Comparison
SportClass vs Class Manager
Both run classes, enrolment, attendance and invoicing. The honest difference is where they start: Class Manager is a UK product that expanded into Australia, so you build your term by hand. SportClass is built around the Australian school calendar, so your first term is already there.
Below is a straight feature comparison — including the things Class Manager does better than us today.
The short version
- Choose SportClass if you run a sports academy in Australia or New Zealand and want your terms, classes and schedule built for you on day one.
- Choose Class Manager if you need makeup lessons, waiting lists, trial or drop-in classes, or an in-portal merch shop — they have those today and we do not.
- On price, the models differ rather than one simply being cheaper: SportClass is free for up to 30 students then a flat monthly plan, while Class Manager charges no subscription and takes a fee on each online payment. Which costs less depends on how much you process.
Why school terms are the real difference
Class Manager
You create a Season, type in its start and end dates, choose a pricing structure, then build each class inside it. Their guides walk you through it and their team will do a demo call — but the dates and the structure are yours to enter. Their own tennis club page does not mention school terms at all.
SportClass
You answer a few questions — which sport, how many classes a week, roughly what times. SportClass loads the Australian school terms for 2026 and 2027, creates the classes for your sport, lays out the weekly schedule and generates every session. You review and publish.
This matters most in the week before term starts, when the job is not “learn a new tool” but “get 40 families enrolled by Monday”.
Feature by feature
| Feature | SportClass | Class Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Getting set up | ||
| Term dates pre-loaded for Australian school termsSportClass ships the AU and NZ calendars for 2026–2027; no typing dates in by hand. | Yes | No |
| Classes and weekly schedule generated for youPick your sport and SportClass builds the classes, schedule and sessions to review. | Yes | No |
| Sport-specific starting templatesTennis, swimming, badminton, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, martial arts, dance and yoga. | Yes | No |
| Set up without a sales callClass Manager captures your industry at signup but still builds the schedule manually, guided by their knowledge base and demo calls. | Yes | Partial |
| Running classes | ||
| Digital attendance on any device | Yes | Yes |
| Online enrolment through a shareable class page | Yes | Yes |
| Student profiles with medical and consent notes | Yes | Yes |
| Parent portal | Yes | Yes |
| Absence requests with an approval flowParents request, admins approve — Class Manager handles makeups instead. | Yes | No |
| Per-student session notes for coaches | Yes | No |
| Makeup lesson bookingClass Manager has this; SportClass tracks the absence but cannot yet book a makeup. | No | Yes |
| Waiting listsOn our roadmap; Class Manager has it today. | No | Yes |
| Trial and drop-in classesClass Manager supports free/paid trials and pay-as-you-go. SportClass enrolment is term-based. | No | Yes |
| Money and messaging | ||
| Invoicing with bulk send | Yes | Yes |
| Email classes, age groups or everyone | Yes | Yes |
| Referral tracking | Yes | No |
| Automated overdue payment remindersClass Manager sends these automatically; SportClass flags overdue invoices for you to send. | Partial | Yes |
| Automatic sibling and multi-class discountsSportClass has promotions, but does not detect siblings automatically yet. | Partial | Yes |
| Integrated merchandise shopUniforms and merch inside the parent portal — Class Manager only. | No | Yes |
Class Manager details verified against classmanager.com in August 2026. Products change — if something here is out of date, and we will correct it.
Where Class Manager is the better choice
They have been doing this longer and it shows in the edges. If your academy depends on makeup lessons, waiting lists for full classes, casual drop-ins or paid trials, those are live in Class Manager and not yet in SportClass. They also sell uniforms through the parent portal and send overdue payment reminders automatically. If any of those are core to how you operate, they are the safer pick today.
See your own term built in about a minute
Free for up to 30 students, no credit card. If it is not a fit, you will know before you have entered a single date.