Best Software for Kids Martial Arts Programs
Kids programs are the lifeblood of most martial arts schools — and managing them requires software that handles family accounts, parent communications, youth-specific billing, and age-appropriate belt tracking. Generic gym software often falls short here. These are the platforms that do it best.
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Why Kids Programs Need Special Attention
Managing a kids martial arts program is fundamentally different from managing adult members. With kids, you're billing and communicating with parents — not the student. That means your software needs parent accounts that can manage multiple children, sibling discount billing, parent portal access for viewing attendance and belt progress, and communication tools geared toward busy parents rather than adults who check their email regularly.
Youth belt systems also tend to be different from adult systems — many schools use colored stripes, tip systems, or youth-specific intermediate ranks between standard belts to keep young students motivated and progressing. Your software needs to accommodate these youth-specific rank structures.
Critical for Kids Programs
- Family accounts with parent access
- Sibling discount billing automation
- Parent email/SMS notifications
- Youth-specific belt/stripe systems
- Age-appropriate program separation
- Attendance visible to parents
- Belt promotion celebration tools
Helpful Additions
- ✓Birthday notifications for retention
- ✓Youth performance award tracking
- ✓After-school program scheduling
- ✓Camp and workshop management
- ✓Homework club/enrichment add-ons
- ✓Parent mobile app access
Top Picks for Kids Program Management
🥇 Zen Planner — Best for Schools with Large Youth Programs
From $99/month · 30-day free trial
Zen Planner handles family accounts and youth programs better than most platforms. Parents can access their child's account to see attendance, belt history, and upcoming events. Family billing automatically applies sibling discounts based on rules you define. The youth-specific belt system is flexible enough to handle tip and stripe systems that motivate younger students.
The platform also supports youth after-school programs and summer camps with separate scheduling and billing — useful for schools that run enrichment programs beyond regular classes. If more than 40% of your school is kids, Zen Planner's family management tools are worth the premium over budget alternatives.
Start Free Trial🥈 Kicksite — Best Value for Youth-Focused Schools
From $79/month · 14-day free trial
Kicksite handles family accounts and kids programs well at a competitive price. Parent accounts, sibling billing, and youth belt tracking are all included. For schools where the youth program is the primary focus and budget is a priority, Kicksite covers 90% of what Zen Planner offers at a lower monthly cost.
Also Consider: Spark Membership for Trial-to-Member Conversion
$149/month flat
If your biggest challenge is converting trial class students (and their parents) into long-term members, Spark Membership's trial funnel automation tools are excellent. The automated follow-up sequences and referral tracking work well for kids-focused schools that rely heavily on parent word-of-mouth.
Family Billing Tips for Martial Arts Schools
Most martial arts schools offer some form of sibling or family discount. The most common structures are: a flat family rate (e.g., $199/month for any number of family members), a percentage discount on each additional sibling (e.g., 10% off for second child, 15% off for third), or a capped family maximum (e.g., full rate for first two, free for additional children).
Zen Planner and Kicksite both handle these billing structures natively. You define your family discount rules once, and the system applies them automatically when a second family member enrolls. This eliminates manual billing adjustments and billing errors that frustrate parents.