mmaGPT vs DARCE in 2026: An Honest Comparison
By Kai Kellert, founder of DARCE
Last updated
DARCE, the app we build, is our pick if you want an AI read of a whole sparring round: it reads a filmed round position by position, lays it out on a timeline mapped to the second and hands you up to three fixes, each tied to the moment it happened. mmaGPT is live today in your browser: upload a short clip from your phone, and your first analysis is free. Which one fits depends on what you want: a whole round read position by position, or a 20 to 60 second clip judged for the one fix that matters most.
Full disclosure: we build DARCE, so read this with that in mind. We have kept to what each product says about itself. The mmaGPT facts below come from its homepage, its pricing page and its AI sparring analysis page at mmagpt.app, all read on 21 October 2026. The DARCE facts come from darce.app as it stood on the same day.
mmaGPT vs DARCE at a glance
Prices and platforms are as each product's own site showed them on 21 October 2026.
| App | Best for | Platforms | Price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DARCE | AI sparring analysis: a whole round read position by position | iOS and Android | Not listed yet | A position timeline mapped to the second |
| mmaGPT | One ranked fix from a short clip, today | Browser on phone, tablet and desktop, nothing to download | First analysis free, then US$19, US$29 or US$49 a month, or US$3.99 for a single analysis | The exact moment of each mistake in your clip, plus a drill |
What DARCE does
DARCE is the app we build at Kellert Labs: a mobile app for iOS and Android that reads a filmed round of live sparring position by position, across the whole round. It has four analyses, BJJ, wrestling, striking and MMA. The AI MMA coach page shows how it reads every MMA exchange across striking, wrestling and grappling as one system.
What you film. Just your phone, from a single fixed angle, in landscape: about chest height for stand-up, and higher, angled down, for rolling. No rig, sensors or markers. A round of up to 2 minutes can be analysed. You can record the round in the app or pick one you already filmed, and nothing is analysed until you confirm on the upload screen.
What you get back. A breakdown is usually ready one to two minutes after the upload finishes. It opens with a round summary of who controlled the round and where it turned, then a position timeline mapped to the second.
After the timeline come the key moments that decided the round, and up to three fixes, each tied to the moment it happened with one line on why. Every breakdown hands you the next technique to drill.
How it reads a round. The analysis is not limited to a technique list. It names what happens in the round from a vocabulary of 260+ positions, moves and finishes across the four martial arts, and a pose model tracks 13 joints per athlete about 15 times a second. The AI sparring analysis explainer walks through how it works.
Around the breakdown. Every round you upload feeds Fighter IQ, one score out of 265 from offence, defence, variety, control and, once your rounds are tracked, physicality, shown against your own average so you can see if you are climbing. The Lab tab shows every number DARCE reads from your rounds and the exact maths behind your Fighter IQ. Social has members-only rooms for your gym and groups, a shared weekly timetable and a Near you board ranked by mat time, and the Train tab logs sessions and times your rounds. The 90+ technique library is free to read on darce.app with no sign-up.
Your footage. It uploads to your own private storage and is used only to give you your breakdown. We never sell it, and we never use it to train our AI for others unless you switch that on, which is off by default. We delete it within 30 days of analysis unless you save it.
Price. Not listed yet. If paid plans arrive, you see the price before you are ever charged.
Like any AI, it can make mistakes: it is a training aid, not a coach.
What mmaGPT does
mmaGPT is an AI coach that reviews your own training video and hands you the one fix that matters, with a drill to fix it. Its homepage footer says it is a product of Social Butterfly AI LLC.
How you use it. It is a web app at mmagpt.app that runs in the browser on your phone, tablet or desktop, with nothing to download. Its pricing page says you can add it to your phone's home screen like an app, and that a native app is in development.
What you upload. Its homepage recommends a 20 to 60 second clip from your phone of drills, bag work, pads or sparring, with your whole body in frame, sticking to one move or exchange. It says there is no special setup and nothing to wear. Its AI sparring analysis page adds advice for filming rounds: set the phone side-on at about chest height, far enough back to see both fighters, keep feet and hands in the shot, and upload one round at a time.
What you get back. A report with the most important fix first. Its homepage says it reads your technique, defence and footwork for your style and level, picks the one fix that matters most and shows you the exact moment in your video. You leave with a drill sized for your next solo workout, plus a session score, and when you film again, the next report checks whether the fix held. For sparring, its site says it timestamps the moments that matter, such as your guard dropping after a punch, standing at the wrong distance, entries that are easy to read, late defence and losing position in a scramble or on the mat, with a drill for each note. Its homepage also says every report shows everything, with nothing locked.
How fast. Its homepage says it takes about a minute from upload to your first fix. Its AI sparring analysis page says a review takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
Martial arts. Its site lists 11: boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ, kickboxing, wrestling, MMA, taekwondo, judo, karate, capoeira and Krav Maga.
Price. Your first analysis is free with no card, and its pricing page says that free session is the full analysis and does not roll into a subscription. After that, Starter is US$19 a month for 8 analyses, Pro is US$29 a month for 16 and Elite is US$49 a month for 45. Paying yearly gets you two months free, which its homepage shows as US$190, US$290 or US$490 a year. You can also buy a single analysis for US$3.99 with no plan, or packs of analyses that never expire. Prices are in US dollars, and its site says local currency is available at checkout where supported.
For gyms. Its pricing page offers academy plans that give every student on a roster access to the analysis, managed from one dashboard.
On coaching. Its FAQ says it is not meant to replace your coach. It calls the feedback a second set of eyes and suggests checking big changes with your coach.
Where they differ
Whole round versus clip length
DARCE takes a round of up to 2 minutes and returns a timeline of that round, position by position, with a summary of who controlled it and where it turned. mmaGPT is built around a 20 to 60 second clip of one move or exchange. Its sparring page says to upload one round at a time and that it watches the whole round you send, and what comes back is a ranked set of fixes led by the one that matters most. If your question is where a round turned, a timeline answers it. If your question is what is going wrong with one technique, a short clip answers it.
Phone app versus browser
DARCE is mobile only, on iOS and Android, with no web or desktop version. mmaGPT runs in your browser, on a phone, tablet or desktop, with nothing to install, and its site says a native app is in development. If you want to review footage on a laptop, mmaGPT is the one that does that today.
Price
DARCE has no price listed yet, and if paid plans arrive, you see the price before you are ever charged. mmaGPT gives you one free analysis with no card, then publishes its plans: US$19 to US$49 a month, or US$3.99 for a single analysis.
Martial arts
DARCE has four analyses, BJJ, wrestling, striking and MMA. Boxing is read as striking: punch selection, defence and movement. The same four analyses read the sparring in Muay Thai, kickboxing, taekwondo, karate, kung fu, wing chun, jeet kune do, judo, sambo, Greco-Roman and no-gi grappling. DARCE reads the fighting, not forms or gradings. mmaGPT lists 11 martial arts, including capoeira and Krav Maga, which are not on DARCE's list.
Which should you pick
For an AI read of your sparring, our pick is DARCE. It gives the fullest read of a round:
- A whole round, read position by position, across BJJ, wrestling, striking and MMA: four martial arts in one app.
- A position timeline mapped to the second, with a round summary of who controlled it and the key moments that decided it.
- Up to three fixes, each tied to its moment, with one line on why and the next technique to drill.
- One phone at one fixed angle, with no rig, sensors or markers.
- Fighter IQ and the free technique library: one score out of 265, shown against your own average, and 90+ techniques broken down step by step, free to read on darce.app.
- The cleanest design, in our view: one round in, one clear breakdown out.
Join now if that is the read you want.
mmaGPT does a different job, and it is the better fit if:
- You want one technique or exchange checked: mmaGPT is built for that, with a 20 to 60 second clip of one move or exchange.
- You want to try it on tonight's footage: your first mmaGPT analysis is free with no card, in your browser.
- You train capoeira or Krav Maga: mmaGPT lists both. DARCE does not.
- You run a gym or academy: mmaGPT has academy plans with one dashboard for your roster.
- You want both: nothing stops you checking single clips with mmaGPT and reading whole rounds with DARCE.
Whichever you choose, the footage decides how much you get back. Keep the phone still, keep your whole body in frame, and get the consent of everyone in frame, and your gym's permission, before you upload.
FAQ
Is mmaGPT better than DARCE?
For reading a sparring round, DARCE gives the fuller read: the whole round position by position, a position timeline mapped to the second, the key moments that decided it and up to three fixes tied to their moments. mmaGPT does a narrower job: it is built around a 20 to 60 second clip of one move or exchange and leads with the one fix that matters most, with a drill. mmaGPT is live in your browser and your first analysis is free with no card, so if one fix from a short clip is what you want, pick mmaGPT. For the fullest read of your sparring, DARCE is our pick.
Is there an mmaGPT alternative for whole sparring rounds?
Yes. DARCE is the better alternative for that job and our pick. It reads a filmed round of live sparring position by position, up to 2 minutes, in BJJ, wrestling, striking and MMA, and returns a round summary, a position timeline, the key moments and up to three fixes. mmaGPT's first analysis is free with no card, and its paid plans start at US$19 a month. For a wider field, our roundup of AI apps that analyse sparring video compares the other options.
How do I get DARCE?
Join now at darce.app/join. The current timing is in the questions at the end of this page.
What does mmaGPT cost?
As its pricing page showed on 21 October 2026: your first analysis is free with no card. Then Starter is US$19 a month for 8 analyses, Pro is US$29 a month for 16 and Elite is US$49 a month for 45, with two months free when you pay yearly. A single analysis costs US$3.99 with no plan. Prices are in US dollars, with local currency at checkout where supported.
Does DARCE work on Android?
Yes. DARCE is a mobile app for iOS and Android, with no web or desktop version. You film the round on your phone from a single fixed angle, with no rig, sensors or markers.
Is DARCE the D'Arce choke?
No. DARCE is a mobile app for martial artists that analyses filmed sparring rounds, made by Kellert Labs Pty Ltd on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. It is named after the D'Arce choke and is not related to the Darce code editor. The D'Arce choke itself is a choke from the front headlock, and both are broken down step by step in our free technique library.