MembershipWorks

A WildApricot Alternative: Why MembershipWorks is Better

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MembershipWorks vs. WildApricot

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Looking for a WildApricot Alternative?

MembershipWorks is a popular membership management software alternative to WildApricot. It offers many of the same features, but is less expensive than WildApricot and other WildApricot alternatives. MembershipWorks also integrates seamlessly with most existing website platforms.

Why MembershipWorks is better than Wild Apricot

  1. Keep your current website. With MembershipWorks, most organizations don’t have to redesign their website in a new, unfamiliar website builder. That’s because MembershipWorks is built to work as a membership plugin on a variety of platforms including WordPress, Squarespace, Weebly, Wix, Duda, Spacecraft and more. With WildApricot, customers have to use WildApricot’s proprietary website builder or will need to use use iframes at fixed dimensions (meaning scroll bars) to integrate WildApricot features into a CMS. While they do offer a WordPress plugin, it lacks features that are available if you use their website builder.
  2. Faster launch. With simple copy and paste integration, most MembershipWorks customers choose to handle it themselves. No code knowledge is required. In our experience, many organizations keep their existing website. Given how easy it is to add this membership platform into a variety of website builders, this means you can launch your membership site much more quickly. Neither WildApricot nor most WildApricot alternatives make building membership websites this easy.
  3. WildApricot pricing. WildApricot plans start at $60/month (new pricing for 2023) while MembershipWorks starts at $35 and even offers a free plan for those with less than 50 member accounts in the system. With most nonprofits, cheaper ongoing costs are important. WildApricot pricing, along with its higher transaction fees should be considered when comparing total cost of ownership.
  4. MembershipWorks enables lower transaction fees for nonprofits. With WildApricot software, customers have to use their WildApricot Payments / AffiniPay or pay as much as 20% extra to them each month. Nonprofits can often find lower transaction fees with other payment gateways like Stripe (currently as low as 2.2% + $0.30 per transaction), but WildApricot’s 20% fee increase goes into effect if you go that route. The bottom line: with WildApricot Payments, nonprofits are stuck with higher fees. MembershipWorks does not add any additional fees or charges for using their integrated payment gateways: Stripe, Authorize.net, or PayPal.
  5. Free, fast phone support. Being able to talk to someone on the phone can help you get your questions answered more quickly than email and chat support. Even those on the free plan have access to MembershipWorks phone support. See reviews discussing MembershipWorks support on Capterra, G2, Reviews.io, and the WordPress repository. WildApricot reviews reflect frustration with a lack of phone support and the slowness of WildApricot support responses.
  6. Free one-on-one screen share training. You can request unlimited free screen share training with MembershipWorks. The training can be for a group or just one person. You won’t be watching a pre-recorded video or participating in a group call. Instead, you and the trainer will be looking at your account and will address your specific questions. WildApricot doesn’t offer this.
  7. Keep your options open. If you choose WildApricot and decide that you don’t like the limitations of their site builder, you won’t just have to rebuild your site in a new platform, you’ll also need to migrate to a different membership system. That is unless you are satisfied with WildApricot’s limited integration possibilities. If you start with MembershipWorks, you can switch among the compatible website builders at any time without losing the work you have put into your membership database.

 

MembershipWorks vs. WildApricot
MembershipWorks WildApricot
Price per month starts at $0; paid plans start at $35 $0; paid plans start at $60
Setup Fee $0 $0
Additional per-transaction charges (beyond payment gateway fees) $0 Must use their affiliated payment gateway which has higher fees for nonprofits than other choices *
Member Only Content Yes Yes
Directory Yes Yes
Event Calendar / Registration Yes Yes
Classifieds Yes No
Job Board Yes Yes, but with revenue sharing
Announcement Board or Forum Yes Yes
Donations Yes Yes
Shopping Cart Yes Yes
CMS compatibility WordPress, Weebly, Squarespace, Wix, Duda, WithoutCode, Drupal, Joomla, Spacecraft, HTML5 sites Custom CMS. Uses iframes to embed widgets on other platforms **
Key Integrations MailChimp, Quickbooks Online and Desktop, Xero Quickbooks Desktop, Make (connects WA to other apps)
Payment Gateways Stripe, Authorize.net, PayPal Affinipay (Paypal and Authorize.net at an additional cost)
Support Phone, email, live screen share training Forum, chat, email
Admin seats on paid plans Unlimited Unlimited


* Wild Apricot adds 20% to its monthly/annual fees if you don’t use their affiliated payment gateway. Nonprofits can often find lower transaction fees with other payment gateways like Stripe, but the 20% fee increase comes into play if you go that route.
** Iframes offer limited compatibility for Wild Apricot with WordPress, Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace.

Note that pricing and features may change from the information we have gathered here. Providers regularly evolve their product offerings and price points.

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