Martial Arts Software: How to Choose for Your Dojo

Martial arts software runs the business side of a dojo or academy: monthly memberships, trial classes, the class timetable, attendance for grading and the follow-up that turns a free trial into a paying student. For a school with 60 to 250 students, the right choice is the one that keeps attendance and payments in one record, so you can see at a glance who is due, who is ready to grade and who has stopped coming. Below is what to check, what it costs as of October 2026, and where a general gym tool like Svich GymOS fits.

Still tracking students on a spreadsheet and chasing fees on WhatsApp? Svich GymOS keeps memberships, trial passes, dues and reminders in one place, at a flat price per school. See what GymOS covers.

#What should martial arts software do?

At minimum, dojo software should sell memberships, schedule classes by program, record who attended, track who owes money and follow up on trial students. Rank tracking, family billing and waivers come next, and how much you need them depends on your style and how many kids you teach.

• Memberships and packs: monthly plans, a 10-class pack for shift workers, a trial pass, and the ability to pause a membership when a student is injured.
• Timetable by program: kids, juniors, adults, competition team, open mat. A BJJ school will also split gi and no-gi.
• Attendance per student: the number that decides whether someone is ready to grade, and the first sign that someone is drifting.
• Dues and invoices: who has paid this month, who hasn’t, and a receipt the parent can find without messaging you.
• Trial follow-up: the inquiry from Instagram on Monday should be on the mat on Wednesday.
• Ranks, families and waivers: belt history, siblings on one account and a signed waiver for every minor.

Most dedicated dojo platforms lead with rank tracking. That matters, but it’s rarely the reason a school loses money. Schools lose money on trials nobody followed up and on students who stopped coming in week six while the membership quietly lapsed.

#Which features matter most for a small dojo?

For a single-location school with one or two instructors, martial arts school software pays for itself through attendance, dues tracking and automatic reminders. Rank tracking and a branded app are nice to have unless you run a large kids program.

#How much does martial arts software cost?

Martial arts software pricing is usually tiered by active students or flat. The two dojo platforms we checked charge US$49 to US$240 a month, and card processing fees come on top. Compare the yearly total at your real student count, not the entry price.

Prices from each vendor’s pricing page, checked October 2026, in US dollars, before card processing fees and add-ons. Kicksite includes belt tracking and automated recurring billing; Gymdesk charges extra for a branded app and door access.

The gap matters most for a school that grows. Kicksite’s top tier is flat from 101 students, Gymdesk moves to a custom quote above 250, and Svich Starter covers up to 250 active members before Growth at $149. Also ask about contract terms and what a data export costs if you leave.

#How should a dojo handle trial classes and new students?

Reply to every inquiry the same day, book a specific trial class, and follow up within 24 hours of the trial with a clear offer. Most trials are lost in the gap between “come in sometime” and an actual date on the calendar.

The message after the trial does most of the work. Keep it from the instructor, not “the team”:

“Hi Jordan, Coach Mia here. Great first session tonight, your guard retention was better than most first-timers. If you want to keep going, the beginner plan is $140 a month for two classes a week, and if you join before Saturday your gi is included. Want me to put you down for Tuesday at 6:30?”

GymOS keeps inquiries in a lead list, gives you shareable enquiry forms for Instagram and WhatsApp, and turns every lead, renewal and unpaid fee into a follow-up task someone has to close. Trial passes sit in the same plan list as monthly memberships and class packs. Start free and add your current trials. For more message wording, see our guide to following up gym leads.

#How do you track attendance for belt gradings?

Set a minimum number of classes since the last grading, count attendance per student automatically, and check the list two weeks before each grading. That turns “is she ready?” from a guess into a number you can show a parent.

A simple rule many schools use: a minimum number of classes and a minimum time at the current rank, for example 24 classes and 3 months for a junior color belt. Write it on your website and in the welcome message, so nobody is surprised.

In GymOS, every check-in and check-out lands on the student’s profile, whether it came from a front-desk check-in or a door reader, and the history is searchable. Class slots sit on a week grid with class packs next to monthly memberships, and attendance is counted either way. Belt rank itself isn’t among GymOS’s listed features, so keep the current rank in the student’s internal notes. Attendance is an add-on module; the demo covers what it costs for your school. Start free and see who’s training.

Attendance also tells you who is leaving. GymOS shows an “active but absent” list of members who are paying but not coming, which is the list worth working through every Monday.

#When is Svich GymOS not the right fit for a martial arts school?

GymOS is a general gym platform, not a dojo-specific one. Four dojo staples aren’t among Svich’s listed features: belt tracking, family accounts, waivers and automatic card debits. If any is a must-have, raise it in the demo.

• Large kids program with frequent gradings: a platform with built-in rank promotion, like Kicksite, will save more time.
• You want a branded app in the App Store: that isn’t listed either; Svich members use a browser-based portal for their plan, payment schedule, receipts and workouts.

GymOS fits schools where the owner wants memberships, trials, attendance, dues and reminders handled at a flat price, especially mixed-use gyms that need martial arts gym software alongside strength training or PT.

#How do you switch martial arts software without losing students?

Run the new system next to the old one for one billing cycle, starting with your real data, and switch the day after everyone’s next payment date. Use this checklist:

In GymOS, the CSV import is under Settings → Data & Reports → Imports, and it offers to create the membership plans it finds in your file. For deciding between tools, our free vs paid gym software guide and the CrossFit gym software comparison cover similar class-based setups.

#Frequently asked questions

#What is the best martial arts software for a small school?

It depends on what costs you most time. Schools with large kids programs and frequent gradings usually benefit from a dojo-specific platform with rank tracking, such as Kicksite. Schools that mainly need memberships, trials, attendance, dues and reminders at a flat price can use a general gym platform such as Svich GymOS.

#How much does martial arts software cost per month?

As of October 2026, common prices range from about US$49 to US$240 a month before card processing fees. Kicksite charges $49 to $199 by student count, Gymdesk $75 to $240 by member count, and Svich GymOS $49 a month for up to 250 active members.

#Does martial arts software need belt tracking?

It helps most for schools with many kids and regular gradings. Smaller adult schools can manage ranks in notes, as long as attendance per student is counted automatically, because attendance is what decides grading eligibility.

#How do I track attendance for belt promotions?

Set a minimum number of classes and a minimum time at the current rank, record every check-in against the student’s profile, and review the counts two weeks before each grading. Publish the rule so students and parents know what to expect.

#Can Svich GymOS run a martial arts school?

Yes, for memberships, trial passes, class slots and packs, attendance, dues, inquiries and automatic reminders. Belt tracking, family accounts and automatic recurring payments are not among its listed features, so ask about them in a demo.

#Spend Monday on the mat, not on fees

Add your students, plans and trial passes to GymOS and switch on reminders, or walk us through how your school runs today and we’ll show you what would change.

Start free — no card  |  Book a 30-minute demo

More on GymOS: lead management and automatic WhatsApp reminders.