Last updated: November 2026 · By Ben Gorski, founder of Swum
I make the Swum app (swum.ai), and it's on this list. iClassPro is a solid, long-running product with the biggest review base of the swim-specific tools, and for many schools staying put is the right call. Prices are what each company published on November 14, 2026, so check them before you switch.
The short answer
The main alternatives to iClassPro for a swim school are:
- Jackrabbit Swim: the closest like-for-like switch, and usually cheaper for schools under 500 students.
- The Swum app (swum.ai): for schools that run private and semi-private lessons alongside classes and want instructor pay built in.
- Pike13: for schools that mix classes, privates and appointments.
- WellnessLiving: for businesses that run swim next to fitness or other services.
- Captyn: for swim clubs that also run a lesson program.
- Sportimea: for small schools on a tight budget.
- SimplySwim: for schools in Australia and New Zealand.
What iClassPro does well
iClassPro covers the class-based swim school job end to end: classes, makeup tokens that parents schedule themselves, skill tracking with certificates, a customer portal and the iClassPro app, automated billing, a GPS staff time clock, point of sale, a check-in kiosk and 2-way texting. iClassPro has 4.5 stars from 477 reviews on Capterra, the biggest review base of the swim-specific tools.
Why schools look for an alternative to iClassPro
These are patterns in iClassPro's pricing pages and public reviews, not facts about every school.
- iClassPro charges per location. Signature is $139 a month, Elite $199 and Premium $299, each per location. A second site doubles the fee.
- iClassPro's private lessons need Elite. Appointments and private lessons start at $199 a month, not on Signature.
- iClassPro's Premium plan needs a 12-month commitment.
- iClassPro's branded app is extra: a $499 setup fee plus $150 a month.
- iClassPro sets its own card rates. iClassPro Payments charges 2.9% + $0.50 (3.5% for Amex) plus a $10 monthly gateway fee in the US and Canada. iClassPro's help center says Stripe is available "only in select countries." Reviewers mention processing and monthly fees adding up.
- iClassPro's staff pay stops at hours. The time clock exports hours to ADP, QuickBooks Payroll, Express Payroll or a CSV file, and payroll happens elsewhere.
- iClassPro reviewers want more integrations, naming Xero and BambooHR.
Side by side
| Weekly classes | Makeups | Waitlist | Skills / levels | Parent portal or app | Autopay | Private lessons | Staff pay | Starting price (Nov 14, 2026) | Capterra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iClassPro | Yes | Yes (tokens) | Yes | Yes | Portal and app; branded app extra | Yes | Elite plan and up | Time clock; payroll export | $139/mo per location | 4.5 (477) |
| Jackrabbit Swim | Yes | Yes | Yes (enroll by hand) | Yes | Portal; branded app extra | Yes | Yes (Appointments) | Time clock; payroll partner | $49/mo, by student count | 4.5 (227) |
| The Swum app (swum.ai) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Web, iOS and Android app | Yes | Yes | Payroll view and contractor payouts | $0/mo Standard or $98/mo Pro | 4.7 (3) |
| Pike13 | Yes | Yes (not for courses) | Yes | Premium plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Advanced plan and up | $139/mo yearly, $159 monthly | 4.1 (140) |
| WellnessLiving | Yes | Not mentioned | Yes | Yes | Yes (Achieve app) | Yes | Yes | Yes | $69/mo Starter | 4.4 (613) |
| Captyn | Unclear | Not mentioned | Yes | Yes | Branded member app | Yes | Yes | Not mentioned | $29/mo Individual, $79 Bronze | 4.8 (14) |
| Sportimea | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mobile-friendly portal | Plus plan and up | Plus plan and up | Business plan | Free plan; $39/mo yearly | No reviews yet |
| SimplySwim | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Customer portal | Yes | Unclear | Not mentioned | Not published | 4.8 (15) |
"Unclear" or "not mentioned" means I couldn't find it on the company's own pages. It doesn't prove the feature is missing.
The alternatives
When Jackrabbit Swim is the better pick
Best for: class-based schools under 500 students that want the closest thing to iClassPro.
Jackrabbit strengths: classes, makeups and absences that parents schedule in the portal, skill tracking, recurring auto-drafts, and Appointments that parents can book for private lessons. Jackrabbit costs $49 a month for up to 100 students, $89 up to 250 and $129 up to 500, with no contracts or setup fees and free data imports.
Watch out for: Jackrabbit's price rises with your student count, to $209 a month at 1,001 to 3,000 students. Jackrabbit's help center says "Enrollment from the waitlist is not automatic." Jackrabbit Pay is Jackrabbit's only built-in processor, and its rates aren't published. Some Jackrabbit reviewers describe an "extremely outdated user interface." A branded app means Jackrabbit Plus, from $93 a month plus a $169 setup fee.
When the Swum app (swum.ai) is the better pick
Best for: schools that sell privates and semi-privates alongside classes, pay instructors, and want families to book and pay themselves.
Swum strengths:
- Swum runs classes, sessions, plans with monthly dues or set billing days, and packages.
- Swum has makeups built into plans, a makeup picker that checks the pool and class level, and a waitlist page with drag-to-reorder and email.
- Swum tracks skill levels and milestones, and instructor specialties mean families only see instructors who fit their swimmer.
- Swum collects signed waivers with questions and your own PDF forms, plus sibling discounts and registration fees.
- Swum's payroll view shows what each instructor earned, was paid and is owed, plus contractor payouts.
- Swum's QuickBooks connection (in beta) syncs your income to QuickBooks. You can also export everything to CSV, or connect through an API, Zapier, Make and n8n.
- Switching from iClassPro: you send your iClassPro files and Swum runs the import. (From Jackrabbit, Acuity or a spreadsheet, you import it yourself.) Imports are quiet: no family gets an email until you turn emails back on.
Watch out for:
- Swum has only 3 reviews on Capterra. iClassPro and Jackrabbit have hundreds.
- Many of Swum's school features shipped in October and November 2026, so ask for a demo on your real schedule before you commit.
- Swum's free Standard plan takes a larger cut of each booking (the pricing page says "23% total fees per transaction"). Swum Pro is $98 a month with 5% total fees, and Pro Max is $200 a month with 2.9% + $0.30.
When Pike13 is the better pick
Best for: schools that mix classes, private lessons and appointments.
Pike13 strengths: classes, make-up passes, automated waitlists, appointments for privates, automated billing, and payroll and staff time tracking on the Advanced plan and up. There's a 7-day trial.
Watch out for: Pike13's skill tracking is only on Premium ($249 a month billed yearly). Pike13's make-up passes don't work for "courses". Pike13's integrated processor is Celero in the US, with Stripe only on request. Pike13's Capterra reviewers call reporting "cumbersome and limited."
Price: Pike13 Essential is $139 a month billed yearly or $159 monthly. Advanced is $195 or $225, and Premium $249 or $286.
When WellnessLiving is the better pick
Best for: businesses that run swim next to fitness, wellness or other services.
WellnessLiving strengths: classes, waitlists, levels and milestones, the Achieve app with family accounts, autopay, appointments and payroll.
Watch out for: WellnessLiving is a broad platform, not swim-first, and its swim page doesn't mention makeups. WellnessLiving's Capterra reviewers complain about its payment processor and how hard it is to cancel. WellnessLiving's pricing page shows temporary promos, so confirm the real monthly price.
Price: WellnessLiving Starter is $69 a month. Business is $199 and BusinessPro $349 at regular monthly prices.
When Captyn is the better pick
Best for: swim clubs and teams that also run a lesson program.
Captyn strengths: private lessons on every plan, a branded member app, waitlists, autopay, and USA Swimming SWIMS 3.0 and meets from the Silver plan.
Watch out for: Captyn leans toward swim teams, and its site doesn't mention makeups or staff pay. Captyn doesn't name its payment processor.
Price: Captyn Individual is $29 a month, Bronze $79, Silver $129 and Gold $179.
When Sportimea is the better pick
Best for: small swim schools that want a free or low-cost start.
Sportimea strengths: built only for swim schools, with classes, makeups, waitlists, skills and a parent portal. Payments run through Stripe and GoCardless.
Watch out for: Sportimea has no independent reviews yet (0 on Capterra). Sportimea's recurring payments and private lessons need the Plus plan, and payroll needs Business. Sportimea's prices exclude VAT.
Price: Sportimea has a free plan. Starter is $39 a month billed yearly ($49 monthly) for up to 150 swimmers, Plus $99 and Business $189 billed yearly.
When SimplySwim is the better pick
Best for: swim schools in Australia and New Zealand.
SimplySwim strengths: classes, makeups, waitlists, skills, a customer portal, and direct debit through Payrix.
Watch out for: SimplySwim doesn't publish prices on its site, and I couldn't confirm US support.
When staying on iClassPro is the better pick
Stay if you run one large site where a flat per-location price beats per-student pricing, you use iClassPro's point of sale, kiosk and punch passes every day, and its processing rates work for you.
Left off this list
- Amilia (SmartRec): built for parks and recreation departments.
- MarketBox: built for mobile lessons. See MarketBox alternatives.
- Upvio, Jumbula, Omnify and ClassForKids: not reviewed for this update.
Before you switch
Run one real week in a trial: a new family signing up, a sibling discount, a missed class and its makeup, a private lesson, a failed card, and payday.
More comparisons: Jackrabbit vs iClassPro for swim schools, Swum vs iClassPro, Swum vs Jackrabbit, Jackrabbit alternatives for swim schools, all swim school software comparisons and the swim school software migration checklist.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to iClassPro for a swim school?
For a class-based school, Jackrabbit Swim is the closest switch. For lots of private and semi-private lessons and instructors to pay, the Swum app (swum.ai) is built for that. Pike13 fits a mix of classes and appointments.
Is there a cheaper alternative to iClassPro?
Sportimea and the Swum app (swum.ai) both have free plans; Swum's takes a percentage of each booking instead of a monthly fee. Jackrabbit costs $49 to $129 a month for schools under 500 students, below iClassPro's $139 per location.
Can I import my data from iClassPro?
In the Swum app, you send your iClassPro files and Swum runs the import, and no family is emailed until you're ready. Jackrabbit includes free data imports.
Which iClassPro alternatives include private lessons?
Swum and Captyn include private lessons on every plan. Jackrabbit has Appointments that parents book in its Parent Portal. Sportimea needs its Plus plan, and iClassPro itself needs Elite ($199 a month).
Sources (seen November 14, 2026)
- iClassPro: iclasspro.com/pricing, /swim-software-features, /payments-pricing, /llms.txt; help center articles on Stripe and the time clock (search snippets); Capterra and Software Advice (search snippets).
- Jackrabbit Swim: jackrabbitclass.com/pricing, /swim, /features/billing-payment-processing; help center articles on waitlists and Parent Portal appointments; Capterra (snippet).
- Pike13, WellnessLiving, Captyn, Sportimea and SimplySwim: each pricing page (November 14), plus the sources in our Jackrabbit alternatives post.
