AMES vs Soakly
A UK swim school management platform built by swim school owners, with STA partnership and a flat per-swimmer pricing model.
Swim schools switch to AMES when their programme grows beyond ~120 swimmers, when they need multi-activity support, a dedicated instructor app, or safeguarding compliance tools that Soakly does not offer.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
A detailed look at how AMES and Soaklycompare across the features that matter most to children's activity providers.
Booking & Scheduling
Payment Processing
Communication
Reporting & Analytics
Teaching & Progression
Compliance & Safety
Why Operators Switch to AMES
Activity providers across the UK are moving from Soakly to AMES. Here is what makes the difference.
AMES costs less once you pass ~120 swimmers
Soakly charges 40p per swimmer every month. At 120 swimmers that is £48/month; at 300 swimmers it is £120/month. AMES charges no monthly fee — we earn a small percentage of payments processed through AMES Pay. Your cost scales with revenue, not headcount, and at any meaningful scale AMES is the more economical choice.
A dedicated instructor app, not just a back-office
AMES includes a purpose-built Teach app that instructors use poolside: take registers, record progress notes, and update levels in real time. Soakly does not offer an instructor-facing mobile interface, meaning your teachers are still working around a back-office admin tool during lessons.
Beyond swimming — manage every activity you run
Soakly is built exclusively for swim schools. If your business expands to holiday camps, gymnastics, dance, or any of the other 11 activity types AMES supports, you would need a second platform. AMES grows with you from day one.
UK safeguarding and compliance built in
AMES includes DBS check tracking, qualification expiry alerts, photo consent management, and safeguarding compliance tools as standard — everything required for UK providers working with children. Soakly does not offer these compliance features, leaving you to manage them manually.
Pricing at a Glance
Transparent pricing so you can make an informed decision.
AMES
No monthly fee. AMES earns a small % of payments processed via AMES Pay. For a typical swim school with 120+ active swimmers, AMES costs less and your fee scales proportionally with revenue — not headcount.
Soakly
Flat per-swimmer fee regardless of revenue. At 100 swimmers: £40/month. At 200 swimmers: £80/month. At 500 swimmers: £200/month. Costs grow with enrolment even if revenue stays flat.
Switching Is Easier Than You Think
Moving from Soakly to AMES does not mean starting from scratch. We handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on running your business.
Book a demo
See AMES in action with a personalised walkthrough tailored to your activity type and business size.
Free data migration
Our team migrates your existing customer data, class schedules, and booking history from Soakly at no extra cost.
Go live with confidence
We provide onboarding support, staff training, and a dedicated contact to ensure a smooth transition.
See AMES in Action
Ready to see how AMES can replace Soakly and transform the way you run your activity business? Book a free demo today.
