Best Board Management Software: 10 Board Portals

Board meetings generate a surprising amount of admin. Packs get emailed in several versions, someone prints the wrong one and minutes end up in a personal inbox. A board portal ends that.

The ten portals below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, all from specialist providers. Each description comes from the tool's own site, read this week. Good portals also help with security, as my article on board portal software and cyber security explains.

Board management software at a glance

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site describes free use or a free plan, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated on the pages we read. Board portal providers usually offer a demo before a trial.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Aprio	Board portal	Smaller boards wanting one package	No
Board Intelligence	Board reporting	Better board papers and reports	No
Boardable	Board management	Nonprofit and association boards	Trial only
BoardEffect	Board portal	Nonprofits and higher education	No
BoardPro	Board portal	Small boards new to board software	Trial only
Convene	Board portal	Secure meetings for regulated boards	No
Govenda	Board portal	Unlimited users and AI help	No
iBabs	Board portal suite	Councils and public bodies	No
OnBoard	Board portal	AI meeting minutes	Trial only
Sherpany	Meeting management	Executive and board meetings together	Trial only

Ten board portals to consider

Aprio

Best for: Nonprofit and community boards that want an all-inclusive board portal without choosing between feature tiers.

Board Intelligence

Best for: Boards whose real problem is long, unclear board packs and who want software and methods for sharper reporting.

Boardable

Best for: Nonprofits and associations that want the whole board meeting lifecycle handled in one easy platform built for them.

BoardEffect

Best for: Mission-driven organisations that want board meetings digitised, from agenda creation to follow-up, with board members kept engaged.

BoardPro

Best for: Small commercial boards, nonprofits and schools that want governance made simple, with templates and guides alongside the portal.

Convene

Best for: Directors in regulated sectors who want a secure meeting app with AI features for agendas, papers and minutes.

Govenda

Best for: Committees and boards that want unlimited users and an AI assistant to help with committee work and meetings.

iBabs

Best for: Local government, housing associations and voluntary organisations that need meetings, publishing and streaming in one place.

OnBoard

Best for: Boards that want AI to draft minutes and surface insights from meetings alongside a familiar board portal.

Sherpany

Best for: Leadership teams that run executive meetings as well as board meetings and want one system before, during and after them.

Why minutes matter more than most trustees think

Here's a detail every charity trustee should know. The Charity Commission's guidance for trustees says that if you strongly disagree with your fellow trustees' decision, you can ask for your disagreement to be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

That's why minutes matter so much, and why board software that keeps agendas, papers, minutes and approvals in one record is worth more than a shared folder. When questions come up later, the record shows who decided what, and on what information.

Nonprofit board, company board or both?

Nonprofit and charity boards often have volunteer trustees with varying tech confidence, so ease of use comes first. Company boards may need tighter security, entity records and executive meeting tools. Public bodies may need to publish papers and stream meetings.

Match the portal to the people who'll use it. A tool that delights the company secretary but confuses half the trustees will end up ignored.

Moving your board onto a portal

1. Agree with the chair what the portal will be used for.
2. Upload governing documents, policies and the meeting calendar first.
3. Run a short training session before the first meeting.
4. Send the next board pack only through the portal.
5. Record minutes, actions and votes in the same place.
6. Ask trustees for feedback after the first two meetings.

Features to look for

• Board pack builder. Assemble agendas and papers in one document.
• Annotations. Trustees can make private notes on papers.
• Minutes and actions. Record decisions and follow-ups.
• Permissions. Control who sees which committee's papers.

AI in board portals

Several portals now use AI to draft minutes or summarise papers. That can save the company secretary hours, but the minutes still need a careful human review before approval. A small error in the minutes can cause a big argument later.

Committees and sub-groups

Boards with finance, audit or fundraising committees need separate spaces with their own papers and permissions. Check that the portal handles committees cleanly, so each group sees only what it should.

Getting trustees to use it

The biggest risk isn't the software, it's trustees who keep asking for papers by email. Don't send a single board pack outside the portal once you've switched, and make the first login painless with a short guide and a named person to call. Within two or three meetings, many boards wouldn't go back. If someone really can't manage it, help them in person before the meeting rather than quietly printing papers, or you'll end up running two systems.

Do you make board management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on board management software

Choose for your least confident board member. If they can open the pack, read the papers and add notes without help, the portal will work. Everyone else will adapt quickly.

Don't buy more governance software than you need. Small charities and nonprofits usually need secure papers, minutes, actions and simple voting. Larger organisations may need entity management, committees and executive meetings too. For the people side of a strong board, see my piece on executive onboarding gaps in nonprofits.

Frequently asked questions

What is board management software?

It's a secure portal for board papers, agendas, minutes, actions and votes, so directors and trustees have everything in one place.

Is there free board management software?

Most board portals offer demos or free trials rather than free plans. Check the table for each one.

Can a trustee's disagreement be recorded?

The Charity Commission says a trustee who strongly disagrees with a decision can ask for their disagreement to be recorded in the minutes.

Are board portals secure?

Board portals are built for confidential papers, with permissions and secure access. Ask each provider about its security standards.

Can board software record votes?

Many portals include voting and approvals, so decisions between meetings don't get lost in email.

Do small nonprofits need a board portal?

If your board pack goes out by email in several versions, a simple portal saves time and reduces mistakes.