Dojo Forge vs Gymdesk: Which Fits Your Dojo?
Gymdesk is the established leader in gym management: 4,500+ gyms across 34 countries, hundreds of 5-star reviews, and a 30-day free trial. It serves every kind of gym, martial arts included, with billing, family accounts, and attendance automations already live. Dojo Forge serves only schools that run on belts, classes, families, and testing, and adds what Gymdesk's portal doesn't: absences reported by parents and instructor notes families can read.
Dojo Forge is in beta, being built school by school, and this page plays it straight: where Gymdesk is ahead today, it says so.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Dojo Forge | Gymdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Alerts when students stop showing up | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile roll call | YesKiosk in beta | Yes |
| Belt exam readiness | Yes | Yes |
| One family login for several children | Yes | Yes |
| Parents report absences ahead of time | Yes | No |
| Instructor notes parents can see | Yes | No |
| Digital waivers | Yes | Yes |
| Online payments and autopay | PartlyIn beta | Yes |
| Setup | Self-serve in minutes | Guided, migration included |
| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days, no card |
Yes Partly No
Pricing
Dojo Forge
$250/month flat per school for founding members (30 days free, no setup fee; standard rate $500/month). Every student, family, and instructor included.
Gymdesk
By active members: $75 (up to 50), $100 (51 to 100), $150 (101 to 200), $200 (201 to 400), quoted above 400. $50/month per extra location.
Gymdesk costs less up to 400 members. Dojo Forge's price stays the same whatever the size of your roster.
When to choose which
Choose Gymdesk if
- You need billing and autopay running this month.
- You want the most-reviewed, most-established platform, with native iOS and Android member apps.
- You run a general gym, not a belt-driven school.
Choose Dojo Forge if
- You run on belts, exams, and families, not memberships and door access.
- You want parents reporting absences and reading instructor notes.
- You want one price that doesn't change as your roster grows, and the founder a text away.
Ready to see it on your roster?
30 days free, then $250/month flat for year one (first 10 schools). No setup fee, cancel anytime.
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Competitor details come from each company's public site, pricing page, and help docs as of September 2026 and may have changed. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.