The best taekwondo school management software automates the testing cycle — who’s eligible, who’s tested, who’s next — while handling the family billing and parent communication that dominate a dojang’s admin. Seven platforms compared honestly for TKD specifically, with dated pricing throughout. Updated July 2026.
Key takeaways
- Testing cycles are the differentiator: criteria-driven eligibility (Mat Track), batch event tooling (Zen Planner) or readiness reports (Martialytics) — pick by school size.
- Kicksite is TKD’s incumbent — two decades and 2,000+ schools, honest $49–$199 pricing.
- Upgrade-programme schools should look at Spark — trial funnels and black-belt-club automation are its speciality.
- Families are the customer: multi-child billing and parent comms belong on your checklist before features.
- Mat Track is the retention-first pick — the colour-belt drop-off is where dojangs bleed students, and behavioural churn detection catches it early.
- Costs run free to ~$249/mo for most dojangs in 2026.
What taekwondo schools actually need from software
A dojang’s admin load has a rhythm: enrolment waves, a testing cycle every couple of months, families with two or three children on different belts, and the quiet attrition that happens mid-syllabus when a student stalls. Software earns its keep by automating exactly that rhythm — eligibility lists generated from your criteria rather than memory, families billed as families, parents informed without evening phone calls, and stalling students flagged while a conversation can still save them. Each platform below is judged on those jobs.
1. Mat Track
Best for: TKD schools that want testing cycles automated and families billed cleanly.
Mat Track is built martial-arts-first: native belt/rank promotion tracking with configurable criteria and full history, QR and kiosk check-in, family and group billing, and SMS/email automation in one platform. For taekwondo’s structured testing cycles: per-rank criteria (minimum time-in-grade, minimum classes, custom requirements like poomsae sign-off) generate the eligible list for each testing date automatically, with full promotion history per student. Its analytics go deepest here — behavioural churn detection baselines each member’s own attendance over 60 days and flags drop-offs before they become cancellations, alongside cohort retention and coach-performance reporting. Built by a team running a multi-site BJJ academy that grew from 120 to 1,200 members across four locations; month-to-month, free migrations, and the Starter plan is free for up to 200 contacts.
Where it wins: testing-cycle automation, family billing, churn analytics, free plan.
Where Mat Track wins: —
Pricing:Free / $99 / $199 per month by contact count; 0% platform transaction fees.
Start free with Mat Track → — no credit card required.
2. Kicksite
Best for: traditional TKD schools — this is Kicksite’s heartland.
Taekwondo schools are Kicksite’s core constituency: belt promotion and testing tools shaped by two decades of TKD and karate customers, attendance, lead capture and free one-way texting, at $49–$199/mo by student count with everything included. If you want the system your neighbouring schools already run, this is usually it. Reporting depth and US payment rails are the limits.
Where it wins: TKD-native pedigree, simplicity, support.
Where Mat Track wins: analytics depth, UK/EU billing, multi-site dashboards, free plan.
Pricing: $49–$199/mo. As of June 2026 — verify at kicksite.com.
3. Spark Membership
Best for: growth-focused TKD schools running trial-offer funnels.
Spark Membership was built in the martial-arts world with TKD schools prominent among its users: paid-trial funnels, automated follow-up sequences, upgrade paths (think black-belt-club programmes) and a branded app. Quote-based pricing (reported ~$249/mo); automation praise comes with reviewer notes on payment glitches.
Where it wins: trial funnels, upgrade-programme automation, branded app.
Where Mat Track wins: published pricing, retention analytics, free plan.
Pricing: Quote-based; reported ~$249/mo. As of June 2026 — verify at sparkmembership.com.
4. Zen Planner
Best for: large TKD organisations running testing events at scale.
For schools testing 60+ students per cycle, Zen Planner’s testing-event management — invitations, scheduling, batch promotion processing — is the most mature tooling available, with payroll for instructor teams. Reported base $99–$348/mo (quote-routed 2026) plus modules; diligence on exit terms applies.
Where it wins: batch testing at scale, payroll, depth.
Where Mat Track wins: bundled pricing, month-to-month, churn analytics.
Pricing: Reported $99–$348/mo + add-ons. As of June 2026 — verify at zenplanner.com.
5. GymDesk
Best for: smaller dojangs that want curriculum checklists and a website included.
GymDesk’s per-rank technique checklists map naturally onto poomsae and skills syllabuses, parents get a portal showing exactly where their child stands, and the bundled website builder saves real money. From $75/mo published, with a 15-student free plan after trial.
Where it wins: curriculum checklists, parent portal, website.
Where Mat Track wins: churn detection, marketing automation, bigger free plan.
Pricing: $75–~$200/mo. As of June 2026 — verify at gymdesk.com.
6. Jackrabbit Dojo
Best for: after-school and kids-programme-heavy dojangs.
Where taekwondo runs as a high-volume children’s programme — after-school pickups, camps, birthday events — Jackrabbit Dojo’s children’s-activity DNA (online registration, parent comms, skill tracking, 7,000+ programmes) fits the operating model, from $49/mo with a 90-day money-back guarantee. Belt-workflow depth is thinner than the specialists.
Where it wins: kids-programme operations, parent UX, entry price.
Where Mat Track wins: grading depth, retention analytics.
Pricing: From $49/mo. As of March 2026 — verify at jackrabbitclass.com.
7. Martialytics
Best for: dojangs that mainly want gradings and attendance done beautifully.
Martialytics is martial-arts-only with a genuinely elegant grading engine — belt-readiness reports, attendance-linked progression — and simple day-to-day use. It’s narrower on billing, marketing and member experience; pricing is quote-based with a free trial.
Where it wins: grading engine, simplicity.
Where Mat Track wins: full operations stack, published pricing, free plan.
Pricing: Quote-based with trial. As of June 2026 — verify at martialytics.com.
Comparison table
| Platform | Best for | Starting price | Testing / grading tools | Family features | Retention analytics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mat Track | Testing cycles + retention | $0/mo | ✅ Criteria-driven eligibility | ✅ | ✅ Behavioural |
| Kicksite | Traditional dojangs | $49/mo | ✅ TKD-native promotions | Basic | Limited |
| Spark Membership | Trial funnels + upgrades | ~$249/mo reported | ✅ | ✅ | Reporting |
| Zen Planner | Batch testing at scale | ~$99/mo (quote-routed) | ✅ Deepest events | ✅ | Reporting |
| GymDesk | Curriculum + website | $75/mo | ✅ Technique checklists | ✅ | At-risk alerts |
| Jackrabbit Dojo | Kids programmes | $49/mo | Skill tracking | ✅ Parent-first | Reporting |
| Martialytics | Grading purity | Quote | ✅ Readiness reports | Limited | Limited |
All pricing as of March–July 2026; verify on each provider’s site. Some pricing is quote-based.
Which is right for your dojang?
Most dojangs land on one of two: Mat Track to automate testing eligibility and actively defend retention (free to start — run one full testing cycle through it and judge), or Kicksite for the proven TKD-native standard. Spark if growth funnels drive your model, Zen Planner at organisational scale, Jackrabbit for after-school-programme operations, GymDesk when the bundled website matters.
Start your free trial with Mat Track → — no credit card required.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best taekwondo school management software?
Mat Track for dojangs that want testing eligibility automated and retention defended (per-rank criteria, family billing, churn detection, free plan); Kicksite for traditional schools — TKD is its heartland; Spark Membership for schools built on trial funnels and black-belt-club upgrade programmes.
How much does taekwondo school software cost?
From free (Mat Track Starter, up to 200 contacts) and $49/mo entry tiers (Kicksite, Jackrabbit) through $75–$249/mo for most mid-sized dojangs, to $348–$525+/mo full-stack on modular platforms like Zen Planner. As of mid-2026 — verify each vendor.
What software best handles TKD belt testing cycles?
For automating who qualifies each cycle, Mat Track — time-in-grade, class-count and custom criteria (like poomsae sign-off) flag eligible students automatically. For administering very large testing events, Zen Planner’s batch tooling leads. Martialytics’ belt-readiness reports suit smaller dojangs.
Which software suits after-school taekwondo programmes?
Jackrabbit Dojo — its children’s-activity DNA (registration parents already know, camps, parent comms) matches the after-school operating model. If you also want retention analytics and family billing in the same system, Mat Track covers both sides.
Can I run a small dojang on free software?
Yes — Mat Track’s Starter plan is permanently free for up to 200 contacts with attendance, billing, belt tracking and analytics included, which covers most single-location dojangs. GymDesk’s free plan caps at 15 students, so it suits pre-launch clubs only.
