Introduction
Choosing gym management software is confusing. PushPress and Kombat Evolve both appear in searches for “BJJ gym software” - but they solve completely different problems for different sports.
This comparison helps you decide which platform actually fits your gym.
Quick answer: PushPress is built for CrossFit gyms. Kombat Evolve is built for BJJ gyms. If you run CrossFit → PushPress wins. If you run BJJ → Kombat Evolve wins.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | PushPress | Kombat Evolve |
|---|---|---|
| Built For | CrossFit, functional fitness | BJJ, Judo, martial arts with belts |
| Primary Focus | Workout tracking + marketing automation | Student retention + belt progression |
| Student App | Log WODs, track PRs, leaderboards | Track belt progress, techniques, achievements |
| Main Problem Solved | ”Need workout programming & marketing" | "Students quit before blue belt” |
| Base Pricing | $0-229/month | €44-224/month |
| Transaction Fees | 2.75-4.19% + $0.30 per transaction | 0% (zero transaction fees) |
| Processing | Built-in payment processing | Stripe direct (you keep 100%) |
| Geographic Focus | US-based | Europe-first (SEPA, GDPR, multi-language) |
| Marketing Tools | ✅ AI-powered, extensive | ❌ Basic (retention-focused) |
| Workout Programming | ✅ WODs, benchmarks, partners | ❌ None (not for CrossFit) |
| Belt Progression | ⚠️ Basic rank tracking | ✅ Full student-facing dashboards |
| At-Risk Alerts | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (predicts churn 2-3 weeks early) |
| Best For | US CrossFit boxes | European BJJ academies |
Bottom line: Different sports, different software. CrossFit → PushPress. BJJ → Kombat Evolve.
What Each Platform Actually Does
PushPress: CrossFit & Functional Fitness Platform
PushPress was built for CrossFit boxes and functional fitness gyms. Their tagline is “Complete Management Platform for Gyms & Academies” - but look at their customer logos: CrossFit gyms, HWPO, functional fitness brands.
PushPress Core Features:
- Workout tracking (members log WODs, track PRs)
- Program builder (create custom workouts, benchmarks)
- Premium workouts from partners (NCFIT, PRVN, Mayhem)
- AI-powered marketing automation
- Lead generation and conversion tools
- Operations management (billing, scheduling, attendance)
What PushPress is optimized for:
- CrossFit boxes tracking “Fran” times
- Gyms with benchmark workouts (Fight Gone Bad, Murph)
- Workout leaderboards and PR tracking
- Social feeds showing workout achievements
- US market (USD pricing, US support hours)
PushPress rank tracking: They have it, but it’s basic - designed to work for any martial art, not BJJ-specific.
Kombat Evolve: BJJ Retention Platform
Kombat Evolve was built specifically to solve one problem: BJJ students quitting before blue belt.
Built by: Mansour, black belt under Alan Finfou
Why it exists: After watching talented students quit because progress felt invisible
Kombat Evolve Core Features:
- Student progress visibility (mobile app shows techniques mastered, belt timeline)
- At-risk student alerts (flags students whose attendance drops 50%+)
- Belt progression system (Checkmat/GB/Alliance curriculum mapping)
- BJJ Wrapped (annual summaries students share on social media)
- Post-class feedback (catches frustration early)
- European payments (SEPA, GDPR, multi-language)
What Kombat Evolve is optimized for:
- BJJ academies losing 70% of students before blue belt
- Gyms with belt ranking systems (white, blue, purple, brown, black)
- European operations (SEPA direct debit, GDPR compliance)
- Retention-first approach (not acquisition)
Kombat Evolve workout tracking: None. If you need WOD programming, we’re not built for that.
Pricing Breakdown: Real Total Cost
Understanding true cost requires looking beyond base subscription fees. Transaction fees make a massive difference.
PushPress Pricing Structure
Three tiers:
Free: $0/month
- Processing: 4.19% + $0.30 (credit card), 2.09% + $0.30 (ACH)
- AI support only (48-hour human response)
- Unlimited members, basic features
Pro: $159/month
- Processing: 2.89% + $0.30 (credit card), 0.79% + $0.30 (ACH)
- AI + live human support
- Full features
Max: $229/month
- Processing: 2.75% + $0.30 (credit card), 0.79% + $0.30 (ACH)
- Priority support
- All features unlocked
Kombat Evolve Pricing Structure
Four tiers (January 2026 pricing - 10% off, lock in forever):
Starter: €44/month (€528/year)
- Students: Up to 50
- Transaction fees: 0%
- All features included
Growth: €89/month (€1,068/year) ⭐ Most Popular
- Students: 50-100
- Transaction fees: 0%
- All features included
Pro: €152/month (€1,824/year)
- Students: 100-150
- Transaction fees: 0%
- Dedicated account manager
Enterprise: €224/month (€2,688/year)
- Students: 150+
- Transaction fees: 0%
- Multi-location support, API access
Payment processing: You use Stripe directly (~1.4% + €0.25) - you keep 100%, we never touch it
Real Cost Comparison: 100-Student CrossFit Box vs 100-Student BJJ Gym
Scenario: 100 active members paying $100/month = $10,000 monthly revenue
CrossFit Box with PushPress Pro:
- Base subscription: $159/month
- Transaction fees: 2.89% of $10,000 = $289/month
- Stripe fees: ~$140/month (1.4%)
- Total monthly cost: $588/month
- Annual cost: $7,056/year
What you get:
- Workout programming (essential for CrossFit)
- WOD tracking and leaderboards
- AI marketing automation
- Lead generation tools
- Premium workout partners
Value: Excellent for CrossFit - you need these features
BJJ Gym with Kombat Evolve:
- Base subscription: €152/month (~$165/month for 100-150 students)
- Transaction fees: €0 (zero)
- Stripe fees: ~$140/month (you pay Stripe directly, same as above)
- Total monthly cost: €152 + Stripe = ~$305/month
- Annual cost: ~$3,660/year
What you get:
- Student progress dashboards (essential for BJJ retention)
- At-risk student alerts
- Belt progression tracking
- BJJ Wrapped feature
- SEPA/GDPR compliance (Europe)
Value: Excellent for BJJ - you need retention tools, not WOD tracking
The Math
| Metric | PushPress (CrossFit) | Kombat Evolve (BJJ) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual subscription | $1,908 | ~$1,980 |
| Annual transaction fees | $3,468 | €0 |
| Total annual cost | $7,056 | ~$3,660 |
| Difference | - | Save $3,396/year |
But this comparison is misleading.
PushPress gives you workout programming. Kombat Evolve gives you retention tools.
You’re not comparing apples to apples - you’re comparing CrossFit software to BJJ software.
The real question: What sport do you teach?
Feature-by-Feature Analysis
1. Student/Member Mobile App
PushPress:
- Log daily workouts (WOD tracking)
- Track personal records (PRs)
- Share achievements on social feed
- View workout programs
- Reserve classes
- Access premium partner workouts
Best for: CrossFit members who want to log “Fran” times, compare with gym leaderboard, see if they PR’d on deadlift
Kombat Evolve:
- Personal progress dashboard (techniques mastered, classes attended)
- Belt progression timeline (“2 months to next stripe”)
- Achievement notifications (“You mastered your 50th technique!”)
- BJJ Wrapped annual summary (shareable)
- Post-class feedback submission
- Goal tracking
Best for: BJJ students who want to see “I’ve learned 47 techniques and I’m ready for my second stripe”
Winner: Depends on your sport
- CrossFit → PushPress (workout tracking essential)
- BJJ → Kombat Evolve (progression tracking essential)
2. Workout Programming & Tracking
PushPress:
- ✅ Create custom WODs
- ✅ Benchmark workouts (Fran, Murph, etc.)
- ✅ Premium workouts from NCFIT, PRVN, Mayhem, Park City
- ✅ Program builder
- ✅ Video library
- ✅ Performance tracking
Kombat Evolve:
- ❌ No workout programming
- ❌ No WOD tracking
- ❌ Not built for this
Winner: PushPress (absolutely essential for CrossFit)
Why Kombat Evolve doesn’t have this: We’re BJJ-specific. If you need WOD programming, you need PushPress or similar CrossFit software.
3. Belt/Rank Progression Tracking
PushPress:
- ⚠️ Basic rank tracking
- Stores student rank/belt
- Can track promotions
- Admin-facing (coaches see it)
- Generic (works for any martial art)
Kombat Evolve:
- ✅ Comprehensive belt progression system
- ✅ Students see their own progress (mobile app)
- ✅ Technique mastery checklists by belt
- ✅ Stripe promotion automation
- ✅ BJJ-specific curriculum (Checkmat, Gracie Barra, Alliance)
- ✅ “Ready for promotion” alerts to coaches
- ✅ BJJ Wrapped annual summaries
Winner: Kombat Evolve (belt progression is our core feature)
The difference:
- PushPress: Stores belt rank for admin records
- Kombat Evolve: Uses belt progression as retention infrastructure
4. Student Retention Tools
PushPress:
- ⚠️ Basic attendance tracking
- ⚠️ Member engagement through workout logging
- ⚠️ Social feed for community
- ❌ No at-risk student detection
- ❌ No churn prediction
- ❌ No automated retention interventions
Kombat Evolve:
- ✅ At-risk student alerts (flags attendance drops)
- ✅ Churn prediction analytics
- ✅ Post-class feedback collection
- ✅ Engagement scoring
- ✅ Progress visibility (main retention driver)
- ✅ Cohort retention tracking
- ✅ “Invisible student” detection
Winner: Kombat Evolve (retention is literally all we do)
Example scenario:
With PushPress:
- Student normally trains 3x/week
- Drops to 1x/week for 3 weeks
- Coach doesn’t notice (no alert system)
- Student quits silently
- Coach: “They seemed fine last week!”
With Kombat Evolve:
- Student’s attendance drops
- Alert to coach: “João at-risk - attendance down 66%”
- Coach texts: “Hey, everything okay?”
- Student: “Work’s crazy, feeling behind”
- Coach: “Let’s catch you up”
- Student stays
Retention value: One saved student = $2,400 LTV
5. Marketing & Lead Generation
PushPress:
- ✅ AI-powered marketing automation
- ✅ SEO-optimized websites
- ✅ Lead capture forms
- ✅ Automated messaging workflows
- ✅ Two-way SMS
- ✅ Email campaigns
- ✅ Facebook marketing integration
- ✅ Predictive analytics
Kombat Evolve:
- ❌ No marketing automation
- ❌ No AI workflows
- ❌ No lead nurturing
- ❌ Basic lead management only
Winner: PushPress (comprehensive marketing suite)
Why Kombat Evolve doesn’t have this: We focus on keeping students, not acquiring them. Most BJJ gyms get enough trials from Instagram/word-of-mouth. The problem is retention, not acquisition.
6. Payment Processing
PushPress:
- Built-in payment processing
- Tiered processing rates (2.75-4.19% + $0.30)
- Stripe integration
- Automatic billing
- Accepts credit cards, ACH
Transaction fees scale with tier:
- Free: 4.19% + $0.30
- Pro: 2.89% + $0.30
- Max: 2.75% + $0.30
Kombat Evolve:
- Stripe Connect integration
- Zero transaction fees (you keep 100%)
- SEPA direct debit (European standard)
- Credit/debit cards
- GDPR-compliant
You pay Stripe directly: ~1.4% + €0.25 (European rates)
Winner: Kombat Evolve for European gyms (SEPA + zero transaction fees)
Winner: PushPress for US gyms wanting all-in-one processing
The difference:
- PushPress: They process payments, take % cut
- Kombat Evolve: You process payments via Stripe, we take nothing
7. Scheduling & Attendance
PushPress:
- Class scheduling
- Online booking with capacity limits
- Staff availability management
- Waitlists
- Kiosk mode check-ins
- Mobile check-ins
Kombat Evolve:
- Class scheduling
- Booking by belt level (white belts vs advanced)
- QR code check-ins
- Tablet kiosk mode
- Attendance pattern analysis (for retention)
- Automated reminders
Winner: Tie (both handle scheduling well)
The difference:
- PushPress: Attendance for class management
- Kombat Evolve: Attendance as retention signal
8. Reporting & Analytics
PushPress:
- Revenue reports
- Member analytics
- Class popularity tracking
- Marketing channel ROI
- Workout performance trends
- AI-powered insights
Kombat Evolve:
- Retention analytics dashboard
- Churn prediction models
- Student engagement scores
- Revenue impact of retention
- Belt progression metrics
- At-risk student identification
Winner: Different focuses
- PushPress: Operations & marketing analytics
- Kombat Evolve: Retention-specific analytics
9. Geographic Optimization
PushPress:
- US-based company
- USD pricing
- US support hours
- US payment methods prioritized
- Works globally but US-optimized
Kombat Evolve:
- Europe-first platform
- EUR pricing
- European time zone support
- SEPA direct debit native
- GDPR-compliant by design
- Multi-language (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese)
Winner:
- US gyms → PushPress
- European gyms → Kombat Evolve
10. Support & Onboarding
PushPress:
- AI support (resolves 60% of queries)
- Free tier: 48-hour human response
- Pro/Max: Live human support + video calls
- Staffed by current and former gym owners
Kombat Evolve:
- Direct founder support (Mans responds personally)
- WhatsApp support (fast European hours)
- Email support
- Free migration assistance
- Guided onboarding
- 14-day free trial
Winner: Different philosophies
- PushPress: Institutional support system (AI + humans)
- Kombat Evolve: Practitioner support (BJJ black belt founder)
The difference:
- When you message PushPress: Professional support team
- When you message Kombat Evolve: BJJ black belt who trains and gets “the invisible student problem”
When to Choose PushPress
Choose PushPress if you run:
- ✅ CrossFit box (WOD tracking essential)
- ✅ Functional fitness gym (need workout programming)
- ✅ US-based operation (USD pricing, US support hours)
- ✅ Gym needing marketing automation (AI-powered lead gen)
- ✅ Multi-discipline fitness (CrossFit + bootcamp + strength)
- ✅ Gym with workout leaderboards (PR tracking, benchmarks)
- ✅ Operation wanting all-in-one (workout + operations + marketing)
PushPress is excellent software for CrossFit and functional fitness.
Their customers: HWPO, Invictus, PRVN, Beachside CrossFit, Deuce Gym, Peak360 Fitness
What they do best:
- Workout tracking and programming
- AI marketing automation
- CrossFit-specific features
- Comprehensive all-in-one platform
Use PushPress when: Workout tracking is essential to your gym’s value proposition
When to Choose Kombat Evolve
Choose Kombat Evolve if you run:
- ✅ BJJ academy (belt progression system)
- ✅ Judo dojo (ranking-based martial art)
- ✅ Martial arts with belts (karate, taekwondo with structured progression)
- ✅ European gym (need SEPA, GDPR, multi-language)
- ✅ Gym losing students before blue belt (retention is #1 problem)
- ✅ Academy wanting progress visibility (students need to see advancement)
- ✅ Gym where “invisible students” quit (they disappear without explanation)
Kombat Evolve is built specifically for BJJ retention.
Their customers: 15+ Checkmat academies, BJJ gyms across France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, UK
What they do best:
- Student retention (at-risk alerts, churn prediction)
- Belt progression visibility (students see their own progress)
- European operations (SEPA, GDPR, multi-language)
- Built by practicing black belt (practitioner credibility)
Use Kombat Evolve when: Student retention is your biggest expense (70% quit before blue belt = €25K/year lost)
The Bottom Line: Different Sports, Different Software
PushPress and Kombat Evolve don’t really compete.
They solve different problems for different sports.
PushPress is for:
- CrossFit boxes tracking Fran times
- Functional fitness with WOD programming
- Gyms needing workout leaderboards
- US-based operations
- Marketing automation focus
Kombat Evolve is for:
- BJJ academies losing students before blue belt
- Gyms with belt progression systems
- European operations
- Retention-crisis focus
The honest truth: You wouldn’t use CrossFit software for BJJ. You wouldn’t use BJJ software for CrossFit.
Choose based on what sport you teach.
Can You Use Both?
Theoretically yes, but why?
Scenario: You teach CrossFit AND BJJ at same facility
Option 1: Use PushPress for everything
- Works for CrossFit (excellent)
- Works for BJJ (basic rank tracking)
- Cost: $159-229/month + processing fees
Option 2: Use Kombat Evolve for everything
- Works for BJJ (excellent)
- Doesn’t work for CrossFit (no WOD tracking)
- Cost: €89-152/month, zero transaction fees
Option 3: Use both
- PushPress for CrossFit side
- Kombat Evolve for BJJ side
- Cost: Combined ~$250-400/month
- Worth it? Only if both programs are big
Most gyms: Pick one based on which program is larger/more important
FAQ
Can PushPress track BJJ belt progression?
Yes, PushPress has rank tracking. You can store belt ranks, promotion dates, and track progress.
However, it’s basic - designed to work for any martial art (taekwondo, karate, BJJ). Students can’t see their own detailed progression like with Kombat Evolve’s mobile app dashboards.
- PushPress belt tracking: Admin tool (coaches see ranks)
- Kombat Evolve belt tracking: Retention tool (students see their own progress daily)
Can Kombat Evolve track CrossFit workouts?
No. Kombat Evolve has zero workout programming features.
We’re built specifically for BJJ retention - belt progression, technique tracking, at-risk alerts. If you need WOD tracking, leaderboards, or benchmark workouts, you need PushPress or similar CrossFit software.
Which has better retention features?
Kombat Evolve. Retention is literally our only focus.
Kombat Evolve retention features:
- At-risk student alerts (attendance drops)
- Churn prediction analytics
- Progress visibility (mobile app dashboards)
- Post-class feedback collection
- BJJ Wrapped (shareable annual summaries)
PushPress retention features:
- Basic attendance tracking
- Member engagement through workout logging
- No automated retention interventions
Why the difference: PushPress is operations + marketing focused. Kombat Evolve is retention-only focused.
Which is cheaper for a 100-student gym?
Total annual cost comparison:
PushPress Pro:
- Base: $159/month = $1,908/year
- Processing fees (2.89%): ~$3,468/year
- Total: ~$5,376/year
Kombat Evolve:
- Base: €152/month = €1,824/year (~$1,980/year)
- Processing fees: €0 (zero)
- Stripe direct: ~$1,680/year (you pay Stripe, not us)
- Total: ~$3,660/year
Kombat Evolve is ~$1,716/year cheaper.
BUT: This only matters if you’re comparing apples to apples. PushPress has workout features you might need. Kombat Evolve has retention features you might need.
Compare based on value, not just cost.
Does PushPress work for martial arts gyms?
Yes. PushPress works for any gym type, including martial arts.
From their website: They have customers like “Checkmat Tacoma Brazilian Jiu Jitsu”, “Dominion MMA”, and other martial arts gyms.
However: PushPress is optimized for CrossFit. Their marketing, features, and customer base are CrossFit-heavy. Martial arts is a secondary use case.
Kombat Evolve: Built ONLY for BJJ/martial arts with belt systems. It’s our primary (only) use case.
Which is better for European gyms?
Kombat Evolve - built Europe-first.
European features:
- SEPA direct debit (standard European payment method)
- GDPR-compliant by design (required by EU law)
- Multi-language (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese)
- EUR pricing
- European time zone support
- Understands association-based gym structures (common in France/Germany)
PushPress: Works globally but optimized for US market (USD pricing, US support hours, ACH payments).
If you’re in Europe and need SEPA/GDPR → Kombat Evolve
Can I migrate from PushPress to Kombat Evolve?
Yes, but only if you’re switching from CrossFit to BJJ or if you’re a martial arts gym on PushPress.
We help migrate:
- Student roster and contact info
- Belt ranks and promotion history
- Attendance records
- Membership tiers
Migration timeline: 1-2 weeks
Migration cost: Free
Note: You’ll lose workout programming data (WODs, PRs, benchmarks) because we don’t have those features. Only migrate if retention > workout tracking for your gym.
Do I need marketing features or retention features?
Ask yourself:
Problem A: Can’t get students in the door?
- Low trial signups
- Website doesn’t convert
- Need lead nurturing automation
- Acquisition is the bottleneck
- → You need marketing features (PushPress)
Problem B: Can’t keep students from quitting?
- High churn rate (70%+ quit before blue belt)
- Students disappear without explanation (“invisible students”)
- Retention is the bottleneck
- You get enough trials, they just don’t stay
- → You need retention features (Kombat Evolve)
The data:
Average BJJ gym spends:
- €5,000-10,000/year on marketing (Instagram ads, website, lead gen)
- €25,000-28,000/year lost to student churn
The retention problem is 3-5x bigger than the acquisition problem.
Most BJJ gyms need retention help more than marketing help.
I teach both CrossFit and BJJ. Which should I use?
Depends which program is bigger:
Scenario 1: 80% CrossFit, 20% BJJ → Use PushPress
- Excellent for CrossFit (WOD tracking essential)
- Basic for BJJ (rank tracking works)
- Cost: $159-229/month + fees
Scenario 2: 80% BJJ, 20% CrossFit → Use Kombat Evolve for BJJ
- Excellent for BJJ retention
- Doesn’t handle CrossFit WODs
- Cost: €89-152/month + separate CrossFit tool
Scenario 3: 50/50 split, both important → Use both platforms
- PushPress for CrossFit
- Kombat Evolve for BJJ
- Cost: ~$250-400/month combined
- Worth it if both programs generate significant revenue
Most gyms: One program dominates - choose software for your main program
Which has better customer support?
Different philosophies:
PushPress:
- Institutional support system
- AI support (60% resolution rate)
- Human support team (current/former gym owners)
- Tiered by plan (Free = 48hr, Pro/Max = live support)
- Professional, scalable
Kombat Evolve:
- Direct founder support
- Mans responds personally (BJJ black belt)
- WhatsApp + email
- No tiers (everyone gets founder access)
- Personal, practitioner-to-practitioner
Choose based on preference:
- Want professional support team → PushPress
- Want to talk to a black belt who gets “invisible student problem” → Kombat Evolve