VERVE Pulse is a strong Membr alternative for gym owners who want transparent AUD pricing without a sales call, a built-in CRM with two-way SMS and AI lead scoring, and equipment tracking, all in one platform starting from $199/month +GST with a 30-day free trial.
Membr, the rebrand of Xplor Gym, is a capable platform built for enterprise and franchise fitness groups. But that focus creates real friction for independent gym owners and smaller operators who don't need enterprise-scale infrastructure and don't want to go through a sales process to find out what the software costs. Here are the reasons gym owners most often look elsewhere.
Membr uses custom, quote-based pricing, which means you need to speak with a salesperson before you know what you'll actually pay. For independent gym owners comparing several platforms, that adds friction and time to a decision that should be straightforward. It also makes it harder to budget confidently before committing to a demo process.
Membr's feature set and sales process are shaped around multi-site franchise operators who need standardised processes across many locations. Independent gyms and small studios can end up paying for infrastructure and complexity built for a very different kind of business than the one they're running.
The transition from Xplor Gym to Membr has been ongoing through 2026, and rebrands of this kind often come with a period of inconsistent documentation, support messaging, and product naming while the underlying company works through the change. That's a normal part of any rebrand, but it's a reasonable factor to weigh if you're evaluating the platform right now.
Membr's lead and sales tools are functional, but the platform does not offer the AI-driven lead scoring, next-step suggestions, or automated drip sequencing that newer, automation-first platforms include as standard. Gym owners specifically looking for an AI-powered CRM often find the gap noticeable.
Like most gym management platforms, Membr does not include equipment tracking, maintenance scheduling, or warranty management. For gyms with a significant equipment investment, that means a separate spreadsheet or third-party tool to manage a major capital asset.
Before you commit to a new platform, here's what a modern gym CRM and management platform should offer in 2026:
VERVE Pulse was built by VERVE Fitness, Australia's largest commercial gym equipment supplier, as an automation-first platform for gym owners of every size, not just large franchise groups. Here's what makes it a strong alternative to Membr, particularly for independent and small multi-site operators.
Every VERVE Pulse plan is published on the website: Core at $199/month +GST, Grow at $349/month +GST, and Pro at $549/month +GST. No sales call required to find out the cost, no per-member fees, and no lock-in contracts.
Pulse's CRM includes a visual Kanban pipeline, a spreadsheet-style leads list, two-way SMS with Instagram and Facebook DMs in a unified inbox, AI lead scoring, and automated drip sequences. See the full breakdown on our gym CRM page.
VERVE Pulse includes built-in equipment tracking: utilisation analytics, maintenance scheduling, warranty tracking, and replacement forecasting, because it's built by a gym equipment company that understands equipment is one of your largest capital investments.
Start a 30-day free trial directly from the website. No demo booking required to explore the platform, though the team is available if you want a walkthrough.
Here's what happens when you move from Membr to VERVE Pulse:
Membr's custom pricing model means the real cost depends on a sales conversation. VERVE Pulse publishes every price upfront.
Core plan. Published pricing, no sales call required. No per-member fees. No lock-in contract. 30-day free trial, cancel anytime.
Grow: $349/mo +GST: Two-way SMS, AI lead scoring, full marketing suite.
Pro: $549/mo +GST: Custom reporting, open API, dedicated account manager.
No published pricing. Requires a sales conversation. Built around franchise and enterprise operators, so cost typically reflects that scale and complexity, even for smaller gyms.
Because Membr does not publish pricing, we can't put a precise number next to it here. That opacity is itself one of the more common reasons independent gym owners look at published-price alternatives like VERVE Pulse.
Beyond price transparency, switching from Membr to VERVE Pulse means gaining capabilities built for independent gyms as much as larger operators.
A visual pipeline, two-way SMS, and AI lead scoring designed to work whether you're a single-site independent gym or running several locations, not a system that only makes sense once you're managing dozens of franchise sites.
A complete equipment management system: maintenance schedules, warranty tracking, usage analytics, and replacement forecasting, included at no extra cost.
No per-member fees, no hidden charges, no sales negotiation required to find your real monthly cost. You know exactly what you'll pay from the moment you sign up.
AUD pricing, GST-compliant invoicing, BECS direct debit, and support in AEST business hours, built in from the ground up rather than added on.
To be fair to Membr, it's worth noting what its enterprise heritage offers that a smaller gym might not need from VERVE Pulse.
If you're running a large franchise group with dozens of locations and a dedicated corporate operations team, Membr's enterprise-built infrastructure and standardised multi-site processes may be a genuine fit that a platform built for independent gyms and smaller multi-site operators doesn't fully replicate at that scale.
Larger operators already running on Xplor Gym or Membr may have an established account management relationship built around their specific enterprise needs. Switching platforms always means rebuilding that relationship, which is a real, if temporary, cost.
For the vast majority of independent gyms and small to mid-size multi-site operators, though, these enterprise-specific advantages don't outweigh the benefit of transparent pricing and a CRM built to be useful from day one, without a franchise-scale sales process.
Xplor Gym rebranded to Membr, with the transition continuing through 2026. The underlying platform carries over from Xplor's enterprise fitness management heritage, built around franchise and multi-site gym groups.
Yes. VERVE Pulse's onboarding team handles data migration from Membr, including member records, billing details, and class schedules. Lead and CRM data imports through VERVE Pulse's AI-assisted lead import tool. Most migrations are completed within 5-7 business days.
It depends on your gym size, since Membr uses custom, quote-based pricing rather than a published price list. VERVE Pulse publishes transparent AUD pricing from $199/month +GST with no per-member fees and no lock-in contracts, which makes it easier to compare total cost upfront without a sales call.
Membr includes lead and sales tools aimed at franchise and enterprise operators managing consistent processes across locations. VERVE Pulse includes a visual lead pipeline, two-way SMS in a unified inbox with Instagram and Facebook DMs, and AI lead scoring, built for independent gyms as well as larger operators.
For independent, single or few-site gym owners, VERVE Pulse's transparent published pricing and self-serve trial are generally a faster and clearer path than Membr's enterprise sales process, which is built around larger franchise groups. Membr may still suit larger multi-site operators needing standardised processes across many locations.
Start your 30-day free trial of VERVE Pulse. Transparent pricing, no lock-in, no per-member fees.