Best Membership Management Software

Whether you run a gym, trade association, theatre group, or volunteer campaign, you’ll need a way to keep track of your organisation’s members. Managing club memberships involves juggling contact details and fees alongside scheduled events and admin. The best membership management software keeps all this data a click away for you and your members.

What is membership management software?

In the past, organisations needed to have a good filing system with mountains of paperwork involved. Today’s club or gym membership management software automates many administrative tasks while serving as a central database of member information. Here are just a few key functions:

• Stores membership contact details and history

• Enables communication with prospective and current members

• Offers a shareable calendar for event planning

• Includes accounting features

• Offers payment processing for donation and fee collection

• Sets up member polls and surveys

• Manages your online storefront

The functions will vary depending on the software you choose – someclubs and associations will need wider functionality than others.

The best membership management software

Whether you’re looking for a simple planning tool or full-blown gym membership management software, here are our top picks.

1. ZenPlanner

ZenPlanner tends to be top of the list in any roundup of membership management software. Why is it so popular? This software is designed to serve gyms and fitness studios, enabling flexible payment processing and email marketing to reach out to members. It’s extremely flexible, allowing users to customise its features to best suit their business. Members have their own portal to login via a mobile app and book fitness classes on the go. Additional features include recurringsubscription billing, online scheduling, attendance tracking, and member analytics. 

2. Nation Builder

While some tools focus more on managing the schedules of members you already have,Nation Builder is a great option if you want to grow your member base. For a straightforward monthly fee, users gain access to a spectrum of social media tools. This lets you reach out to leads, attract new members, and engage with existing ones.

3. Wild Apricot

A good general membership management software, Wild Apricot is user-friendly with a sleek, simple interface. It offers a website builder to help you set up your club’s online presence. In terms of billing, organisations can take automated payments and membership subscription renewals. There’s a membership portal and mobile apps, making it handy for members and staff alike.

4. MemberPlanet

Do you run a smaller club or non-profit organisation?MemberPlanet is best for school groups, parent-teacher clubs, alumni associations, and small non-profits. It doesn’t offer the same professional features as some others on this list, but it does help you coordinate activities with a simple, user-friendly interface. You can also store and search for all user contact details for easier outreach.

5. Sumac

Sumac is a great choice for non-profit organisations and volunteer groups, specialising in donation management. Its comprehensive database lets you store and track members from a central location. It also offers tools for events and fundraising, and there are numerous third-party integrations and special add-ons you can use to make it just right for your group.

How to choose membership management software

As you can see, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to membership management software. So, how can you choose the right fit? In terms of features, look for the basic functions:

• Collect and collate member data

• Accept payments

You should also ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I need online billing?

• Do I need advanced accounting features?

• What is the monthly cost?

• Is there customer support?

• Is there a member-facing portal?

GoCardless integrates with many membership management tools, offering an easy way to take recurring payments automatically. It also works with numerous accountingpartners like Xero to keep your finances on track.

We can help

GoCardless helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of admin your team needs to deal with when chasing invoices. Find out how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.