Gymdesk earns its reputation. It is uncluttered, it is quick to set up, and at fifty members it costs less than almost anything else that is actually good. Mako is not trying to beat it on simplicity. The real difference sits in the pricing model: Gymdesk charges by how many active members you have, Mako charges by which feature tier you are on. If you intend to grow, that distinction compounds — and it is worth understanding before you migrate either direction.
Gymdesk: Tiered by active member count — $75/month up to 50 members, $100/month for 51–100, $150/month for 101–200, $200/month for 201–400, and custom above that. Each additional location is $50/month. Published openly, 30-day free trial, no setup fees, no contracts, no cancellation penalty — all genuinely good.
Mako: Pulse is free. Paid plans are Mako Basic at $139/month, Mako Team at $249/month, and Enterprise at $999/month — roughly 20% less on annual billing at $1,334, $2,390, and $9,588 per year. Basic includes 3 team members, Team includes 15, Enterprise is unlimited. Additional locations on Team are $75/month each. No per-user charges, no contract, published, no sales call.
Run your own numbers. Below 100 members Gymdesk is clearly cheaper — $75 or $100 against Mako Basic at $139. The lines cross in the 101–200 band, where Gymdesk is $150 and Mako Basic is $139. Above 200 members Gymdesk is $200 and Mako Basic is still $139. The crossover sits around the 100-member mark and widens from there.
Member-count pricing is honest and easy to understand, and plenty of owners prefer it. But it has a psychological cost that rarely shows up in a comparison table: every membership you sell nudges you toward a higher bill, and every cancellation nudges you down. Signing your 51st member should feel like a win, not a $25/month invoice change. This is not a reason to rule Gymdesk out — below 100 members it is excellent value — but it is the thing to model honestly against your growth plan.
Gymdesk: Genuinely fast. Minimal configuration, sensible defaults, an interface that does not need a training session. For an owner who wants to be running by tomorrow, it is hard to beat.
Mako: Broader platform, so more to configure. Setup is measured in hours, not minutes.
Edge: Gymdesk, comfortably.
Gymdesk: Strong here. Rank and belt progression, attendance requirements, and family accounts are properly supported — one reason it is popular with martial arts schools.
Mako: Handles classes, memberships, attendance, waivers, and family billing, but belt and rank progression is not a dedicated module.
Edge: Gymdesk for dojos specifically.
Gymdesk: Membership and attendance reporting on your own numbers.
Mako: Pulse benchmarks your retention against your city and state, free, with imports from other platforms — you can measure before you migrate.
Edge: Mako.
Gymdesk: Clear revenue and membership reporting. It tells you what happened. It is not built to tell you what your business is worth or where it is heading.
Mako: Native MRR, LTV, churn, and CAC, plus automated P&L, cash flow, and forecasting.
Edge: Mako, significantly.
Gymdesk: Billing is reliable and failed payments are surfaced. Recovery is largely a manual follow-up.
Mako: Automated retry sequences, dunning, and SMS card-update requests.
Edge: Mako.
Gymdesk: Rises with membership. Predictable, but it only moves one direction if you are succeeding.
Mako: Flat within a tier regardless of how many members you sign.
Edge: Gymdesk below roughly 100 members; Mako above it.
Pick Gymdesk if:
Pick Mako if:
Your gym is a business. Not a hobby, not a side project, not a calendar with a cash register. It deserves software that treats it accordingly. If your platform cannot tell you whether you are financially healthy, it is not doing its job. And in 2026, you have better options.
See Mako in action — no sales call required
Mako is built for independent gym and studio owners who would rather spend their time on members than on demo calls. Open the live demo, poke around, and see exactly how scheduling, billing, and financial intelligence come together in one place.
Try the demo: https://app.makocrm.so/demo
Self-serve. Instant access. No forms, no calendars, no "talk to sales."
