GymMaster vs Zen Planner (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GymMaster grades higher than Zen Planner: 2.0 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
GymMaster grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GymMaster
Gym management software with billing, booking and door access
Zen Planner
Membership, scheduling and billing software for gyms and studios
Which one is for you
Pick GymMaster if
- Fits if you run one gym of up to 1,300 members and want 24/7 door access
- Works for studios that connect to Zapier or Mailchimp
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try before paying, as there's only a money-back guarantee
- Pricey if you run several sites, as each is billed separately
- Watch out: price steps up with member count, then goes to a quote above 1,300
- Watch out: door access adds $40 a month on each tier
- Watch out: the AI writing assistant needs your own paid OpenAI account
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
| 2.0GPAGymMasterFair | 1.6GPAZen PlannerWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$89 a month per site for up to 100 members, $129 for 400, $209 for 1,300. Door access adds $40 to each, and yearly billing takes 10% off. | 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, only a 60-day money-back guarantee. | FNo trial or free plan on the pricing page. Plans run month to month. |
| Features | BBooking, automated billing, door access, member app, marketing and point of sale. 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, access control and hardware 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 Zapier, Zoom, Mailchimp, eGym and Gympass 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 door access and billing together | 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: GymMaster and Zen Planner. How we grade
Price against what you get
GymMaster starts at $89 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.
GymMaster scores higher and starts $10 a month lower. Of the other salon, spa and studio booking apps on the chart, 5 score higher than GymMaster 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
- GymMaster also covers marketing automation, inventory and appointment booking.
- Zen Planner also covers sMS marketing.
At a glance
| GymMaster | Zen Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $89 per site / month, software only, for up to 100 members | $99 per month and up, priced by active members |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Treshna Enterprises Ltd | Zen Planner |
| Price read from | gymmaster.com | zenplanner.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
GymMaster
- No free plan or free trial is listed; the vendor offers a 60-day money-back guarantee and no lock-in contracts.
- Prices are per site, so each location is billed separately.
- Price steps up with active member count: $209 a month at up to 1,300 members, then a quote.
- The AI writing assistant needs the gym's own paid OpenAI account.
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
GymMaster
- Class, room and resource booking
- Members book classes and resources in the app or online, and the schedule can show as a live timetable on the gym's website.
- Automated billing
- Recurring billing, invoicing and reconciliation reports run through a choice of billing providers.
- Door access control
- An optional package adds 24/7 access control with unlimited doors, priced higher per site.
- Member app and online signup
- A member app for iOS and Android plus online signups and website enquiry forms.
- Marketing and retention
- Tasks, automations, email, SMS and in-app messages, at-risk member alerts, and awards and leaderboards.
- Point of sale and inventory
- Sell retail items and track stock from the same system, with real-time reports.
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
GymMaster
Foundation$89
per site / month, for up to 100 current members
Software only. With 24/7 door access control the page shows $129 a month. Billed yearly takes 10% off.
Advanced$129
per site / month, for up to 400 current members
Same features at a higher member cap. With door access control, $169 a month.
Professional$209
per site / month, for up to 1,300 current members
Same features at a higher member cap. With door access control, $249 a month.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited current members, priced by quote. Dedicated hosting, SLAs and paid customization are discussed with sales.
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
GymMaster
- Annual discount
10% off when paying yearly
The pricing page says paying yearly takes 10% off the subscription.
Zen Planner
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GymMaster or Zen Planner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GymMaster is cheaper to start with: $89 a month, against $99 a month for Zen Planner. GymMaster starts at $89 per site / month, software only, for up to 100 members, and Zen Planner starts at $99 per month and up, priced by active members.
Which has a free plan, GymMaster or Zen Planner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither GymMaster nor Zen Planner has a free plan.
Which platforms do GymMaster and Zen Planner run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only GymMaster 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.