The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Membership Management Software

• Member Directory & Profiles: Allows members to search for one another and view custom profiles.
• Member Approvals: Gives admins the power to review and approve/deny new applicants before they get access.
• Membership Card: Provides a digital (and printable) membership card for members to show at events.
• Member Homepages: Redirects members to a specific “Welcome” page based on their membership level.
• Donations at Checkout: Adds a “contribution” field to the membership form so users can give extra during signup.
• Proration: Automatically calculates credits when a member upgrades or downgrades their plan mid-cycle.
• Auto-Renewal Toggle: Gives members the choice to turn off automatic recurring billing.
• Variable Pricing: Allows for “Pay What You Want” models or sliding scale dues.

• Group Accounts (Sponsored Memberships): Allows a single “Parent” (like a corporation or school) to pay for and manage several “Child” accounts.
• Import Members from CSV: The standard tool for migrating existing member lists into the software.
• Recurring Payment Email Reminders: Sends automated alerts to members before their card is charged or if it’s about to expire.
• Membership Manager Role: Creates a limited WordPress login so a staff member can manage members without having full “Admin” access to the website settings.
• Series (Drip Feed Content): Schedules content to be released to members over time (e.g., 30 days after they join).
• Mailchimp Integration: Automatically syncs member data to specific email marketing lists.

Pros of Join It

• Fast setup:   It doesn’t require a developer, hosting setup, or complex database mapping. However, it does require time to navigate their admin panel and learn how to customize everything. It looks fairly easy to set up
•  Checkout Experience: Easy checkout flow that supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, and ACH.
• Renewal reminders, failed payment retries (dunning), and welcome emails are automatically sent without needing extra add-ons.
• Integrates with Eventbrite: Syncs member-only ticket discounts automatically.
• Mailchimp/Constant Contact: Keeps your email lists updated in real-time as members join or expire.
• Slack: Can automatically invite new members to a private community.
• Digital Membership Cards: It generates professional digital cards that members can add directly to their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, saving your nonprofit the cost of printing and mailing physical cards.

The Cons of Join It

• The “Service Fee” (Transaction Tax): On lower-tier plans, Join It charges a 1.5% to 3% service fee on top of your Stripe processing fees. This can be a major “hidden cost” if you have a high volume of transactions.
• Limited Customization (Branding): You cannot “pixel-perfect” the design of your membership pages. You are limited to their templates, and you must be on the Extra Plan ($199/mo) to remove the “Powered by Join It” branding and use a custom domain.
• Simple Email Marketing: While it sends transactional emails (receipts, renewals) perfectly, its “Email Blast” tool is very basic. You will likely still need a separate tool like Mailchimp for newsletters.
• Certain essential features for growing nonprofits—like a Member Directory or the ability to use PayPal—are locked behind the more expensive “Total” or “Extra” plans

• Post-Acquisition “Service Lag”: Since being acquired by Personify, many long-term users have reported a decline in the “boutique” customer service that MemberClicks was originally known for.
• The “Sorry” Response: Users frequently mention getting “it is what it is” responses to technical issues rather than proactive solutions.
• Support Delays: While they offer a knowledge base, getting a live human on the phone or a quick resolution to a customer bug can be a multi-day process.
• Steep Learning Curve & “Clunky” UX: MemberClicks is an enterprise-level system, which inherently makes it more complex.
• Multi-Step Tasks: Simple actions, such as setting up a new member or creating a registration form, often require significantly more steps (sometimes 20+) compared to streamlined tools like Join It.
• Outdated Interface: While functional, the backend UI is often described as feeling “old-school” and less intuitive than modern web apps, requiring more staff training.
• Rigid “Walled Garden” Ecosystem: MemberClicks is designed to be your entire world. If you want to use external tools, you’ll hit roadblocks:

• Limited Integration (The Zapier Issue): Unlike Paid Memberships Pro or Join It, MemberClicks has historically lacked a robust, native Zapier integration. This makes it very difficult to connect your data to niche tools (like a specific texting app or a custom CRM).
• Restricted Reporting: While it has many built-in reports, users often complain that they cannot easily customize the logic or layout of these reports to fit unique board requirements.
• Auto-Renewal & Penalties: Some users have flagged “heavy-handed” billing policies, including difficult cancellation terms and significant price hikes upon renewal that can strain a nonprofit’s budget.
• Technical Glitches “Test Payment” Bugs: There have been reported quirks with certain payment gateways (like PayPal) where receipts or notifications intermittently display “Test Mode” text even on live transactions, confusing members.
• Formatting Frustrations: Users often struggle with the built-in web editor, noting that getting forms or pages to look “modern” and professional requires extra effort or help from their support team.