# Helmr vs FitnessForce for Indian gyms

Smaran Challapalli · Published 8 Aug 2026 · Updated 4 Nov 2026

Helmr vs FitnessForce compares two gym management products for Indian gyms. Helmr, in early access, commits to 0% of member payments and a published price. FitnessForce, which joined Daxko in June, publishes no prices, and its agreement lists gateway fees and data export fees.

I used to pay for FitnessForce at my own studio, a personal-training studio I run in Hyderabad. It was one of the "leading" gym software tools, the kind most gyms use. I wanted to use my own payment gateway, and I couldn't without paying extra fees, which made no sense.

Each fingerprint reader was a five-figure bill to get installed. Messaging and SMS sat behind one pay gate and the white-label app sat behind another. Everything was paid, paid, paid, paid, paid, and it all added up.

That's a big part of why I started building Helmr, gym management software for India, so I'm obviously biased here. It's also only my own experience, so for this page we went and read what FitnessForce publishes today.

## The gateway fee is still there

FitnessForce doesn't publish a price list, but the footer of its [site](https://www.fitnessforce.com) links a 30-page [Master Service Agreement](https://www.fitnessforce.com/documents/Master_Service_Agreement_Fitness_Force_8.20.26.pdf), and the "Company" in it is Daxko, LLC and its affiliates. Under "Transaction Gateway Fees", customers pay the fees in their Order Form "regardless of whether Customer is using Payment Processing Services" (section 4(c)). That's more or less my old complaint, in one line of legal text.

Setup is charged separately too. There are "one-time, non-refundable fees" for configuration, data conversion and training, and data conversion is what most of us would call migration (section 4(a)). Hardware is on the customer as well, and it "cannot be returned for a refund" (section 4(d)).

The actual amounts live in each customer's Order Form, so an Indian gym's deal could look different from what's written here.

## What it costs to leave

I call this the exit bill: the total you owe on your way out. It's the one number nobody thinks about on the day they sign.

If a customer leaves before the term ends, the agreement says they owe 100% of the fees for the remaining months, unless Daxko is the one in uncured material breach. So eight months left means eight months of fees, due "prior to any release of Customer data" (section 8(d)). The export itself comes "at then current standard fees" (section 5(h)), and "exit data fees" and "data extract fees" both appear in the list of additional services (section 5(d)). After termination, the company is "under no obligation to retain or archive Customer Data" (section 10).

Helmr's exit bill is meant to be boring. Billing is monthly, cancelling stops future charges, and export stays open for 30 days after cancellation ([helmr.in/pricing](/pricing)).

## Helmr and FitnessForce side by side

Helmr is in early access, so its column is what we've committed to, not a list of live features.

| Axis | Helmr | FitnessForce (as of 4 Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Per business plus a per-branch add-on, published before launch | Not published; the site offers "Book a demo" and "Request demo" |
| Cut of member payments | 0% | Transaction fees set in the Order Form; amounts not published |
| Your own payment setup | Money goes to your own payment account, never Helmr's | Merchant agreements with "providers approved by Company"; gateway fees apply either way |
| Branch pricing | One per-branch add-on, published before launch | Not published |
| Migration | Free, assisted, included | "Data conversion" listed under one-time, non-refundable fees |
| WhatsApp number | Your members hear from your own number | "Two-Way SMS/Email/WhatsApp" listed in a 2025 update; whose number it uses is not published |
| Leaving | Monthly billing; cancelling stops future charges | 100% of remaining term fees on early exit |
| Data on exit | Export open for 30 days after cancellation | Export "at then current standard fees"; no duty to retain data after termination |
| Ownership | India-only, Indian-owned | Part of Daxko, Birmingham, AL ([announced 23 Jun 2026](https://www.daxko.com/news/daxko-acquires-fitnessforce-broadening-its-global-fitness-software-portfolio)) |

The WhatsApp row isn't only a promise, because my own studio's number has run on the same rail since 22 Oct 2026.

## Who owns FitnessForce now

FitnessForce's site carries the banner "FitnessForce has joined Daxko!", and Daxko's [announcement](https://www.daxko.com/news/daxko-acquires-fitnessforce-broadening-its-global-fitness-software-portfolio) of 23 Jun 2026 calls it an acquisition. The release pitches FitnessForce at multi-location, franchise and international fitness operators, which is a long way from a single gym in Hyderabad.

The agreement reads the same way. It runs on Delaware law, and for a customer outside the US, disputes go to arbitration in New York unless the Order Form says otherwise (sections 18(c) and 18(d)). Updated terms take effect the day they're loaded onto the website.

Fees are in US dollars, again unless the Order Form says otherwise (section 5(i)). Phone and email support runs 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST, Monday to Friday, which is 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. in India, with round-the-clock help for system outages (section 2(d)).

## How much does FitnessForce cost?

Nobody outside a sales call can say. The [site](https://www.fitnessforce.com) shows no plans and no prices, and the demo is how you get a quote.

Honestly, Helmr's price isn't public yet either, because we're still in early access. It'll go on the [pricing page](/pricing) before launch, per business plus a per-branch add-on, with no demo needed to see it. [MyGymDesk](/compare/helmr-vs-mygymdesk/) is one vendor that prints its plans today.

## What I'd ask before signing now

- What's the gateway fee if I use my own payment setup?
- Is the contract billed in rupees or US dollars?
- What do I owe if I leave before the term ends?
- What does the data export cost, and in what format?
- Which law and arbitration seat does my Order Form name?

## FitnessForce alternatives for Indian gyms

We keep a longer list in [best gym software in India](/blog/best-gym-software-india/). There's also a [buyer's guide](/guides/choose-gym-management-software-india/) and a [switching checklist](/guides/switch-gym-software/) for anyone already thinking about moving.

As for Helmr, none of this is live yet. We're building one gym app for the owner, front desk and coach, with GST billing, PT commission per delivered session and payroll. Check-in will be a QR kiosk, with ESSL and ZKTeco readers through a bridge, and QR will always be there, so a reader is never the only way in.

## Sources

- FitnessForce site: https://www.fitnessforce.com (as of 4 Nov 2026)
- FitnessForce Master Service Agreement, linked in the site footer: https://www.fitnessforce.com/documents/Master_Service_Agreement_Fitness_Force_8.20.26.pdf (as of 4 Nov 2026)
- Daxko announcement, 23 Jun 2026: https://www.daxko.com/news/daxko-acquires-fitnessforce-broadening-its-global-fitness-software-portfolio (as of 2 Nov 2026)
- Helmr pricing and export: https://helmr.in/pricing

## Where Helmr fits

Helmr is in early access. If you're on FitnessForce and curious where the build stands, [message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/918099066799?text=Hi%2C%20I%20want%20early%20access%20to%20Helmr%20for%20my%20gym). Helmr helps you avoid the mistakes that every gym makes, without taking the time that every gym takes to fix them.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does FitnessForce publish its pricing?

No. Its site offers a demo and shows no plans or prices. Fee amounts sit in each customer's Order Form. Helmr will publish its price, per business plus a per-branch add-on, before launch.

### Can you use your own payment gateway with FitnessForce?

The agreement linked on its site says customers pay the transaction fees in their Order Form whether or not they use its payment processing, and merchant agreements must be with approved providers. Helmr takes 0% of member payments, and the money goes to your own account.

### Does FitnessForce charge to export your data?

Its agreement says export comes "at then current standard fees" after all fees due are paid, and lists "exit data fees" as an additional service. Helmr's export stays open for 30 days after cancellation.

### Who owns FitnessForce now?

Daxko, of Birmingham, AL, which announced the acquisition on 23 Jun 2026.

### What does Helmr cost?

Helmr is in early access. The price will be per business plus a per-branch add-on, published before launch, and the take rate on member payments is 0%.

Source: https://helmr.in/compare/helmr-vs-fitnessforce/