Running a nonprofit means juggling fundraising, memberships, volunteers, events, and communications — often across too many disconnected tools. The right nonprofit management software can dramatically reduce admin time and boost donor engagement, but choosing the best fit isn’t always obvious.
Nonprofit management software centralizes these workflows, automating routine tasks and improving donor and member experiences.
In this guide, we compare six leading platforms — Activity Messenger, Wild Apricot, Brilliant Directories, Keela, Sage, and Hivebrite — to help you identify which solution aligns with your organization’s size, workflows, and mission.
Whether your nonprofit is program-driven, membership-focused, or donor-centric, this comparison will help you make an informed decision.
DISCLAIMER: Activity Messenger is our software. We created it after experiencing the various shortcomings of existing nonprofit management software for years.
In a nutshell, nonprofit management software is a cloud-based platform designed to help mission-driven organizations manage their members/donors, registrations, programs, communications, payments/fundraising, and reporting all in one place or via integrations.
It typically includes features such as:
Depending on the organization’s size and complexity, the “right” software might emphasize membership/association management, program registrations and communication, or fundraising and donor management (or a hybrid).
Why it matters: Many nonprofits still patch together spreadsheets, email, payment tools, and manual renewals. Upgrading to a modern platform can reduce manual work, improve engagement, reduce data errors and free staff to focus on the mission rather than admin.
We reviewed each platform (listed below) based on key criteria that matter for nonprofit organizations:
| Platform | Key Features | Best For | Pros | Cons | Starting Price | Capterra Rating |
| Activity Messenger | Registrations, online forms/waivers, payments, SMS/email communications, memberships | Program-focused nonprofits | All-in-one, bilingual EN/FR, Canadian-data friendly | Limited advanced donor/fundraising features | $89/mo (billed monthly) | 4.7/5 |
| Wild Apricot | Membership management, events, communications, payments | Membership-driven organizations | Straightforward membership workflows, built-in website, free trial | Less strong for program registrations or complex donor workflows | $63/mo (billed annually, price scales with contact count) | 4.4/5 |
| Brilliant Directories | Member/community portal, content, recurring memberships | Associations, alumni networks | Membership site + community + payments, one-time purchase option | Setup/customization may require web skills, less fundraising-focused | $145/mo (pricing increases with members) | 4.8/5 |
| Keela | Nonprofit CRM, donor management, communications | Donor/fundraising-focused nonprofits | Strong donor/fundraising focus, Canadian-based | Less emphasis on program registration or membership workflows | $160/mo (price scales with contact count) | 4.3/5 |
| Sage (Nonprofit) | Fund accounting, grant tracking, financial dashboards | Medium/large nonprofits | Deep financial features, built for nonprofits | Less focused on registrations, memberships, communications | Varies by organization | 4.3/5 |
| Hivebrite | Community engagement, volunteer/member portals, events | Community- or volunteer-focused organizations | Robust engagement, mobile, event management | Higher starting cost; may be over-featured for simple registrations | Varies by organization | 4.5/5 |
Why it stands out: Activity Messenger is designed for program-centric nonprofits, clubs, and camps. It combines registrations, digital waivers, payments, and multi-channel communications (email/SMS) in a single platform, reducing the need for multiple disconnected tools. Canadian-friendly with bilingual support.
Key Features:
Pricing Snapshot:
Pros:
Cons:
📌 Read More: Hosting an event for your nonprofit? Check out Activity Messenger’s new feature, selling tickets with seat assignments.
Why it stands out: Wild Apricot is a strong choice for small-to mid-sized nonprofits and associations focused on membership management. It offers built-in website hosting, event registration, and communication tools tailored to dues-based organizations.
Key Features:
Pricing Snapshot:
Pros:
Cons:
Why it stands out: Brilliant Directories allows organizations to run a membership site, community portal, and recurring subscriptions in one platform. Ideal for alumni associations, directories, and content-rich nonprofits.
Key Features:
Pricing Snapshot:
Pros:
Cons:
Why it stands out: Keela is a nonprofit CRM focused on donor management, segmentation, and communications. Ideal for organizations prioritizing fundraising automation and donor stewardship over program registrations.
Key Features:
Pricing Snapshot:
Pros:
Cons:
Why it stands out: Sage provides cloud-based financial solutions for medium-to-large nonprofits, emphasizing fund accounting, grant management, and compliance reporting.
Key Features:
Pricing Snapshot:
Pros:
Cons:
Why it stands out: Hivebrite is designed for organizations that prioritize community-building, volunteer coordination, and event management. It combines engagement features, member directories, and communications in one platform.
Key Features:
Pricing Snapshot:
Pros:
Cons:
When evaluating nonprofit management software, look for tools that provide:
This checklist ensures your organization selects a platform that improves efficiency, engagement, and growth potential.
Book a walkthrough with Activity Messenger to discover our solution for nonprofit software.
Book a demoThe nonprofit technology landscape is evolving rapidly. Here are key trends shaping software selection today:
What This Means:
Choosing a modern, future-ready platform isn’t just about reducing admin — it directly impacts donor retention, program participation, and volunteer satisfaction. Tools that consolidate communications, payments, and engagement features give nonprofits the ability to focus on mission instead of manual workflows.
Switching from a legacy system (spreadsheets, old CRM, manual tools) or moving to a new platform can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be disruptive. Here’s a step-by-step approach:
Most nonprofits upgrade to gain more automation, streamlined communications, better engagement, centralized data, and lower manual work.
It offers an integrated workflow: registrations/forms, payments, communication (email/SMS), membership/contacts in one tool, reducing the need to juggle separate products.
Yes — export your data from the old system (CSV, etc), and plan for import/mapping into the new platform. Keep backup copies for compliance purposes.
Platforms like Wild Apricot and Brilliant Directories offer lower entry prices and simpler workflows; for very small nonprofits, these may be more cost-effective. If you are program or registration-focused, Activity Messenger may also offer strong value.
Not exactly. Some are membership- or registration-centric (Wild Apricot, Activity Messenger), while others are donor- or fundraising-centric (Keela, Sage). It’s important to determine whether your organization is membership-driven, program-driven, or donor-driven.
Ask each vendor for: setup/onboarding fees, monthly/annual subscription fees, per-contact or per-member fees, payment processing fees, required add-ons (communications, automation, integrations), and whether nonprofit discounts are applied.
Start by defining your “must-haves” (e.g., membership renewals, program sessions/registrations, donor tracking, SMS + email communications, volunteer portal). Then match platforms based on those needs, budget, and staff capacity for setup/training. Use trial/demo, ask for references from similar-sized organizations.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, the right nonprofit management software can dramatically reduce administrative load, improve engagement with members/donors, and free your team to focus on mission rather than manual workflows.
The key takeaway: match your platform to your organization’s primary workflow, not just the hype. Use a demo, test workflows, map your data, and plan your migration.
If your nonprofit focuses on programs, events, classes, or memberships, Activity Messenger provides the most complete toolkit—combining registration, communication, payments, waivers, and automation in one place.
💡 Want to simplify your nonprofit’s operations and modernize your workflows? Book a demo with Activity Messenger to discover how your organization can save time, automate manual tasks, and more effectively engage your community.
