Oct 5, 2026
Free Kicksite Alternatives for Martial Arts Schools: What $0 Really Gets You
Spark Membership takes a different approach, with 8 weeks free on the full platform, plus free data migration and one-on-one training. Below is what each option includes and what to check before you switch.
Key takeaways
Free plans often come with a limit, such as a fee your members pay at checkout, a cap on active students or key features kept for a paid plan.
Free trials give you the full product for a set time instead: Kicksite offers 30 days free, and Spark Membership offers 8 weeks.
Card processing fees can add a few hundred dollars a month on top of the software, so compare rates using your own monthly volume.
Ask any new vendor who moves your Kicksite data and whether it costs extra, since switching means moving member records, billing and attendance history.
Free Kicksite alternatives compared
Free dojo management software and free martial arts software come in two forms: a free plan you keep using with limits, or a free trial of the full product. The right fit depends on your school's size, payment volume and the features you use every week.
Plan | What the free offer covers | What to check |
8 weeks free, with every feature included and no locked screens. Spark's team moves your member data over and sets up automations, payments and attendance at no extra cost. | 8 weeks free, then $199 a month. | |
GymAdmin | A free plan for up to 50 active students. | Schools with more than 50 active students need its paid plan. |
AXIS | A free plan with some features restricted. | The restricted features are on its paid Premium plan, pricing is in Australian dollars, and Stripe fees apply to membership payments. |
Before you choose a $0 plan
A free plan can still cost you somewhere else, through payment fees, features on a paid tier, extra staff time or a later upgrade. These are the questions worth asking before you move off Kicksite.
Before choosing a $0 plan | Check this |
Payments | Who pays the processing or service fee, and can the school keep its own processor? |
Members | Is there an active member limit, and what counts as active? |
Billing | Is recurring billing included, does it cover families, or does it need a separate tool? |
Follow-up | Are automated email and text messages included, or does staff send them by hand or through another tool? |
Admin hours | Which weekly tasks move to staff when a feature is not part of the plan? |
App | Is there a member app, and does it carry the school's own branding? |
Migration | Is Kicksite data moved for you, and is that included on the free plan? |
Growth | What happens past the limit? Does the school upgrade in place, or move to another vendor and move its data again? |
Belt testing | Can you track ranks and promote a whole testing group at once, or is it done one student at a time? |
Migration terms vary by vendor, so ask who moves your Kicksite data and whether it costs extra. Spark Membership's data team handles the move at no extra cost. Any switch involves member records, billing and attendance history, so changing your school's software is a project worth planning.
Card processing fees come on top of the software price on most platforms, and they can change what a plan really costs as your school grows. Before you switch, ask each vendor for its processing rate in writing, and run the numbers on your own monthly card volume. Our guide to martial arts billing covers what to look for.
Say your school collects $10,000 a month in card payments across 80 transactions. On Kicksite's flat-rate option ($29 a month plus 2.9% and 25 cents per transaction), that comes to $339 a month on top of the software subscription. Its service fee option charges students 3.75% at checkout, plus $29 a month for the school.
Open source dojo management software
Open source options also exist, such as Martial Arts Manager, an MIT-licensed project on GitHub. They're free to use, but the school handles the hosting, updates and tuition collection itself, so anyone running it would need to be comfortable managing software.
How Kicksite and Spark pricing compare
Kicksite prices by student count, with every feature included at each tier and a discount for paying annually. That means the monthly bill goes up as your school grows.
Active students | Kicksite listed price per month | Spark listed price per month |
0 to 25 | $49 | $199 |
26 to 50 | $99 | $199 |
51 to 100 | $149 | $199 |
101 or more | $199 | $199 |
A school with 60 students, for example, pays $149 a month on Kicksite and $199 a month on Spark after its 8-week free trial. Spark's price stays the same as your school grows, and it includes setup by a dedicated account rep and free data migration from Kicksite.
Spark's price includes:
Every feature, with no locked screens
A dedicated account rep who sets up automations, payments and attendance for your school
Data migration from Kicksite at no extra cost: you export your data, and Spark's data team handles the rest
One-on-one training and onboarding for your team
Spark Membership holds a 4.6 out of 5 rating across several Capterra reviews, where school owners describe moving to it from Kicksite, RainMaker, Zen Planner and Market Muscles. The reviews come back to the same three reasons: one place for billing and member records, automation that keeps small things from slipping, and a support team reviewers reach within minutes during business hours. It also holds a 4.7 Google rating from multiple reviews and a 4.6 rating on Software Advice. For a side-by-side look, see Spark as a Kicksite alternative.
Frequently asked questions
What are Kicksite alternatives?
They fall into three groups: free plans with limits, such as GymAdmin and AXIS; full platforms with a free trial, such as Spark Membership's 8 weeks free; and open source software the school installs and runs itself.
Is there a Kicksite free trial?
Yes. Kicksite's first 30 days are free, and the trial starts with a demo request.
How much does Kicksite cost?
Kicksite charges $49 to $199 a month based on student count: $49 for up to 25 students, $99 for 26 to 50, $149 for 51 to 100 and $199 for 101 or more. Payment processing is separate, including a flat-rate option through Basys at $29 a month plus 2.9% and 25 cents per card transaction.
Is Kicksite mobile-friendly?
Kicksite has a member portal that students can save to their phone's home screen, which it calls a mobile web app.
Is Kicksite too expensive for a small dojo?
It depends on your size. Kicksite costs $49 a month for up to 25 students and $149 a month for 51 to 100. Spark Membership is $199 a month at every size after an 8-week free trial, with every feature, setup and data migration included.
Is there open source dojo management software?
Yes. Martial Arts Manager is an MIT-licensed project on GitHub. It suits owners who are comfortable hosting and maintaining software themselves.
Why do martial arts schools switch from Kicksite?
Common reasons include price, payment processing, automation and member-facing tools. Capterra reviewers who moved to Spark Membership from Kicksite and other platforms point to billing and member records in one place, automation that keeps small tasks from slipping, and support they can reach within minutes.
How do I switch from Kicksite without losing member data?
Ask the new vendor how it moves your data, and keep Kicksite running until the new system matches. Spark migrates existing member data at no extra cost, and Spark's guide on how to cancel your Kicksite account covers the steps.
The bottom line
The right plan depends on your school's size, payment volume and the features you use every week. If you want to test a full system before paying, start with 8 weeks of Spark free, see Spark's published pricing, and let the Spark team move your Kicksite data over at no extra cost.
This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by GymAdmin, AXIS, Kicksite or Basys. Prices and limits above were checked in September 2026, and companies can change them at any time. Confirm current details with each company before deciding. Article is general information and not legal or financial advice.
Spark Membership takes a different approach, with 8 weeks free on the full platform, plus free data migration and one-on-one training. Below is what each option includes and what to check before you switch.
Key takeaways
Free plans often come with a limit, such as a fee your members pay at checkout, a cap on active students or key features kept for a paid plan.
Free trials give you the full product for a set time instead: Kicksite offers 30 days free, and Spark Membership offers 8 weeks.
Card processing fees can add a few hundred dollars a month on top of the software, so compare rates using your own monthly volume.
Ask any new vendor who moves your Kicksite data and whether it costs extra, since switching means moving member records, billing and attendance history.
Free Kicksite alternatives compared
Free dojo management software and free martial arts software come in two forms: a free plan you keep using with limits, or a free trial of the full product. The right fit depends on your school's size, payment volume and the features you use every week.
Plan | What the free offer covers | What to check |
8 weeks free, with every feature included and no locked screens. Spark's team moves your member data over and sets up automations, payments and attendance at no extra cost. | 8 weeks free, then $199 a month. | |
GymAdmin | A free plan for up to 50 active students. | Schools with more than 50 active students need its paid plan. |
AXIS | A free plan with some features restricted. | The restricted features are on its paid Premium plan, pricing is in Australian dollars, and Stripe fees apply to membership payments. |
Before you choose a $0 plan
A free plan can still cost you somewhere else, through payment fees, features on a paid tier, extra staff time or a later upgrade. These are the questions worth asking before you move off Kicksite.
Before choosing a $0 plan | Check this |
Payments | Who pays the processing or service fee, and can the school keep its own processor? |
Members | Is there an active member limit, and what counts as active? |
Billing | Is recurring billing included, does it cover families, or does it need a separate tool? |
Follow-up | Are automated email and text messages included, or does staff send them by hand or through another tool? |
Admin hours | Which weekly tasks move to staff when a feature is not part of the plan? |
App | Is there a member app, and does it carry the school's own branding? |
Migration | Is Kicksite data moved for you, and is that included on the free plan? |
Growth | What happens past the limit? Does the school upgrade in place, or move to another vendor and move its data again? |
Belt testing | Can you track ranks and promote a whole testing group at once, or is it done one student at a time? |
Migration terms vary by vendor, so ask who moves your Kicksite data and whether it costs extra. Spark Membership's data team handles the move at no extra cost. Any switch involves member records, billing and attendance history, so changing your school's software is a project worth planning.
Card processing fees come on top of the software price on most platforms, and they can change what a plan really costs as your school grows. Before you switch, ask each vendor for its processing rate in writing, and run the numbers on your own monthly card volume. Our guide to martial arts billing covers what to look for.
Say your school collects $10,000 a month in card payments across 80 transactions. On Kicksite's flat-rate option ($29 a month plus 2.9% and 25 cents per transaction), that comes to $339 a month on top of the software subscription. Its service fee option charges students 3.75% at checkout, plus $29 a month for the school.
Open source dojo management software
Open source options also exist, such as Martial Arts Manager, an MIT-licensed project on GitHub. They're free to use, but the school handles the hosting, updates and tuition collection itself, so anyone running it would need to be comfortable managing software.
How Kicksite and Spark pricing compare
Kicksite prices by student count, with every feature included at each tier and a discount for paying annually. That means the monthly bill goes up as your school grows.
Active students | Kicksite listed price per month | Spark listed price per month |
0 to 25 | $49 | $199 |
26 to 50 | $99 | $199 |
51 to 100 | $149 | $199 |
101 or more | $199 | $199 |
A school with 60 students, for example, pays $149 a month on Kicksite and $199 a month on Spark after its 8-week free trial. Spark's price stays the same as your school grows, and it includes setup by a dedicated account rep and free data migration from Kicksite.
Spark's price includes:
Every feature, with no locked screens
A dedicated account rep who sets up automations, payments and attendance for your school
Data migration from Kicksite at no extra cost: you export your data, and Spark's data team handles the rest
One-on-one training and onboarding for your team
Spark Membership holds a 4.6 out of 5 rating across several Capterra reviews, where school owners describe moving to it from Kicksite, RainMaker, Zen Planner and Market Muscles. The reviews come back to the same three reasons: one place for billing and member records, automation that keeps small things from slipping, and a support team reviewers reach within minutes during business hours. It also holds a 4.7 Google rating from multiple reviews and a 4.6 rating on Software Advice. For a side-by-side look, see Spark as a Kicksite alternative.
Frequently asked questions
What are Kicksite alternatives?
They fall into three groups: free plans with limits, such as GymAdmin and AXIS; full platforms with a free trial, such as Spark Membership's 8 weeks free; and open source software the school installs and runs itself.
Is there a Kicksite free trial?
Yes. Kicksite's first 30 days are free, and the trial starts with a demo request.
How much does Kicksite cost?
Kicksite charges $49 to $199 a month based on student count: $49 for up to 25 students, $99 for 26 to 50, $149 for 51 to 100 and $199 for 101 or more. Payment processing is separate, including a flat-rate option through Basys at $29 a month plus 2.9% and 25 cents per card transaction.
Is Kicksite mobile-friendly?
Kicksite has a member portal that students can save to their phone's home screen, which it calls a mobile web app.
Is Kicksite too expensive for a small dojo?
It depends on your size. Kicksite costs $49 a month for up to 25 students and $149 a month for 51 to 100. Spark Membership is $199 a month at every size after an 8-week free trial, with every feature, setup and data migration included.
Is there open source dojo management software?
Yes. Martial Arts Manager is an MIT-licensed project on GitHub. It suits owners who are comfortable hosting and maintaining software themselves.
Why do martial arts schools switch from Kicksite?
Common reasons include price, payment processing, automation and member-facing tools. Capterra reviewers who moved to Spark Membership from Kicksite and other platforms point to billing and member records in one place, automation that keeps small tasks from slipping, and support they can reach within minutes.
How do I switch from Kicksite without losing member data?
Ask the new vendor how it moves your data, and keep Kicksite running until the new system matches. Spark migrates existing member data at no extra cost, and Spark's guide on how to cancel your Kicksite account covers the steps.
The bottom line
The right plan depends on your school's size, payment volume and the features you use every week. If you want to test a full system before paying, start with 8 weeks of Spark free, see Spark's published pricing, and let the Spark team move your Kicksite data over at no extra cost.
This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by GymAdmin, AXIS, Kicksite or Basys. Prices and limits above were checked in September 2026, and companies can change them at any time. Confirm current details with each company before deciding. Article is general information and not legal or financial advice.
Ready To Get Back To Owning Your Business, Instead Of It Owning You?
That's the typical single-location result.
See what it looks like for your school.
Ready To Get Back To Owning Your Business, Instead Of It Owning You?
That's the typical single-location result. See what it looks like for your school.
Ready To Get Back To Owning Your Business, Instead Of It Owning You?
That's the typical single-location result.
See what it looks like for your school.