WildApricot vs. Join It
Which Platform Actually Fits Your Organization?
Both platforms promise to simplify membership management. Here’s a transparent comparison of what each one delivers — so you can make the right call for your team.
Over 15,000+ Organizations Run on WildApricot
What to Look For in Membership Software
Four essential criteria for small-staff organizations to consider when comparing WildApricot to Join It
Ease of Use
Price Transparency
Built-In Capabilities
Setup & Support
WildApricot vs. Join It
See how Join It compares to WildApricot on the features that matter most to small organizations
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|---|---|---|
| Best For | Small nonprofits, clubs, associations | Small to mid-sized membership organizations |
| Starting Price | $66/month (100 contacts) | $29/month (Starter) + 3% service fee on transactions |
| Free Trial | 60 days, no credit card required | 30 days, no credit card required |
| Setup Fees | None | None |
| Full email builder with templates, automations, segmentation, and analytics included | Basic email blasts and automated lifecycle emails included; advanced email marketing requires Mailchimp or Constant Contact | |
| Built-In Events | Event registration, ticketing, and event payments included | No built-in events; requires Eventbrite integration |
| Website Builder | Drag-and-drop website builder included in every plan | Limited; public profile page and embeddable widget available, but no full drag-and-drop website builder |
| Online Store | Included | Not available |
| Mobile App | Two native apps — one for admins, one for members | No mobile app |
| Integrations | WordPress, Zapier, QuickBooks, Google, and more | Eventbrite, Mailchimp, Zapier, Stripe, SurveyMonkey, Slack, and more |
| Core Features | All-in-one — no add-ons needed | Core membership included; events, full email marketing, and website require third-party tools |
See WildApricot in Action – Free for 60 Days
No credit card required. Get up and running fast with our onboarding coaches.
Platform Spotlight: Take a Deeper Look at Each Platform
See how Join It compares to WildApricot
Best for small organizations that need everything in one place
“In comparison to all other competitors I have tried, WildApricot provides the most comprehensive set of features for member organizations.” – **Daniel R., Chief Web Officer, G2 review*
Starts at $66/Month – Free Trial Available – No Contract
Best for organizations with simple membership needs and specific integrations
Easily handles our membership management needs with a minimum of fuss. Excellent value for the money. Tremendous customer support — *Tony A., Treasurer, Non-Profit, Capterra review*
Starts at $29/Month — Free Trial Available — No Contract
3 Reasons Organizations Choose WildApricot over Join It
Everything You Need — Without Stitching Tools Together
WildApricot brings membership management, event registration, email communications, payments, and your website into a single platform — so your small team isn’t managing five tools to do one job.
WildApricot Advantage: All-in-one platform — events, email, website, and payments included
A Longer Free Trial to Actually Test What Matters
WildApricot gives you a full 60-day free trial with access to every feature — no credit card required. That’s enough time to import real data, build a functional workflow, and see how the platform performs with your actual team.
WildApricot Advantage: 60-day free trial — twice the time to test
A Website and Mobile App Your Members Will Actually Use
WildApricot includes a drag-and-drop website builder and two native mobile apps — one for admins and one for members. Members can renew, register for events, and update their profiles from their phone without needing a third-party app.
WildApricot Advantage: Website builder + mobile apps included in every plan
Your Member Database Shouldn’t Require a Separate Toolbox
When your membership database doesn’t talk to your email tool or your event platform, you end up with duplicate records, missed renewals, and hours of manual reconciliation. The right software keeps everything in sync.
Events Bring Members Together — Your Software Should Too
Events are one of the highest-value activities your organization runs — and one of the most demanding. The best platforms handle registration, communications, and attendee data of this in one place, so your team can focus on the experience rather than the logistics.
Your Website Is Your Front Door — And You Don’t Need a Developer to Maintain It
A website that’s difficult to update becomes outdated fast, especially for small teams without dedicated web staff. The best membership platforms include a website builder that non-technical staff can manage and maintain on their own.
How to Choose Between Join It & WildApricot
Four guidelines for choosing the right platform
Map Your Daily Workflows
Assess Your Team’s Capacity
Calculate True Cost
Try Before You Buy
Over 15,000 organizations run on WildApricot.
No credit card required. Get up and running fast with our onboarding coaches.
Switching from Join It: What to Expect
Switching membership platforms can feel like a heavy lift, but it doesn’t have to be. WildApricot provides hands-on onboarding support and guided data migration — at no additional cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
WildApricot is an all-in-one membership management platform that includes a website builder, built-in event registration, email communications, an online store, and mobile apps alongside its member database. Join It focuses on core membership management — member database, renewals, and billing — and uses integrations with third-party tools like Eventbrite and Mailchimp for events and advanced email marketing.
In practice, WildApricot consolidates more of your workflow into one platform, while Join It takes an integration-first approach that lets you connect specialized tools as needed.
Join It’s base price starts lower at $29/month, compared to WildApricot’s $66/month. However, Join It charges an additional service fee on every online transaction (1.5% to 3%, depending on your plan), on top of Stripe’s standard processing fees. Organizations that also need event management or advanced email marketing will need to factor in the cost of tools like Eventbrite and Mailchimp.
WildApricot’s pricing includes all core features with no platform service fee on transactions. For organizations with active event calendars and regular member communications, the total cost of ownership may be comparable.
Both platforms are designed for small, non-technical teams and receive strong reviews for ease of use. Join It is praised for its clean, focused interface and highly responsive support. WildApricot offers more built-in features, which means a slightly fuller dashboard — but also means your team won’t need to learn or manage separate tools for events, email, or your website.
No, Join It offers a public profile page and an embeddable purchase widget that can be added to an existing website. Higher-tier plans include custom domain support. However, it does not include a full drag-and-drop website builder comparable to what WildApricot offers. Organizations using Join It typically maintain a separate website through WordPress or another platform.
No, Join It does not include built-in event registration or ticketing. It integrates with Eventbrite for event management and offers member check-in tools on its Total and Extra plans. WildApricot includes full event management — registration, ticketing, payments, and automated event communications — as a standard feature in every plan.
Yes. WildApricot supports CSV imports and provides onboarding coaching to help you transfer contact records, membership levels, and member data. Join It supports CSV exports, making the transfer straightforward. WildApricot’s onboarding team can walk you through the process at no additional cost.
Choose WildApricot if your organization needs an all-in-one platform that handles membership, events, email, website, payments, and an online store in one place — especially if you want to reduce the number of tools your team manages.
Choose Join It if your membership needs are straightforward, you’re comfortable connecting third-party tools for events and email, and you value a lower starting price with a focused, integration-driven feature set.