For any gym owner, the revolving door of member churn can be a constant source of frustration. You work hard to build a fantastic community and offer top-tier classes, yet keeping members engaged long-term is an ongoing battle. Managing everything with spreadsheets, scattered notes, and separate payment systems quickly becomes overwhelming, leading to missed opportunities and administrative headaches. This is precisely where a dedicated gym CRM transforms your operations from reactive to proactive. By centralizing member data, automating communication, and streamlining bookings, this software acts as the digital heart of your fitness business. This guide will explore why a gym CRM is essential and detail the key features that will help you build a more connected and profitable community. In this guide, I highly recommend the following products:
1. Lark: The fully customizable gym operations hub
2. Zoho CRM: The sales and marketing engine
3. HubSpot: The inbound marketing champion
4. Mindbody: The enterprise-level studio manager
5. Monday CRM: The visual pipeline tracker
6. Insightly: The project-focused CRM
7. Zen Planner: The specialist for boxes and dojos
8. TeamUp: The simple solution for studios
Why your gym needs CRM
In today's competitive fitness market, running a successful gym is about more than just great equipment and trainers; it's about building lasting relationships. A gym CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform is a specialized tool designed to manage every interaction you have with your members and leads. It moves you beyond simple spreadsheets and into a dynamic system that actively works to grow your business. Think of it as your most reliable employee—one that never sleeps and handles all the critical administrative tasks flawlessly.
By automating daily operations like class reminders and payment collection, you and your staff are freed up to focus on what truly matters: engaging with members on the gym floor. A CRM allows you to track attendance, celebrate milestones, and send personalized messages that make members feel seen and valued. This level of personalized engagement is the key to boosting retention, turning new clients into loyal advocates for your brand, and building a thriving fitness community that stands the test of time.
Key features of a great gym CRM
Member management
This is the foundation of any good gym software. It provides a central, organized database for every member profile, containing everything from contact details and membership type to visit history and signed waivers. This unified view allows your staff to quickly access information and provide personalized service at every touchpoint.
Automated billing and payment processing
Manually chasing late payments is a drain on your time and can create awkward interactions with members. A robust gym CRM automates recurring billing, sends professional invoices, and securely processes payments. It should also automatically notify members—and you—of any failed transactions, simplifying the entire revenue collection process.
Class scheduling and booking
An intuitive scheduling system is crucial for a positive member experience. Look for a platform that offers a clear, easy-to-use calendar that members can access from a mobile app or your website. Great systems also include features like automated waitlists that notify members when a spot opens up, maximizing class attendance.
Lead management and marketing automation
Your CRM should be your primary tool for growth. It needs features to capture leads from your website or social media and tools to nurture them with automated email or SMS campaigns. You can set up workflows to re-engage past members or send special offers to prospects who attended a trial class, all without manual effort.
Reporting and analytics
Making informed business decisions requires data, not guesswork. A powerful gym CRM provides easy-to-understand dashboards with key metrics like member attendance, class popularity, revenue trends, and retention rates. These insights help you optimize your schedule and focus your marketing efforts where they will have the most impact.
Customizable forms and approvals
Beyond standard registration, gyms often need custom forms for things like personal training intake, feedback surveys, or special event sign-ups. The ability to create these forms and even manage internal approval processes—like staff requests for time off—within the same system brings all operational workflows into one place.
The best gym CRMs at a glance
In-depth reviews of the top 8 gym CRM platforms
1. Lark: The fully customizable gym operations hub
Overview
Lark stands out as a uniquely flexible platform that allows you to build a completely custom gym CRM without needing to code. Instead of forcing you into a rigid, pre-built system, it provides powerful building blocks—most notably Lark Base—that you can shape to match your gym's specific operational workflow. This makes it an ideal choice for gym owners who want total control over their data and processes, from lead intake and member onboarding to staff management and reporting.
Key features
Lark Base for member & lead management: Think of Base as a super-powered spreadsheet. You can create a database to serve as your central gym CRM, with detailed records for each member and lead. Each record can store contact info, membership type, join date, payment status, and signed waivers. You can even create linked records to track attendance for specific classes or personal training sessions, giving you a complete 360-degree view of every member.
Lark Forms for seamless lead capture: This feature allows you to create custom online forms that feed directly into your Lark Base. You can embed a "Free Trial Pass" or "Membership Inquiry" form on your website or share it via a QR code at your front desk. When a prospect fills it out, a new lead record is automatically created in your CRM, ready for your sales team to follow up.
Workflow automation for effortless onboarding: You can set up powerful automations within your gym CRM. For example, when a lead's status in your Base is changed from "Prospect" to "New Member," an automated workflow can trigger a series of actions: send a welcome email with gym rules, create a task for a trainer to schedule an orientation, and add the member to a "New Members" group chat. This ensures a consistent and professional onboarding experience for everyone.
Custom dashboards for data-driven decisions: Lark Base allows you to build custom, real-time dashboards directly from your CRM data. You can create charts to visualize monthly revenue, track lead conversion rates, monitor class attendance trends, or see which membership packages are most popular. This provides instant access to the key performance indicators (KPIs) you need to run your business effectively.
Mobile CRM for your team on the go: The Lark mobile app gives your staff full access to the gym CRM from anywhere. Trainers can check class rosters on their phones, front desk staff can look up member details on a tablet, and managers can review performance dashboards while away from the gym. This ensures your entire team is connected and has the information they need at their fingertips.
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Starter plan: Free forever plan that includes 11 powerful tools for up to 20 users. It also comes with 100GB of storage, 1000 automation runs, AI translations, and more.
Pro plan: $12/user/month (billed annually) for up to 500 users. It includes everything in Starter plus group calling for up to 500 attendees, 15TB of storage, 50,000 automation runs, and more.
Enterprise plan: Contact sales for custom pricing. Supports unlimited users and includes even more automation runs and advanced security, compliance, and management features.
Reviews
Users consistently praise Lark for its incredible flexibility and value. The ability to create sophisticated, custom business solutions like a gym CRM on a platform that is affordable (or even free) is often highlighted as a game-changer for small and growing businesses.
Best for
Hands-on gym owners and managers who want to build a powerful, custom gym CRM and operations system perfectly tailored to their business, without the high cost of custom software development.
2. Zoho CRM: The sales and marketing engine
Image source: zoho.com
Overview
Zoho CRM is a powerhouse for sales and marketing, making it a strong choice for gyms focused on aggressive growth and lead generation. It offers a deep set of tools to manage the entire sales pipeline, from capturing leads to converting them into long-term members.
Key features
Advanced lead nurturing: Create complex, automated email and SMS workflows based on lead behavior.
Sales gamification: Use badges and contests to motivate your sales staff to hit membership targets.
Comprehensive analytics: Deeply analyze your sales funnel to see where leads are dropping off.
Limitations
Its core focus is on sales, not day-to-day gym operations like class scheduling or member check-ins. You would likely need to integrate it with another tool for those functions.
Price
Offers a free-forever plan for up to 3 users. Paid plans with more automation features start at $20 per user/month.
Reviews
Praised for its extensive feature set and customization capabilities within the sales process. Some users find the interface can be complex and takes time to master.
Best for
Gyms with a dedicated sales team that needs a powerful tool to manage a high volume of leads and automate marketing communication.
3. HubSpot: The inbound marketing champion
Image source: dhiwise.com
Overview
HubSpot is renowned for its exceptional marketing automation and free CRM. It's built for businesses that want to attract customers through content, making it ideal for gyms that use blogs, social media, and SEO to generate leads.
Key features
Free CRM: A robust free CRM to track leads and member interactions.
Marketing hub: Best-in-class tools for email marketing, landing page creation, and social media management.
Sales hub: Tools to manage your sales pipeline and track deals effectively.
Limitations
HubSpot becomes expensive quickly as you add more contacts or move into their professional-tier hubs. It lacks built-in gym-specific features like class booking and member self-service.
Price
The free tools are excellent. Paid "Starter" bundles combining CRM, Marketing, and Sales features begin around $50/month.
Reviews
Universally loved for its user-friendly interface and the educational resources it provides. The main criticism is its high cost for scaling businesses.
Best for
Fitness businesses that are heavily invested in content marketing (blogging, social media, ebooks) to attract and nurture new member leads.
4. Mindbody: The enterprise-level studio manager
Image source: mindbody.com
Overview
Mindbody is one of the most well-known names in the wellness industry. It’s a comprehensive, feature-rich platform designed to manage every aspect of a large-scale gym, studio, or spa, from the front desk to marketing.
Key features
Consumer marketplace: Lists your classes on the Mindbody app, exposing your gym to a massive audience of potential new members.
AI front desk: An automated receptionist that can answer calls and book appointments via text.
Integrated POS: A complete point-of-sale system for selling memberships, class packs, and retail products.
Limitations
The platform can be complex and expensive, making it overkill for smaller studios. Some users also report frustration with customer support response times.
Price
Pricing starts around $159/month and increases significantly for more advanced features and larger businesses.
Reviews
Valued by large businesses for its all-encompassing feature set. The cost and complexity are common complaints from smaller operators.
Best for
Large, established fitness clubs, multi-location studios, and wellness centers that need a powerful, all-in-one solution and can benefit from its consumer marketplace.
5. Monday CRM: The visual pipeline tracker
Image source: monday.com
Overview
Built on the popular monday.com work OS, monday CRM is a highly visual platform for managing sales pipelines and customer data. Its strength lies in its colorful, intuitive interface that makes tracking member journeys feel like managing a project board.
Key features
Visual dashboards: Easily build and customize dashboards to track your most important gym metrics.
Centralized communication: Keep all emails and notes related to a specific member or lead in one place.
Template library: Start quickly with pre-built templates for sales pipelines, contact management, and more.
Limitations
It's a general CRM, not one built specifically for gyms, so it lacks native features for class scheduling, check-ins, or automated billing for memberships.
Price
Starts at $10 per user/month, with a minimum requirement of 3 users.
Reviews
Users love the visual interface and how easy it is to customize boards and workflows. Its lack of gym-specific features is its main drawback for this use case.
Best for
Gyms that prioritize a highly visual way to track the new member sales process and want a platform that is easy for the whole team to adopt.
6. Insightly: The project-focused CRM
Image source: insightly.com
Overview
Insightly is a unique CRM that tightly integrates project management into its platform. This makes it a great fit for gyms that run specific, time-based programs like 8-week transformation challenges, bootcamps, or personal training packages.
Key features
Integrated project management: Convert a "won" deal into a project, and manage all the tasks and milestones associated with it.
Customizable pipelines: Create distinct pipelines to manage different member journeys (e.g., a "New Member" pipeline vs. a "6-Week Challenge" pipeline).
Advanced reporting: Build custom reports and dashboards to track both sales and project progress.
Limitations
The interface can feel dated compared to more modern CRMs, and the sheer number of features can be overwhelming for simple gym operations.
Price
Plans start at $29 per user/month.
Reviews
Praised for its powerful combination of CRM and project management. Some users find it less intuitive than other options on the market.
Best for
Personal training studios and gyms that are heavily project-based, running numerous bootcamps or fitness challenges with distinct timelines and tasks.
7. Zen Planner: The specialist for boxes and dojos
Image source: softwareadvice.com
Overview
Zen Planner is a purpose-built gym management software designed with the specific needs of CrossFit boxes, martial arts schools, and boutique fitness studios in mind. It focuses on the features that matter most to these types of businesses.
Key features
Workout tracking (WODs): Members can view and log their results for the "Workout of the Day" directly in the app.
Skills & level tracking: Excellent for martial arts or gymnastics, allowing you to track member progress through different belt or skill levels.
Member self-service: An easy-to-use member app for booking classes, viewing schedules, and updating payment information.
Limitations
Its feature set is highly specialized, which means it may lack the broader business and marketing tools found in more general-purpose CRMs.
Price
Pricing starts around $140/month, based on the number of active members.
Reviews
Highly regarded within the CrossFit and martial arts communities for understanding their unique needs. The price point can be a barrier for very small or new gyms.
Best for
CrossFit boxes, martial arts dojos, and any fitness studio that requires detailed workout and skill-level tracking for its members.
8. TeamUp: The simple solution for studios
Image source: teamup.com
Overview
TeamUp is designed to be a simple, flexible, and user-friendly management software for class-based fitness businesses. It strips away unnecessary complexity to provide a streamlined experience for both studio owners and their members.
Key features
On-demand content hub: Easily host and sell access to a library of pre-recorded workout videos for members.
Family memberships: Allows a single person to manage and pay for the bookings of multiple family members from one account.
Simple, scalable pricing: Pricing is based on the number of active members, making it predictable and affordable as you grow.
Limitations
It may not have the advanced marketing automation or deep reporting capabilities that larger, data-heavy gyms might require.
Price
Starts at a very accessible $49/month and scales up as your member base grows.
Reviews
Users love its simplicity, excellent customer support, and fair pricing model. It's often praised as being powerful without being bloated.
Best for
Independent yoga studios, Pilates instructors, and small to mid-sized class-based fitness businesses looking for an easy-to-use and affordable management solution.
How to choose the right gym CRM for your fitness business
Step 1: Define your gym's unique needs
Before you get swayed by flashy features, take a moment to look inward. What are the biggest administrative challenges you face daily? Is it chasing down payments, managing chaotic class waitlists, or failing to follow up with new leads? Clearly define your primary goals—whether it’s improving member retention, increasing new sign-ups, or simply saving your staff time—to create a "must-have" feature list.
Step 2: Evaluate key factors
Use your "must-have" list to objectively evaluate your top contenders. Consider the total cost of ownership, including any hidden payment processing or setup fees. Assess the ease of use for both your front desk staff and your members; a complicated system won't get used. Finally, ensure the software can integrate with your existing website and that its customer support has a strong reputation.
Step 3: Test your top choices with your team
Never make this decision alone. Sign up for free trials or book live demos for your top two or three choices. Involve your trainers and front-desk staff in the testing process. They are the ones who will use the software every day, and their feedback is invaluable. A platform that looks great on paper might feel clunky in a real-world, busy gym environment.
Conclusion
In a competitive fitness landscape, a powerful gym CRM is no longer a luxury—it's the engine for growth and retention. By automating administrative tasks, you free up your team to do what they do best: build relationships and foster community on the gym floor. From specialized solutions like Zen Planner to all-in-one platforms like Mindbody, the "best" software is the one that fits your unique business model. Investing time to choose the right system will pay dividends in member loyalty and operational efficiency. For those seeking ultimate control and customization, a flexible platform like Lark offers the unique ability to build a gym CRM that adapts perfectly to your processes, ensuring your software works for you, not the other way around.
FAQs
What CRM do gyms use?
Gyms use a variety of specialized CRMs and management software like Mindbody, Zen Planner, and Glofox. For those needing a more custom solution to manage unique operations, flexible platforms like Lark are an excellent choice to build a tailored gym CRM system.
What CRM does YMCA use?
Many YMCA locations use enterprise-level member management software from providers like Daxko or Traction Rec, which is built on the Salesforce platform. These systems are designed to handle the scale and specific community-focused needs of large, multi-faceted organizations like the YMCA.
What CRM does LA Fitness use?
Large national chains like LA Fitness typically use a proprietary, custom-built internal system for their member management, billing, and check-ins. This allows them to have a solution that is perfectly tailored to their specific operational scale and business model across thousands of locations.
What CRM does Anytime Fitness use?
Anytime Fitness, as a major franchise, provides its franchisees with a proprietary suite of software for club management. This ensures consistency across all locations and includes tools for member check-ins (key fob access), billing, and global reciprocity between gyms.
