Gymdesk alternative: FightKit vs Gymdesk for martial arts schools

At a glance

Feature	FightKit	Gymdesk
Built for	Martial arts schools	Martial arts schools, gyms, CrossFit, Pilates, yoga, gymnastics and dance
Price per month (USD)	$29 up to 20 students · $79 up to 100 · $119 up to 250 · $199 unlimited	$100 up to 50 members · $125 up to 100 · $175 up to 150 · $240 up to 250 · custom quote for 251+ — $25–40 less if you use Gymdesk Payments
Features by plan	All features on every plan	All features on every plan
Free trial	30 days — sign up yourself	30 days — sign up yourself, no credit card required
Contracts and setup fees	No contracts, no setup fees	No contracts, no setup fees
Payments	Automated billing with Stripe, or record cash and bank transfers	Gymdesk Payments, or Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, GoCardless or Ezypay
Leads and trials	Enquiry and trial booking forms, two-way email conversations, automated follow-ups	Lead management, landing pages, referral programmes and automated follow-ups
Belts and gradings	Ranks, curricula and grading sessions	Rank progression, with members flagged when they're ready to promote
Text messages	Not yet — email only	Email and text messages
Member app	iPhone and Android app for members	Member app included; branded app $100 a month extra
Your website	Embed your timetable, enquiry and trial booking forms on your existing site	Free gym website, or connect your existing site

Gymdesk details checked October 2026 from their public website and reviews — see sources below.

Where FightKit is different

Lower prices at every size

Gymdesk and FightKit both include every feature on every plan, with no contracts or setup fees. FightKit costs less at every school size:

Up to 20 students: $29 a month on FightKit — Gymdesk starts at $100, or $75 with Gymdesk Payments
Up to 100 students: $79 a month — Gymdesk is $125, or $100 with Gymdesk Payments
Up to 250 students: $119 a month — Gymdesk is $240, or $200 with Gymdesk Payments
More than 250 students: $199 a month — Gymdesk is a custom quote

FightKit's prices are the same whichever way you take payments.

Built only for martial arts schools

Gymdesk serves gyms, CrossFit boxes, Pilates and yoga studios, gymnastics and dance alongside martial arts. FightKit is built only for martial arts schools — ranks, curricula and grading sessions are part of how it works.

From enquiry to paying member in one place

FightKit takes people from first enquiry to paying member:

Enquiry and trial booking forms on your website, so people can book a trial class themselves
Two-way email conversations — every email with a lead shows up in one thread inside FightKit
Automated follow-ups when someone enquires, books a trial, or doesn't turn up
Pre-filled registration links — their details are already in, so they just pick a membership and pay

When Gymdesk might suit you better

FightKit isn't the right fit for every school. Gymdesk may suit you better if:

You rely on text messages. Gymdesk sends email and text messages. FightKit only sends email for now.
You want promotions flagged automatically. Gymdesk lets you set how members qualify for each rank — classes, hours, attendance, skills or age — and flags who's ready to promote.
You want a website included. Gymdesk includes a free gym website and landing pages. FightKit plugs into the website you already have.
You want a choice of payment processors. Gymdesk works with several processors, including GoCardless for Direct Debit. FightKit takes automated payments through Stripe.
You want referral programmes. Gymdesk includes referral programmes for members.
You run more than martial arts. If you also run fitness, yoga or dance classes, Gymdesk covers those too.

Switching from Gymdesk

Moving to FightKit doesn't mean starting again. Export your students from Gymdesk and import them into FightKit in bulk from a CSV file. Then set up your memberships and timetable.

If you take payments through Stripe, import your memberships and subscriptions straight from your Stripe account, and they keep billing as before. Subscriptions created by Gymdesk can only be changed or paused in Stripe itself. If you use another processor, send members a registration link with their details already filled in — they just confirm their membership and add a payment method.

Weighing up other options too? Read our round-up of Gymdesk alternatives for martial arts schools.

Frequently asked questions

Is FightKit cheaper than Gymdesk?

Yes, at every school size. Up to 20 students, FightKit is $29 a month and Gymdesk starts at $75 even with Gymdesk Payments. Up to 100 students it's $79 against $100–125, and up to 250 students $119 against $200–240. Above 250 students, FightKit is $199 a month and Gymdesk is a custom quote.

Can I move my students from Gymdesk to FightKit?

Yes. Export your students from Gymdesk and import them into FightKit in bulk from a CSV file. If you take payments through Stripe, you can import your memberships and subscriptions from Stripe too, and they keep billing as before — though subscriptions Gymdesk created can only be changed or paused in Stripe itself. Otherwise, members set up their payment again using a registration link with their details already filled in.

Does FightKit track belts and gradings?

Yes. FightKit tracks each student's rank, lets you set out the curriculum for every rank, and groups gradings into grading sessions.

Does FightKit send text messages?

Not yet — FightKit messages students and leads by email. If texting is central to how you run your school, Gymdesk includes it.

Is FightKit only for martial arts schools?

Yes — FightKit is built for martial arts schools. Gymdesk also serves gyms, CrossFit, Pilates, yoga, gymnastics and dance studios.

Set up your school in under 10 minutes

Step 1

Create your account

Email and password — you’re in instantly

Step 2

Add your classes & pricing

Define your schedule and pricing in minutes

Step 3

Add your students

Import existing or send instant registration links — you’re ready

Already using Stripe? Import your existing setup — no need to start from scratch.

Your school, ready in minutes

FightKit vs Gymdesk