BlogWebsite & Technology Compare Software Prices Website & Technology Compare Software Prices Author: Tatiana Morand June 3, 2011 Contents 🕑 2 min read It’s not easy to compare pricing between different vendors. Everybody seems to have their own way of doing things. Here is a list of the most common cost components for web-based membership management software: Initial setup cost (Main) ongoing charge – monthly or annual (might depend on specific modules) Per-member surcharge Per-transaction charges (% or $) Technical support fees Update charges But as long as it is, this list will not cover all situations – you need to ask the vendor explicitly if they have any other potential surcharges, such as: Bandwidth charges Storage space charges Per-event-registration charges Per-email-sent charges Keep in mind that there are quite a few other costs involved in your project, from a budgeting perspective. These are not so critical from a software selection perspective, however, as they are likely to be similar among different vendors. These costs will also depend on who will be doing each particular task – your staff or volunteers, or an external service provider: Initial setup of the system – all the system settings Transfer of your website content Contact/member database transfer Visual “look and feel” customization, if needed Functionality customization and tweaks. (Be careful here! Of course you want the system to be tailored to your needs, but the costs can easily spiral out of control. Also, think about whether these customizations will be compatible with future new versions of the software.) To make this a little bit easier, we have prepared a spreadsheet calculator to estimate and compare the total cost of ownership for a number of systems. Find the link at https://www.wildapricot.com/software-selection-guide. Related Website & Technology Articles Website & Technology 🕑 17 Min Read The 50 Best Nonprofit Websites To Get You Inspired Website & Technology 🕑 12 Min Read The Best Online Payment Service Providers in 2023 Website & Technology 🕑 8 Min Read Nonprofit Databases 101: How To Organize Your Supporter Relationships The Membership Growth Report: Benchmarks & Insights for Growing Revenue and Constituents Get the report now!