HQ.training vs PushPress

Free software paid for in card fees, or one flat price

PushPress runs boxes and studios on a real $0 plan that it pays for with card fees of 4.99% + $0.30, or $159 to $229 a month for lower rates. Workout tracking, marketing and the branded app are add-ons. HQ is $59 a month at Stripe’s standard rate, with coaching and members’ wearables in the plan.

Start your gym free See pricing

What this page says about PushPress comes from PushPress’s own pricing page, product pages and help center, read on 13 October 2026. Prices and features change, so check theirs before you decide.

HQ is the better pick if

You bill more than a few thousand a month: PushPress Free takes 4.99% + $0.30 of each card payment, HQ adds nothing to Stripe’s rate.
You want workout programming in the plan rather than a $79 add-on.
Your members wear Garmin, Apple Health, Oura or WHOOP, and your coaches want that data.
Your coaches write plans for individual members as well as the class.

PushPress is the better pick if

You want to pay nothing a month and accept higher card fees.
You want partner programming through Train.
You want a full marketing CRM with SMS, WhatsApp and a website (Grow).
You need Zapier or Mailchimp.

HQ.training and PushPress, side by side

Included
Partly, or at extra cost
Not offered

Feature HQ.training PushPress

Price $59 a month, published, for the whole staff and any number of members Core Free $0, Pro $159, Max $229 a month; add-ons extra

Card processing Stripe at its standard card rate; HQ adds nothing 4.99% on Free, 2.89% on Pro, 2.75% on Max, each plus $0.30

Contract Monthly or yearly, cancel from the billing page Month to month, no contracts

Classes and waitlists A recurring timetable, online booking, and a waitlist that fills a freed spot on its own Recurring classes, waitlists and appointments

Memberships and packs Unlimited or credit-based plans, class packs, day passes and PT packs; freeze, cancel or change plan Plans, class packs, drop-ins and family memberships; prorating from Pro

Waivers Signed online before a membership starts Signed during sign-up

Check-in By name or QR card at the desk, or members check themselves in Self check-in in the app, a kiosk tablet, or staff

Point of sale Retail with stock counts, passes, packs and account credit; no card terminal Retail from the dashboard, staff app or kiosk; Stripe readers and Tap to Pay

Staff and payroll Five roles, 29 permissions, shifts, a time clock and a payroll report with CSV export; HQ doesn’t pay staff Permissions and a payroll report; it doesn’t pay staff

Retention Every member scored for risk of leaving each hour, on the Today board Retention signals for members at risk

Marketing Email broadcasts by plan, status or risk of leaving; no automated campaigns yet Email; CRM, SMS automation and websites in Grow, $329 a month

Workout tracking Each member’s workouts, strength sets and plans, and the class whiteboard with scores, PRs and leaderboards, included Display only on every tier; scores, PRs and leaderboards in Train, $79 a month

Members’ wearables Members’ Garmin, Apple Health, Oura, WHOOP and more, with fitness, fatigue and form None found

Branded member app Not offered $97 a month, plus your own Apple developer account

AI An AI plan builder for trainers An AI assistant that takes actions, on Pro and Max

Integrations No public API or Zapier yet Zapier, Mailchimp, Slack and more, on Pro and Max

Several locations One location per gym for now One account, and one Stripe account, per location

What sets them apart

What free costs

PushPress Free has no monthly fee and takes 4.99% + $0.30 of every card payment, and its own pages suggest moving to Pro, $159 a month, once you bill around $7,500 to $10,000 a month. HQ is $59 a month at Stripe’s standard rate, with nothing added.

Add-ons or included

Score tracking (Train) is $79 a month, marketing (Grow) $329 and the branded app $97; PushPress puts the full stack at about $559 a month. HQ’s coaching tools and class whiteboard come with the plan. It has no SMS marketing or branded app.

Members’ own training

PushPress lists no wearable connection. On HQ, members connect a watch, ring or scale, and a coach they accept sees their sessions, HRV, sleep and fitness, fatigue and form.

Where PushPress is ahead

A free plan for a gym starting out, partner programming, a full marketing CRM and integrations.

Moving from PushPress

Export what you need

PushPress exports transactions, payroll and cancelled members as CSV. Its help article on exporting member data was a dead link on 13 October 2026, so ask its support for a member export.
Check the branded app

PushPress plans are month to month, but the branded app needs 30 days’ notice.
Start on HQ

Gym & Studio is 14 days free, then $59 a month or $590 a year, with no contract to sign.

Questions

Is HQ cheaper than PushPress Free?: PushPress Free has no monthly fee, so for a very small gym it can cost less. It earns on card fees of 4.99% + $0.30. HQ is $59 a month at Stripe’s standard rate, so the more you bill, the more HQ saves you.
Can I track WOD scores on HQ?: Yes, on the plan. Members log their score for the class workout, Rx or Scaled, benchmarks show their PRs, and the leaderboard runs by class and for women and men, on the web, the phone and a TV.
Does HQ connect to Zapier or Mailchimp?: Not yet.

Sources

What this page says about PushPress comes from PushPress’s own pricing page, product pages and help center, read on 13 October 2026. Prices and features change, so check theirs before you decide.

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Start with the account you need

Athletes are free for good. Coaches and gyms get 14 days free, then pay one flat price.

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