Updated October 2026

The Best Martial Arts Software in 2026

An honest comparison of five tools school owners actually use. Quick answer: pick NOVA CRM if you need more students, or a billing-first platform if admin is your main problem.

NOVA CRM by Academy Blast

Best for: Schools that want software and marketing in one place

Built inside our own martial arts school. NOVA handles leads, trial booking, AI follow-up by text and email, and student pipelines, and it connects directly to the website and ads we run for you.

Published pricing: $99/mo, no sales call needed to see it
AI follow-up on leads, DMs, and missed calls
Can be bundled with website, SEO, and ad management
No long-term contract

Billing and attendance tracking are lighter than dedicated billing platforms
Best value comes when paired with our marketing services

Build My Plan

Kicksite

Best for: Owners who want martial-arts-specific school management

A long-running platform made for martial arts schools, covering student records, billing, attendance, and belt tracking.

Martial arts focus
Belt and rank tracking
Billing and attendance

Marketing services like ads and websites are not the core product
Check the vendor site for current pricing and terms

Academy Blast vs Kicksite, full comparison

Zen Planner

Best for: Multi-discipline gyms and larger facilities

A broad fitness business platform used by gyms, CrossFit boxes, and martial arts schools, with billing, scheduling, and a member app.

Mature billing and scheduling
Member app
Works across fitness formats

Built for fitness broadly, not martial arts first
Lead follow-up and ads usually need extra tools or an agency

Academy Blast vs Zen Planner, full comparison

GymDesk

Best for: Smaller schools that want simple, affordable admin

Straightforward gym software with billing, attendance, and a member portal, popular with smaller martial arts and BJJ academies.

Simple setup
Clean member portal
Good for small teams

Limited built-in marketing automation
No done-for-you ads or website management

Academy Blast vs GymDesk, full comparison

Spark Membership

Best for: Owners who want an all-in-one membership platform

Membership software aimed at martial arts and fitness studios, with billing, attendance, and marketing features.

Martial arts audience
Billing and attendance
Built-in marketing tools

You still run your own ads and content
Check the vendor site for current pricing and terms

At a glance

Feature comparison

	NOVA	Kicksite	Zen Planner	GymDesk	Spark
Made for martial arts schools
Pricing published on website
AI lead follow-up (text, email, DMs)
Done-for-you ads available
Website and SEO included option
Billing and attendance focus

Based on each vendor's public website as of October 2026. Features change, so confirm with the vendor.

Common questions

Choosing martial arts software

What is the best software for a martial arts school?+

It depends on your bottleneck. If you need more students, NOVA CRM by Academy Blast is the strongest pick because it pairs software with lead follow-up and marketing. If billing and attendance are your main headache, Kicksite, Zen Planner, GymDesk, or Spark are solid options.

Can I use NOVA CRM alongside my billing software?+

Yes. Many schools keep their billing platform and use NOVA for leads, trial booking, and follow-up. We help set that up on your discovery call.

How much does martial arts software cost?+

NOVA CRM is $99/mo, published on our pricing page. Most other vendors quote pricing on a demo call. See our full cost breakdown.

How did you rank these tools?+

We weighted martial arts focus, pricing transparency, lead follow-up, and whether marketing help is available. We make NOVA CRM, so we listed what it does less well too. Check each vendor's site for current features.

Free discovery call

Not sure which fits your school?

Tell us your student count and current tools. We will tell you honestly whether NOVA is the right fit.

Free Discovery Call

30 minutes. Growth audit and strategy session.

October 2026

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