Martial arts software in Australia, compared
Clubworx, AXIS, GymMaster, Martialytics, Gymdesk, Spark, Kicksite, MyStudio and PushPress side by side: price in each vendor’s own currency, who-can-grade lists, Australian direct debit and where member data is kept. Plus the card surcharge ban, the membership terms regulators call unfair, and waivers for kids. With a cost calculator, a sorter and a switching checklist.
On This Page
Martial arts software sells on belts and gradings, but in Australia the real choice is about money: whether it takes Australian bank direct debit, what each payment costs, and whether it still offers the card surcharge you're no longer allowed to charge. This guide is for the owner of an independent dojo, academy or club with 50 to 500 members choosing software for memberships, billing, attendance, gradings, kids' details and waivers. It compares the main systems in their own currencies, side by side, with the membership rules the software won't check for you. I build martial arts school websites and have no relationship with any vendor here. Prices are from each vendor's own page.
- Built for Australian billingClubworx and AXIS are Australian, price in Australian dollars, record belts and gradings, and take Australian direct debit. GymMaster (New Zealand) does too, but it's built for gyms first.
- The US brandsMartialytics, Gymdesk, Spark, Kicksite, MyStudio and PushPress price in US dollars or don't say. Ask how they collect Australian bank debits before you sign.
- Payments cost more than the softwareAt 150 members, card and debit fees usually add up to more than any plan. Getting families onto bank direct debit saves more than switching apps.
The systems, side by side
| Price a month | Who-can-grade list | Australian direct debit | Where data is kept | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clubworx (Australia) | Free to 20 members; A$109, A$149 or A$169 by active members | Yes, sessions since last grading | Yes, through Ezidebit | Australia |
| AXIS Martial Arts (Australia) | Free core plan; Premium A$29 to A$119 by students, plus 0.5% of Stripe payments | Yes | Through Stripe or Debitsuccess | AWS, region not stated |
| GymMaster (New Zealand) | A$119, A$179 or A$289 ex tax by members | Belt grading; attendance rule not stated | Yes, Ezidebit, Ezypay or Paychoice | A server "close to you" |
| Martialytics | US$69 to US$199, plus GST for Australians | Yes | Stripe; Australian debit not stated | Not stated |
| Gymdesk (US) | US$100 to US$240; less with an approved processor | Yes | Its own payments are US and Canada only | Not stated |
| Spark Membership (US) | $199 flat; currency not stated | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Kicksite (US) | $49 to $199 by students; currency not stated | Yes | Stripe internationally | Not stated |
| MyStudio (US) | $79, $159 or $239; currency not stated | From $159 | Stripe | United States |
| PushPress (US) | US$0, US$159 or US$229 | From US$159 | Contact sales | Not stated |
| TeamUp, Mindbody | A$179 to A$549; from A$89 | Not named | Varies | Not stated |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
- Clubworx is the only martial arts product marked as local in Capterra Australia's directory. Styles and belt ranks are on every plan; grading events are A$10 a month extra on the A$149 and A$169 plans; online sign-up forms and waivers start at A$149. Migration is included.
- AXIS is Australian-built, with support in Perth, and a state judo body lists it for its clubs. Its free plan has unlimited students. The catch is 0.5% on every Stripe payment, on top of Stripe's fees. On A$24,000 a month that's A$120, more than the top plan. Through Debitsuccess, AXIS charges nothing extra.
- Martialytics was founded in Australia but now prices in US dollars and adds GST for Australian users. Its terms only accept cancellation through a button in the app, with no refunds.
- Fitness platforms such as Mindbody, TeamUp, Glofox and Hapana list martial arts as a business type, but their own pages name no belt or grading features.
What it costs at your size
Each software price is in the vendor's own currency, because converting would be guesswork. The last line is what collecting your fees costs at Stripe's Australian rates, as a benchmark; your software's processor may charge differently.
Two things move the payment line more than any app. Bank direct debit costs less than card: Stripe charges 1% plus 30c, capped at A$3.50, against 1.65% plus 30c for a card. And debiting fortnightly instead of monthly adds more fixed fees, so the same school pays more to collect the same money.
Card surcharges: turn them off
You can't add a surcharge for paying by Visa, Mastercard, Amex or eftpos any more, and the ACCC says calling it another kind of fee may be misleading. Some US tools still advertise the opposite: MyStudio's billing page offers to "Pass fees as an admin line item", and Spark sells passing card costs on to members. In Australia, switch those settings off. You can still give a discount for paying by bank direct debit, as long as the full price is shown first.
Your membership terms
The software enforces whatever terms you type in; it doesn't check whether they're fair. A standard membership form is a standard form consumer contract, so an unfair term in it can be void. The clearest Australian guidance is Consumer Affairs Victoria's guide for health and fitness memberships, built on tribunal decisions:
- Minimum terms are fine. CAV "does not consider 'minimum terms' to be unfair".
- Paying out the whole term to leave is likely unfair. An exit fee should reflect your real costs. Even a fee of half the remaining balance has been rejected.
- Roll-over needs an opt-in and a reminder near the end of the minimum term.
- Members should be able to cancel by written notice. Cancelling only in person or only on your form is an "unnecessary formality".
- Don't refuse to cancel while fees are owing. Chase the fees after the membership ends.
- Never tell members not to contact their bank about a direct debit. They're entitled to, and CAV calls that wording "potentially misleading".
A new subscription law has also passed. It will require the key terms up front, a notice before a free trial turns paid or a membership renews, and a way to cancel as easy as joining. It will also reach existing members whose memberships keep rolling. So check now that members can cancel in the portal and that the system can send renewal notices.
In Queensland, a fitness industry code applies and the government lists martial arts clubs under it. In WA, the code excludes martial arts.
Kids, waivers and data
- Waivers. US tools ship US-style waivers and call them "legally binding". Australian law lets a recreational services contract exclude liability for personal injury only within limits, and Victoria requires exact wording. A parent signing for a child is unlikely to stop the child's own claim. Replace the template wording, and keep health questions, risk warnings and photo consent as separate questions.
- Data location. Clubworx says "We store your personal information in Australia". GymMaster uses servers in the US, Singapore, Australia or Germany, whichever is "close to you". MyStudio keeps data in the US. Most others don't say. AXIS keeps students' medical conditions, which is health information. Name your software and where it stores data in your privacy policy.
- Working with children checks. None of the martial arts products here advertises a way to record instructors' check numbers and expiry dates. Keep a staff register with reminders.
Can I do this?
Tap each card for the answer and why.
If you switch
Your ticks save in this browser.
- Read your current contract's notice rule first: Spark wants 30 days before the term ends, MyStudio 14 days, GymMaster 30 days in writing, Martialytics the in-app button.
- Export everything: members, families, ranks and grading history, attendance, waivers and payment schedules. Some vendors delete data a month after you leave.
- Find out who holds the direct debit authorities. If the processor changes, members usually need to sign a new one.
- Tell members in writing the new name that will appear on their bank statement and who to contact.
- Run both systems for one billing cycle so nobody is charged twice or missed.
- Turn off any card surcharge or admin fee setting.
- Rebuild ranks and reset classes since last grading from your old records.
- Replace US waiver templates with Australian wording.
- Make cancelling easy: by email or in the member portal, with roll-over reminders.
- Update your privacy policy with the new vendor and where it stores data.
- Record instructors' working with children check details with expiry reminders.
- Replace sign-up, timetable and app links on your website and Google Business Profile in one go.
My view
For most Australian schools I'd shortlist Clubworx and AXIS first, because they price in Australian dollars, handle gradings and take Australian direct debit. Add GymMaster if you also run a gym floor. Look at the US brands only once they've told you in writing how they collect Australian bank debits and where your members' data sits. Whichever you pick, the bigger win is moving families onto monthly bank debit and fixing your cancellation terms before the new law arrives. Then make the free trial class the first thing on your website.
Questions I get asked
What's the best martial arts software in Australia?
Clubworx and AXIS are Australian, price in Australian dollars, record belts and gradings, and take Australian direct debit. GymMaster suits schools that also run a gym. The US brands work, but check how they collect Australian bank debits.
Is there free martial arts software?
AXIS has a free core plan with unlimited students, and Clubworx is free up to 20 active members. AXIS charges 0.5% on Stripe payments.
Can I pass card fees on to members?
No. Card surcharges on Visa, Mastercard, Amex and eftpos are banned, including when they're called an admin fee. You can offer a discount for paying by bank direct debit.
Are 12-month martial arts contracts allowed?
Yes, a minimum term isn't unfair in itself. Making members pay out the whole term to leave, or cancel only in person, is likely to be.
Does a parent's waiver protect my school?
Only partly. It records that you explained the risks, but it's unlikely to stop a child's own injury claim.
About this guide
Written by Joseph Alzein, founder of bdog. bdog builds martial arts school websites and has no relationship with any vendor here. Prices and features were read from each vendor's own pages, in the currency each shows Australian visitors; payment rates from Stripe Australia; the rules from the ACCC and Consumer Affairs Victoria. Sources were checked on 13 October 2026. Prices change, so check before you sign. This is general information, not legal advice.
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