MAAT vs Kicksite: What to Choose for a BJJ Gym?

Key Takeaways

• Kicksite is a well-known gym management software used across various martial arts, including BJJ.
• MAAT is built specifically for BJJ and MMA gyms, with tailored tools for progression tracking and engagement.
• Both platforms serve martial arts academies, but MAAT offers a more focused solution for BJJ.

Introduction

Managing a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym comes with its own challenges. Unlike fitness clubs, BJJ academies require tools that support rank tracking, class booking by belt level, and community engagement. This article compares two options: Kicksite, a widely used martial arts platform, and MAAT, a newer player built specifically for combat sports.

We’ll explore both platforms feature by feature to help Jiu Jitsu gym owners make an informed decision.

What is Kicksite?

Kicksite is a gym management platform designed for martial arts schools of various styles, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, and Taekwondo. It includes tools for attendance tracking, billing, belt rank history, communication, and lead capture. While it is intuitive and widely adopted, it is built with a general approach, supporting a wide range of martial arts rather than being focused on the needs of a specific discipline.

What is MAAT?

MAAT is a gym management software developed specifically for BJJ, MMA, and combat sports gyms. It was designed by BJJ practitioners to reflect the real needs of these academies, offering features like stripe and belt tracking tied to attendance, multilingual and multi-currency support, student app booking, and WhatsApp-based support. MAAT prioritizes simplicity, international usability, and engagement-focused tools for both coaches and students.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

1. Belt & Progression Tracking

• Kicksite: Offers belt and rank customization and historical tracking.
• MAAT: Tracks stripe eligibility based on attendance thresholds and allows for automated promotion insights.

When to choose: If your gym tracks progression manually or only needs a basic record of ranks, Kicksite can work well. But if you're looking for automated, attendance-driven promotion logic, a very common practice in BJJ gyms, MAAT is the smarter choice.

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To be able to mark attendance, to record stripes and to know where your team are,‍see their progression, all in the app is an amazing functionality.

says David from Sakura Grappling.

👉 If you want to learn why this UK-based gym switched from another solution to MAAT, check this article!

2. Payment Processing

• Kicksite: Supports automated billing, though some reliability issues have been noted. Fees vary by region.
• MAAT: Allows a variety of payment types, including credit cards, direct debit, and Apple/Google Pay.

When to choose: Kicksite could work well for U.S. based gyms using standard billing. MAAT is ideal for gyms both in and outside the U.S., thanks to its support for multiple payment types and currencies.

3. Student App & Experience

• Kicksite: Offers a student portal for payments and class registration.
• MAAT: Provides a full-featured mobile app with bookings, belt progression, and gamified engagement tools.

When to choose: If you need a simple student portal, Kicksite can suffice. But if you want students excited to use the app to track progress and book classes, MAAT is built for that.

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My students love using MAAT

says Samuel Hernandez from Mataró BJJ

4. Coach/Admin Usability

• Kicksite: Admins get an intuitive interface, though some tasks may require workarounds.
• MAAT: Designed for fast onboarding with clear dashboards, reports, and combat-sport-specific tools.

When to choose: Kicksite is user-friendly for general tasks but for coaches who need belt tracking, alerts, and combat-sport automation, MAAT will save more time.

5. Class Scheduling & Check-Ins

• Kicksite: Includes kiosk check-ins and a live feed of attendance.
• MAAT: Supports class booking by skill level, calendar integration, and automated reminders.

When to choose: Use Kicksite if your class flow is simple. For academies managing classes by belt level and needing reminders or auto-check-ins, MAAT is more precise.

6. Gamification & Engagement

• Kicksite: Offers student achievements but limited gamification.
• MAAT: Includes leaderboards, belt journeys, and training consistency metrics.

When to choose: Kicksite covers the basics, but if student motivation through progress visuals and leaderboards is part of your culture, MAAT delivers more.

7. Migration & Trial Experience

• Kicksite: No dedicated trial or migration support.
• MAAT: Offers a free trial and guided onboarding, including full free data migration.

When to choose: Kicksite may require more self-managed setup. MAAT simplifies onboarding with migration help and a risk-free trial.

“The MAAT team gave me everything I needed: step-by-step help, full support… and everything moved over easily.”

says Jon from Kent Grapple

👉 Check out this article to see how MAAT handled the migration from this UK-based gym’s old software!

8. Language & Localization

• Kicksite: Primarily U.S.-focused with limited multilingual features.
• MAAT: Multilingual, supports multiple currencies, and ideal for US, European and Australian BJJ gyms.

When to choose: Kicksite could fit English-speaking schools. MAAT is ideal for international academies or those with diverse communities.

9. Support Experience

• Kicksite: Well-rated customer support via email and chat.
• MAAT: Real-time WhatsApp and E-Mail support from staff with BJJ backgrounds.

When to choose: Kicksite provides solid support. MAAT adds the benefit of BJJ practitioners helping you through everyday academy workflows.

10. Pricing & Value

• Kicksite: Tiered pricing based on member count. Starts at $49/month for up to 25 students, but quickly increases to $99, $149, and beyond as the student base grows.
• MAAT: 59€/month (or 49€/month with a yearly subscription) + transaction fees that can be easily passed to the members when paying their subscription.

When to choose: Kicksite may be cost-effective for very small schools, but costs can escalate quickly. MAAT offers predictable pricing and scalable costs, making it a strong choice for growing academies.

Final Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?

Kicksite remains a solid choice for multi-discipline martial arts schools, especially in the U.S. However, if you're running a BJJ or MMA academy, MAAT offers a better fit thanks to its combat-sports-first design, flat pricing, and international support.

👉 Ready to see MAAT in action? Book a free demo and discover how it can simplify your gym’s operations.

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