Zen Planner Alternatives for Martial Arts Schools (2025)

If you’re looking at alternatives to Zen Planner for a martial arts school, this guide focuses on what matters on the mats: fast attendance, belt progress, clear billing, and targeted communications.

TL;DR

• FightKit is built for martial arts: QR/kiosk attendance, ranks, agreements, targeted email, and Stripe billing with no added fees. Free 30‑day trial — no card required.
• Other options gyms consider: TeamUp, Mindbody, PushPress, and Kicksite.
• Switching can be done in an evening: import students, connect Stripe to pull plans/subscriptions, and announce the new flow.

What to look for (martial‑arts specific)

• Attendance that takes under 60 seconds (QR or kiosk, not just tap lists)
• Ranks and syllabus progress without spreadsheets
• Billing students trust (clear receipts, easy updates, automated retries)
• Targeted email by rank, group, membership, or venue
• Digital waivers/agreements with snapshots

Quick comparison (at a glance)

Notes: Capabilities vary by plan/add‑ons. Verify details on vendor sites.

Alternative #1 — FightKit (martial‑arts first)

Built by instructors to remove admin friction so you can teach more.

• Instant attendance: QR, kiosk, and a smart register that learns who attends
• Smart messaging: email by group, venue, membership, or rank (included; no extra cost).
• Ranks & progress: belts/curriculum without extra tools
• Billing that makes sense: Stripe under the hood (no FightKit markup) and manual payments
• Digital agreements: signed snapshots tied to students

Plans: £19 (≤20 students), £59 (≤100), £89 (≤250), £149 (unlimited). Monthly rolling or annual with 2 months free. No setup fee.

Try it free for 30 days — no card required. Start your trial →

Alternative #2 — TeamUp

Strong scheduling with broad fitness coverage. Martial‑arts‑specific ranks/progress are lighter.

Consider if you need: scheduling depth across many activities.

Alternative #3 — Mindbody

Powerful and extensible; can feel heavy for a single dojo. Often suits multi‑site, multi‑discipline facilities with dedicated admins.

Consider if you need: enterprise‑style breadth and have time to configure it.

Alternative #4 — PushPress

Popular in CrossFit/functional fitness; straightforward setup, lighter martial‑arts features.

Consider if you need: simple ops and CF‑leaning tools.

Alternative #5 — Kicksite

Long‑time martial‑arts‑focused vendor with a traditional approach.

Consider if you prefer: classic dojo admin flows over newer kiosk/QR workflows.

How to switch from Zen Planner in one evening

1. Export your students.
2. Import students into FightKit.
3. Connect Stripe to sync products/prices and import subscriptions.
4. Or create memberships/plans in FightKit.
5. Set up your registration links for trials/new sign‑ups.
6. Announce the switch (email template below).

Student email template

Subject: We’re upgrading how we run the school

Hi {FirstName},

We’re moving our membership and attendance system to FightKit this week to make things simpler: faster check‑ins, clearer receipts, and easier updates. No action needed today — we’ll let you know if we need anything from you.

Any questions? Just reply to this email. See you on the mats!

– {OwnerName}, {SchoolName}

Why schools choose FightKit

• Attendance in under a minute, every time
• Reach the right students fast with included email targeting
• Belt/rank progress built in — no spreadsheets
• Clear receipts and agreements for students and parents
• Stripe payments with no added FightKit fees

Ready to see it in action? Start your free 30‑day trial →

FAQ

Is there a contract? Monthly rolling by default; annual option with 2 months free. No setup fee.

Do you add fees on top of Stripe? No. Only Stripe’s standard fees apply based on your account/country.

Do you include messaging? Yes — email is built in with advanced targeting at no extra cost.

How long does migration take? Typically minutes using the built‑in student import and Stripe subscription import.