Honest comparison
ManageYourGym vs Arbox
Arbox is the cheaper choice for a small studio that doesn’t need its own app: it has a free plan for five sessions a week, $49 for twenty, and $129 for an unlimited timetable. It also sells products and gift cards in its app, charges saved cards automatically and has its own door-access reader, and we do none of those. We’re the better fit once you want an app under your own name, because it’s on every ManageYourGym plan from $79 and Arbox includes it only on Professional at $299. We’re also the better fit if you program CrossFit WODs, run reformer spot booking or pay trainers per session, or want up to three locations on one published $169 plan.
Last checked 10 October 2026 against Arbox’s published pricing and feature pages.
The problem you are actually trying to solve
You started on a small plan because your timetable was small. Then you added a 7am class, a Saturday session and a few privates, and the weekly cap pushed you up a tier.
Now your clients want to book in an app with your studio’s name on it, and on your current plan that means jumping from $129 to $299 a month for one feature.
Feature by feature
Their column comes from Arbox’s own public pages. Where they say nothing about a capability we mark it Not listed rather than claiming they lack it.
Classes and bookings
| Capability | ManageYourGym | Arbox |
|---|---|---|
| Class and appointment booking | YesClasses with capacity limits and waitlists, plus PT sessions booked against the trainer’s calendar | YesClasses, appointments and workshops, booked in the client app |
| Sessions you can run each weekWhat the plan limits | YesNo cap on classes or sessions on any plan; plans count members | PartialFree allows 5 a week and Basic 20; unlimited starts on Standard ($129) |
| Memberships, class packs and bundles | YesPlans, class packs that expire after the days you set, and credits returned on early cancels | YesMemberships, subscriptions and custom bundles |
| Reformer and spot bookingClients pick a specific machine or spot | YesClients pick a machine from a map of the room when they book | Not listedNot on their public feature pages |
| Workout of the day, scores and leaderboards | YesCoaches post the WOD with RX and Scaled versions; athletes log scores, see leaderboards and track PRs | Not listedNo workout or score logging on their public feature pages |
Your app and your brand
| Capability | ManageYourGym | Arbox |
|---|---|---|
| Member app under your own nameYour icon and name on the App Store and Google Play | YesIncluded on every plan, from $79 a month | PartialBranded app on Professional ($299) only; clients use the Arbox app on lower plans |
| Online shop and gift cardsSelling products, gift cards and coupons in the app | NoWe sell memberships, packs and PT, not products | YesIn-app shop for merchandise and bundles, plus gift cards, coupons and a loyalty programme |
Front desk and sales
| Capability | ManageYourGym | Arbox |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry and lead follow-up | YesEnquiry links, trial passes with a QR code, and WhatsApp and email follow-up sequences | YesLead management with automatic assignment, and email, SMS and push campaigns |
| Reminders on WhatsApp | YesRenewal and dues reminders go out on WhatsApp | Not listedEmail, SMS and push are listed; WhatsApp isn’t |
| Custom digital forms | NoNo custom form builder yet | YesCustomisable forms that feed straight into the CRM |
| Check-in | YesQR check-in on a tablet, no extra hardware | YesCheck-in and attendance for sessions and appointments |
| Door access controlA reader that unlocks the door for members | NoQR check-in only; no door or turnstile hardware | YesTheir own network-based reader, sold as low-cost access control |
Money, staff and locations
| Capability | ManageYourGym | Arbox |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring card autopayCharging a saved card automatically at each renewal | NoMembers pay each renewal in the app; reminders go out before it’s due | YesRecurring payments collected automatically through Stripe |
| Card payments to your own account | YesStripe or Nomod, settled to your own account | YesStripe, with no Arbox commission on top |
| UAE VAT tax invoices | YesTax invoices in AED with your TRN and the 5% VAT shown | PartialDigital invoices and receipts with tax calculated; nothing UAE-specific on their public pages |
| Trainer pay | YesFixed salary, per-session or per-class rates, or a share of package sales, with payout reports | Not listedHours and overtime tracking are listed; trainer pay isn’t |
| More than one location | YesUp to 3 on Professional ($169), unlimited on Enterprise ($349) | Not listedThe pricing page doesn’t say how a second location is billed |
What each one costs
| Tier | Arbox | ManageYourGym |
|---|---|---|
| A very small timetable | $0 / moFree — 5 sessions a week, 3 service types | $79 / moStarter — no free plan; a free trial with no card |
| Up to 20 sessions a week | $49 / moBasic — 20 sessions a week, 10 service types | $79 / moStarter — 150 members, no session cap |
| Full timetable, 180 clients, no own app | $129 / moStandard — unlimited sessions; no client limit on the pricing page | $169 / moProfessional — Starter stops at 150 members |
| Full timetable, under 150 clients | $129 / moStandard — unlimited sessions | $79 / moStarter — 150 members, app included |
| App under your own name | $299 / moProfessional is the only published tier with it | $79 / moIncluded on every plan |
| Two or three locations | Not publishedAsk how a second location is billed | $169 / moProfessional — 500 members, 3 branches |
We both publish our prices, so the difference is what each plan counts. Arbox counts the sessions you run each week: Free is 5 a week, Basic is 20, and Standard and Professional are unlimited. The branded app is on Professional only. We count members: $79 for 150, $169 for 500 across three branches, $349 for unlimited, with the branded app on all three and no limit on classes. That makes Arbox cheaper for a small timetable, and for a studio over 150 clients that doesn’t want its own app. Once the app matters we cost less: $79 or $169 against $299. Arbox prices were read from its pricing page on 10 October 2026, monthly billing; billed yearly they’re $39, $99 and $239. Card processing is extra on both sides.
What moving across looks like
- 01
Check your billing date
Arbox bills monthly or yearly. If you’re on an annual plan, note when it ends, and plan the switch for then rather than paying twice.
- 02
Export while the account is live
Pull your client list, memberships, bundles and payment history as spreadsheets. Write down what the exports miss: sessions left on each bundle, frozen memberships and credit on account.
- 03
We move it in
We move everything for you: members, plans, balances and history. Payments go through your own Stripe or Nomod account and settle to you.
- 04
Your app goes live under your name
Clients download your studio’s app and book and pay in it, on any plan. Tell them before switch day that renewals now happen in the new app.
When Arbox is the better choice
Every comparison page ever written says the author wins. Here is where we honestly do not.
You run a handful of classes a week
Arbox’s free plan covers five sessions a week, and Basic covers twenty for $49. We don’t have a free plan, and our Starter is $79. If your timetable is small and you don’t need your own app, Arbox costs less.
You have over 150 clients and no need for an app
Arbox Standard is $129 with unlimited sessions, and its pricing page shows no client limit. Past 150 members we’re $169. If the generic booking app is fine with you, they’re $40 a month cheaper.
You sell products or want a door that unlocks itself
Arbox has an in-app shop, gift cards, coupons and its own door-access reader. We don’t sell retail, and our check-in is QR with no hardware.
You want saved cards charged automatically
Arbox collects recurring payments from saved cards through Stripe. On ManageYourGym members pay each renewal in the app after a reminder.
Questions people ask
Is ManageYourGym cheaper than Arbox?
It depends on the app. With an app under your own name, yes: $79 or $169 on ManageYourGym against $299 for Arbox Professional. Without one, Arbox is cheaper for small timetables (free or $49) and for a studio over 150 clients ($129 against our $169).
Which Arbox plan includes a branded app?
Only Professional, at $299 a month or $239 billed yearly. On Free, Basic and Standard your clients book in the Arbox app. ManageYourGym includes an app under your studio’s name on every plan.
Does Arbox have a free plan?
Yes. It covers five sessions a week, three service types and three products. Basic ($49) raises that to 20 sessions a week, and Standard ($129) removes the limit.
What does Arbox do that you don’t?
A free plan, an in-app shop with gift cards, coupons and loyalty, automatic charging of saved cards, custom forms and its own door-access reader. If you rely on those, it’s the better fit.
Can I run several locations?
Yes. Professional covers three branches for $169 a month and Enterprise has no limit. Arbox’s pricing page doesn’t say how a second location is billed, so ask before you sign.
Do you handle UAE VAT?
Yes. VAT-registered studios get tax invoices in AED with their TRN and the 5% VAT shown, and reminders go out on WhatsApp.
See it with your own numbers
Fourteen days, everything unlocked, no card. If it turns out Arbox suits you better, that is a fine outcome.
Start the free trial