Belt & Rank Tracking Features Compared
Belt tracking is the defining feature that separates martial arts software from generic gym software. But not all belt tracking is created equal. Here's how the top platforms compare on every dimension of rank management.
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What Good Belt Tracking Looks Like
The minimum viable belt tracking system allows you to assign a belt level to each student and change it when they promote. That's table stakes. A genuinely useful belt tracking system does much more:
Customizable belt levels
You define the belts, stripes, and names — not the software vendor. A BJJ school shouldn't have to fit into a karate template.
Stripe/tip tracking
For arts with stripe systems (BJJ, many karate styles), tracking individual stripe milestones within each belt is essential.
Attendance-tied milestones
The best systems let you set a minimum attendance count as a prerequisite for promotion eligibility. A student can't test for blue belt until they've attended 120 classes.
Curriculum requirements
Define what techniques or forms a student must know for each belt. The software flags when they've met the knowledge requirements.
Promotion event management
Schedule group testing events, automatically identify eligible students, send invitations, and record results in bulk.
Student-facing visibility
Students should be able to see their own progression history in the member portal. This is a retention and motivation tool.
Platform-by-Platform Comparison
Zen Planner
Best overall belt tracking
The gold standard. Handles the most complex BJJ stripe systems and traditional multi-stripe karate systems with equal depth.
Kicksite
Solid for most schools
Handles standard belt progression well. Less granular milestone tracking than Zen Planner. Adequate for most single-discipline schools.
PerfectMind
Enterprise belt management
Matches Zen Planner in depth but adds enterprise-level reporting and centralized curriculum management across multiple locations.
WellnessLiving
Basic rank tracking
Adequate for schools where belt tracking is secondary. Lacks the depth needed for serious martial arts promotion workflows.
Wodify
Minimal — not a focus
Belt tracking is clearly not a Wodify priority. Only suitable for MMA gyms where formal ranking is informal or absent.
Bottom Line on Belt Tracking
If belt tracking is central to your school's operations — and for most martial arts schools it is — Zen Planner and PerfectMind are in a class by themselves. Kicksite covers most schools' needs at a lower price. WellnessLiving and Wodify should not be primary considerations for schools where promotion management is a core function.