SquadoraSquadora vs SportsEngine
SportsEngine is an established club and league platform, part of NBC Sports Next, with software sold on annual subscriptions and processing built into checkout. Squadora covers the same core operations for free, funds itself with a published platform fee (2.5% bank; cards from 3.5% down to 3.0% as you grow) plus standard Stripe processing, and adds an AI back office plus a development experience for every family.
SportsEngine has a long production track record, deep integrations with many leagues and national governing bodies, and the scale of NBC Sports Next behind it. If your state association or league already requires SportsEngine, that integration is a real advantage today - Squadora's counter is free software, a modern unified UX, an AI back office, and a risk-free live demo, and the two can run side by side when an association mandates SportsEngine for official rosters.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Squadora | SportsEngine |
|---|---|---|
| Online registration and payments | Custom forms, waivers, payment plans, waitlists. Free platform; 2.5% bank / 3.5% card platform fee plus standard Stripe processing at cost, card rate dropping to 3.25%/3.0% at volume. | Mature registration and league management, part of NBC Sports Next, with payment processing built into checkout. |
| Club operations at 1,000+ players | Unlimited teams and players with no per-player fees. Fewer years of production history at this scale. | Proven at large scale across clubs, leagues, and governing bodies, with a long track record. |
| Scheduling and calendars | Practices, games, and events with conflict detection, plus AI-drafted schedule proposals you approve. | Established scheduling with facility and league management tooling. |
| AI back office for staff | Agents draft newsletters, campaigns, scouting reports, and schedules. Every action is approval-gated; Creative Studio generates club graphics. | No comparable AI assistant suite in published product materials. |
| Player development for families | Personal age-gated training programs, nutrition guidance with minor safeguards, and trackable plans for every member. | Coach and athlete tools with some player tracking; no personal AI development coach for families. |
| League and governing-body integrations | Full roster and data export lets you file with leagues; direct governing-body integrations are still growing. | Deep integrations with many leagues and national governing bodies. A genuine strength if your association already runs on SportsEngine. |
| Live match tracking and formations | Real-time scoring, match timers, and a visual formation builder included. | Focus is registration, league operations, and communication rather than a built-in visual formation builder. |
| Pricing model | 100% free software. Published platform fee: 2.5% flat on bank payments; cards 3.5%, dropping to 3.25% past $250k and 3.0% past $1M in volume; plus standard Stripe processing at cost. No subscriptions, no contracts, no quotes. | Published: SportsEngine HQ software around $749/year plus 3.25% + $2.00 per transaction processing (roughly 4.6% on a $150 payment), typically built into family checkout. The lighter Motion tier reports about $295 setup plus 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction. |
What it costs as your club grows
Switching to Squadora saves in three places: software is $0 - no subscriptions (worth $2,000-15,000 a year versus subscription platforms), bank payments run at 2.5% as the platform fee, plus standard Stripe processing at cost - and there are never hidden fees at checkout. Card payments are 3.5%, dropping automatically to 3.25% past $250k and 3.0% past $1M in trailing 12-month volume. Per-player subscriptions get more expensive as you grow. Squadora gets cheaper.
Most platforms shift processing fees to families at checkout, so the tables below compare the total cost to your club community - club and families combined, with honest numbers even where they are close. Squadora's rates are published: no quotes, no hidden checkout fees - families always see the real price.
| Club size | Squadora total cost (published) | SportsEngine total cost* | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 players | $0 software + ~$4,500 processing (blended ~3.0%: 2.5% bank / 3.5% card) | ~$749/yr software + ~$6,900 processing (3.25% + $2.00/txn, ~4.6% all-in on $150 installments) | Squadora: club by default, transparent pass-through optional. SportsEngine: processing built into checkout, so families typically pay. |
| 500 players | $0 software + ~$21,560 processing (blended ~2.9%: 2.5% bank / 3.25% card tier) | ~$749/yr software + ~$34,400 processing (3.25% + $2.00/txn on 10 installments per player) | Squadora: club by default, transparent pass-through optional. SportsEngine: processing built into checkout, so families typically pay. |
| 1,000 players | $0 software + ~$41,250 processing (blended ~2.75%: 2.5% bank / 3.0% card tier) | ~$749/yr software + ~$68,750 processing (3.25% + $2.00/txn on 10 installments per player) | Squadora: club by default, transparent pass-through optional. SportsEngine: processing built into checkout, so families typically pay. |
*SportsEngine figures use its published HQ software price (around $749/year) and 3.25% + $2.00 per transaction processing; cost rows assume $1,500 per player per year paid as ten $150 installments, so the per-transaction fee applies ten times per player. The lighter Motion tier reports about $295 setup plus 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Rates as of July 2026; verify current pricing with the vendor. Figures assume $1,500 per player per year paid as 10 monthly installments of $150 - fixed per-transaction fees are why some incumbent effective rates reach 4.25-5% on installment plans. Squadora figures assume a realistic 50/50 bank/card payment mix. Payment processing fees apply on any platform that collects money; Squadora's method-based platform fee (2.5% bank; 3.5% / 3.25% / 3.0% card by volume) plus standard Stripe processing at cost has no software fee on top, and no fee is added at checkout unless your club chooses to enable transparent pass-through.
Sources: SportsEngine (verify current pricing). Rates as of July 2026; verify current pricing with the vendor.
What you only get with Squadora
Free software, no subscriptions
No subscription, no per-player fees, no contracts. Squadora only earns when you collect payments: a 2.5% bank / 3.5% card platform fee (dropping to 3.25%/3.0% at volume) plus standard Stripe processing at cost. Published rates - no quotes, no negotiation, no hidden checkout fees.
An AI back office
Agents draft your newsletters, email campaigns, scouting reports, and schedule proposals. You review and approve before anything goes out - drafts, not autopilot.
Development for every family
Members get personal, age-gated training programs, nutrition guidance with minor safeguards, and trackable plans. Every family gets a development coach, not just a schedule.
Modern, unified UX
One platform across web and mobile with real-time chat, live match center, formations, and analytics - built recently, without legacy screens.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Squadora cost compared to SportsEngine for a club with 500 to 1,000 players?
Squadora software costs $0 at any club size: no subscription, no per-player fees, no contracts. The only cost is our platform fee - 2.5% flat on bank payments (ACH), and 3.5% on cards, dropping to 3.25% past $250k and 3.0% past $1M in trailing 12-month volume - plus standard Stripe processing (2.9% + 30c card; 0.8% capped at $5 bank). SportsEngine publishes its rates: HQ software around $749/year plus payment processing of 3.25% + $2.00 per transaction, which works out to roughly 4.6% on a $150 payment. The $2.00 per-transaction fee matters most for clubs on installment plans, where each payment carries it. Rates as of July 2026; always confirm current pricing with the vendor.
Can we export our data if we ever leave Squadora?
Yes. Squadora provides full data export - player rosters, team data, registrations, and financial records - as CSV, JSON, or PDF, available directly from your club profile at any time. Your data is never locked in.
Our league or state association already runs on SportsEngine. Can we still use Squadora?
Often, yes. Many governing bodies require official rosters or game cards to live in their own system, and SportsEngine is a common one. Clubs in that situation typically run Squadora for day-to-day club operations - registration, payments, communication, development - and file the required rosters with the association using Squadora's full data export. If your association mandates SportsEngine for a specific workflow, keep that piece there and run everything else on Squadora. Check your association's specific requirements.
What support does Squadora offer during registration season?
Squadora includes an in-app help center, live support from the team, and migration assistance for importing rosters and historical data from spreadsheets or other platforms. Because setup takes minutes rather than weeks, most clubs onboard themselves and lean on support only for edge cases.
SportsEngine has been around longer and is part of NBC Sports Next. Why consider Squadora?
Honest answer: SportsEngine has a longer track record, wide governing-body integrations, and the backing of NBC Sports Next - real strengths, especially if your association requires it. What Squadora offers instead is free software, a modern unified experience across web and mobile, an AI back office, and a development experience for every family, all evaluable with zero risk. The platform is free, there is no contract, and you can explore a fully populated live demo before moving a single record.
What AI features does Squadora have that SportsEngine does not?
Squadora ships an AI back office for staff - agents that draft newsletters, email campaigns, scouting reports, and schedules, all gated behind your approval, plus a Creative Studio for club graphics. Members get an AI-guided Development experience: personal age-gated training programs and nutrition guidance with safeguards for minors. SportsEngine does not advertise a comparable AI suite.
See Squadora for yourself
The fastest way to evaluate Squadora against SportsEngine is to click around the live demo, then create your club free. There is nothing to cancel because there is nothing to pay.