7 Best Gym Retention Software (How They Work) | 2024 Reviews & Pricing
Retention at gyms and fitness studios isn’t the easiest in this day and age. With giants like X reducing their presence, while others muscle into the fitness space and fight for a limited amount of potential members, retention has become more than crucial. Instead of fighting for slices of an ever-diminishing pie, gyms and studios are putting money into keeping the slice they already have. A member retained is the same as a member gained!
Today, we’re looking at some of the best gym retention software programs on the market. There’s something for everyone, with a full range of services out there for the big box gym, the brand-new startup, the martial arts center, or the barre studio.
The 7 best Gym Retention Software
- Hapana for rapidly growing franchises
- Mindbody for big box clubs
- Glofox for single site gyms
- Zen Planner for managing personal trainers
- Trainerize for coaches
- Virtuagym for sole operators
- Club OS for managing the sales process
What makes the best Gym Retention Software?
How we evaluate and test these software programs
At Hapana, we evaluate gym retention software with one of the best tried and true methods: combing through user feedback. After all, it’s one thing to advertise features - it’s another thing to actually use them.
What makes a Gym Retention Software good?
We look for gym retention software that works for the most important aspects of retaining members: aesthetics, friction reduction, personalization, automation, and ease of use.
Aesthetics
Gym staff may not care about the aesthetics of gym software, but members certainly do. From their scheduling to their payment portal, the aesthetics go a long way - from the font choice to the colors.
Friction reduction
It’s crucial that software for gyms and boutique fitness studios aims to reduce friction across the board. Each touchpoint should be made easier. We look for software that isn’t constantly suffering from bugs; that does what it says, and that makes processes easier and smoother.
Personalization
Motivation hinges on tracking metrics. The best gym software should be able to easily track different fitness metrics, track streaks, and so on. This is key to retention.
Automation
Automation is similar to friction reduction but deserves a category of its own. It’s important that gym software doesn’t aim to automate processes that are actually better done by humans - for example, reconciling a payment made in error. No one wants to navigate through help documents or talk to a chatbot when it comes to bugs or errors. Instead, automation should aim at freeing up staff to focus their attention on member experience.
Ease of use
Ease of use is, of course, crucial for retaining members - and without being intuitive or easy, all the other categories are rendered useless.
The best gym retention software for rapidly growing franchises
Hapana
Hapana has been built from the ground up for gym member retention. With clean, modern schedules for your members, easy substitution if your trainer pulls out last minute, and dynamic, tailorable timetables, Hapana makes the experience feel frictionless.
One of Hapana’s standout features is its focus on apps for member experience. The everyday app for members is visually impressive and intuitive, allowing the user to access all their data and timetabling.
Hapana has also recently released a challenge app feature, which allows studios to organize fitness challenges for their members.
For these reasons, Hapana is one of the best options on the market for multi-location gyms and fitness studios looking to improve their member retention.
Do you want to boost your retention this year? Speak to our friendly team for a ten-minute demo.
The best gym retention software for big box clubs
Mindbody
When Mindbody first hit the scene, it seemed like the answer to every big box gym's prayers. Picture this: seamless class bookings, slick multi-site management—basically, the gym software equivalent of a perfectly executed deadlift. The idea was simple: make everything so smooth that members stick around for the sheer relief of a hassle-free experience.
However, despite these beneficial features, there are serious challenges reported by users that can get in the way of effective member retention. This shows up all the time in their reviews - which often mention recurring technical issues and system errors that disrupt the booking process, sometimes requiring clients to restart the application or preventing them from booking altogether. Such glitches can lead to frustration among members, potentially increasing churn rates. More critically, the reported decline in customer support quality over the years means that these issues are not resolved swiftly. Persistent negative experiences can overshadow the convenience of the software.
As well as this, Mindbody's complex interface and the lack of intuitive use are another barrier to retention. New or less tech-savvy gym members may find it difficult to navigate the system, which can deter them from engaging fully with the gym’s offerings. The lack of adequate training materials or responsive customer support only makes this worse, possibly leading to a decline in member usage and engagement. Additionally, the high cost of the software coupled with these challenges does not always translate into a high return on investment in terms of member retention, making it a less viable option for gyms that prioritize a straightforward, effective member management and retention strategy.
In conclusion, while Mindbody possesses features that could theoretically support gym member retention, the execution and ongoing operational challenges are really in the way of its effectiveness in this area. The software’s complex build, combined with inadequate customer support, can frustrate members and potentially drive them away, counteracting any retention benefits provided by its functionalities. Therefore, Mindbody may best serve large box gyms with the resources to manage its complexities - but could be a risky choice for smaller fitness studios focused on maximizing member retention and satisfaction.
The best gym retention software for single-site gyms
Glofox
Glofox generally receives praise for its customer service and user-friendly interface, which are crucial elements for maintaining gym retention. Positive reviews often highlight the helpfulness and responsiveness of customer support representatives. This strong support system can go a long way towards user satisfaction, which rolls over into continuous engagement and loyalty to the gym.
It’s worth noting, however, that Glofox seems to collect their reviews straight after the onboarding - ie, during the “honeymoon phase”. Users appreciate the platform's effective onboarding process and the personalized attention they receive, which makes it easier for gym owners and their members to adapt to the system, thereby potentially increasing retention rates through a positive initial experience. On the other hand, it makes it tricky to understand how effective the platform is in the long run, since new clients are surveyed immediately after onboarding.
Even with their review strategy, Glofox does face some criticism that could impact member retention negatively. Some users have reported reliability issues, such as buggy class management systems that can frustrate members by causing booking errors and duplications. These technical issues can disrupt the gym experience and may lead to dissatisfaction among members, risking increased churn rates. At the same time, while the platform aims to be user-friendly, some reviews suggest that it can be a bit frustrating to resolve problems without considerable manual effort, which could take away from the overall efficiency and effectiveness of gym operations.
In summary, while Glofox offers excellent customer support and user-friendly features that could boost gym retention, its technical glitches and sometimes inefficient problem resolution might affect its effectiveness in maintaining member satisfaction in the long run. Given these considerations, Glofox is best suited for single-site gyms where the scale of operations and member management is manageable despite these potential drawbacks.
The best gym retention software for managing personal trainers
Zen Planner
Zen Planner has some great functionality tailored to personal trainers, with useful tools for scheduling and a reported ability to manage client sessions efficiently. Some users appreciate the software's decent capabilities in live support and the general helpfulness of the support staff, even if their authority to resolve issues on the spot is limited. This kind of support is crucial for personal trainers who rely on smooth scheduling and billing to maintain consistent client engagement and retention. The software has the ability to handle various aspects of gym management.
However, Zen Planner has faced some criticism that could impact its effectiveness in gym retention, particularly for broader gym operations. Several reviews hold up a mirror to a pattern of technical issues and customer service failures, including long waits for problem resolution and difficulties in communication. This can be frustrating for gym owners and damaging to client relationships, as unresolved billing and scheduling errors are a huge cause of dissatisfaction and loss of clientele. Some users have even reported abrupt rate increases and poor handling of contract cancellations, which only complicates the management of gym memberships and potentially leading to a decline in member retention.
The software is best recommended for managing personal trainers, where its strengths can be best utilized without as much risk to broader business operations.
The best gym retention software for coaches
Trainerize
Trainerize is appreciated by many for its comprehensive features that help manage client interactions and workout plans, which is obviously good for gym retention by keeping members engaged and accountable. The platform's integration capabilities with various fitness apps and its extensive exercise library are particularly beneficial for some. These features streamline the workout creation process for coaches, and can improve the workout experience for clients, making it easier for gyms to maintain a high level of client engagement and satisfaction.
However, the platform is not without its drawbacks - particularly when it comes to technical issues and usability challenges that can frustrate users and potentially impact client retention negatively. Users report problems with app stability, including frequent crashes and slow load times for videos, which can interrupt the training experience and tarnish the perceived professionalism of the service. Furthermore, the difficulty of navigating the app can deter both trainers and clients.
Overall, while Trainerize offers a range of robust features that can significantly enhance the management and delivery of personal training services, its technical issues need to be addressed to avoid affecting client retention negatively. Trainerize is best suited for coaches who can navigate its complexities and utilize its extensive features to enhance their training services.
The best gym retention software for sole operators
Virtuagym
Virtuagym has received a mix of feedback from its users, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses in its platform, particularly from the perspective of gym retention. On the positive side, many users appreciate Virtuagym for its comprehensive all-in-one solution that supports various aspects of fitness business management, including scheduling, client management, and workout planning. The platform is praised for its ease of use and efficient customer service, with specific compliments directed towards its supportive staff and the simplicity of its booking systems, which can go along way towards the client experience and potentially help out your retention rates.
However, the platform also faces criticism, especially for its customer service and technical issues. We’ve heard a lot of frustration with the difficulty of contacting customer support and the slow response times, which takes away from the user experience - and isn’t great for client retention. Technical glitches, like frequent system outages and problems with user interface, don’t help.
While Virtuagym offers a few features that could support gym retention, their effectiveness is somewhat marred by customer service and technical problems. This makes it best suited for sole operators who can navigate these issues and might not need as robust support systems that larger gyms require.
The best gym retention software for managing the sales process
Club OS
Club OS has a couple robust features tailored towards gym retention and management, especially through its effective tracking and follow-up systems. Users appreciate the software's ability to customize communication with prospects, smoothing out the conversion of leads to members. The platform also gets some praise for its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for even those new to sales or fitness management to navigate and use. These features help both retention and systematic follow-up with both potential and existing gym members.
However, the software's automation features leave something to be desired - such as sending unnecessary or redundant messages. Additionally, like many on the list, the software has a few technical glitches and slow loading times.
Despite some operational challenges, Club OS is best suited for managing the sales process.
Other Gym Retention Software options
- My PT Hub
- Perfect Gym
- PushPress
- Wodify
- FitnessForce
Which is the Best Gym Retention Software overall?
For gyms or fitness studios with more than one location, Hapana is a standout for member retention. With every client-facing aspect carefully considered, Hapana offers a friction-free and impressive experience to members, while internally removing barriers to retention.
Do you want to boost your retention this year? Speak to our friendly team for a ten-minute demo.