Gym Management Software UK: Prices in GBP (2026)

For a UK gym, published management software prices run from £0 to £179 a month plus VAT for one site, and most small gyms will land between £60 and £180 a month before payment fees. Direct Debit collection adds roughly 20p to 45p per member per month on top, which on a 200-member gym is often a bigger line than people expect.

Most guides that rank for this search are written by a vendor about its own product, or priced in US dollars for US card billing. This one is for UK owners. It covers the prices UK-facing platforms publish in pounds, what Direct Debit really costs per member, the VAT and UK GDPR points that change how you set the software up, and a worked example for a 200-member gym. All prices were read from each vendor's own page on 11 November 2026.

What UK gym software costs in 2026

Prices are per month, for one location, excluding VAT unless stated. Several UK-popular platforms (Resamania, Glofox, ClubWise) don't publish a base price at all, so they appear at the bottom as quote-only.

A few things stand out once the prices sit side by side.

ClubRight and Coacha don't charge more as you grow. Clubworx, TeamUp and Gymdesk do. A flat £99 looks expensive next to a £60 plan for a 90-member gym, but once you pass a tier boundary the order can flip. Price the platform at the member count you expect in 18 months, not today.

TeamUp, Gymflow and Gymdesk all sell to UK gyms, but their base prices are shown in US dollars even when you pick pounds on the page. Your monthly cost will move with the exchange rate unless the vendor agrees a GBP price in writing. Ask for that before you sign.

Some platforms include a member app; others charge £50 to £79 a month for it, or more for a fully branded one. If a branded app is the reason you're switching, that add-on is part of the real price. We look at this trade-off in more detail in white label fitness app vs custom.

If you want US-dollar prices for the big US platforms (Mindbody, PushPress, Zen Planner and others), our gym management software cost comparison covers 18 of them.

Direct Debit: the cost most UK comparisons skip

UK gyms collect most membership fees by Direct Debit through Bacs, not by card. That changes the fee maths. Card fees are a percentage of the payment; Direct Debit fees are usually a small fixed fee, a percentage with a cap, or both.

Here is what the main options published on 11 November 2026:

For comparison, Stripe charges 1.5% + 20p on a standard UK card and 2.8% + 20p on a premium UK card.

On a £35 monthly membership, those routes cost between 35p and roughly £1.01 per member per month. That gap looks small until you multiply it out. At 200 members it is the difference between £70 and £202 a month, which is the price of a whole software plan.

Ask three questions in any demo:

1. Is Direct Debit built in, or do I connect my own GoCardless or Stripe account? Who holds the mandates if I leave?
2. What happens on a failed collection? Does the system retry automatically, notify the member, and add a fee? ClubRight states it charges nothing for failed, cancelled or amended Direct Debits; most others don't say.
3. Can the members' bank statements show my gym's name rather than the software company's? ClubRight sells this as a "custom SUN" for £50 a month plus £100 setup. If members don't recognise the name on their statement, some will query or cancel the payment.

The 10-working-day notice rule

Under the Direct Debit Guarantee, the organisation collecting the money will "normally" notify the payer 10 working days before any change to the amount, date or frequency. If something goes wrong, the member is entitled to "a full and immediate refund" from their bank.

In practice this matters for two things gyms do all the time: price rises and freezes. Your software should send the advance notice automatically when you change a plan price, and a freeze that ends should not trigger a surprise collection. Ask the vendor to show you a price rise for 150 members from start to finish, including the notice email.

VAT on memberships: what the software has to handle

A commercial, profit-making gym charges standard-rate VAT (20%) on memberships. There is an exemption for sports services, but it only applies to "eligible bodies". HMRC's VAT Notice 701/45 says an eligible body must be non-profit making, must not distribute profits, and must not be "subject to commercial influence". Exercise and fitness is on the list of qualifying activities, but the exemption depends on who provides it, not what the activity is.

So most private gyms and studios charge VAT, while some community leisure trusts, sports clubs and charities don't, or do so only on parts of what they sell. HMRC also says supplies to social and non-playing members of an exempt club are not exempt.

For your software choice, that means:

• prices should be entered and shown to members VAT-inclusive, because that's what consumers expect to see;
• the system should split VAT out in its reports and in the export to Xero, QuickBooks or Sage, so your bookkeeper isn't recalculating it from gross takings;
• if you run a mix (exempt sports membership plus standard-rated retail, PT or café sales), each product needs its own VAT treatment.

The software vendors are not tax advisers and neither are we. If you think you might be an eligible body, speak to your accountant before you configure anything.

UK GDPR, the ICO fee and fingerprint entry

The data protection fee

Most UK businesses that process personal data have to pay the ICO's data protection fee unless they're exempt. A gym with member records almost always processes personal data. The ICO's fee page sets tier 1 (turnover up to £632,000 or no more than 10 staff) at £52 a year, tier 2 at £78 and tier 3 at £3,763, with £5 off for paying by Direct Debit. It's a small cost, but it is part of running gym software in the UK and it often gets missed.

What your software contract needs

Your gym is the controller of member data, and the software company is usually your processor. Before signing, ask:

• Where is member data hosted? UK or EU hosting keeps things simpler; US hosting is workable but needs the right transfer terms.
• Is there a data processing agreement, and can you export all member and payment data in a usable format if you leave?
• How are health questionnaires (PAR-Q) stored? Health information is special category data under UK GDPR, so it shouldn't sit in a free-text notes field every staff member can read.
• Does the system keep an audit log of who viewed or exported member records?

Fingerprint and face entry

Biometric entry is common in 24-hour gyms. The ICO's biometric recognition guidance says you need a lawful basis and a separate condition for processing special category biometric data, that explicit consent is likely to be the most appropriate condition, and that if you rely on consent you "must offer a suitable alternative to people who choose not to consent". For a gym, that means a fob, card or app QR code alongside the fingerprint reader, and a sign-up flow that records consent properly.

The ICO notes this guidance is under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act, so check the current version before you install readers. Our guide to biometric gym access covers the build side, and gym door access control integration explains how the door hardware talks to the member app.

A worked example: a 200-member UK gym

These numbers are hypothetical, built from the published prices above. Assume one site, 200 members on a £35 monthly membership collected by Direct Debit, and a member app.

Two lessons from a small example. First, the app and collection fees together are bigger than the subscription in Option B. Second, the cheapest headline price didn't produce the cheapest bill. Run the same table with your own member count, price point and payment mix before you shortlist. Our gym software cost calculator does the rent-versus-build side of the same sum.

Things this example leaves out: card payments for PT and retail, SMS bundles, door access hardware, a migration fee if your current provider charges for data export, and staff time spent on the switch.

How to choose: a checklist for UK gyms

Use this when you sit through demos. A platform that can't show you an item live, with your own numbers, doesn't really do it.

1. Direct Debit end to end. Sign-up with a mandate, first collection, a failed payment and retry, a price rise with 10 working days' notice, and a cancellation.
2. GBP pricing in writing. For dollar-priced tools, get the monthly price in pounds and how long it's fixed for.
3. VAT. VAT-inclusive member prices, VAT split out in reports, and a clean export to your accounting software.
4. Contract and exit. ClubRight, Clubworx, TeamUp, Gymdesk and Gymflow all advertise no long-term contract. Ask how you export members, payment history and Direct Debit mandates if you leave.
5. Data and health records. UK or EU hosting, a data processing agreement, restricted access to PAR-Q answers.
6. Door access. Which readers and controllers it supports, and whether a failed payment can automatically block entry.
7. App. Included, add-on, or fully branded, and what it costs at each level.
8. Multi-site. If you might open a second site, check the cost now. ClubRight's multi-site head office is £199 a month extra; Gymdesk charges per extra location.

If you're still building the shortlist, best gym management software by gym type sorts the main platforms by whether you run a big-box gym, a CrossFit box, a boutique studio or a PT studio.

When off-the-shelf stops being enough

Most UK gyms should rent software, not build it. The subscription is cheaper than any build for a single site, and the vendors handle Bacs, card compliance and app store updates.

The case for something custom tends to appear in a few specific situations: a multi-site operator paying several thousand pounds a year in per-location and app fees; a gym whose model (hybrid memberships, corporate wellness contracts, a coaching programme) doesn't fit the plan structures on offer; or an owner who wants the member app to carry their brand and their own features rather than a vendor's template. Even then, the usual answer is to keep the billing platform and build the piece around it, such as a branded member app, a custom booking flow or reporting that joins data from two systems. Our build vs buy framework for gyms walks through that decision.

How Zee Palm helps UK gyms

Zee Palm has built software for health, wellness and fitness businesses since 2017, including UK clients. For one UK Pilates studio we built a virtual training course for new instructors that cut onboarding time by 60%.

We don't resell gym software and have no commission from any vendor above. If you're choosing a platform, we can help you scope requirements and compare the real monthly bill. If you've outgrown one, our gym management software development service builds the branded app, booking flow or integration you need on top of the platform you already pay for. See how we work with gyms and studios.

FAQ

How much does gym management software cost in the UK?

Published UK plans run from free (Clubworx and Coacha, for very small member numbers) to £179 a month plus VAT for one site. Most small gyms will pay £60 to £180 a month for software, plus Direct Debit fees of about 35p to £1 per member per month.

Which gym software works with Direct Debit in the UK?

ClubRight has Direct Debit built in at 40p to 45p per collection. Coacha connects to GoCardless. Many other platforms let you connect your own GoCardless or Stripe account, where Bacs Direct Debit costs 1% + 20p capped at £4 on GoCardless Standard, or 1% with a 20p minimum and £4 cap on Stripe.

Do UK gyms charge VAT on memberships?

Commercial gyms charge standard-rate VAT. HMRC's sport exemption only covers eligible bodies, which must be non-profit making and free of commercial influence. Ask your accountant if you might qualify.

Is fingerprint entry legal for UK gyms?

Yes, but biometric data is special category data under UK GDPR. ICO guidance says explicit consent is likely to be the right condition and that you must offer an alternative, such as a fob or QR code, to members who don't consent.

Do I need to pay the ICO fee as a gym?

Most gyms do, because they keep personal data about members. Tier 1 is £52 a year for businesses with turnover up to £632,000 or no more than 10 staff, with £5 off when paid by Direct Debit.

Sources

All checked on 11 November 2026.

• ClubRight pricing: https://clubright.co.uk/pricing
• Clubworx UK pricing: https://www.clubworx.com/pricing-uk
• Coacha UK pricing: https://www.coacha.co.uk/Pricing/Pricing-UK
• Gymcatch pricing: https://gymcatch.com/pricing
• TeamUp pricing: https://goteamup.com/pricing
• Gymflow pricing: https://gymflow.io/pricing
• Gymdesk pricing: https://www.gymdesk.com/pricing
• GoCardless pricing: https://gocardless.com/pricing/
• Stripe UK pricing: https://stripe.com/gb/pricing
• Direct Debit Guarantee: https://directdebit.co.uk/direct-debit-explained/direct-debit-guarantee/
• HMRC VAT Notice 701/45, Sport: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-70145-sport
• ICO data protection fee: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-fee/data-protection-fee/
• ICO biometric recognition guidance: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/lawful-basis/biometric-data-guidance-biometric-recognition/how-do-we-process-biometric-data-lawfully/