Soakly Alternative
Looking for a Soakly alternative?
AMES is UK-built swim school management software with a revenue-share pricing model — no monthly subscription, no per-student fees. If Soakly's fixed billing or admin-heavy workflows are creating friction, here's how AMES compares.
TL;DR
Soakly is a swim school management platform with solid scheduling and booking tools. AMES is built specifically for UK activity businesses: GoCardless direct debit, GBP-native billing, automated absence-to-credit workflows, and a parent portal designed to reduce admin overhead — all on a revenue-share model with no monthly fee.
Why schools switch
What drives UK schools to look elsewhere
Fixed monthly costs during quiet periods
School holidays, low-enrolment months, and off-peak periods still attract a fixed subscription bill. AMES earns only when you collect payments — so costs naturally contract when your revenue does.
Absence workflows still require staff to close the loop
Recording an absence in most platforms is where the automation stops. AMES generates the credit automatically, notifies the parent, and lets them book a replacement session themselves — without staff needing to touch it.
Payment collection spread across tools
AMES Pay brings card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and GoCardless into one billing system. Replacement bookings, credit top-ups, and class fees all go through the same flow — no separate payment accounts to reconcile.
Pricing that grows with your revenue, not against it
When you take on more students, a fixed subscription cost starts to feel like overhead. AMES scales proportionally — as your collections grow, so does what you pay us, and only then.
Side by side
AMES vs Soakly
Built for UK schools
Designed around UK swim school workflows
Many swim school platforms offer UK compatibility as an afterthought. Payment methods, billing structures, and absence workflows are shaped around assumptions that don't match how UK schools actually operate.
AMES is built for UK activity businesses from the ground up. GoCardless direct debit is a first-class payment method, not an afterthought. GBP is the native currency. The workflows — absence credits, replacement booking, sibling enrolment — reflect how UK swim schools actually run.
- GoCardless direct debit — first-class, not bolted on
- GBP-native billing and reporting
- Absence credit automation with parent self-serve booking
- Sibling enrolment and credit transfer built in
Revenue-share pricing
We only earn when you do
AMES charges a small processing fee on successful payments — nothing else. No monthly subscription, no per-student fees, no setup costs. When your revenue is down (holidays, quiet seasons), your costs are too.
Switching is straightforward
From Soakly to AMES in three steps
Import your data
Export your member list from Soakly. We import students, guardians, and class assignments so you're not starting from zero.
Configure your classes
Set up your timetable, pricing, and payment methods in AMES. Most schools complete this in a single session with onboarding support.
Go live
Send parents an invite to Connect. They log in, see their child's class, and manage bookings and payments from day one.
Ready to switch?
Start with AMES — no monthly fee
Get set up and running for free. We only earn when you collect payments — so there's no risk in trying.
