AMES vs Campium

AMES provides connected activity management and enrolment software for swim schools, dance studios, martial arts academies, gymnastics clubs and other class-based operators. It includes class scheduling, occupancy visibility, waitlists, mobile booking and enrolment across multiple classes or siblings. Staff can record attendance and absences, generate credits and let parents book replacement sessions subject to availability rules. AMES Pay accepts cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay through Stripe Connect, and GoCardless Direct Debit for recurring class fees. Parent updates, reminders, message history and automated absence and credit notices are part of its communications workflow. Listed integrations include Google Calendar, Xero, QuickBooks, Gmail, Outlook, Facebook, Instagram and Google Reviews; custom API integrations can be built during onboarding. AMES says it helps import existing member data, configure the system with a team and provide support after launch. Standard charges a transaction fee on successful payments collected through AMES, starting at 1.25 % per contact, with no monthly platform subscription or setup fee. Payment-provider processing fees and certain communications and AI services cost extra.

Campium brings camp registration, billing, attendance and communication into one platform. It is intended for day camps, sleepaway camps, bungalow colonies, after-school programs and youth organizations. Registration supports custom forms, document uploads, e-signatures, waitlists and session or product capacity limits. Billing includes family balances, card and ACH payments, payment plans, autopay, discounts and financial aid. Staff can record attendance and check-ins or check-outs, while families manage approved pickup permissions. Bus tracking provides a live GPS map, rider status and estimated arrival times. Medication records include dose and staff attribution, overdue-dose flags and access restrictions for authorized staff. The platform also supports staff scheduling, reports, mass email and SMS, announcements, targeted sends and one-way family messages. Contacts can sync with Mailchimp and Constant Contact, and QuickBooks is listed for accounting. Campium offers responsive web access and iOS and Android apps for parents and staff. There is no free version; pricing is discussed with the company, which offers a no-cost demo and setup walkthrough.