PATO vs Gymdesk
Gymdesk is a tidy admin tool with genuinely simple pricing. It has no AI, no nutrition tracking and no member companion — and at 300 members we’re the cheaper subscription anyway. The question is whether admin is the whole job.
Figures last checked Their pricing USD · ours NZDRe-verified quarterly (68d)
Three lines, then the detail
“Everything included” always means everything they built. Gymdesk has no AI companion, no nutrition tracking, no exercise library and no gamification — so the member side of your gym isn’t part of what you’re buying.
And at most sizes we’re also the cheaper subscription. At 300 members we’re $81/month less than they are, with all of the above included rather than absent.
Where they genuinely win: the simplest pricing message in the category, a broader automation engine, and a cheaper plan once you’re past about 350 members. All three are set out at the bottom of this page.
Where PATO is stronger
| Capability |  Gymdesk |  PATO |
|---|---|---|
| What your members get | ||
| AI companion for members | No | Yes |
| AI assistant for staff | No | Yes |
| Nutrition tracking | No | Yes |
| Exercise library | No | Yes |
| Meal planning | No | Yes |
| Points, badges, rewards | No | Yes |
| At-risk detection + automated outreach | No | Yes |
| What it costs you | ||
| Subscription | US$75–200/mo | From $99/mo NZD |
| Cut taken from member payments | None on the subscription | None |
| Website builder | Yes | Yes |
| Where they win | ||
| Automation breadth | Yes | Four sequences, pre-written |
| Pricing simplicity | Everything on every tier | Core + add-ons |
What it actually costs
| Platform | Subscription | Total / month |
|---|---|---|
| Gymdesk | $330US$200, converted. To 400 members. | $330 |
| PATO Runner | $249To 300 members. | $249 |
Gymdesk’s figure comes from their own pricing page (USD, per gymgymdesk.com(opens their pricing page in a new tab)), converted at 1.65 as at 2026-08-14 — treat it as close rather than exact, because rates move. At this size we’re $81/month cheaper — $972 a year — and that’s before the AI, nutrition and gamification they don’t have. Neither of us takes a percentage of your members’ payments; both of you pay a processor directly, and Gymdesk doesn’t publish what theirs charges.
Who should choose which
Choose Gymdesk if
Choose PATO if
If you end up needing three or four of our add-ons, their message beats ours on price and on simplicity. Run the numbers on what you’d actually switch on before you decide.
Switching from Gymdesk
Your members come across
Export your list, upload it, and we map the columns, catch duplicates and show you exactly what’s going to happen before anything commits. We do it with you, and most gyms are running the same week.
Your payments need re-authorising
The part nobody mentions and the part that takes the time: direct debit mandates don’t transfer between providers, so members have to authorise the new arrangement. Most gyms run both systems for one billing cycle and move people across as they re-authorise.
Your website, if you built it on theirs
This one matters here specifically. If your public site is Gymdesk’s builder, it doesn’t come with you — you’ll need a site elsewhere and our booking widget embedded in it. Plan for that before you move, not after.
Your history stays there
Export payment records for your accountant before you close the account.
Finally a gym app worth downloading
Where Gymdesk is stronger
Three things, and they’re real.
The simplest pricing in the market
US$75–325/monthgymdesk.com(opens their pricing page in a new tab) — every feature on every tier, priced only by how many members you have. No add-ons to reason about. Ours has add-ons; that is genuinely more to think about.
Cheaper at the top of their range
Their $200 tier runs to 400 members, where our Lifter plan starts at $499. Past roughly 350 members they’re the cheaper subscription — below that, mostly we are.
A broader automation engine
Branching sequences, winback, referrals and review requests. The most complete marketing toolkit at this end of the market, and more general than ours. The trade is who does the work: it’s a blank canvas, so every sequence is yours to build.
No upsells, genuinely
The thing they promise is the thing you get. A 30-day trial with no card and no lock-in backs it up.
Questions gym owners ask
It depends entirely on your member count, and more often than not the answer is no. Converted to NZD, Gymdesk is about $124 at 50 members and $165 at 100, where PATO is $99. They are level around 150–200. At 250–300 they are about $330 against our $249. They become cheaper again past roughly 350 members, where their $200 tier still applies and we move to Lifter at $499. So: cheaper at the top of their range, more expensive through most of the middle.
Three things. The simplest pricing message in the market, and it’s honest: every feature on every tier, no upsells. A lower price once you’re past about 350 members. And a broader automation engine, with branching sequences, winback, referrals and review requests. Ours arrives written and is easier to start. Theirs will build shapes ours won’t.
Not at the time of writing. No AI companion for members, no nutrition tracking, no exercise library, no gamification. It is a well-built administrative tool rather than a member-engagement product.
Neither of us takes a commission on the subscription itself. Both of you pay card or direct-debit fees to a payment provider. Gymdesk does not publish the rate its processing partner charges, so check it before you commit — that is the number most likely to surprise you.
Usually days. It is a CSV import with column mapping and a preview, and we run it with you rather than sending you a help article. Payment mandates are the part that takes real time — they do not transfer between providers.
You don’t have to take our word for it
Fourteen days with everything switched on, no card. They offer thirty. Run both and see which one your members open.
- 14 days, everything on
- No card required
- Cancel any time
PATOPass