KihonHow Kihon compares
There are good options for running a martial arts school. Here is an honest look at where Kihon is different, focused on the things that tend to stay true rather than this month's sticker price.
The category trick: sticker price is not what you pay
Most platforms advertise a low monthly price, then the real number is software plus the add-ons you actually need plus a payment markup you cannot always see. Kihon is one dollar per active member per month, a 79 dollar floor and a 249 dollar cap, everything included, billed month to month. That is the all-in number.
Side by side
Compared on publicly available information as of mid-2026. Pricing and features move, so this focuses on the structural differences that tend to hold. For exact current pricing, always check each vendor's own page.
| What matters | Kihon | Gymdesk | Wodify | Spark | Zen Planner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $1 per active member, $79 to $249, all-in | Flat, honest | Flat, but the branded app costs extra | Flat, with sales tools gated behind an add-on | Tiered, with add-on stacking |
| Payments | Kihon Payments at a small, published rate, no hidden markup | Bring your own, no markup | Own processor; a monthly penalty to use another | Forced processor, rates published nowhere | Processing plus a surcharge; penalty to use another |
| Contract and exit | Month to month, free data export anytime | Month to month | Month to month | No contract claimed | Master agreement with a price escalator and a data-hostage exit |
| Feature gating | None, every feature on every tier | None | Tiered | Key sales tools gated | Heavily split into add-ons |
| Native staff app | Yes, native Apple quality | No, a browser shortcut | Yes | Weak | Weak |
| Family / household billing | A core part of the model | Adequate | Gated to a higher tier | Yes | Weak |
| Two-way messaging | Included, with in-app chat | No reply inbox | Partial | Yes, marketing focused | Paywalled behind an add-on |
| Who owns it | A solo founder who answers the support email | Private-equity owned | Private-equity owned | Private-equity owned | Private-equity owned |
The honest take on each
Gymdesk
The closest to Kihon on honest, flat pricing, and a genuinely good product. Where Kihon pulls ahead: a real native staff app instead of a browser shortcut, two-way conversational messaging (a common request even from happy Gymdesk users), and the family and grading-day polish.
Spark Membership
A strong sales and marketing machine, but the worst offender on payments: a mandatory processor with rates published nowhere, and a weaker member app. Kihon covers the lead follow-up job with included two-way messaging and automations, without the hidden markup.
Zen Planner
A low base price that balloons with add-ons, under a master agreement with a one-way price escalator and a data-hostage exit. Kihon's whole brand is the antidote: month to month, everything included, walk away with your data anytime.
Wodify
Closer to honest than most, but it charges extra for its branded app, gates family groups behind a higher tier, and penalizes you for using an outside processor. Kihon includes the app, makes family billing core, and publishes its payment rate with no hidden markup.
Honest pricing, the native Apple quality the big platforms cannot match, a family-first data model, and the two-way messaging the others lack or paywall. Capped at $249, no add-on stacking, no hidden payment markup, your data anytime.