PushPress alternative
Mat Track vs PushPress: The Honest 2026 Comparison
Looking for a PushPress alternative for your martial arts gym? PushPress is a well-rated, modular platform with a genuinely free starting tier — but the real cost lives in its add-ons and processing fees. This page compares both honestly: where PushPress wins, where Mat Track does, and the pricing maths that decides it. Updated June 2026.
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★★★★★ Built by operators of a 1,200-member BJJ academy across four locations.
The short version
PushPress is an excellent, highly-rated platform if the modular, à-la-carte model suits you and your card volume is modest. Mat Track is the sharper fit if you’d rather have analytics and automation bundled into one predictable tier than priced as separate add-ons — with 0% platform transaction fees.
Start free — no card requiredKey takeaways
- Both offer a real free plan — PushPress Core Free and Mat Track Starter are both $0/mo functional platforms, not 30-day trials.
- PushPress’s free tier is subsidised by high processing fees — 4.19–4.99% + $0.30 per card transaction, versus lower rates on its paid plans.
- PushPress is modular — base plans are cheap ($159 Pro / $229 Max) but marketing/CRM (Grow, $329/mo), workouts (Train, $79/mo) and a branded app (~$97/mo) are separate paid add-ons.
- Mat Track bundles analytics and automation into its tiers — retention analytics and SMS automation are in the $99 Growth plan.
- Both have native belt/rank tracking. PushPress added rank tracking and invite-only belt-test events; Mat Track has belt progression with full history.
- PushPress is US-centric and Stripe-based; Mat Track supports GoCardless for UK/EU direct debit (verify if this matters for your market).
Compare
Pricing compared
Both are month-to-month, no contract, with a real free plan. The difference is structure: PushPress keeps base prices low and charges for add-ons plus (on the free tier) higher processing; Mat Track bundles more into each tier and charges 0% platform transaction fees. Current Mat Track tiers are on our pricing page.
| Mat Track0% fees | PushPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Starter $0/mo · up to 200 contacts | Core Free $0/mo |
| Free-plan processing | Stripe standard (0% MT fee) | 4.19–4.99% + $0.30 card |
| Mid tier | Growth $99/mo annual ($129 monthly) · up to 500 | Core Pro $159/mo |
| Upper tier | Pro $199/mo annual ($249 monthly) · up to 2,000 | Core Max $229/mo |
| Marketing / CRM | Included (SMS automation in Growth; HubSpot in Pro) | Grow add-on, $329/mo |
| Workout programming | — | Train add-on, $79/mo |
| Branded member app | Coming soon | Add-on, ~$97/mo |
| Belt / rank tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Behavioural churn detection | ✓ | Reporting only |
| Payment processors | Stripe, GoCardless | Stripe-based |
Mat Track figures from the locked fact sheet (June 2026). PushPress figures from pushpress.com (June 2026); verify before relying on them. “Stripe-based” reflects PushPress’s stated processing — confirm your market’s direct-debit needs.
The competitor
An honest review of PushPress
PushPress is one of the most highly-rated gym platforms on the market and a serious, credible competitor. It’s rated 4.8 across G2, Capterra and GetApp from over 196 reviews, positions itself explicitly for independent gyms including martial arts academies, and powers what it states are over 1,000 martial arts schools.
What PushPress does well
- A genuinely free Core tier — a full operating platform (memberships, billing, scheduling, check-ins, member app) at $0/mo, not a trial.
- Modular by design — add Train (workouts), Grow (marketing/CRM) or a branded app only if you need them, rather than paying for an all-in-one bundle up front.
- Strong, fast-rated customer support and free white-glove migration from Mindbody, Zen Planner, Wodify and others.
- Native martial-arts rank tracking with custom criteria and invite-only belt-test events.
- Transparent, low processing rates on paid plans (2.75–2.89% + $0.30 credit card).
Where it draws criticism (2026)
- The free tier’s processing fees are high — 4.19–4.99% + $0.30 per card transaction, which for a gym doing real volume can quietly cost more than a paid subscription.
- Costs stack through add-ons — a full stack (Pro + Train + Grow + branded app) runs around $559/mo before processing.
- The experience is split across multiple apps (Core, Member App, Staff App, Train, Screens, Grow), and Grow’s CRM runs on separate underlying software — some reviewers report tab-hopping and a steep multi-tool setup.
- Some verified reviewers report billing-reliability and website-integration issues during gym launches.
Why Mat Track
Where Mat Track is genuinely different
The core contrast isn’t features — both are capable, martial-arts-aware platforms. It’s how you pay for depth and how the product is shaped.
01
Analytics depth is bundled, not bolted on
PushPress’s marketing/CRM and advanced tooling live in paid add-ons (Grow at $329/mo). Mat Track includes retention analytics and SMS automation in its $99 Growth plan, and behavioural churn detection in the platform — flagging at-risk members before they cancel.
02
One platform, not a stack of apps
Where PushPress splits operations across Core, Train, Grow, Screens and multiple apps, Mat Track keeps member management, attendance, communication, payments, automation and analytics in a single platform.
03
Built by people running a real gym
Mat Track is built by a team operating a large multi-site BJJ academy that grew to 1,200 members across four locations. The churn, retention and coach-performance analytics exist because the people building it needed them to run their own gym.
Plus the basics: native belt/rank promotion tracking with full history, QR/kiosk check-in, family & group billing, Stripe + GoCardless, and HubSpot two-way sync on Pro — all built for BJJ, MMA and Muay Thai academies.
Your decision
Which should you choose?
Choose PushPress if…
You want the lowest possible base subscription and you’re comfortable assembling a stack of modular add-ons as you grow; you value its large review base and free migration; or you run a CrossFit-style box where workout programming (Train) matters. Its free Core tier is a legitimate way to start at $0/mo if your payment volume is low.
Our pick for bundled depth
Choose Mat Track if…
You’d rather have analytics and automation bundled into a predictable tier than priced as separate modules; behavioural churn and retention analytics matter to how you run the gym; or you want a single platform shaped by people who actually operate a large BJJ academy. The 0% platform transaction fee and GoCardless support also matter more for UK/EU gyms.
Start freePushPress is excellent if the modular, à-la-carte model suits you and your processing volume is modest; Mat Track is the sharper fit if you want depth bundled in one platform without the add-on maths.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between Mat Track and PushPress?
Both are martial-arts-capable gym platforms with free plans and belt tracking. PushPress uses low base prices plus paid add-ons (marketing, workouts, branded app) and subsidises its free tier with higher processing fees. Mat Track bundles analytics and automation into its tiers with 0% platform transaction fees.
How much does PushPress cost?
PushPress Core Free is $0/mo (with 4.19–4.99% + $0.30 card processing), Core Pro is $159/mo (2.89% card) and Core Max is $229/mo (2.75% card). Add-ons cost extra: Train ~$79/mo, Grow ~$329/mo, branded app ~$97/mo. As of June 2026.
Is PushPress’s free plan really free?
The subscription is genuinely $0/mo and a full platform, not a trial. But the free tier carries higher payment-processing fees (4.19–4.99% + $0.30 per card transaction) than its paid plans, so for gyms with real payment volume the free plan can cost more than a paid one.
Can I switch from PushPress to Mat Track without losing my data?
Yes. Mat Track offers free migrations and a 30-day money-back guarantee, and is month-to-month with no lock-in. Export your member, billing and attendance data from PushPress first, then the Mat Track team assists with the import.
Does Mat Track support belt and rank tracking like PushPress?
Yes. Mat Track includes native belt/rank promotion tracking with full promotion history and eligibility criteria, built for BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai and other combat sports.
Ready. Set. Grow.
Mat Track gives you flexibility as you grow. Start free forever, and as your gym grows, you can upgrade.