✍️ Author: Hannah McWhorter
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All pricing verified on each company’s own pricing page in August 2026.
When comparing GymDesk and Arketa, there are a lot of differences to cover.
For example, both have very different pricing structures. GymDesk’s most accessible plan is $75 a month and covers up to 50 clients at your gym. Arketa’s only public plan is $49 a month and covers one user, it doesn’t care about client number.
If you run a gym, martial arts school, or CrossFit studio, GymDesk is built with your structure in mind. If you teach video or hybrid classes, Arketa has great strengths there.
What are the key differences between Arketa and GymDesk?
- GymDesk’s five pricing tiers scale by active members ($75 up to 50, $100 up to 100, $150 up to 200, $200 up to 400, custom above that), but it has zero feature gating plus a website on every plan.
- Arketa’s Individual plan is the only public price: $49/mo billed annually, plus a 3% processing fee stacked on top of Stripe’s fees. Its Studio tiers are demo-gated.
- GymDesk has no on-demand video. Arketa includes unlimited on-demand video on all plans.
- Arketa doesn’t include belt tracking, facility access, or attendance-focused workflows. GymDesk is built around them.
Does either platform have a plan for one person?
It depends on how you look at it.
GymDesk’s lowest tier, Micro Gym, is $75 for up to 50 active members. That means if you’re a solo teacher with fifteen clients, you still pay the 50-member price.
Arketa’s Individual plan is $49/month, billed annually. It’s one login, one location. There is also a 3% transaction fee.
What does each one cost at your business size?
GymDesk | Arketa | |
| Small roster (up to 50 members) | $75/mo, all features, free website | $49/mo billed annually + 3% transaction fee |
| Growing team (100–400 members) | $100–$200/mo, all features, free website | Demo required, no published number |
| On-demand video | Not offered at any tier | Included, unlimited |
| Payment processing | Choice of 5 processors, no GymDesk markup | Stripe only, 3% Arketa fee on top |
When comparing, remember GymDesk’s price at all tiers includes everything: unlimited staff logins, a member app, a website, etc. For Arketa, $49 really is the price for a small individual plan, anything more and you need to get a demo to see the studio plan pricing.
What kind of business was each one designed around?
GymDesk is based in martial arts and gym management. Some of the features reflect this, like attendance tracking, belt and rank progression, family accounts, and door access functionality.
Arketa started as on-demand video for individual instructors, and you can tell that too. Even the cheapest plan includes unlimited video and livestream classes. It is great for hybrid and virtual focused studios.
Where does each platform beat the other?
GymDesk is better at running a membership business that needs things like check-ins, dues, and rank tracking.
Arketa is better at video and hybrid studio management. The $49 plan includes unlimited on-demand content and livestreams. GymDesk has no video hosting, just Zoom support for live classes.
Who should choose Arketa vs. GymDesk?
Choose GymDesk if attendance, membership billing, and rank tracking are critical to your business.
Choose Arketa if video or livestream is a big part of how you teach. There is also the 3% fee on every card transaction, so budget for it alongside the $49.
If you’re a small yoga or Pilates studio with a few teachers, you’ve probably noticed neither one has told you what you’d pay. That’s a real gap, and it’s the one we’re in.
Is OfferingTree a good fit if you’re choosing between Arketa and GymDesk?
Honestly, OfferingTree isn’t the best fit if you need belt progressions or facility access. GymDesk is a better fit for those features. On websites, both platforms include one free on every plan.
OfferingTree is great for a yoga or Pilates business with a small to mid-sized team. Individual plans start at $26 a month billed annually ($35 month-to-month) and include a website, unlimited on-demand video, and a CRM. Studio plans cost $100/mo to $225/mo for Studio Max, and they’re priced by staff seats, not clients. There’s no extra platform fee past the lowest plan, just Stripe’s standard rate. Plus, we show every price on the pricing page.
See the full studio pricing breakdown, how we compare against Arketa, or against GymDesk. Start a free trial or book a walkthrough if you’re still weighing all three.
Frequently asked questions about Arketa vs GymDesk
Does GymDesk or Arketa have a plan for a solo instructor?
Both kind of do. Arketa’s individual plan is $49/month billed annually, is scoped to exactly one person and includes the on-demand video library and client CRM. GymDesk’s floor tier, Micro Gym, is priced for up to 50 active members, so there’s no true solo-shaped price on GymDesk necessarily but this lower tier does fit.
Is GymDesk cheaper than Arketa?
They aren’t priced for the same customer. GymDesk’s $75/month Micro Gym tier includes every feature and a free website for up to 50 members. Arketa’s comparable published price is its $49/month solo Individual plan; anything past one person requires a Studio quote with no published number.
Does GymDesk include on-demand video like Arketa?
No. GymDesk has no on-demand video hosting feature at any tier; it supports live Zoom sessions but not a recorded content library.
Is Arketa or GymDesk better for a yoga or Pilates studio?
Neither is wrong, but they answer to different parts of the same business. If what you need is one instructor with a growing video library and hybrid delivery, that’s Arketa’s $49 tier. If what you need is a roster of members checking in and paying dues, GymDesk’s per-member pricing was built for exactly that, even at a yoga studio. Most boutique studios sit somewhere between the two.
Is there a wellness-specific alternative priced for a growing team, not a member roster?
For a boutique yoga or Pilates studio with a small staff, OfferingTree publishes every tier priced by seats rather than member count: Individual plans from $26/month and Studio plans from $100 to $225/month, with 0% additional transaction fees on Pro, Pro Plus, and Studio plans, plus a website and unlimited on-demand video included on every plan.
