Membership Management Software for small businesses

Table of Contents
Membership Management Software are trendy tools today.
When researching Membership Management Software, you’ll most likely run into “Association Management Software” (AMS). The two are similar in functionality but differ slightly in the addressees for whom they are suited.
Association Management Software is the most suitable tool for large associations that participate in conferences, continuing education, political lobbying, and publishing.
And while Membership Management Software typically come as a single application, association management systems are packaged with an integrated set of tools, such as fundraising and financial reporting.
Before starting to look for the best tool for you, keep in mind the difference we have just explained and understand your needs!
Moreover, before going into detail, what are some relevant Membership Management Software trends you should be aware of?
Here are a couple them you should keep an eye on:
- Artificial intelligence: Membership Management Software is incorporating artificial intelligence into its features set. Doing this, gives companies the ability to analyse data and predict what their members need, want, and expect, which is critical for membership retention. If you want all of this, give a look at the tools that offer all these features!
- Mobile experience: as consumers continue to spend more time on their mobile devices, tools are adapting by adopting mobile friendly features, such as mobile-optimized member portals to provide a positive member experience. If it is your case, please consider it when choosing for the right tool for your business!
In this article, we want to give you an overview of the best tools available on the market and we also propose a short list of the most popular tools. Keep reading!
What is Membership Management Software?
Membership Management Software, also known as MMS, automates the management of membership within associations, communities, and other member-based organizations. It is a tool that helps companies manage all its member information, such as customer profiles, contact details, transaction history, payment due dates, and more. Its purpose is to simplify business management tasks and communications for membership-based companies and ensure that management of all kind of member activities, events, finances, and content are stored and managed for the company to run smoothly.
A Membership Management Software can perform a variety of functions that help membership-based organizations, giving them some benefits, as you can see below for the main ones:
- MMS can automate manual processes to increase efficiency
- MMS can digitize and store members’ data to improve data processes
- MMS can analyse data to make data-informed decisions and to return with the result of deeper insights
- MMS can engage members to increase community and loyalty and contribute to a positive membership experience
Membership Management Software offers a range of functionalities, from bare-bones to highly sophisticated ones. Most tools include the following common features:
- Membership database management
- Subscription and dues management
- Payment processing
- Membership communication
- Reporting
- Member portal
- Event planning, ticketing, and management
There are two main deployment options for membership management software:
- on-premises: membership management software is hosted on your very own servers
- cloud based: membership management software is hosted on your vendor’s servers, and available to members on-demand on any compatible device’s internet browser
Compared to cloud-based deployment, on-premises deployment of membership management software is typically offered at a higher price range.
Some of the most important membership management software integrations are:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Accounting System
- Payment gateway
Membership management software is commonly priced in two ways: per “contact”/member registered on the system, or per user per month. Some systems also require an additional setup and payment processing fee.
Membership management solutions that are charged per admin usually have a starting price of $25 – $145+ per admin per month.
Membership Management Software: our shortlist
Below, you will find the description of 4 tools with the main characteristics and a pricing overview for each one.
Amilia
This eCommerce platform works in the background to help you sell, manage, & grow your business. You can also simplify your workflows with tools that are customized to your unique business rules.
Pricing Overview
- It starts at $99.00 per feature per month.
- They do not have a free version but offer a free trial.
- Find out additional pricing details on the website.
iMIS
It is the perfect tool for associations and membership organizations.
It is able to fuse database management and web publishing into a single system, which leads to operational efficiencies, revenue growth, and continuous performance improvement. With the Microsoft Azure’s cloud platform, iMIS EMS is able to face the most important challenge facing associations and non-profits companies.
Pricing Overview
- It starts at $200.00 per user, per month.
- They do not have a free version and do not offer a free trial.
- Find out additional pricing details on the website.
PushPress
PushPress is one of the best software platforms to manage your fitness facility. It has a set of products that allow you to manage classes and privates, get paid, manage leads, and track attendance for all gyms worldwide.
Pricing Overview
- There is a free version and a free trial.
- Find out additional pricing details on the website.
Vagaro
You can use this all-in-one fitness scheduling software and app if you need to: manage and grow your business, get booked and paid 24/7, stay safe with 100% contactless check-in and checkout, advertise your virtual and in-person classes on its Marketplace, reduce no-shows with automated reminders, manage classes and memberships on any device, send text and email marketing messages, build waivers and forms.
Pricing Overview
- It starts at $25.00 per feature, per month.
- There is a free version and a free trial.
- Find out additional pricing details on the website.
Membership Management Software: comparative table of the tools in our shortlist with key features
Membership Management Software: the full list
Are you looking for an alternative to the tools described in our shortlist above? Explore alternatives and compare software that include similar features. Check out our full list with more options!
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Conclusions
Be curious! Do not limit yourself and do not stop at our proposal of tools! Check out our article Software Discovery platforms: the top 9 for us to find the one that best suits your needs.