SmartRec Not So Smart for Growth? The best SmartRec alternative is Exercise.com.

Looking for the best SmartRec alternative? Compare SmartRec vs Exercise.com to discover which gym and recreation management software delivers true scalability—from CRM and branded apps to advanced fitness tracking, billing, and ecommerce. See why growing gyms and fitness centers trust Exercise.com over SmartRec.

SmartRec by Amilia is a platform built for recreation departments, camps, and municipalities that need activity registration, waivers, and public event scheduling. But if you’re running a fitness business that requires class management, CRM automations, workout programming, mobile branding, and revenue-driving tools—Exercise.com is the best gym management software for hybrid training, gym chains, and high-growth operations.

Let’s take a closer look.

SmartRec excels at event registration for camps and city rec programs—but gym owners are often frustrated by its lack of gym-specific features like personal training booking, workout delivery, trainer performance metrics, or app-based communication. There’s no branded app experience, no workout library, and no built-in fitness assessments.

Exercise.com consolidates your gym’s operations into one powerful platform: class scheduling, personal training, CRM automations, custom workouts, ecommerce, branded apps, and analytics—all in one dashboard. It’s purpose-built for fitness businesses, not municipal recreation.

Exercise.com is simply the best. We were using three or four different apps or softwares to do what we can now do all in one with the Exercise.com platform.

Brandon Stroupe

Founder and President, APEC Sports Performance

Get a demo now!

Why Exercise.com Outperforms SmartRec

SmartRec is built for parks and recreation departments—not gyms. It focuses on activity registration, not workout results. Exercise.com is designed specifically for fitness businesses, offering WOD delivery, hybrid memberships, CRM triggers, and performance tracking. If you want to grow your gym business, you need more than just registration tools—you need a platform that drives engagement and revenue.

SmartRec Features

• Activity Registration: Online sign-ups for public events, youth programs, or rec activities
• Waiver Management: Collect and store electronic participant waivers
• Public Event Catalog: Website listings for activities and community events
• Family Account Management: Households and dependent profiles under one login
• Staff Scheduling: Schedule instructors and rec staff for community programs
• Limited CRM & Billing: No advanced automations, assessments, or POS

Exercise.com Pros & Cons

Pros

• Branded Mobile Apps: Streamline class booking, coaching, and engagement under your gym brand
• Custom Workout Delivery: Build programs, track progress, and deliver online or in-person
• Advanced CRM: Automate lead nurturing, sales workflows, and retention campaigns
• POS & Billing: Run in-gym sales, subscriptions, and retail within one system
• Performance Metrics: Assessments, progress tracking, and trainer dashboards

Cons

• High Feature Depth: May require onboarding to fully leverage capabilities

SmartRec Pros & Cons

Pros

• Good for Parks & Rec: Public event and program registration features
• Family & Youth Program Support: Manage kids’ registrations with household profiles
• Waiver Collection: Built-in digital waiver tools

Cons

• No Fitness Programming: Lacks workouts, assessments, or coaching tools
• No Branded Apps: Client access happens through generic portals
• No CRM Automations: Doesn’t support lead gen or retention flows
• No POS or Online Store: Ecommerce is not designed for gyms or training

Top SmartRec Alternatives

• Exercise.com – Best all-in-one gym solution with CRM, apps, programming, and billing
• Vagaro – Appointment-based scheduling, lacks fitness depth
• Zen Planner – Good for boutique gyms, limited coaching tools
• Amilia SmartRec – Rec department tool not optimized for gyms
• PushPress – Strength gym support, lacks ecommerce and CRM flows

Big List of SmartRec Competitors

SmartRec Reviews (Common Themes)

SmartRec earns a 4.3/5 average on review sites, praised for ease of use, staff scheduling, and camp/event registration. Users say it’s “intuitive and reliable” for community and rec center operations. However, gym owners report slow support, limited reporting customization, and a lack of tools for personal training, workout tracking, or branded app experiences.

SmartRec Pricing

SmartRec offers custom pricing based on feature set and organization type. Most gyms report needing multiple paid add-ons to approximate what Exercise.com includes by default: training tools, mobile apps, POS, ecommerce, and CRM. Exercise.com delivers it all under one price.

If you want to offer an elite service for the end user you need to get with the times and use elite level software that is intuitive, visually appealing, and effective. That is exactly what Exercise.com delivers to its clients.

Jimmy Myers

Owner/Trainer, Relentless Sports Performance

Get a demo now!

What is SmartRec?

SmartRec is a scheduling and registration platform built for parks and recreation departments, helping manage camps, public events, and youth programs.

What does SmartRec do?

It enables online registration, waiver collection, and staff scheduling for public programs. It doesn’t include personal training, workout delivery, or fitness automation.

Who uses SmartRec?

Recreation centers, youth organizations, and municipalities running camps or programs—not gyms or fitness studios.

Is SmartRec good for gyms?

No—SmartRec is not built for gym scheduling, workouts, or client progress tracking. Fitness businesses need a more tailored platform like Exercise.com.

What are the best SmartRec alternatives?

Exercise.com is the best SmartRec alternative for gyms. It includes everything needed for personal training, class scheduling, assessments, CRM, and branded apps in one platform.

How do I compare SmartRec vs Exercise.com?

SmartRec is designed for parks and recreation—not fitness. Exercise.com is a complete gym business solution. If you run a gym or studio, Exercise.com will give you a better return, deeper features, and fewer limitations.

Exercise.com is simply the best. We were using three or four different apps or softwares to do what we can now do all in one with the Exercise.com platform.

Brandon Stroupe

Founder and President, APEC Sports Performance

Get a demo now!