Head-to-Head
NextKick vs Kicksite
Kicksite hasn't kept up. See what modern martial arts software looks like.
Feature-by-Feature
Why martial arts schools move from Kicksite to NextKick
Kicksite has been around a long time and covers the basics of running a martial arts school. The owners who moved to NextKick were rarely leaving because something was broken — they were leaving because the pieces students and parents actually touch had not kept pace, and because per-student pricing punished the growth they were working for.
Last reviewed . Competitor figures are what switching owners reported on the plans they were using.
Flat pricing instead of per-student pricing
Kicksite's published range was $49–$199/mo on the plans owners described, tiered by student count. NextKick is $150/mo flat no matter how many students you enroll. That inverts the incentive: a school growing from 150 to 300 students pays the same for software, so the cost of every new enrollment is zero on the software line.
The student and parent app
This was the most cited gap. Parents expect to check the schedule, see their child's rank, and pay from their phone. NextKick includes a branded student and parent app; the owners who switched reported Kicksite did not give them a comparable app experience on the plan they had.
Tools that were not there before
Face recognition check-in removes the front-desk bottleneck at the 5pm rush. AI-assisted tools draft your parent communications and flag students whose attendance is slipping before they quit. An integrated eStore sells uniforms and sparring gear against the same student accounts you already bill.
Processing fees compound quietly
Kicksite users reported 2.9% + $0.25 per transaction; NextKick is 2.5% with no per-transaction adder. On 200 monthly tuition charges averaging $150, that per-transaction quarter alone is $50 a month, and the rate difference adds roughly $120 more. It is not dramatic in any single month, which is exactly why it goes unnoticed for years.
Switching from Kicksite
Kicksite schools typically send us three things: the member list with belt rank, the attendance history, and the list of active autopays. Because Kicksite plans were tiered by student count, owners often have inactive or archived students they were paying for — we import those as inactive so your reactivation campaigns can still reach them without inflating the roster. Rank history is mapped onto NextKick's testing cycles so eligibility for the next belt carries over on day one.
- Free data migration, done by our team
- Parallel billing through your first cycle
- No contract, no setup fee
Kicksite vs NextKick — common questions
What is the best Kicksite alternative for a martial arts school?
For schools that want to stay martial-arts-specific rather than move to general gym software, NextKick is the closest like-for-like replacement: belt and rank tracking, testing cycles, family accounts, and a student app, at $150/mo flat with free migration.
Does NextKick charge per student like Kicksite?
No. NextKick is one flat monthly price regardless of enrollment. Schools that expect to grow past a few hundred students usually find this is where the difference stops being about features and starts being about arithmetic.
Can I import my Kicksite students, ranks, and attendance?
Yes. Export from Kicksite and the NextKick team loads students, contacts, rank history, attendance, and active billing plans, then reconciles the totals with you before go-live.
How long does switching from Kicksite take?
Most single-location schools are running on NextKick within two weeks, including a parallel billing cycle so nothing slips. Multi-location schools take a little longer because each location's roster is verified separately.
Will I lose my belt and promotion history?
No. Rank history transfers with each student record — promotion dates, current rank, and testing results — so a student's file does not restart at your switch date.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. You can try NextKick free with no contract and no setup fee before moving any live billing.
Compare other platforms
Comparison information last reviewed: January 2025.The comparisons on this page reflect the firsthand, self-reported experiences of martial arts school owners who switched to NextKick from the platform named, as reported at the time they switched. Competitor pricing, processing fees, features, and workflows change over time, and the details shown may not reflect the named provider's current offering, plan tiers, or terms. Feature indicators — including checkmarks, "Partial," "Needs extra setup," and "✗" — represent what these owners reported experiencing on the specific plans they used, not a comprehensive or independent audit of the competitor's product, and should be read as reported experience rather than statements of present fact. This page is provided for general informational purposes only, reflects the opinions of NextKick and its customers, and is not intended as, and should not be relied upon as, a complete, objective, or current assessment. We make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any competitor information. Please verify all pricing, fees, and features directly with each provider before making any decision. All product names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners; their use here is for identification and comparison purposes only and does not imply any affiliation with, endorsement by, or partnership with those owners. If you believe any information on this page is inaccurate or outdated, please contact us at info@nextkick.ai and we will review and correct it promptly.
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