Running a curling club involves a lot more than scheduling ice time and drawing up leagues. Bonspiel registrations, membership renewals, volunteer coordination, locker rentals, and member communications all add to an administrative load that grows fast.
Most clubs end up piecing together a scheduling tool, a separate email platform, a paper sign-in sheet, and a spreadsheet for payments, yet still have things slip through the cracks each season.
This guide compares six of the most widely used platforms for curling club management across North America: Activity Messenger, Curling IO, Uplifter (including Curling Club Manager), TeamLinkt, Amilia, and Jackrabbit. Use it to find the right fit for how your club actually operates.
DISCLAIMER: Activity Messenger is our software. We built it after seeing firsthand how fragmented scheduling, registration, and communication tools make club management unnecessarily complicated for sport and recreation organizations.
Curling clubs sit in a unique administrative position. They’re not quite a recreation department, not quite a private sports club, and not quite a community league. They’re often all three at once: ice management, draw scheduling, and a membership culture, ranging from beginner learn-to-curl programs to competitive play and weekend bonspiels.
This guide is written for the club manager juggling too many spreadsheets, the volunteer registrar who manually chases membership renewals every September, the administrator trying to coordinate a bonspiel with 40 teams and no dedicated software, and the board member wondering why communication still goes out via a shared Gmail account.
If any of that sounds familiar, this comparison will help you find the right fit.
Curling has unique challenges that most generic sports software wasn’t designed to handle. Here’s what club administrators actually deal with behind the scenes:
🧹 Draw scheduling complexity. Curling leagues don’t run on simple scheduling logic. Balancing sheet assignments, skip rotations, team pairings, and round robins across multiple leagues (often at the same club simultaneously) is one of the most time-intensive tasks a club administrator faces.
🏆 Bonspiel and event management. A bonspiel is a multi-day, multi-draw event with bracket management, team registrations, entry fees, volunteer coordination, and real-time result publishing. Managing all of this through email threads and spreadsheets is a common pain point that eats up significant volunteer time.
💳 Annual membership renewals. Curling clubs depend heavily on recurring annual memberships. Manually tracking who has renewed, following up on outstanding dues, and updating contact records every September is one of the biggest administrative drains clubs face year after year.
🧊 Ice time and facility rentals. Beyond league play, most clubs rent ice to corporate groups, learn-to-curl programs, and private bookings. Coordinating sheet availability, collecting payment, and preventing double bookings require more than a shared calendar.
📋 Learn-to-curl program registration. These programs are often a club’s primary growth engine and new member pipeline, but they also involve structured multi-session enrolment, liability waivers, and attendance tracking, none of which a basic sign-up form handles well.
📣 Member communications that actually get read. Important announcements about ice conditions, game cancellations, AGM notices, and bonspiel registration deadlines need to reach members reliably. Email open rates have been declining for years, and clubs that rely solely on email newsletters miss a meaningful portion of their membership with every send.
🙋 Volunteer coordination. Bonspiels, spare lists, fundraisers, and ice maintenance all require volunteer coordination. Tracking commitments and manually communicating logistics are time-consuming and prone to gaps.
🔗 Disconnected tools. Many clubs currently use one tool for registration, another for email, a third for payment collection, and a fourth for waivers. This creates a fragmented experience for members and administrators alike.
Before comparing platforms, it’s worth clarifying what separates a genuine club management platform from a basic scheduling or booking tool.
| Platform | Primary Focus | Best Fit | Key Strengths | Starting Price | Capterra Rating |
| Activity Messenger | All-in-one club & program management | Clubs needing registration, comms, payments & waivers in one platform | Automation, SMS/email, digital waivers, flexible registration | From ~$89/mo | 4.8/5 ⭐ |
| Curling IO | Curling-specific club management | Clubs of all sizes wanting purpose-built curling tools | Draw scheduling, bonspiel management, built-in accounting | From 2.7% + $0.30/transaction | 5.0/5 ⭐ |
| Uplifter / Curling Club Manager | Sport governance & club ops | Clubs & provincial associations needing compliance + registration | Membership management, event scheduling, multi-sport platform | Custom pricing | 4.4/5 ⭐ |
| TeamLinkt | Team & league communication | Small volunteer-run clubs needing simple, affordable tools | Mobile-first, easy scheduling, basic registration | Free tier; paid plans available | 4.7/5 ⭐ |
| Amilia | Recreation & program management | Mid-to-large clubs or rec departments | Flexible registrations, multi-facility, integrated payments | From ~$99/mo | 4.3/5 ⭐ |
| Jackrabbit | Class & program management | Clubs running structured learn-to-curl or multi-session programs | Recurring billing, attendance tracking, family accounts | From ~$49/mo + student count | 4.6/5 ⭐ |
Why it stands out: Bonspiel registrations, learn-to-curl enrolment, annual membership renewals, locker rental agreements, ice cancellation notices, and end-of-season surveys all need coordinated administrative workflows that a single scheduling tool can’t handle.
Activity Messenger is built for exactly this scenario: organizations that need registration alongside automated communications, integrated payments, digital waivers, attendance tracking, and member engagement tools, all in one platform, without the enterprise price tag or months-long implementation.
For curling clubs shopping for software that handles more than just scheduling, Activity Messenger falls into a different category from the sport-specific tools on this list. It covers the full operational picture, from the moment a new member registers through to their annual renewal.
Key Features:
Pricing: $89–$199/month (Light, Premium, Pro, and Enterprise plans); monthly billing with no annual commitment required
Pros:
Cons:
💬 What our customers say:
“We have been working with Activity Messenger for almost two years now and we are so happy we were introduced to their product. We replaced both Mailchimp and Survey Monkey with Activity Messenger as well as continue to find new ways to utilize AM in our daily work. It’s such a robust and easy platform to use.” — Catherine D., Member Services Manager & Finance, Non-Profit Organization Management
“Activity Messenger has seamlessly integrated with our existing registration software and has plugged the existing holes we had with personalized communication as well as form and waiver management. The team is quick to implement fixes and is always available for support.” — CJ P., Gym Director, Sports
Why it stands out: Curling IO was built specifically for curling. Draw scheduling, round robins, playoff brackets, live scoring, and bonspiel management are native features rather than adaptations from a generic sports platform.
Key Features:
Pricing: Free to use with offline payments; online payment processing at 2.7% + $0.30 per transaction (all-inclusive, no setup fees)
Pros:
Cons:
Why it stands out: In November 2025, Uplifter Inc. acquired Curling Club Manager. For existing Curling Club Manager users, day-to-day operations continue as before. Uplifter’s platform covers compliance and governance workflows, as well as registration and scheduling.
Users of Curling Club Manager reported the platform was in need of modernization, new features and better support, with many concerned about rising costs following the acquisition.
Key Features:
Pricing: Custom pricing (requires a demo/sales conversation)
Pros:
Cons:
Why it stands out: TeamLinkt is a mobile-first sports management platform covering the basics: scheduling, communication, and registration. For small, volunteer-run community curling clubs that don’t require complex administrative workflows, it is one of the more accessible and affordable options.
Key Features:
Pricing: Free tier available; paid plans ($425 to $795/yearly) with additional features
Pros:
Cons:
Why it stands out: Amilia’s SmartRec platform is designed for organizations managing registrations across multiple program types and facilities. It is more commonly used by recreation departments, YMCAs, and larger community organizations than by standalone curling clubs. It is worth considering when curling is one program within a broader operation.
Key Features:
Pricing: $99–$499/month (Standard, Advanced, and Custom plans)
Pros:
Cons:
Why it stands out: Jackrabbit is used primarily by dance, gymnastics, and martial arts studios managing recurring class schedules, multi-instructor billing, and attendance tracking. It was not designed for curling, but clubs running structured learn-to-curl programs with multi-week sessions and recurring family billing may find some of its program management features applicable.
Key Features:
Pricing: From ~$49/month + pricing based on total student count at the end of each month
Pros:
Cons:
When evaluating platforms for your club, use this checklist to guide your decision:
☑️ Online registration with recurring support — Can members register for a full season’s league, not just a one-off event? Can bonspiels and learn-to-curl programs be managed through the same system?
☑️ Automated membership renewal reminders — Are renewal notices sent automatically before expiry, or does someone have to manually chase every member?
☑️ SMS and email communication — Can you reach members about ice cancellations, game schedule changes, or bonspiel announcements via text message?
☑️ Integrated payment processing — Do membership fees, league registrations, bonspiel entry fees, and ice rentals all get collected and tracked in the same system?
☑️ Digital waivers and consent forms — Are liability waivers for learn-to-curl programs and bonspiel participants handled inside the platform, with automated reminders for those who haven’t signed?
☑️ Draw and league scheduling — Does the platform support curling-specific draw formats, round robins, and playoff brackets natively?
☑️ Bonspiel management — Can you manage team registrations, brackets, and result publishing for a weekend bonspiel without relying on external spreadsheets?
☑️ Ice rental and facility booking — Can members or outside groups book ice time online, with real-time availability and integrated payments?
☑️ Attendance tracking — Is there a digital record of who attended each draw or session?
☑️ Reporting dashboards — Can you see revenue by program type, membership renewal rates, and registration trends without exporting data to a spreadsheet?
☑️ Transparent pricing — Is pricing clearly published, or will you only learn the full cost after a sales call?
☑️ Data security and compliance — Does the platform hold relevant certifications and store data in North America for Canadian clubs with privacy obligations?
☑️ Scalability — Will the platform still work well as your club adds programs, grows its membership, or takes on a larger bonspiel calendar?
What is curling club management software?
Curling club management software goes beyond a simple scheduling tool. It handles the full lifecycle of club operations, from member registration and annual renewals to league draw scheduling, bonspiel management, ice rental coordination, digital waivers, and member communications, ideally within a single connected platform. Most clubs feel the need for dedicated software once they’re managing more than a few leagues or programs simultaneously.
Can curling club software automate annual membership renewals?
Yes, platforms like Activity Messenger are specifically built for this. A member registers once, and the system tracks their renewal date, automatically sends reminder emails and SMS messages before expiry, and processes payment upon renewal. This eliminates the manual chase that consumes significant volunteer time every year.
What’s the difference between curling-specific software and a general club management platform?
Curling-specific tools like Curling IO are built around the sport’s unique scheduling needs (draws, round robins, bonspiel brackets, sheet assignments) and understand curling’s operational rhythms better than generic platforms. General club management platforms like Activity Messenger offer broader operational depth (automation, SMS communications, waivers, event ticketing, surveys) that curling-specific tools often lack. Some clubs might benefit from using both: a curling-specific tool for draw scheduling and a platform like Activity Messenger for their other administrative operations.
What should small volunteer-run clubs look for in management software?
Affordable and transparent pricing, fast setup without requiring technical expertise, and tools that reduce manual work for volunteer administrators. The biggest time savers are automated membership renewal reminders, digital waiver collection, and SMS-based communications for last-minute cancellations or ice updates.
Is there curling club software that handles both registration and communications in one place?
Yes. Activity Messenger centralizes registration, email and SMS communications, payment processing, digital waivers, and attendance tracking on a single platform, so club administrators don’t have to switch between tools or manually export contact lists to send announcements. For clubs frustrated by their current tool stack, this consolidation alone can save meaningful hours every week.
There is no single best platform for curling clubs. The right choice depends on your club’s size, primary pain points, and whether you need curling-specific tools, broader operational coverage, or both.
For clubs seeking an all-in-one platform to consolidate their workflows, Activity Messenger is worth a close look. It was built for organizations that need more than a scheduling tool but don’t want to pay for an enterprise system. Registration, membership renewals, digital waivers, SMS and email communications, online ticketing, attendance tracking, and post-season surveys all live in one platform at a transparent monthly price.
Before committing to any platform, request a demo and test the registration flow from a member’s perspective. The best software is the one your team will actually use.
💡 Looking to simplify curling club management? Book a demo with Activity Messenger to see how clubs streamline registrations, membership renewals, communications, and event management in one modern platform.
