Pike13 vs Zen Planner
Zen Planner scores 7.2/10 vs 6.5/10. Best for: Single-location martial arts schools, CrossFit boxes, and yoga studios under 300 members who want transparent member-count pricing with no feature gating.
Zen Planner scores higher overall at 7.2/10 vs 6.5/10. Buy Zen Planner if you run a single-location martial arts school, CrossFit box, or yoga studio under 300 members and want simple, transparent pricing with all features included. Skip if you need marketing automation or a branded app without paying $250+/mo in add-ons, because the extras get expensive fast.
Pike13
Zen Planner Rank
#20 of 21
Rank
#17 of 21
Features
15/18
Features
18/18
Starting at
$129/mo
Starting at
$99/mo
User reviews
3.7/5 (191)
User reviews
4.3/5 (365)
What they cost
| Pike13 | Zen Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting at | $129 /mo | $99 /mo |
| Free trial | 7 days | No |
| Number of plans | 3 | 4 |
What the pricing really means
At first glance, Zen Planner looks cheaper at $99/month vs $129/month. But sticker price is only part of the story. Look at what is included on the base plan, how many users you get, and whether you need add-ons to get the features you actually need. The $99/month plan that requires $200 in add-ons is actually more expensive than the $250/month plan that includes everything.
Where Pike13 wins
- Unlimited staff seats and client profiles included in all plans at no extra cost
- Clean scheduling interface that handles both group classes and private sessions well
- Robust API with Core and Reporting endpoints for custom integrations
- Responsive customer support with knowledgeable team
Where Zen Planner wins
- Member-count pricing with no feature gating: you get every feature at every price level, from $99/mo (0-50 members) up to $348/mo (251+ members)
- Belt and rank tracking built in for martial arts schools. Karate, BJJ, and taekwondo gyms can track student progression without a separate system
- All core features included at the base price. Scheduling, billing, attendance, and member management are never locked behind an upgrade
- Month-to-month contract. No annual commitment, cancel any time without penalty
Where Pike13 falls short
- Frequent performance issues with site slowdowns and 500 errors during peak usage
- User interface can feel unintuitive with features hidden in unexpected places
- No built-in marketing tools or website builder
- Reporting is not intuitive and can be frustratingly slow to generate
Where Zen Planner falls short
- Add-ons inflate costs fast: website ($99/mo), marketing ($249/mo), and branded app ($39/mo) can push total spend over $500/mo
- Users report persistent bugs in scheduling and billing modules. Expect occasional glitches that require workarounds or support tickets
- Some gym owners report difficulty canceling their account or getting refunds for overbilled months
- Workout programming is basic compared to Exercise.com or Wodify. Strength and conditioning coaches will find it limiting
Who is each product built for?
Pike13
Target: 50-500 members
Pike13 works well for boutique studios that need solid scheduling and client management with unlimited users. However, the recurring performance and reliability issues are a serious concern, and the lack of marketing tools means you will need separate software for outreach. At $129-$299/month with no workout programming features, it is a mid-tier investment for a focused toolset.
Zen Planner
Target: 1-5 locations
Buy Zen Planner if you run a single-location martial arts school, CrossFit box, or yoga studio under 300 members and want simple, transparent pricing with all features included. Skip if you need marketing automation or a branded app without paying $250+/mo in add-ons, because the extras get expensive fast.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Pike13 | Zen Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling & Booking | ||
| Class/session scheduling | ||
| Online booking | ||
| Attendance tracking | ||
| Members & Staff | ||
| Member management | ||
| Membership plans | ||
| Staff management | ||
| Client portal/app | ||
| Payments & Billing | ||
| Payment processing | ||
| Automated billing | ||
| Retail/POS | ||
| Fitness Tools | ||
| Workout/program builder | ||
| Mobile app (client) | ||
| Mobile app (staff) | ||
| Waivers/forms | ||
| Marketing & Growth | ||
| Website builder | ||
| Marketing/email tools | ||
| Reporting/analytics | ||
| Integrations/API | ||
Common questions
Zen Planner scores 7.2/10 vs Pike13's 6.5/10 in our ranking. Zen Planner is the better pick for 1-5 locations. Pike13 is better if you need boutique fitness studios and wellness businesses offering a mix of group classes and private sessions that need clean scheduling and solid billing.
Pike13 starts at $129/month. Zen Planner starts at $99/month. Watch for add-on costs — the base price often does not include all features. Pricing last verified 2026-03-01.
Pike13: Yes, 7-day free trial. Zen Planner: No free trial. Always test with your actual workflow before committing to an annual plan.
Pike13 covers 15 of 18 features we track. Zen Planner covers 18 of 18. Zen Planner has broader feature coverage, but more features does not always mean better — pick the tool that covers what your business actually needs.
No, Pike13 does not have a mobile app. Zen Planner does not have one either.
Yes. The main effort is migrating your data (customer lists, job history, invoices). Plan for 1-2 weeks of overlap where you run both. Most gym & fitness studio tools can import CSV data. Ask both vendors about migration support before you sign.
The bottom line
Pick Pike13 if...
Boutique fitness studios and wellness businesses offering a mix of group classes and private sessions that need clean scheduling and solid billing.
Pick Zen Planner if...
Single-location martial arts schools, CrossFit boxes, and yoga studios under 300 members who want transparent member-count pricing with no feature gating