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Scheduling · head to head

Sawyer vs SportsEngine

Sawyer logo

Sawyer

Scheduling

Class and camp booking software for children activity businesses, with a marketplace that takes up to 30 percent

From
$189/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SportsEngine logo

SportsEngine

Sports

Registration and governance platform mandated by several United States national governing bodies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SportsEngine has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Sawyer the Launch plan looks free but forces a marketplace listing at 30 percent commission, so a single high-value camp booking through the marketplace can cost more than a year of the Grow subscription would have.; SportsEngine a large part of the cost is the payment processing percentage on registrations rather than the platform quotation, so the true seasonal cost scales with the money you collect and is usually passed on to families.
  • They diverge on capability: Sawyer covers Class and camp registration, SportsEngine covers Online registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sawyer and SportsEngine actually diverge.

Attributes where Sawyer and SportsEngine differ
AttributeSawyerSportsEngine
Starting price$189/monthFree
Pricing modelPer business per month, plus marketplace commissionquote
Free tierNoYes
CategorySchedulingSports

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Sawyer

  • Class and camp registration
  • Memberships and class packs
  • Consumer marketplace
  • Auto-billing
  • Waivers and e-signature
  • Multi-location

Only in SportsEngine

  • Online registration
  • Compliance and screening
  • Governing body integration
  • Scheduling and tournaments
  • Organisation websites
  • Free team tier

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Sawyer

  • A new kids activity studio with no mailing list that wants the marketplace to fill its first termsnot SportsEngine
  • An established music school moving off spreadsheets that will run Sawyer as software only and never list on the marketplacenot SportsEngine
  • A gym selling memberships, class packs and birthday parties that needs all three billed from one systemnot SportsEngine
  • A provider running summer camps alongside term-time classes who wants a single parent account for bothnot SportsEngine

SportsEngine

  • A club affiliated to a national governing body that runs its member registration and safeguarding on SportsEnginenot Sawyer
  • A league that needs background screening status tracked against every volunteer before the season startsnot Sawyer
  • An organisation collecting several hundred registrations with instalment payment plans across multiple programmesnot Sawyer
  • A tournament organiser needing brackets, schedules and public results pages in one placenot Sawyer

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Sawyer

  • The Launch plan looks free but forces a marketplace listing at 30 percent commission, so a single high-value camp booking through the marketplace can cost more than a year of the Grow subscription would have.
  • Marketplace commission applies to the order value, not the margin, so low-margin providers can lose money on a marketplace booking.
  • Payment processing fees are charged separately by Stripe on top of the subscription and any commission, which the plan comparison does not surface clearly.
  • The step from Grow to Scale doubles the monthly cost for account management and integrations rather than for capability most providers need, making the middle tier the only sensible choice for many.
  • It is built for consumer activity businesses, so providers who invoice schools, councils or corporate clients will find the billing model a poor fit.

SportsEngine

  • A large part of the cost is the payment processing percentage on registrations rather than the platform quotation, so the true seasonal cost scales with the money you collect and is usually passed on to families.
  • The free team tier is a funnel rather than a complete product, and organisations that adopt it discover the features they need are on the quoted club product.
  • The product line has grown through acquisition and corporate reorganisation under NBC Sports Next, so overlapping products and periodic retirements happen on a schedule set by the parent rather than by you.
  • Website building and communication tools are dated compared with general purpose alternatives, and clubs that care about their public presence often end up running a separate site anyway.
  • Outside the United States and outside the sports whose governing bodies mandate it, the case for choosing SportsEngine over a simpler and cheaper registration tool is weak.

Pricing, plan by plan

Sawyer

$189/month
  • Launch$undefined/month
    • No monthly subscription fee
    • 3 percent per transaction
    • Marketplace listing required, 30 percent commission on marketplace orders
  • Grow$189/month
    • 189 USD per month billed annually, 219 monthly
    • Marketplace listing optional, 20 percent commission if used
    • Advanced scheduling, waitlists, free trials
  • Scale$379/month
    • 379 USD per month billed annually, 399 monthly
    • Marketplace listing optional, 15 percent commission if used
    • Dedicated account manager and registration launch support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing for large multi-site operators

SportsEngine

Free
  • SportsEngine HQFree
    • Free for individual teams
    • Rosters, schedules and messaging
    • Parent application access
  • SportsEngine for Clubs and Leagues$undefined/year
    • Quoted per organisation
    • Registration, payments and compliance tracking
    • Websites and multi-team scheduling

Which should you pick?

Choose Sawyer if

  • You need class and camp registration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want memberships and class packs.
Sawyer review

Choose SportsEngine if

  • You need online registration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want compliance and screening.
SportsEngine review

Questions people ask

Is Sawyer or SportsEngine better?
Neither clearly leads. Sawyer starts at $189/month and SportsEngine at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sawyer or SportsEngine?
SportsEngine has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $189/month for Sawyer and Free for SportsEngine.
Does Sawyer or SportsEngine run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use SportsEngine for free?
Yes. SportsEngine has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sawyer starts at $189/month.
What is Sawyer best used for?
Sawyer is most often used for a new kids activity studio with no mailing list that wants the marketplace to fill its first terms, an established music school moving off spreadsheets that will run sawyer as software only and never list on the marketplace, a gym selling memberships, class packs and birthday parties that needs all three billed from one system, a provider running summer camps alongside term-time classes who wants a single parent account for both. Of those, a new kids activity studio with no mailing list that wants the marketplace to fill its first terms and an established music school moving off spreadsheets that will run sawyer as software only and never list on the marketplace are not what SportsEngine is typically brought in for.
What can Sawyer do that SportsEngine cannot?
Sawyer covers Class and camp registration, Memberships and class packs, Consumer marketplace, Auto-billing. SportsEngine covers Online registration, Compliance and screening, Governing body integration, Scheduling and tournaments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sawyer: Is the Launch plan really free?

No. It has no monthly fee but charges 3 percent per transaction and requires a marketplace listing that takes 30 percent of marketplace orders.

SportsEngine: Do we have to use it?

If your national governing body runs member registration and safeguarding compliance on SportsEngine, effectively yes, unless you are prepared to duplicate registration in two systems.

Sawyer: Can I use Sawyer without the marketplace?

Yes, on Grow and Scale the listing is optional. On Launch it is required.

SportsEngine: What does it cost?

The organisation product is quoted, and on top of that there is a processing percentage on every registration payment. Model the processing against your registration volume.

Sawyer: What does the marketplace commission apply to?

The full order value of bookings originating on hisawyer.com, not to bookings from your own website.

SportsEngine: Is SportsEngine HQ really free?

Yes, for individual teams. It is deliberately limited compared with the club and league product it is designed to lead you towards.

Sawyer: Is there a contract?

Monthly plans are month to month with 30 days notice; annual billing saves roughly 5 to 14 percent depending on tier.

SportsEngine: How does it compare with TeamSnap?

TeamSnap is stronger at team-level communication and cheaper for a single team. SportsEngine wins where registration, payments and governing body compliance are the requirement.

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