Pike13 vs Zen Planner (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Pike13 grades higher than Zen Planner: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pike13 grades higher on the free plan and platforms. Zen Planner grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Pike13
Scheduling, billing and client management for studios and schools
Zen Planner
Membership, scheduling and billing software for gyms and studios
Which one is for you
Pick Pike13 if
- Fits if you run a studio or gym with classes and memberships and can pay a flat monthly fee
- Works for a studio that wants separate staff and client apps
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are small, because the flat fee starts at $139 a month whatever the client count
- Watch out: email marketing, SMS reminders, waivers and room bookings need Advanced at $195
- Watch out: API access needs Premium at $249
- Skip it if you need to know the trial length first, as the page names a trial but not its length
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
| 1.8GPAPike13Weak | 1.6GPAZen PlannerWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$139 a month on yearly billing is where the dearest tenth of the category starts, against a middle of $49.90. The plans run $139, $195 and $249. | 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 | DA free trial is offered on every plan, but the pricing page does not say how long it lasts or whether it needs a card. | FNo trial or free plan on the pricing page. Plans run month to month. |
| Features | CScheduling, billing, client and staff apps, marketing and reporting. Email marketing, SMS reminders, waivers and room bookings need Advanced, and the API needs Premium. | 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. A studio builds its classes, memberships and billing before opening bookings. | CNo store rating on record. A studio builds its programs, memberships and billing first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with an API on the top plan and two integrations listed. | CWeb only on the listing, with one integration. A member app is sold as an add-on. |
| Best for | scheduling and billing for fitness studios | 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: Pike13 and Zen Planner. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pike13 starts at $139 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zen Planner starts at $99 a month and scores 2.0.
Pike13 scores higher, and starts $40 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, 11 score higher than Pike13 for less, and 12 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
- Pike13 also covers invoicing, email campaigns and appointment booking.
At a glance
| Pike13 | Zen Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $139 per month, billed annually ($159 billed monthly) | $99 per month and up, priced by active members |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial offered on every plan; length not stated on the pricing page | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Pike13 | Zen Planner |
| Price read from | pike13.com | zenplanner.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Pike13
- Email marketing, SMS reminders, waivers and room bookings need Advanced; API access needs Premium.
- Prices are the flat monthly fee for each tier; the page does not show limits on clients or staff.
- The pricing page names a free trial but not its length.
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
Pike13
- Scheduling
- Classes, courses and appointments, with automated waitlists and check-in for memberships and passes.
- Billing
- Automated billing and collections, gift cards, and passing card fees on to customers through surcharging.
- Client and staff apps
- A client app and a staff app come with every plan; Premium offers a branded iOS and Android app.
- Marketing and messaging
- Email marketing and SMS reminders on Advanced and Premium, plus Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics.
- Reporting
- A business intelligence dashboard on every plan, with custom reporting from Advanced.
- Onboarding
- The vendor says a dedicated onboarding specialist and data transfer are included.
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
Pike13
Essential$139
per month, billed annually ($159 billed monthly)
For solo and small studios: scheduling, check-in, waitlists, family accounts, automated billing, gift cards, client and staff apps. Saves $240 a year when paid annually.
Advanced$195
per month, billed annually ($225 billed monthly)
Adds website widgets, multi-location reporting, payroll and time tracking, waivers, email marketing, room bookings, kiosk check-in and SMS reminders. Saves $360 a year.
Premium$249
per month, billed annually ($286 billed monthly)
Adds API access and custom integrations, skill assessments, and a choice of a branded app or custom reports. Saves $444 a year.
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
Pike13
- Annual discount
Annual billing saves $240 to $444 a year
Paying annually saves $240 on Essential, $360 on Advanced and $444 on Premium, as the pricing page states.
Zen Planner
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pike13 or Zen Planner?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Zen Planner is cheaper to start with: $99 a month, against $139 a month for Pike13. Pike13 starts at $139 per month, billed annually ($159 billed monthly), and Zen Planner starts at $99 per month and up, priced by active members.
Which has a free plan, Pike13 or Zen Planner?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Pike13 nor Zen Planner has a free plan. Pike13 has a free trial.
Which platforms do Pike13 and Zen Planner run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Pike13 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.