Best for
Best for CrossFit boxes, martial arts academies and small group training gyms that want to start without a monthly fee.
- Small and mid-sized
Gym & Studio Management Comparison
PushPress vs. Zen Planner
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for martial arts schools, CrossFit gyms and boutique studios that bill members every month.
- Small and mid-sized
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | PushPress | Zen Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free Free plan with card processing at 4.99% + $0.30. Pro is $159 / month and Max $229 / month, with lower processing rates. Prices in USD; international pricing from sales. | From $99 / month Studio plan. Priced by the number of active members and, for several sites, by location; month-to-month, with an annual contract on request. Payment processing fees may apply. |
| API | Yes, public API access for advanced integrations | Yes, an API for custom integrations |
| Memberships and plans | Recurring plans, class packs, drop-ins and personal training sessions, with pro-rated billing, plan purchase limits and digitally signed waivers | Membership management with belt and rank tracking for schools that use them |
| Billing and payments | Card, ACH and international payments for recurring memberships, one-time sales and point-of-sale retail; processing rates depend on the plan, and Flex Fees let the gym set transaction fees | Automated billing and payment processing through Zen Planner Payments or other integrated processors; members update payment details and see billing history in the app |
| Attendance and access control | QR code check-in, a kiosk mode in the Staff App, attendance tracking and a Screens app showing who has reserved and checked in; door access through the HybridAF integration | Attendance tracking and reporting with check-in from the member app; unattended 24/7 gym access through the HybridAF integration |
| Class scheduling and booking | Class scheduler with recurring templates, capacity limits, waitlists, coach substitutions, no-show and late-cancel automation, priority booking and personal training appointments | Online scheduling and booking for classes and appointments, with live class schedules embeddable on the gym's website |
| Lead and renewal management | Leads are tracked on every plan; the Grow add-on is a CRM with automated email and text, WhatsApp messaging, lead capture forms and landing pages | Lead capture from Essentials up; Ultimate and the Engage product add CRM, automated email and text follow-ups, trial nurturing and win-back campaigns for members who have not been in lately |
| Member app | Members App for booking classes, purchases and account updates; a white-labelled branded app with workout tracking and push notifications is an add-on | A standard Zen Planner member app shared by all customers; a branded app in the App Store and Google Play is a $39 a month add-on |
| Integrations and API | Public API access, plus integrations with Stripe, Mailchimp, Zapier, Slack, Google Calendar, Google Analytics and the Facebook pixel | An API for custom integrations, plus integrations including ClassPass, Wellhub, SugarWOD, Mailchimp, HybridAF and Zapier |
| AI features | Yes | Yes |
| Support | Chat, Email helpdesk, Community forum | Not stated |
| Onboarding | more entries Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials, Guided onboarding | Guided onboarding |
| Company size | Small and mid-sized | Small and mid-sized |
| Integrations | Stripe, Mailchimp, Zapier, Slack, Google Calendar, Google Analytics, Facebook, HybridAF | more entries ClassPass, Wellhub, SugarWOD, Mailchimp, HybridAF, Perkville, Zapier, Google Calendar, Slack, Shopify |
Add a tool
Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price PushPress Free Zen Planner From $99 / month
- API PushPress Yes, public API access for advanced integrations Zen Planner Yes, an API for custom integrations
- Memberships and plans PushPress Recurring plans, class packs, drop-ins and personal training sessions, with pro-rated billing, plan purchase limits and digitally signed waivers Zen Planner Membership management with belt and rank tracking for schools that use them
- Billing and payments PushPress Card, ACH and international payments for recurring memberships, one-time sales and point-of-sale retail; processing rates depend on the plan, and Flex Fees let the gym set transaction fees Zen Planner Automated billing and payment processing through Zen Planner Payments or other integrated processors; members update payment details and see billing history in the app
- Attendance and access control PushPress QR code check-in, a kiosk mode in the Staff App, attendance tracking and a Screens app showing who has reserved and checked in; door access through the HybridAF integration Zen Planner Attendance tracking and reporting with check-in from the member app; unattended 24/7 gym access through the HybridAF integration
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
PushPress
Strengths
- Free plan with no monthly fee
- Members, staff and admins are not capped on any plan
- Belt and rank tracking for martial arts academies
- Member data import with a three-step migration tool
Limitations
- The free plan carries the highest card rate, 4.99% + $0.30
- Marketing CRM and the branded app are separate add-ons
- International pricing only from sales
- The pricing page and its FAQ name different plans and prices
Zen Planner
Strengths
- Only active members count towards the price
- Month-to-month subscription
- Belt and rank tracking for martial arts schools
- Implementation specialists migrate member and billing data
Limitations
- Only starting prices are published; multi-location prices come in a demo
- The branded app is a paid add-on
- CRM and marketing automation need Ultimate or Engage
- Payment processing rates are not listed
Plans
Pricing
PushPress
- Free $0 No monthly fees. Card processing 4.99% + $0.30, ACH 2.89% + $0.30; self-serve resources and AI support, with a 48-hour response time for human help.
- Pro $159 / month Card processing 2.89% + $0.30, ACH 0.79% + $0.30; AI support, live human responses and scheduled video help calls.
- Max $229 / month Card processing 2.75% + $0.30, ACH 0.79% + $0.30; the same support as Pro.
Zen Planner
- Zen Planner Studio From $99 / month Membership management, billing and scheduling, staff and member apps, attendance tracking and reporting, payment processing and payroll.
- Zen Planner Essentials From $198 / month Adds a branded website, lead capture and form integration, and SEO optimization.
- Zen Planner Ultimate From $348 / month Adds marketing automation and CRM, AI-powered email and text campaigns, and lead management and retention tools.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
PushPress
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
Zen Planner
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
How we check reviews
Before sending, the author has to confirm three things: that they have used the product themselves, that they work neither for the vendor nor for a competitor, and that nobody is paying them for the review. We also ask whether the vendor invited them to write it. That answer is required, either answer is accepted, and it stays with the review.
Every review is read by a person before it appears. An email address is required and is confirmed: we send a link to it, and a review does not reach us until the author opens that link, so a review has a sender who was reachable at least once rather than being anonymous. Where what somebody writes needs backing, we ask them for evidence that they used the product, and a review that does not get it is not published. We publish positive and negative reviews alike, we pay nothing and offer nothing for a review, and we accept none that was bought or incentivised.
What we cannot do is verify a purchase. There is no shop here and no account, so whether the author really used the tool rests on their own declaration, on whatever we ask them for, and on the plausibility of what they write. We say so rather than implying a check that does not exist.
A vendor cannot buy a review, and cannot have one removed or changed because they dislike it. We remove or edit a review only if it breaks our rules or the law, for example a false statement of fact. Paid placement has no effect on which reviews appear or on any score.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
PushPress https://www.pushpress.com · checked against the official source on 2026-11-12
Zen Planner https://zenplanner.com · checked against the official source on 2026-11-12
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.