Guide
Build or buy membership software?
For almost every association, buying membership software costs less and launches sooner than building it. Building pays off only for the parts of your work that are genuinely unique. Here is how the options compare, what a custom build has to include, and a middle path.
Updated
The three options
Most associations start by stitching tools together, then choose between subscribing to membership software and having a system built. If you're new to the term, what an AMS is covers what membership software does, and the best association management software compares eleven products you can subscribe to.
| Tools stitched together | Membership software | A custom build | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | Low: a spreadsheet, a form tool, a payment link and an email tool | Low: a subscription, sometimes with a setup fee | High: you pay for every feature before launch |
| Ongoing cost | Several small subscriptions, plus staff time to keep them in step | The subscription and card processing | Hosting, fixes, security updates and every change you ask for |
| Time to launch | Days | Weeks, mostly moving your data | Months, often a year or more |
| Fits how you work | Partly; the gaps are filled by hand | Mostly; you adapt to how the product works | Exactly, if the build goes to plan |
| Main risk | Data in several places, renewals and payments matched by hand | The parts it can’t do end up back in spreadsheets | Cost overruns, and being stuck if your developer moves on |
What a custom system has to include
The member database is the part people picture, and the easiest to build. These are the parts that take the time, and that someone has to keep working for as long as you use the system:
| Part | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Member records | People, households and companies, membership levels, history, custom fields and permissions for staff and volunteers |
| Dues and renewals | Recurring billing, proration, reminders, retries for failed cards, grace periods and lapsing |
| Payments | A card processor, refunds, receipts, checks recorded by hand, and handling card data safely |
| Member portal and sign-in | Accounts, password resets or passwordless sign-in, and pages that work on a phone |
| Newsletters, automatic emails, unsubscribes, and sending from your domain without landing in spam | |
| Events | Registration, member pricing, capacity, cancellations and check-in |
| Accounting | Getting payments into QuickBooks or your accounting system so they match the bank |
| Reports and upkeep | Board reports, backups, security updates and fixes when something outside changes |
When you get a quote for a custom build, ask for each of these by name, and for a separate yearly price to host, maintain and change the system after launch. To ask every vendor the same questions, use our AMS RFP template.
When to build, and when to buy
Building makes sense when
- Your core work is genuinely unusual, and it is what members join for, such as a credential registry or a peer-review process.
- You need a deep connection to a system you already run, such as a licensing database.
- You have, or will fund, a developer or agency to maintain it for years, not just to build it.
Buying makes sense when
- Your work is mostly memberships, dues, renewals, events, email and payments, like most associations.
- You want to launch in weeks, not months.
- You would rather not be responsible for payments security, email delivery and upkeep.
The middle path: buy the standard, build the rest
Most associations are mostly standard, with one or two things that are theirs alone: chapters that get a share of dues, a public registry of who holds a credential, dues based on each company's revenue. Building a whole system for those means paying to rebuild renewals, payments and email too.
FullRoster is built for that. Membership, events, email, payments and courses work on day one, and our team builds the parts specific to you into the same system, at a fixed price, and maintains them. FullRoster is made by Airdev, a custom software company, and the same team builds your custom features.
Common questions
- How do I create a membership system?
- Decide what it must do (keep member records, collect dues, renew members, take event registrations, email members), then choose how to get it: tools stitched together by hand, membership software you subscribe to, or a custom build. For most associations, subscribing to membership software is fastest and costs least.
- Can I build my own CRM for members?
- Yes, with a developer, an agency or no-code tools. The database is the easy part; recurring billing, failed payments, email delivery, a member portal, accounting sync and years of upkeep are where the time and cost go.
- How much does a custom CRM or membership system cost?
- It depends on scope, but a custom system usually costs more to build than several years of membership software, and keeps costing for hosting, fixes and changes afterwards. Get a fixed quote for the build and a separate one for yearly maintenance before you compare.
- How much does it cost to build a membership website?
- A simple site with a join form and a payment link costs little but leaves renewals, records and email to you. A site with member accounts, automatic renewals, events and a directory is a software project. Membership software gives you those parts for a subscription, alongside the website you already have.
- Is it cheaper to build or buy membership software?
- Buying is cheaper for almost every association, because the cost of building the standard parts is spread across many customers. Building only pays off for work that is genuinely unique to you.
- Can we buy software and still get custom features?
- Some products offer that. With FullRoster, membership, events, email, payments and courses work on day one, and our team builds the parts specific to you into the same system, at a fixed price, and maintains them.
About FullRoster. FullRoster is association management software that's free for up to 1,000 active members. Members, dues, events, email, courses and payments in one place, and we move your data over for you. See how it works →
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