The best Join It alternative depends on what kind of organisation you run. Club and association systems, membership add-ons for your own website and nonprofit suites built around donors don't swap easily, so pick your type first. Then check that members, renewal dates and payment history can be exported and re-imported, because renewals are where a move usually goes wrong.
Which of these sounds most like you: a club or association that wants renewals and member cards handled, a group or creator selling memberships from its own website, or a nonprofit that cares about donors as much as members? Join It is membership management software for clubs and associations that automates renewals, collects payments and issues digital membership cards. Most people looking for an alternative fall into one of those three camps, and the right tool changes completely depending on which.
Here are ten options, in no particular order, grouped by type before you get to the table and the list.
Three types of membership software, and who each suits
Club and association systems. These are the closest to Join It. Raklet is a no-code platform for members, dues, events and digital cards. WildApricot is an all-in-one membership system that's been around a long time. Membership Toolkit is aimed squarely at volunteer-run groups such as PTAs, booster clubs and HOAs.
Add-ons for your own website. If your members mainly come for content or a community on your site, these keep everything on your own domain. Memberful sells subscriptions and members-only content on your website or app. MemberPress is a WordPress plugin for subscriptions, courses, paywalls and communities. MemberSpace adds membership to a site you already have, whatever it's built on.
Nonprofit suites. These put donors at the centre, with members as one group among several. Springly covers membership, accounting, fundraising and communication. Zeffy brings donations, events, memberships, auctions and a donor CRM together. Neon One combines donor management, fundraising, memberships and ticketing. Beacon CRM is a CRM built for charities.
The three types don't swap easily. A website add-on won't run your committee's renewals reminders the way a club system does, and a nonprofit suite will feel heavy if all you need is a member list and a card.
Ten membership tools by type
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Beacon CRM | Charity CRM | Charities that want a CRM built for them |
| Memberful | Website membership | Selling memberships and content on your own site |
| MemberPress | WordPress plugin | WordPress sites with courses, paywalls or communities |
| Membership Toolkit | Volunteer-run groups | PTAs, booster clubs, HOAs and social groups |
| MemberSpace | Add-on for existing website | Adding membership to a site you already have |
| Neon One | Nonprofit suite | Memberships alongside donor management and events |
| Raklet | Club and association software | No-code members, dues, events and digital cards |
| Springly | Nonprofit management | Nonprofits wanting accounting in the same tool |
| WildApricot | All-in-one membership | An established all-in-one membership system |
| Zeffy | Free nonprofit fundraising and CRM | Nonprofits running donations, events and memberships together |
A line on each membership platform
Alphabetical, so nobody's first by default.
Beacon CRM
Best for: Charities wanting a CRM designed especially for charity work, which the vendor describes as top-rated for that sector.
Memberful
Best for: Creators and publishers selling subscriptions and sharing members-only content on their own website or app, not a separate portal.
MemberPress
Best for: WordPress site owners running subscriptions, online courses, paywalls or communities through a plugin that lives inside their own site.
Membership Toolkit
Best for: Volunteer-run groups such as PTAs, booster clubs, HOAs and social organisations that need software built around how they run.
MemberSpace
Best for: Small organisations and creators who already have a website and want to sell memberships and digital products from it.
Neon One
Best for: Small and midsize nonprofits combining donor management, fundraising, memberships, events and ticketing in one suite.
Raklet
Best for: Associations, clubs and nonprofits wanting members, dues, events and digital cards in one no-code platform, with a free plan stated as of Nov 2026.
Springly
Best for: Nonprofits that want membership, accounting, fundraising and communication handled together in one all-in-one tool.
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WildApricot
Best for: Associations and clubs looking for an all-in-one membership management system with a long track record, per the vendor's own claims.
Zeffy
Best for: Nonprofits wanting donations, events, memberships, auctions, email and a donor CRM on one platform, which the vendor says is free for nonprofits.
Renewals: where a membership move goes wrong
Moving your member list is the easy part. Moving renewals is where things break. Every member has a join date, a renewal date, a membership level and a payment history, and if any of those land in the wrong field, people get reminders they shouldn't, miss ones they should, or get charged on the wrong day.
So before you switch, check exactly how each shortlisted tool exports and imports members, renewal dates and payment history. Ask whether saved payment details can move with your members or whether they'll need to re-enter them, because that decides how much you'll have to tell people. Then test with a small copy before you move everyone.
- Export 20 real members, including a few on different levels and a couple with renewals due soon.
- Import them into a trial of the new tool and check every renewal date and level landed in the right place.
- Trigger a test renewal reminder and see exactly what a member receives.
- Export the same 20 back out, to prove you won't be stuck if you ever move again.
If all four steps go cleanly, you can plan the full move with confidence. If one fails, you've found it with 20 members rather than your whole list.
My advice for clubs and associations moving on
Name your type before you look at features. If you're a club or society, stay in the club and association group and you'll find the setup familiar. If your members come for content, a website add-on keeps them on your own site. If you fundraise as much as you collect memberships, a nonprofit suite will save you running two systems.
Then pick two and run the 20-member test on both. My guides to membership management software and association management software go wider if you'd like more options in each group. Rules on Gift Aid, member data and charity accounts vary by country, so check your regulator's guidance for anything that touches them.
Signs you've picked the wrong type
- You're building workarounds for renewal reminders in a tool that wasn't designed for recurring members.
- Your website and your member list live in two places that never quite match.
- You're wading through donor features you'll never use, and still can't print a membership card.
Do you make membership management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
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Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between membership software and a nonprofit CRM?
Membership software is built around joining, renewing and member benefits. A nonprofit CRM puts donors and fundraising at the centre, with members as one group among others.
Can I move my members without them signing up again?
Usually you can import member records from a spreadsheet. Saved payment details are harder, so ask each vendor whether they can move or whether members will need to re-enter them.
Is there free membership software for small clubs?
Some tools state a free plan or a free option for nonprofits on their own sites. Check exactly what's included and what happens as your membership grows.
Should my membership live on my own website?
If members mainly come for content, courses or a community, keeping membership on your own site makes sense. Clubs that mainly need renewals and cards often prefer a dedicated system.
How do I avoid problems with renewals when switching?
Test with a copy of 20 real members first. Check renewal dates and levels after import, send a test reminder, and confirm you can export the data again.
