Gymflow vs Zen Planner (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gymflow grades higher than Zen Planner: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Gymflow grades higher on features and platforms. Zen Planner grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Zen Planner
Membership, scheduling and billing software for gyms and studios
Which one is for you
Pick Gymflow if
- Fits if you want unlimited staff and members at one price
- Works for gyms that use Kisi door access and Zapier
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you run a small studio, as there's no cheaper plan than $159
- Skip it if you want to try first, as no free plan or trial is listed
- Watch out: only 100 texts a month are included and the page gives no price for more
- Watch out: cancelling needs 30 days' notice
- Watch out: card payments go through Stripe at its own rates
Pick Zen Planner if
- Fits if you run a martial arts or fitness studio and bill members every month
- Works for a studio that can predict its active member count, as the price follows it
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you grow, as the bill rises with active members and the $99 figure is only a starting price
- Watch out: card readers cost $39 a month each and a branded mobile app is $39 a month
- Watch out: Engage starts at $249 a month and a stand-alone website at $99, both sold apart
- Skip it if you want a trial, as the pricing page mentions none
- Watch out: payment processing carries extra fees
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAGymflowWeak | 1.6GPAZen PlannerWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$159 a month for the single plan, past the $149 where the dearest tenth of the category begins. | CFrom $99 a month, priced by active members, against a middle of $49.90 and a dearer quarter from $119. Plans run $99, $198 and $348, with readers and the app on top. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial; buyers book a demo. | FNo trial or free plan on the pricing page. Plans run month to month. |
| Features | BScheduling, memberships and billing, door access, member and staff apps, sales tools and reporting. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job. | CMemberships, billing, scheduling, a member app, lead capture, marketing and reports. Marketing automation is a separate product, Engage, from $249 a month. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and billing and access control take setup. | CNo store rating on record. A studio builds its programs, memberships and billing first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android, with Stripe, Kisi and Zapier links. No computer app. | CWeb only on the listing, with one integration. A member app is sold as an add-on. |
| Best for | gyms that want one flat price | membership billing for martial arts and fitness studios |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Gymflow and Zen Planner. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gymflow starts at $159 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zen Planner starts at $99 a month and scores 2.0.
Gymflow scores higher, and starts $60 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, 6 score higher than Gymflow for less, and 36 score higher than Zen Planner for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Gymflow also covers sales pipeline, marketing automation and appointment booking.
- Zen Planner also covers sMS marketing.
At a glance
| Gymflow | Zen Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $159 per month, one plan with all features | $99 per month and up, priced by active members |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gymflow | Zen Planner |
| Price read from | gymflow.io | zenplanner.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Gymflow
- No free plan or free trial is listed; the page directs buyers to book a demo.
- Only 100 SMS a month are included; the page does not state the price of more.
- Card payments run through Stripe at Stripe's own rates, which the vendor says it matches with no markup.
- Subscriptions cancel with 30 days' notice.
Zen Planner
- Prices are 'starting at' figures: the bill follows the active member count, and multi-location pricing is quoted in a demo.
- Payment processing carries additional charges or fees; the card readers cost $39 per month each, and a branded mobile app is $39 per month.
- Zen Planner Engage is sold separately from $249 per month, and a stand-alone website from $99 per month.
- The pricing page mentions no free trial; plans run month to month, with an annual contract available on request.
Key features
Gymflow
- Class and appointment scheduling
- Sell packages, set team and room availability, and take online bookings through embeddable schedules or booking links.
- Memberships and billing
- Online membership sales with automatic subscription payments, retries on failed payments and member self-service for upgrades and pauses.
- Door access control
- Access is granted and revoked from membership and booking status, with automatic check-in on arrival.
- Member and staff apps
- A customizable branded member app, plus a staff app for payments, memberships and schedules.
- Sales and marketing
- Lead pipelines, promotional codes, trials, tasks, gift vouchers and bulk email and SMS.
- Reporting
- Real-time reports on revenue, bookings and memberships.
Zen Planner
- Memberships and billing
- Membership management with automated billing and payment processing, plus attendance tracking and payroll management.
- Class scheduling and booking
- Online scheduling with member self-service, belt and skill tracking, and a staff mobile app.
- Member app
- A member mobile app comes with every package, and a custom-branded app is sold separately.
- Website and lead capture
- Essentials adds a custom website with SEO optimization and built-in lead capture and form integration.
- Marketing automation
- Ultimate, or the separate Engage product, adds automated email and text campaigns, AI-powered tools and lead follow-up workflows.
- Reporting and dashboards
- Reporting and dashboards in every package, with a SugarWOD integration for workout tracking.
Plans
Gymflow
Gymflow$159
per month, billed monthly
One plan: unlimited users and staff, every feature, unlimited support and bulk email, 100 SMS a month, access-control and Zapier integrations.
Zen Planner
Zen Planner Studio$99
per month and up, by active members
Memberships, billing, class scheduling, attendance, payroll, reporting and staff and member apps. Price rises with active members.
Zen Planner Essentials$198
per month and up, by active members
Everything in Studio plus a branded, SEO-optimized website with lead capture.
Zen Planner Ultimate$348
per month and up, by active members
Everything in Essentials plus marketing automation, CRM, AI email and text campaigns and lead tools.
Ways to pay less
Gymflow
- Other savings
Pay nothing until March 2027
A banner on the site offers new customers no payments until March 2027, limited to 20 spots on a first-come basis.
Zen Planner
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gymflow or Zen Planner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Zen Planner is cheaper to start with: $99 a month, against $159 a month for Gymflow. Gymflow starts at $159 per month, one plan with all features, and Zen Planner starts at $99 per month and up, priced by active members.
Which has a free plan, Gymflow or Zen Planner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Gymflow nor Zen Planner has a free plan.
Which platforms do Gymflow and Zen Planner run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Gymflow lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.