Zen Planner review
The Daxko-owned workhorse for martial arts and functional fitness — now fully price-published, belt tracking built in.
A deep, feature-complete platform with the best belt-and-rank tooling in our gym category and native SugarWOD workout tracking — and, since its 2026 pricing overhaul, one of the most transparent: every plan is published by active members, from $99/mo (Studio, up to 45) to $289/mo (251+), with Website (+$99) and Engage AI marketing (+$249) bundled into Essentials and Ultimate. The catches: the branded app and EMV card readers are $39/mo add-ons on every plan, payment-processing rates are quoted rather than published, and Trustpilot (3.7/5 across 342 reviews) is dominated by billing and cancellation complaints.
Great
FitBizStack score · 6 weighted factors
Headline
$99/mo
True cost
$99–$289/mo
Advertising disclosure. We may earn a commission when you sign up through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never influence our scores or rankings — editorial independence is the whole point.
Scorecard
How we scored Zen Planner
Six weighted categories. Weights are published and identical for every platform.
What we like
- Every plan published by active members — Studio $99–$289/mo, Essentials $198–$388, Ultimate $348–$538 — and prospects, alumni and staff never count
- Best-in-category belt tracking, rank testing and progressions for martial arts
- Month-to-month with no long-term contract, a dedicated onboarding specialist and done-for-you data migration on every plan
- Engage adds AI-powered email/text campaigns, 100+ prebuilt templates and two-way messaging
- Member and staff mobile apps, payroll and reporting included in Studio
What we don’t
- Branded mobile app, EMV card readers and SugarWOD integration are add-ons on every plan (app and readers $39/mo each)
- Processing rates are not published — Zen Planner Payments is custom-priced at signup
- Trustpilot 3.7/5 (342 reviews) — dominated by billing and cancellation disputes; only 15 reviews in the last 12 months
- The full marketing stack (Ultimate) runs $348–$538/mo before the app — far above flat-priced rivals
Thinking of switching? See the best Zen Planner alternatives, with prices side by side.
At a glance
Zen Planner in four numbers
The Daxko-owned workhorse for martial arts and functional fitness — now fully price-published, belt tracking built in.
$99
Studio, up to 45 active members
$229
Studio at 101–150 members
$39
branded app, per month
5,000+
fitness businesses on Zen Planner
01 Zen Planner
The short verdict
Zen Planner is the Daxko-owned platform that grew up in a martial arts school, and it still has the best belt-and-rank tooling in our gym category. The big change in 2026: it now publishes every price, by active members, for all three plans. Until recently the only numbers available came from third parties.
Studio runs $99/mo for up to 45 active members and tops out at $289/mo for 251+. The catch is the add-ons: the branded member app and EMV card readers are $39/mo each on every plan, and payment-processing rates are still quoted at signup.
02 Zen Planner
Who Zen Planner is for
Martial arts, BJJ and MMA schools
Belt and skill tracking, rank testing and progressions are built into Studio.
CrossFit and functional-fitness boxes
that want SugarWOD workout tracking next to billing (the integration is an add-on).
Gyms with lots of prospects, alumni or drop-ins
Only active members count toward your tier.
It is a weaker fit for budget-driven gyms with big rosters: RhinoFit is $57 flat for unlimited members, and WodGuru caps at $249/mo. Gyms that want every fee published up front, including processing, should also look at PushPress.
03 Zen Planner
Zen Planner pricing in 2026, explained
Every plan includes all of Studio’s features. You pick a package and your price follows your active-member count. It is month-to-month, and an annual contract is available on request.
| Active members | Studio | Essentials (+ Website) | Ultimate (+ Website + Engage) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–45 | $99 | $198 | $348 |
| 46–60 | $133 | $232 | $382 |
| 61–75 | $155 | $254 | $404 |
| 76–100 | $189 | $288 | $438 |
| 101–150 | $229 | $328 | $478 |
| 151–200 | $239 | $338 | $488 |
| 201–250 | $269 | $368 | $518 |
| 251+ | $289 | $388 | $538 |
Who counts as an active member
Anyone with an active membership, or who attended an event in the past month. Prospects, alumni, staff and pay-per-session attendees do not count, which helps gyms with a big drop-in or trial funnel.
New gyms can start on the New Business Bundle from $199/mo: Essentials plus the branded member app. Multi-location pricing is quoted.
04 Zen Planner
What you will really pay
The tier is only part of the bill. These add-ons are priced separately on every plan:
| Add-on | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Branded mobile app | $39/mo | Your gym in the app stores |
| EMV card readers | $39/mo | For in-person payments |
| Website | from $99/mo | Included in Essentials and Ultimate |
| Engage | from $249/mo | AI-powered email and text campaigns; included in Ultimate |
| SugarWOD integration | Add-on | Price not listed |
| Zen Planner Payments | Custom pricing | Processing rates quoted at signup |
Worked example: a 100-member box
Studio at 76–100 members is $189/mo. Add the branded app and a card reader and you are at $267/mo before processing. The same gym on Ultimate with the app is $477/mo.
05 Zen Planner
What the plans include
Studio
Membership management, online scheduling, member self-service, attendance, belt and skill tracking, billing and payment processing, member and staff mobile apps, advanced workout tracking, staff payroll, reporting and retail/POS options.
Essentials
Everything in Studio plus a customizable, SEO-optimized website with built-in lead capture.
Ultimate
Adds Engage — marketing automation and CRM, AI-powered email and text campaigns, 100+ prebuilt templates, two-way messaging and AI content generation.
On every plan
A dedicated onboarding specialist, done-for-you data migration, ongoing support and Zen Academy.
24/7 unattended access is available through the HybridAF integration, priced by the partner.
06 Zen Planner
What owners say
On Trustpilot, Zen Planner holds 3.7/5 across 342 reviews. Positive reviews single out individual support staff and long-term reliability. Negative reviews focus on billing and cancellation: charges after a cancellation request, account access and the payment processor. Only 15 reviews were posted in the last 12 months, so the score mostly reflects older experiences.
07 Zen Planner
Zen Planner vs the alternatives
Head-to-head: Zen Planner vs RhinoFit. Full ranking: best gym management software.
Pricing, decoded
What Zen Planner really costs
Published tiers by active members (Studio → Essentials → Ultimate); month-to-month, annual contract on request.
The true-cost curve
Zen Planner Studio subscription by number of members · before add-ons and card fees
Hover the curve to read any roster size
10 members
$99/mo
100 members
$189/mo
250 members
$269/mo
Headline price
$99/mo
What the marketing shows
True monthly cost
$99–$289/mo for Studio by active members; most gyms add the $39/mo branded app; Ultimate with Website and Engage runs $348–$538/mo
What you actually pay
| Plan | Monthly billing | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $99/mo | 0–45 active members · $133 (46–60) · $155 (61–75) · $189 (76–100) · $229 (101–150) · $239 (151–200) · $269 (201–250) · $289 (251+) |
| Essentials | $198/mo | Studio + custom website with lead capture · $232–$388/mo as members grow |
| Ultimate | $348/mo | Studio + Website + Engage (AI campaigns, CRM) · $382–$538/mo as members grow |
| New Business Bundle | from $199/mo | Essentials + branded member app, for new fitness businesses |
Common add-ons
- Branded mobile app$39/mo
- EMV card readers$39/mo
- Websitefrom $99/mo
- Engage (AI marketing automation)from $249/mo
- Zen Planner Paymentscustom pricing
- HybridAF 24/7 unattended accesspartner pricing
Payment processing
Zen Planner Payments (Daxko) — custom pricing quoted at signup
True-cost calculator
See the true monthly cost, not the headline.
- Base plan
- $229
- Processing (2.90%)
- $348
- Add-ons
- $39
- True cost / month
- $616
Headline was $99/mo. Based on published pricing.
Honest cons
Who should NOT buy Zen Planner
- Budget-driven gyms with big rosters — Studio climbs to $289/mo at 251+ active members, versus RhinoFit’s flat $57.
- Owners who want every fee published — Zen Planner Payments processing is custom-priced at signup.
- Anyone sensitive to billing complaints — Trustpilot sits at 3.7/5 across 342 reviews, dominated by billing and cancellation disputes.
FAQ
Zen Planner: frequently asked questions
How much does Zen Planner cost in 2026?
Studio costs $99/mo for up to 45 active members, rising to $133 (46–60), $155 (61–75), $189 (76–100), $229 (101–150), $239 (151–200), $269 (201–250) and $289 (251+). Essentials (with a website) runs $198–$388/mo and Ultimate (website plus Engage) $348–$538/mo. Verified on zenplanner.com on October 15, 2026.
Does Zen Planner publish its prices?
Yes, since its 2026 pricing update. The pricing page lists every package and a full active-member tier table. Only multi-location pricing and payment-processing rates are quoted.
Does Zen Planner charge for prospects or staff?
No. Pricing counts only active members: people with an active membership or who attended an event in the past month. Prospects, alumni, staff and pay-per-session attendees are not counted.
Is the Zen Planner branded app included?
No. Every plan includes Zen Planner’s own member and staff apps, but the custom-branded member app is a $39/mo add-on. The New Business Bundle (from $199/mo) includes it.
Is there a contract?
No. Zen Planner runs month-to-month; an annual contract is available on request.
How we verified this review
Packages, the full active-member tier table, add-on prices, contract terms and the active-member definition were checked on Zen Planner’s official pricing pages on September 27, 2026. Prices were re-checked on the official page on October 15, 2026. The Trustpilot rating was checked the same day. Scores follow our published methodology. Zen Planner is not currently an affiliate partner.
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