Gymdesk vs Zen Planner
✔ Last verified 2026-10-23✔ Prices linked to vendor sources✔ Our methodologyAffiliate disclosure
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Both Gymdesk and Zen Planner price by active members and don't charge for staff or prospects. Gymdesk publishes every tier up to 250 members; Zen Planner publishes only its "starting at" prices.
| Gymdesk | Zen Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $75/mo with Gymdesk Payments (≤50 members); $100/mo otherwise | From $99/mo (Studio) |
| Pricing basis | Priced by active members; extra location $50/mo (Gymdesk Payments) or $100/mo (own processor) | Priced by active members (prospects and staff not counted) |
| Free trial | 30 days, no credit card | unknown |
| Contract | Month to month, no setup or cancellation fee | Month-to-month; annual contract on request |
| Belt / rank tracking | Yes: per-program rank progression; flags who's ready to promote (homepage FAQ) | Yes: belt and skill tracking listed |
| Attendance | Yes: check-in by kiosk, name search, barcode or phone | Yes |
| Booking | Yes: members book classes from their phone | Yes: online scheduling |
| Payments / fees | Gymdesk Payments (US/Canada) rate: unknown | Daxko Payments or preferred processors; rates unknown |
| Rating | unknown | unknown |
| Source | vendor page vendor page | vendor page |
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Prices as published (monthly no-commitment / annual where shown). "unknown" = not published. Checked 2026-10-23.
Pricing
Gymdesk: $75/$100/$150/$200 per month for up to 50/100/150/250 active members with Gymdesk Payments, or $100/$125/$175/$240 with your own processor. Zen Planner: Studio starts at $99/mo, Essentials (Studio plus website) is $198/mo and Ultimate (plus Engage marketing) is $348/mo. Zen Planner says pricing scales with active members but doesn't publish the tiers.
Website
Gymdesk includes a gym website on every plan. Zen Planner's website starts at $99/mo on its own, or comes in the $198/mo Essentials bundle.
Apps and hardware
Zen Planner includes staff and member mobile apps; a branded app and card readers are $39/mo each. Gymdesk's branded member app is $100/mo (first month free), and door access is $100/mo for up to 3 doors.
Extra features
Zen Planner lists staff payroll, belt and skill tracking, and a SugarWOD integration, plus a dedicated onboarding specialist and done-for-you data migration. Gymdesk lists per-program rank progression, kiosk/barcode check-in and self-serve data export with no exit fee.
Contracts and trials
Gymdesk: month to month, 30-day trial, no card. Zen Planner: month to month (annual on request); we didn't find a free trial on its pricing page. Visit Gymdesk Visit Zen Planner
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FAQ
Is Gymdesk cheaper than Zen Planner?
At entry level, yes: Gymdesk is $75/mo with Gymdesk Payments (up to 50 members) vs Zen Planner Studio from $99/mo. Zen Planner doesn't publish its higher member tiers, so we can't compare larger gyms exactly.
Does Zen Planner include a website?
Not in Studio. The website starts at $99/mo, or comes bundled in Essentials at $198/mo. Gymdesk includes a website on every plan.
Who counts as an active member?
Zen Planner counts anyone with a membership or who attended an event in the past month. Gymdesk excludes visitors, frozen or cancelled members and prospects.
Does either have a contract?
Both are month to month. Zen Planner offers an annual contract on request.