Springly vs Wild Apricot: an honest comparison for associations
Wild Apricot and Springly both serve small to medium membership organizations. This page breaks down features, pricing, and the key trade-offs. We've also included Orgo as a third option for organizations that find neither is the right fit.
TL;DR: quick verdict
The main difference between Springly and Wild Apricot is that Springly includes built-in fund accounting and is priced more accessibly for small nonprofits, while Wild Apricot is a more established platform with a larger user base and integration ecosystem.
Choose Springly if you need:
Built-in double-entry fund accounting without a separate tool QuickBooks integration as a hard requirement A lean, all-in-one platform for organizations under 500 members Transparent self-serve pricing across all standard tiers Dues, events, email, and accounting bundled in one subscription
Choose Wild Apricot if you need:
A proven platform with 20+ years of track record Zapier integrations with your existing tool stack A 60-day free trial before committing Zero transaction fees via Personify Payments (US only) A basic website builder bundled with membership tools
Why organizations compare Springly and Wild Apricot
Wild Apricot and Springly serve the same audience: small to medium nonprofits, associations, clubs, and volunteer-driven organizations that need membership dues, event registration, and email campaigns in one platform.
Wild Apricot is the older and more widely adopted of the two. More than 30,000 organizations have used it since it launched in 2002. Its integration ecosystem, including Zapier, is more mature than Springly's.
The platform has changed hands three times in eight years, most recently passing to Momentive Software under private equity ownership. Prices have increased by up to 65% since the acquisition.
Springly launched as AssoConnect in France before expanding to the US. Its primary competitive advantage over Wild Apricot is built-in double-entry fund accounting, a capability Wild Apricot does not offer. For small nonprofits that handle their own bookkeeping, this removes the need for a separate tool.
In May 2025, AssoConnect was acquired by team.blue, a European web hosting group. The direction for its US roadmap is still being defined under new ownership.
Both platforms price by total contact count, both include a website builder, and both handle the operational basics that small organizations need. The differences show up in accounting, integrations, pricing tiers, and what happens as an organization grows in size or complexity.
Springly vs Wild Apricot: full feature comparison
Every cell has been verified against all three platforms' current websites. Where any platform lacks a feature, that is noted honestly.
Orgo is included as a third option for organizations that find gaps in both Wild Apricot and Springly.
| Feature | | |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core membership | |||
| Member database and profiles | |||
| Membership dues and renewals | |||
| Automated renewal reminders | |||
| Member self-service portal | |||
| Custom membership fields | |||
| Multi-tier memberships | PartialOne level per member | ||
| Family membership plans | PartialVia bundles | ||
| Membership numbers | |||
| Membership cards and certificates | |||
| Member approval workflows | Limited | ||
| Multi-chapter management | |||
| Multi-chapter hierarchy (HQ, regions, chapters) | PartialSeparate sites per chapter, manual data merging | PartialNetworks tier only (quote-only, CRM grouping) | |
| Per-chapter autonomy with local leadership roles | |||
| Per-chapter reporting | |||
| Member transfers between chapters | |||
| Granular role-based permissions | PartialAll-or-nothing admin access | PartialBasic admin roles | |
| Governance | |||
| eVoting (anonymous, encrypted) | |||
| eDocuments | |||
| eSignatures | |||
| Payments and billing | |||
| Bring your own Stripe account | Partial20% PSSF surcharge applies if using Stripe or PayPal instead of Personify Payments | ||
| Platform transaction fee | 0% via Personify Payments (US only)20% surcharge on Stripe/PayPal | 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction | 2% (Grow) / 1% (Impact) / 0% (Scale)0% promo until Sep 1, 2026 |
| Built-in fund accounting | |||
| QuickBooks integration | |||
| Pricing metric | Total contacts in database | Total contacts in database | Active paying members |
| Starting price | $60/mo (100 contacts) | ~$45/mo (Serenity, contact-based) | $119/mo (Grow, 500 members) |
| Free plan or trial | 60-day free trial | Liberty plan (very limited scope) | |
| Communications and events | |||
| Email campaigns | |||
| Event management and ticketing | |||
| Fundraising and donations | |||
| Push notifications | |||
| Member networking and discovery | |||
| Discussion groups and forums | |||
| Platform and tools | |||
| Website builder | |||
| Learning management system (LMS) | |||
| Gamification | |||
| Mobile app | Limited | ||
| Integration ecosystem | Zapier, native integrations | QuickBooks primarily | Open API, Webhooks (Impact/Scale) |
| SSO (Google, Apple, LinkedIn) | |||
| Data hosting and GDPR | US-hostedGDPR compliance uncertain under PE ownership | EU-based (France origin)Under team.blue since May 2025 | AWS Frankfurt (EU)GDPR-compliant by design |
| Storage | 2 GB across all plans | Varies by plan | 100 GB to 1 TB+ |
| Data migration support | Self-serve CSV import | Self-serve CSV import | |
| Dedicated onboarding | Paid tiers only | Paid tiers only | |
Want a deeper comparison?
What customers are saying
Themes aggregated from verified reviews on G2, Capterra, GetApp, Trustpilot, and Software Advice. These are the patterns that appear most frequently across hundreds of reviews, paraphrased.
What users like
The built-in accounting module is cited most often as the deciding factor. Small nonprofits report cutting bookkeeping time significantly after switching from a separate accounting tool. For organizations under 300 members, reviewers consistently praise the value: dues collection, event management, email campaigns, and accounting in one subscription at an accessible price. Many users describe positive onboarding experiences, with support teams walking them through initial setup thoroughly.
What users complain about
Payment processing failures are the most common complaint. Members frequently report problems completing transactions, and there is no live support to escalate payment issues quickly. The website builder receives consistent criticism. Users coming from WordPress or Wix find it rigid and difficult to customize, with no option to migrate an existing site. Navigation takes time to learn. The platform packs in many features, and finding the right function is not always obvious. Custom report generation is particularly criticized as non-intuitive. No phone support. When something goes wrong, users rely on email or ticket submission, and response times vary.
What users like
The breadth of what is included is the most praised aspect. Reviewers appreciate having member management, event ticketing, email campaigns, payments, and a website builder under one roof. Event management stands out as a strong point. Organizations running regular events praise the registration workflow, payment collection, and attendee communication tools. Long-term users report significant time savings. Manual tasks like membership renewals and event follow-ups that previously took hours are automated by the platform.
What users complain about
Support has declined sharply since the Personify acquisition. Users describe waits of five or more business days, no weekend availability, and the end of phone support. Product development has slowed. Reviewers writing in 2025 and 2026 note fewer than two meaningful updates in over two years, with long-standing feature requests still unaddressed. Pricing has become a recurring complaint. Multiple reviews mention increases of 30 to 65 percent since the acquisition, compounded by contact-based tiers that scale quickly as the total database grows. The email and newsletter builder has reliability issues. Users report delivery statuses that do not match actual send results and difficulty tracking or retrieving sent campaigns.
Sources: G2, Capterra, GetApp, Trustpilot, Software Advice. Individual experiences vary.
Springly vs Wild Apricot: pricing comparison
Wild Apricot and Springly both price by total contacts in the database. Orgo prices by active paying members. For organizations with large contact databases (past members, donors, event attendees), this distinction affects how quickly costs scale.
| | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $60/mo (100 contacts) | ~$45/mo (Serenity) | $119/mo (Grow, 500 members) |
| Pricing model | Tiered by total contacts | Tiered by total contacts | Tiered by active members |
| Platform transaction fee | 0% via Personify Payments (US only)20% PSSF surcharge if using Stripe or PayPal | 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction | 2% (Grow) / 1% (Impact) / 0% (Scale)0% promo until Sep 1, 2026 |
| Built-in accounting | |||
| Annual billing discount | ~10% off monthly | Available | Available |
| Free plan or trial | 60-day free trial | Liberty plan (very limited) | |
| Mid-tier example | $220/mo (2,000 contacts) | $119–$399/mo (Professional tier) | $239/mo (Impact, 500 members) |
| Enterprise or large-org pricing | $720/mo (50,000 contacts)Published tiers | Networks tier: quote-only | Scale: custom |
Want a deeper comparison?
Where each platform excels
Where Springly excels
Springly's defining advantage is built-in double-entry fund accounting. For small nonprofits managing grants or restricted funds, this removes the need for a separate accounting tool. The QuickBooks integration covers organizations with existing accounting workflows.
This all-in-one model keeps costs and tool count low for lean-staff organizations that need finances and membership in a single platform.
Where Wild Apricot excels
Wild Apricot's strongest use case is small, single-chapter organizations that want a proven platform with low setup overhead. Its 20+ year track record, Zapier integration support, and 60-day free trial make it easy to evaluate before committing.
For organizations already using tools like Mailchimp or Salesforce, Zapier provides a connection path without custom development. The bundled website builder reduces the number of subscriptions needed for lean teams.
When to choose each platform
When to choose Wild Apricot
Wild Apricot is probably the better choice if:
Your organization has fewer than 2,000 contacts and operates as a single chapter You want to run a 60-day free trial before committing Your tech stack relies on Zapier integrations You are based in the US and can use Personify Payments to avoid transaction fees A built-in website is useful and you do not want to maintain a separate CMS
Note: Wild Apricot's pricing has increased up to 65% since the Momentive acquisition. The 20% PSSF surcharge applies to organizations outside the US or those using Stripe or PayPal.
When to choose Springly
Springly is probably the better choice if:
Built-in double-entry fund accounting is a hard requirement You are a small-to-medium nonprofit under 500 members with simple chapter needs QuickBooks integration is essential to your financial workflow You want dues, events, email, accounting, and a website builder in one subscription Transparent self-serve pricing at all standard tiers matters to your decision process
Note: Springly's Networks tier (for multi-chapter organizations) is quote-only with no published pricing. The acquisition by team.blue in May 2025 means the US product roadmap is still being defined under new ownership.
When neither Springly nor Wild Apricot is the right fit
Both Wild Apricot and Springly were designed for small, single-chapter organizations. If your requirements include any of the following, they may not scale to where your organization needs to go:
Orgo may be worth a closer look if your organization needs:
- 500+ paying members across multiple chapters or regional branches. Orgo's chapter hierarchy is built into the core data model. Each chapter manages its own members, finances, and events. National leadership sees consolidated reporting across all chapters without exporting CSVs.
- Governance tools. eVoting for board elections and bylaw ratification (anonymous, encrypted, tamper-evident). eDocuments for governance record distribution. eSignatures for officer confirmations. Neither Wild Apricot nor Springly offers these.
- Payment processing without lock-in. You connect your own Stripe account. Member subscriptions stay in your account, not in Orgo's. If you ever switch platforms, active subscriptions continue without re-billing.
- Member networking. Profiles, connection requests, direct messaging, and discussion groups. Members connect with each other, not just with the admin team. This engagement drives retention in ways a member directory cannot.
- Granular role-based permissions. Unlimited roles scoped per chapter. A chapter coordinator manages their chapter's members and events without seeing anything outside their scope.
On switching platforms
Migrating member data is where most platform switches stall. Orgo's onboarding team handles the move: member records, custom fields, membership levels, and payment setup.
You do not rebuild your database from a CSV. Most organizations are live within two weeks.
"It has been overall a good experience for us to move away from Wild Apricot and toward Orgo. What we had before was a system where our executive director controlled all the information and all of the connections between members. Now we have a platform that lets members take initiative and set their own privacy levels."
Frequently asked questions
Can Wild Apricot handle organizations based outside the United States?
Wild Apricot works internationally, but its 0% transaction fee through Personify Payments applies to US organizations only. Organizations outside the US pay a 20% PSSF surcharge when using Stripe or PayPal.
For European organizations, Springly's EU-hosted infrastructure and GDPR-by-default setup may be a better structural fit.
Is Springly suitable for professional associations, not just charities?
Yes. Springly originated as AssoConnect in France, where it was built for professional associations alongside charities: doctors, lawyers, engineers, and trade bodies.
The fund accounting and membership tools are not charity-specific. Any member-based organization that collects dues and runs events can use the platform.
Can I cancel Wild Apricot or Springly at any time?
Both platforms offer month-to-month billing with no long-term contract required. Annual billing is available at a discount on both.
The real cost of switching is practical, not contractual: migrating member records, rebuilding email templates, and re-establishing payment integrations takes time regardless of which platform you leave.
What happens to my member data if Wild Apricot changes ownership again?
Your data is exportable as CSV from both platforms at any time, so you are not locked in at the data level.
The operational risk of ownership changes is real: pricing may increase and product development may slow. Wild Apricot has changed hands three times since 2017. Springly was acquired by team.blue in May 2025. In both cases, your data remains yours.
Do Springly or Wild Apricot support a members-only resource library?
Wild Apricot lets you gate specific website pages to logged-in members by membership level. Springly offers similar member-restricted content through its website builder.
Neither platform has a dedicated document library or file management system. Organizations that need to distribute governance documents, course materials, or working group files should evaluate this gap before committing.
How long does migrating from Wild Apricot to a new platform typically take?
Data migration (member records, custom fields, membership levels) typically takes one to two weeks. Rebuilding email templates and event history takes additional time.
If members pay via automatic renewal, they will need to re-enter payment details on the new platform unless the provider handles subscription migration. Orgo's onboarding team manages the data move as part of setup.
Not sure which platform fits your organization?
Orgo is built for the organizations that Wild Apricot and Springly were not designed for: federations, associations, and multi-chapter organizations with 500+ members. Book a 15-minute demo and see if it fits your structure.