Edition · 05 · vs GymRocket
Comparison

OLM vs GymRocket

Both are built for martial arts academies. They're priced very differently, and the billing rails they run on aren't the same — here's the honest breakdown.

Who's writing this

A jiu jitsu student building software for the academy he trains at.

I train at a gym that uses this app, and I build the product. If the table below says GymRocket beats us on something, it's because they do.

The honest read

GymRocket targets martial arts academies with a traditional subscription model — monthly fee that scales with features and member count. OLM is built for the same audience but flips the model: zero subscription, 2% on memberships ($2 minimum), 3% on add-ons, $0 on POS — and payments flow through your own Stripe account instead of a middleman. Pick OLM if you want to skip the contract conversation and keep your payout rails under your own name. Pick GymRocket if you prefer a packaged experience with dedicated onboarding and are comfortable with monthly tiers.

11

OLM wins

0

GymRocket wins

3

Ties

What matters most

Built for

OLM

Martial arts academies (BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, MMA)

GymRocket

Martial arts academies (similar niche)

Starting price

OLM

$0/mo · 2% on memberships ($2 min) · 3% on seminars/merch/drop-ins · free POS · zero processing markup

GymRocket

Monthly subscription tiers, typically scaling with member count

Per-member fees

OLM

None

GymRocket

Member caps per tier; overages push you to a higher plan

Full feature breakdown
CategoryOLMGymRocket

Built for

Martial arts academies (BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, MMA)
Martial arts academies (similar niche)

Starting price

$0/mo · 2% on memberships ($2 min) · 3% on seminars/merch/drop-ins · free POS · zero processing markup
Monthly subscription tiers, typically scaling with member count

Per-member fees

None
Member caps per tier; overages push you to a higher plan

Billing rails

Stripe Connect — your Stripe account, your payouts, your customer relationship
Processed through GymRocket's integrations; funds flow through their platform

Belt & rank tracking

Per-discipline, portable across gyms, full promotion lineage + multi-art ranks
Belt tracking included; primarily single-discipline view

Portable member profiles

One profile across every OLM gym — journal, check-ins, belt lineage travel with the member
Profile scoped to the account and gym

Training journal / AI coach

Included — 8-axis chart, voice-note transcription, technique heatmap
Not available

Churn prediction

Built-in AI Monitor with 14-day lead time
Basic attendance reports

White-labeled member app

True white-label — your colors and logo on the app members install (no OLM branding visible to members)
Branded member app

Demand pipeline / member discovery

Consumer-facing OLM app surfaces your gym to martial-arts students and traveling drop-ins — we grow when you grow
Admin-side only — no consumer-facing discovery

Onboarding

Self-serve, live in under 10 minutes
Guided onboarding with a rep

Contract

No subscription — pay only per transaction
Monthly plan, cancel anytime per their terms

Digital waivers

SHA-256 audit trail, IP stamp, minor-form parent signer, auto-renewal
Included

Kiosk & QR check-in

Included (kiosk, QR, geo, admin override)
Included

Pricing and feature sets change — this page reflects a best-effort snapshot from publicly available info. Check their site directly before deciding.

Best fit

OLM is right if you're…

  • Gyms that want predictable, zero-risk pricing — pay only when members pay you
  • Owners who want to keep their own Stripe account and payout rails
  • Academies running multiple disciplines (BJJ + judo, muay thai + boxing, etc.)
  • Owners who want a journal + AI coach built into the member app

Best fit

GymRocket is better if you're…

  • Gyms that prefer a guided onboarding experience with a rep
  • Owners who want a packaged monthly plan with predictable line-item features
OLM vs GymRocket — FAQ

Honest answers, side by side.

Is OLM specifically built for martial arts like GymRocket?

Yes. Both products target martial arts gyms specifically, and both treat belt tracking, seminar billing, and waiver compliance as first-class. The differences are mostly in pricing model and architecture (OLM is pay-as-you-grow + Stripe Connect; GymRocket is monthly subscription).

How does the rank tracking compare?

Both support per-discipline ranks. OLM's belt_promotions ledger is portable across OLM gyms (a member's lineage travels with them); GymRocket's rank records are gym-scoped. If portability matters to your members, that's a meaningful difference.

What's the pricing reality side-by-side?

GymRocket's published pricing tiers are typically $99-249/mo. OLM is $0/mo with 2% on each membership invoice ($2 minimum). At $150/mo memberships that's $3 per member: a 100-member gym pays ~$300/mo on memberships, a 300-member gym ~$900/mo. The crossover point depends on your membership pricing and volume.

Can I switch from GymRocket to OLM mid-year?

Yes. CSV export of your member roster + active subscriptions imports into OLM's setup. Stripe Connect onboarding takes a few minutes. If you have an annual GymRocket contract, you'd still owe their term — but you can run OLM in parallel and migrate cleanly when the contract ends.

Still deciding?

Try OLM free. lose nothing.

No credit card to sign up. No contract once you go live. If it's not the right fit, you keep your Stripe account, your member list, and your data.