ClubDock vs iPAL
iPAL is sold on plans of one to five years. ClubDock has no contract at all, and is free in any month under £500 of sessions.
Free in any month under £500 of sessions. No card needed to start.
£434.88 a year less than iPAL.
| Bookings in a month you run | ClubDock, a year | iPAL, a year |
|---|---|---|
| £0 | £0 | £479.88 |
| £1,000 | £229.50 | £605.88 |
| £2,500 | £330.75 | £794.88 |
| £5,000 | £499.50 | £1,109.88 |
| £7,500 | £830.25 | £1,424.88 |
iPAL: The 1-year plan at £39.99 a month, the shortest commitment iPAL sells. Its 3- and 5-year plans are £31.99 and £29.99. Source
iPAL, card fees: Cards at 2.8% + 15p per transaction — drawn as 2.8%, the 15p left out as Stripe's 20p is on ClubDock's line. Source
A year: the months you run at the bookings you set, and the rest quiet, with no sessions. ClubDock costs nothing in any month under £500 of sessions; each other provider is kept on one plan, its cheapest over the year, paid every month. Card fees are on the share paid by card, on both sides — every provider here charges its card fee on card payments only, and Pebble its fee on every booking. ClubDock: Stripe's fee on card payments only, at its standard UK rate of 1.5% — paid to Stripe, not ClubDock. Some cards cost more; Tax-Free Childcare and bank transfers cost nothing. Source Fixed amounts per payment — Stripe's 20p, iPAL's 15p — are left out on both sides. Checked 10 October 2026; prices change, so please check before deciding.
Where ClubDock stands out against iPAL
No contract
No contract and no minimum term: stop in any month.
iPAL: A plan of 1, 3 or 5 years. Source
Nothing in a quiet month
Free in any month under £500 of sessions, so a holiday club pays for its holidays.
iPAL: £39.99 a month on a 1-year plan, £29.99 on 5 years. Source
Nothing taken from a booking
ClubDock never takes a share of what parents pay you.
iPAL: 2.8% + 15p on each payment taken online. Source
And what every club gets
Places that cannot be oversold
A place is held the moment a parent puts it in their basket, so two families never book the last space and nobody has to be let down afterwards.
A register built for the door
Staff sign children in and out on a phone, with allergies and medical notes on the row rather than behind a tap, and a collection password one tap away at sign-out.
Parents sort out their own changes
Parents change days and cancel places themselves, inside the notice period you set, and see what your policy means for them before they press anything.
Your families, across in one go
Bring parents and children across from a spreadsheet. ClubDock suggests what each column is, you check it, and one Save brings everyone over.
Xero and QuickBooks, kept in step
Bookings go to your accounts as invoices, and payments recorded there come back, for £6 in a month you use it and nothing in a month you do not.
Everything, in every band
Unlimited children, parents and staff, reports, messages to the families booked on a session and an early bird price — in the free band as much as the busiest.
The price, line by line
| Cost | iPAL | ClubDock |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | iPAL: £39.99 a month on a 1-year plan, £31.99 on 3 years, £29.99 on 5 years, with all features included. Source | ClubDock: Nothing in a month under £500 of sessions, £18 in a month up to £5,000, £36 above that. |
| Contract | iPAL: A plan of 1, 3 or 5 years. Source | ClubDock: None. A month under £500 of sessions costs nothing, so stopping costs nothing. |
| VAT | iPAL: The pricing section does not say whether VAT is included. Source | ClubDock: Nothing added. ClubDock is not registered for VAT. |
iPAL's prices are from its own pricing page, checked on 10 October 2026. Where it does not publish a fee, we have said so rather than estimate it. Prices change — please check before deciding.
Moving from iPAL to ClubDock
iPAL is sold on plans of 1, 3 or 5 years, so check when yours ends before you plan the move. Source
Create your club and set up what you sell
It costs nothing in any month under £500 of sessions, and there is nothing to pay to start. Add your programmes and pick the days each session runs on a calendar.
Bring your families across from a spreadsheet
Import families takes a .csv or .xlsx file of up to 2,000 rows, one row per child — an export from your current system, if it gives you one, or your own sheet. ClubDock suggests what each column is, you check it, then you check the families before one Save brings them all across, or none.
Tell them when you are ready
Nobody is emailed by the import. When you choose, each parent gets one email saying the club now takes bookings on ClubDock. They check their details, answer your consent questions and accept your terms before their first booking.
Families book their places
Families book upcoming sessions themselves from your booking page. Most clubs move between terms, when there are no half-used blocks to carry over.
Other comparisons
- ClubDock vs MagicBookingMonthly: £59 + VATPer booking: Not published (about 2.5%, our estimate)
- ClubDock vs ClassForKidsMonthly: From £34.99Per booking: From 2.5% per transaction
- ClubDock vs PebbleMonthly: £25 (Core) or £35 (Premium)Per booking: 3% (Core) or 2.5% (Premium), + VAT
- ClubDock vs PembeeMonthly: £30 (Standard) or £70 (Premium)Per booking: 0.59% of online payments on Standard, plus Stripe's fee
Try ClubDock beside iPAL
Any month under £500 of sessions is free, then £18 or £36 by the month. Nothing to pay to start, and no contract.