ClassIQ vs Kicksite
Kicksite has run martial-arts schools since 2007, and its belt-testing workflow is genuinely deep. ClassIQ is the newer system: a modern member experience, waitlists, automations, retail, and payments on a Stripe account you own — with zero markup. If your school lives on belt-testing events and free blast texting, Kicksite earns its keep. If you want the front door, billing, and growth loops to run themselves, keep reading.
Kicksite details from public pages, verified July 26, 2026 · spot something outdated? Tell us
Why owners move from Kicksite.
Own your payment relationship
Kicksite processes through its partner Basys (or Stripe abroad) with package fees from $29/mo — and when you leave, cancelling the merchant account is on you. ClassIQ connects your own Stripe account: published rates, no gateway fee, nothing to unwind later.
A front door that runs itself
Full classes just close in Kicksite — no waitlist, no auto-promotion, and no late-cancel or no-show policy engine. ClassIQ promotes from the waitlist automatically and applies your attendance policy evenly, with fees if you want them.
Growth loops, not just blasts
Kicksite sends one-way blasts well, but has no referral rewards and its automations center on prospects. ClassIQ adds referral codes with two-sided rewards, lifecycle journeys for current members, and a portal members manage themselves.
Feature by feature.
The whole surface, including where Kicksite is ahead. Kicksite's column reflects their public docs and pricing pages as of July 26, 2026 — corrections welcome.
Where Kicksite genuinely wins.
Belt-testing events, end to end
Time-at-rank and attendance eligibility rules build the candidate list automatically; invites, test fees, and bulk promotion all happen inside the event. The deepest testing workflow in the category.
Free unlimited texting
Unlimited one-way SMS and email blasts are included at every tier. ClassIQ is email-first today, with SMS as a transactional add-on.
Eighteen years of martial-arts focus
Purpose-built for schools since 2007, 2,000+ of them, with a high-touch support reputation (4.8 on Capterra) and a rank-gated curriculum media library ClassIQ does not have.
If those are the features your studio runs on, Kicksite may be the right tool — and this page should make that easy to see.
The gateway fee is the quiet one.
Kicksite's flat-rate card package runs 2.9% + 25¢ plus a $29 monthly gateway fee; the card-and-ACH package is $49/mo with a $35 setup fee; the no-cost-to-you option charges your students a 3.75% service fee instead. ClassIQ has no gateway fee and adds 0% — Stripe's published rate is the whole story, and it settles into an account you own.
Switching is our job, not yours.
Done-for-you migration
Export your members from Kicksite (or hand us the spreadsheet) and we import them — mapped, previewed, and verified before anything goes live. Included, not an add-on.
Your Stripe account, not ours
Payments run on a Stripe account you own. Saved cards and payment history stay yours — including if you ever leave ClassIQ.
No contract holding the door
Month-to-month, no setup fee, CSV export any time. If ClassIQ stops earning its keep, leaving is a download — the same standard we'd hold Kicksite to.
Common questions.
- Can I move my members from Kicksite to ClassIQ?
- Yes — export your students from Kicksite's reports (or send us whatever you have) and we run the import for you: mapped, previewed, and verified before anything goes live. Saved cards can't be pulled out of Kicksite's processor, so members add a card once at their next payment and ClassIQ chases the stragglers.
- Does ClassIQ handle belt testing?
- Yes. Progression tracks model belts, levels, and certifications; eligibility accrues from attendance; assessments record the result; and cohorts give you the test-day roster. Paid gradings run through events with tickets. Kicksite's dedicated belt-testing event flow is more specialized — if that exact workflow is your school's heartbeat, weigh it seriously.
- What does ClassIQ cost compared to Kicksite?
- Under 26 students, Kicksite's $49 tier is cheaper on software. From 26 students the two match at about $99/mo, and past 100 students Kicksite is $199 while ClassIQ stays flat — all before processing fees, where ClassIQ adds nothing and Kicksite's packages start at $29/mo plus rates.
- Is ClassIQ actually built for martial arts?
- Honestly: not yet in the wild. ClassIQ has run a real gym every day since 2023 — a HIIT studio, not a dojo. The martial-arts specifics are built rather than borrowed: progression tracks model belts and stripes, assessments record gradings, cohorts give you the test-day roster, and terminology renames every noun so members see "student" and "session". Family accounts, waivers, and kiosk check-in are first-class too.
Kicksite is a trademark of its owner, which isn't affiliated with ClassIQ and hasn't endorsed this page. Competitor details come from the public pages below, last verified July 26, 2026; prices and features change, so check with Kicksite before deciding on numbers alone. See something wrong or stale? Email us and we'll fix it fast.
See it on your own schedule.
A demo is thirty minutes, founder to owner. Bring the spreadsheet — or the export from your current system. Migration is included.
Book a demo