What does gym software cost?

Reviewing gym software cost can be overwhelming. There are so many options at different prices. Looking at total value will help you make the right choice for your fitness business.

Are you opening a gym for the first time? Or in need of a system refresh for your existing business? Gym management software is an essential buy. It will help you run your business, automating mundane tasks, so you can focus on your members.

What is the cost of gym software? Costs can vary. Look beyond price to the total value of a solution for your business when reviewing software options.

You NEED software

Let’s face it, gym management software is not as exciting as buying equipment to kit your club out. Yet, it’s a vital business tool. It will help you delight members and grow your business.

Some gym owners will start out using pen and paper, or spreadsheets, to record important business data. This becomes impractical as your business grows. That’s where software comes in to help you manage tasks efficiently and store data securely.

Most established gym and fitness clubs will have some type of software in place. It’s common for businesses to use a few different systems. Each focusing on a specific area of gym management. As you grow, this can make running your business an increasingly heavy lift.

Some of the challenges of working across many systems include:

That’s why it’s important to look for an all-in-one software solution. One that includes embedded payments and integrated access control. All your business information and tools will be in one place. So, you can:

Your business needs software to save time and create efficiencies. It’ll free you up to focus on other important aspects of your business.

How much does gym management software cost?

Gym management software cost can differ depending on the solution (or set of solutions you select). Choose an all-in-one software solution to avoid overpaying or paying double.

Gym software price is made up of these elements:

Software subscription

You can expect to pay a regular monthly subscription for your software. For a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that’s cloud-based, like Xplor Gym, this will include automatic updates and new features. All benefiting your business.

Look for a software subscription that offers tiered pricing. So, you can choose a tier that has the right functionality for your business. Then upgrade in the future as your business evolves and grows.

Transaction & support costs

The gym management software price you pay should cover the cost of collecting membership payments.

Choose an all-in-one solution that also includes billing and payments. Select a partner who manages all elements of Direct Debit collections for you. Including helping members catch up on missed payments and answering any payment queries they may have.

You’ll usually pay a fixed cost or percentage cost for each payment collected. And a payment setup fee for new members. Plus, a support cost if you choose to have payment queries handled for your business.

Access control hardware

You’ll need access control hardware to track and manage access to your facilities. This is often provided as part of the cost of gym software with a one-off fee.

Set up fees

Look for a gym software partner who makes getting started easy and stress-free. Check their project management credentials. And make sure your software will be customised to your exact needs. You can expect to pay a small one-off set up fee.

Add-on costs

Some software providers will have add-on options you can choose to customise your solution. These are typically paid for on a monthly subscription basis (on top of standard software subscription costs).

Gym software price vs. value

There’s a fundamental difference between price and value

When reviewing gym software cost, look at the value each option will bring to your business. The solution with the cheapest price won’t always be the best value option.

These are some of the ways you can review the value of the fitness club management software solutions you’re considering investing in:

Time saved

It’s well worth spending the time to quantify the value of time saved. You should look at how much time each solution could save you (and your team). Look at how easy a software solution is to use. And how many manual tasks it will automate for you.

Consider these two scenarios.

Scenario 1

You choose to run your business without gym management software and save money each month. You have 250 members. You spend 2.5 days a week on manual admin work. Everything is done manually – member billing, class schedules and bookings, communicating with members, checking members in, reconciling payments and more.

You also get 20 enquiries from prospects interested in signing up for a membership each week. You don’t have any option for prospective members to join online. So, you need to follow up with each one by telephone or email.

It can be tough to get hold of all 20 leads. On average you convert 25% into members. That means you lose out on 15 sales a week. Each would have been worth $30 a month, which adds up to $450 a month in total.

Similarly, you have no way to spot the signs when members become at risk of cancelling. Approximately 10% of your members leave each month. That’s around 25 members leaving a month. At $30 a month each, you’re losing $750 in monthly membership revenue.

All in all, you may be saving on software, but you are losing out on sales and members are leaving before you have the chance to re-engage them. Overall, you’re losing out on around $1,200 in membership revenue a month.

Scenario 2

In this scenario you choose to run your business with an all-in-one solution that includes gym billing software and gym access software. You have 250 members and spend around 2 hours a week on manual admin work.

Member billing happens automatically, with any missed payments chased. Your software always gives you complete and up-to-date payment information. So, it’s easy to see exactly what’s happening.

You can set up class schedules once and roll them out across your business. Members can book online. Your software lets you set up triggers and automatically send email and SMS communications to members.

Members can check in and access your facilities using a dynamic QR code. Access is granted based on rules you’ve set in your software. And usage is tracked. And that’s just the beginning of the admin work your software takes on for you.

You’ve got online joining integrated into your website. Instead of enquiring, 15 prospective members signup to a membership online each month. 5 more prospective members enquire. And as you’ve got more time, you’re able to put the effort into contacting them. You convert a further 3 of these leads to members. On average you convert 18 out of 20 prospects. At $30 a month each that’s $540 a month membership revenue (compared to $150 without software).

You can now use the data within your software to automatically identify members at risk of cancelling soon. You can reduce the percentage of members leaving each month to 5%. That’s approximately 12 members leaving a month. That’s $360 in monthly membership lost each month. Yet, by reducing the percentage of members leaving from 10% to 5%, you’ve recovered $390 in monthly membership revenue.

With software in place:

Revenue collected

Beyond time saved, by choosing software that includes embedded payments, you’ll have billing handled for you within your software.

A choice of payment dates, along with proven processes, will help increase your collection success rate. So, your revenue increases, and you retain members too. Plus, a dedicated contact centre team will answer any member payment queries so you and your team are free to focus on what you do best.

Look also for a solution that makes creating and managing your gym pricing strategy straightforward.

Member experience achieved

Members are more tech savvy than ever before. And that means they expect more from your business too. When assessing the value of software solutions, look at how it can help you live up to digital expectations.

Your software should have easy to use, brandable, digital member self-service tools. So, you can put members in control of their experience.

Look for a solution that lets you seamlessly integrate with market-leading connected equipment, aggregators, and other platforms. So, you can create customised member experiences that set your business apart from your competition.

Ability to do business your way & scale

So many gyms and fitness clubs find themselves restricted by their gym management software. That’s why when reviewing value, it’s important to understand whether a software solution will let you operate the way you want to.

Can you offer the membership options you want? How easy is it to integrate with new technologies? Can you manage multiple sites the way you’d want to? Think about your business needs now and in the future.

A high value software should disrupt the norm with new levels of speed, responsiveness, and simplicity. It will be a digital solution built with an API-first approach that will let you adapt and scale your business rapidly.

Look for existing API integrations with fitness leaders. And the ability to integrate with new systems. So, you can adapt your business model and take advantage of new revenue opportunities that arise.

Access to support

Part of the value of a software solution is the access to support provided. Firstly, look at how much help is available to get started with the software.

It can be daunting to introduce a new software, even more so if you are switching from an existing solution. Your software partner should give you access to expert project managers. They will make sure the whole process is smooth, customise your solution to your needs and even import your data for you.

Once you’re up and running, your software partner should continue to deliver value. You should get access to helpful insights from a Customer Success specialist to help you thrive. As well as software support from a locally-based team.

For even more value, choose a partner who can support your members too. With a state-of- the-art contact centre staffed by customer support professionals who will resolve payment queries and more for your members.

Gym software cost: The wrap up…

Whether you are opening a new gym or fitness club, or run an existing fitness business, gym management software is essential. You need it to manage tasks efficiently. And to keep your valuable business data secure.

Gym software cost varies depending on the solution you choose. You can expect to pay software subscription and transaction costs on an ongoing basis. Plus, one-off costs for access control and set up. Look for a tiered software subscription that gives you the ability to extend your subscription as your business matures.

It’s easy to focus on price when it comes to choosing software. Yet, you need to look beyond price to the value your business will get from a solution. From time savings to the ability to do business your way, the right software solution will pay for itself with the benefits it brings to your business.

Get the fuel to go further. Request a demo to see the value that Xplor Gym can bring to your fitness business.