep track of each member’s belt rank, making it easy to see which members are up next for belt testing. Instructors can also use the software to share curriculum with students so they can practice skills and techniques at home.
StudioGrowth
Best for Yoga studios
- QR code bookings
- Automate operations and scheduling
- Baked in reporting
- Direct software integrations
StudioGrowth Pros
- Branding capabilities
- Top-notch customer support
- Simple Platform
- Integrations available
- 14-day free trial
StudioGrowth Cons
- Only built for small studios
Frustrated by complicated management software, Naz Ahm built a yoga-focused software system that’s easy to use. StudioGrowth provides studio owners with the tools they need to process payments, schedule employees, manage members, and execute marketing.
A standout feature of StudioGrowth’s software is its branding capabilities. This system allows studio owners to create branded class schedules, purchase pages, and more. Users can manage their brand palette and upload images using the Brand Hub.
Why We Love StudioGrowth for Yoga Studios
Initially designed exclusively for yoga studios, StudioGrowth is continuously adapting to meet the evolving needs of this fitness niche. The team spends most of its time working with studio owners and deeply understands the challenges they face.
Starting at $19.99/mo
TrueCoach
Best for personal trainers
- Workout Builder
- Video exercise library
- Real-time messaging
TrueCoach Pros
- Customizable programs
- Simplified communication
- 14-day free trial
- Branded app for members
TrueCoach Cons
- Can't sell single programs
- Lacking nutrition features
Trusted by over 20,000 coaches, TrueCoach helps personal trainers manage daily tasks and grow their business. In addition to standard features like billing and scheduling, this program provides specialized tools for personal trainers.
The software comes preloaded with over 3,000 premium exercise videos, as well as the ability to add your own content. Seamlessly integrate videos from the exercise library into TrueCoach's Workout Builder to craft personalized workout plans for your clients.
Why We Love TrueCoach for Personal Trainers
While other platforms cater to multiple fitness businesses, True Coach was designed with a singular focus on personal trainers. This prevents the software from burdening coaches with tools irrelevant to their business. Additionally, TrueCoach has earned several awards, including the 2022 Software Advice FrontRunner Award and a Best Usability Award.
Wodify Pros
- Branded app
- Integrations available
- Community engagement features
Wodify Cons
- No free trial
Over 5,000 gyms worldwide use Wodify to boost efficiency and improve customer retention. Some of the software’s most popular features include performance tracking, fitness leaderboards, automated billing, and class scheduling.
Gyms can keep clients engaged using the software’s unique client-facing tools. Along with a mobile app, Wodify offers a digital Whiteboard where members can enter workout scores, encouraging a little friendly competition.
Why we love this software for Crossfit gyms
Wodify was built by CrossFit affiliate owners, athletes, and coaches who understand the challenges of gym management. With G2 awards for “Easiest Setup”, “Best Estimated ROI,” and “Users Most Likely to Recommend”, Wodify is the obvious top pick for Crossfit gyms.
Bottom Line
Choosing the right gym software is crucial to streamline operations and keep members happy. Think about what you need from the software and the extra features that can benefit your gym. If you’re not sure where to start, use the list above to guide your search.
More Advice for Gym Owners
- The Ultimate Guide to Opening a Gym
- How to Increase Gym Membership Sales
- Grow Your Gym: Capitalize on Fitness Business Trends
- Best Fitness Industry Events for Fitness Professionals
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