Wild Apricot vs. Sodalo: Which Is Right for Small Civic Organizations?

Reading time: 9 minutes
Last updated: May 2026

A Fair Comparison

Wild Apricot is one of the most established membership management platforms available. It's been around since 2001, it has a strong reputation, and it's trusted by thousands of organizations. We're not going to tell you it's a bad product — it isn't.

What we will tell you is that it's built for a different kind of organization than Sodalo is built for. For large associations with complex needs, Wild Apricot is a serious, capable tool. For a 75-member Rotary club run by a volunteer secretary and treasurer, it may be more software than you need — at a price that's hard for a committee to approve.

This guide is for organizations that are evaluating both options and want a clear, honest picture of the differences. We'll try to give Wild Apricot a fair treatment, point out where it's genuinely better than Sodalo, and help you figure out which one fits your situation.

Quick Side-by-Side Summary

Where Wild Apricot Excels

It's a more mature platform. Wild Apricot has been continuously developed for over 20 years. It has more features, more integrations, and a larger community of users who have documented their experiences online. If you encounter a problem or have a question, there's a good chance someone has written about it.

The website builder is included. Wild Apricot comes with a built-in tool for creating a full public website — not just a single-page profile, but a multi-page site with custom domain support, a blog, content pages, and more. If your organization needs a proper website and doesn't want to pay for one separately, this is a genuine advantage.

Advanced event registration. For organizations that run complex events — conferences, multi-day seminars, events with tiered ticket pricing or guest registration — Wild Apricot's event tools are more robust. It supports things like promo codes, waitlists, and complex registration forms that smaller platforms don't.

More detailed reporting. Wild Apricot's reporting capabilities are broader and more customizable. For associations that produce detailed annual reports or need to slice membership data in complex ways, the reporting tools are a real strength.

Larger community and documentation. Because Wild Apricot has been around longer and has more users, there's more third-party content about it — YouTube tutorials, user forums, blog posts, and consultants who specialize in setting it up. If your organization needs outside help getting started, that ecosystem is an asset.

Where Sodalo Excels

It's genuinely free for small organizations. For a civic club with 50 or fewer active members, Sodalo is completely free for life — not a trial, not a stripped-down demo. Full access to the platform at no cost. Wild Apricot has no free tier; even the smallest organizations pay $60 per month.

The pricing is dramatically better for small and mid-sized orgs. Even once you grow past the free tier, Sodalo at $29/month serves 51-300 active members. Wild Apricot charges $60-$230/month for similar member counts. That's a real difference for a civic organization where every budget line item requires board approval.

It was built for this specific type of organization. Sodalo was designed specifically for the organizations that bring communities together — non-profits, civic clubs, PTAs, garden clubs, community groups, Rotary clubs, and similar organizations. The feature set reflects what those organizations actually need, rather than trying to serve every kind of membership organization with one generic tool.

Customizable terminology makes it feel purpose-built. Sodalo lets you customize the language used throughout the platform to match your organization's culture. A Masonic lodge can use "Brothers" and "Lodge" instead of "Members" and "Chapter." A Rotary club can use "Rotarians" and "Service" instead of "Members" and "Meeting." This simple feature makes the software feel like it was built specifically for your organization, not a generic one-size-fits-all tool. Wild Apricot doesn't offer this level of customization — it's "members" and "contacts" for everyone.

Faster to learn and easier to use. Wild Apricot is powerful but has a reputation for being complex to set up, especially for volunteers who aren't comfortable with technology. Sodalo was designed with the volunteer secretary in mind — someone who is skilled and dedicated, but who didn't sign up to become a software administrator.

No transaction fees on dues. Wild Apricot charges a transaction fee on dues payments processed through the platform. Sodalo uses Stripe Connect, which routes dues payments directly to your organization's bank account. Sodalo never takes a percentage of your dues. You only pay Stripe's standard processing fee (2.9% + 30 cents per transaction), which is the same rate you'd pay going directly to Stripe on your own.

Dues go directly to your bank. This is worth emphasizing. With Sodalo's Stripe Connect integration, your organization's dues money goes directly from the member's card to your bank account. Sodalo is structurally outside the payment flow — it never holds or moves your funds. This is both safer and cleaner for your treasurer's records.

Pricing: A Detailed Look

This is often where the decision is made, so let's be specific.

Wild Apricot Pricing

Wild Apricot pricing is based on number of contacts (which includes both members and non-members in your database):

• Up to 100 contacts: ~$60/month
• Up to 250 contacts: ~$90/month
• Up to 500 contacts: ~$140/month
• Up to 2,000 contacts: ~$230/month

There is no free tier. There is a 30-day free trial.

Wild Apricot also charges a transaction fee when members pay dues through the platform. This varies based on plan level but adds to your effective cost.

Sodalo Pricing

Sodalo pricing is based on active member count:

• Up to 50 active members: Free for life — no credit card, no time limit
• 51 to 300 active members: $29/month (Growth plan, or $249/year)
• 301 to 750 active members: $59/month (Scale plan, or $499/year)
• Unlimited active members: $99/month (Pro plan, or $849/year)

No transaction fees on dues payments. No hidden charges.

What Does This Mean in Practice?

For a 60-member Rotary club that just crossed the free tier threshold, Sodalo costs $29/month. Wild Apricot would cost $60/month for that same organization — more than twice as much.

Over a year, that's $348 vs. $720. For a civic organization that may have a modest annual budget, the difference is meaningful — it's the equivalent of two or three months of meeting expenses.

For a 300-member organization, Sodalo is still $29/month (Growth plan). Wild Apricot would be $140-$230/month depending on the plan. The gap is even larger.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Member Roster

Both platforms let you store and manage your complete member list with contact information, custom fields, and membership status. Wild Apricot has slightly more field customization options; Sodalo has the fields that most civic organizations actually use (including status types like "NPD" for non-payment of dues and the full applicant/investigation pipeline for membership vetting).

Winner: Tie for most organizations. Wild Apricot for complex custom field needs.

Dues and Payments

Both platforms support dues collection. Wild Apricot has more payment configuration options (including the ability to let members choose their own payment plans). Sodalo offers simpler setup and — importantly — no platform transaction fee. Both integrate with Stripe for credit card processing.

Winner: Sodalo on cost. Wild Apricot on complexity/flexibility.

Email Communications

Both platforms send email to your members with tracking (opens, clicks, bounces). Wild Apricot has a more advanced template editor and more email customization options. Sodalo's email is clean and functional — sufficient for the typical civic organization that sends meeting reminders, event announcements, and dues notices.

Winner: Wild Apricot for advanced email design. Sodalo for simplicity and sufficient functionality.

Events

Both platforms handle events, RSVPs, and attendance tracking. Wild Apricot has more advanced event features (tiered pricing, complex guest registration, promotional codes). Sodalo handles the standard meeting RSVP and attendance tracking that most civic clubs need, including the ability to track attendance rates per member — important for organizations like Rotary that have attendance requirements.

Winner: Wild Apricot for complex events. Sodalo for standard civic org meetings and events.

Website / Public Presence

Wild Apricot includes a full multi-page website builder with custom domain support. This is a genuine advantage if your organization needs a real website. Sodalo provides a clean public page at yourclub.sodalo.com — good for basic information (meeting schedule, about us, contact) but not a full website.

Winner: Wild Apricot, clearly.

Member Portal

Both platforms let members log in to view their own information, check dues status, and RSVP to events. Sodalo's portal is available on all plans including free. Wild Apricot's member portal is included on paid plans.

Winner: Tie.

Meeting Minutes

Sodalo has a dedicated minutes archive where you can store and organize meeting minutes, searchable by date. Wild Apricot handles document storage but isn't specifically designed for minutes archiving.

Winner: Sodalo for organizations that prioritize minutes management.

Learning Curve

This matters when your administrator is a volunteer who took on the role to serve the organization, not to become a software expert. Sodalo was designed to be picked up quickly by non-technical users. Wild Apricot's more extensive feature set comes with a more complex interface — many organizations hire consultants to help set it up.

Winner: Sodalo, significantly.

Who Should Choose Wild Apricot

Wild Apricot makes more sense for your organization if:

• You have 200 or more members and need the full feature set
• You need a complete website built into the platform
• You run complex events with tiered tickets, waitlists, or guest registration
• You have a staff administrator (not just a volunteer) who can invest time in setup
• You need advanced reporting for a board or governing body
• Your budget has room for $60-$230/month in software costs

Who Should Choose Sodalo

Sodalo makes more sense for your organization if:

• You have 750 or fewer active members
• Your secretary and treasurer are volunteers who need something they can learn quickly
• Cost matters — you need board approval for software spend, and $29-99/month is easier to justify than $60-$230/month
• You need free to start while you evaluate whether the platform works for your organization (up to 50 active members)
• You want no transaction fees on dues payments
• Your organization is a civic or fraternal club — Rotary, Elks, VFW, garden club, PTA, Toastmasters, or similar
• A simple public page at yourclub.sodalo.com is sufficient for your web presence (or you have a separate website already)

Switching from Wild Apricot to Sodalo

If you're currently using Wild Apricot and want to try Sodalo, the process is straightforward.

Step 1: Export your member data from Wild Apricot. Wild Apricot lets you export your member database as a CSV spreadsheet. Go to the Contacts section, select all contacts, and use the Export option.

Step 2: Import into Sodalo. Use Sodalo's CSV import tool to bring your member list over. See our complete guide: How to Import Your Member Roster from a Spreadsheet.

Step 3: Set up your dues periods. Recreate your current dues structure in Sodalo, then use the payment recording tool to mark members who have already paid for the current year.

Step 4: Set up Stripe Connect. If you want to continue collecting dues online, connect your organization's Stripe account (or create one — it's free and takes about 10 minutes). See our guide on setting up online payments.

Step 5: Notify your members. Let members know about the new system, especially if you've changed the URL for your public page or member portal login.

Most organizations complete a full migration in a day or two, including time to verify that everything transferred correctly.

Try Sodalo Free

Sodalo's Community plan is free for life for up to 50 active members — no credit card required, no time limit. If you have more than 50 members, you can sign up and explore the platform to see whether it fits your organization's needs.

Whether you're comparing options or ready to make the switch from Wild Apricot, starting with Sodalo is straightforward and risk-free.

Start your free account →

Key Takeaways

• Wild Apricot is a capable, mature platform — best for larger organizations (200+ members) that need a full website and complex event tools.
• Sodalo is purpose-built for small to mid-sized community organizations, with dramatically lower pricing and a faster learning curve.
• For 50 active members or fewer, Sodalo is completely free for life. For 51-300 members, it's $29/month. Wild Apricot starts at $60/month with no free tier.
• Sodalo charges no transaction fees on dues payments — your dues go directly to your bank via Stripe.
• Switching from Wild Apricot to Sodalo is straightforward — export your data, import it, and you're running.

Related Articles

• Free Membership Management Software: What You Need to Know
• How to Import Your Member Roster from a Spreadsheet
• Setting Up Online Payments for Membership Dues

About Sodalo: Sodalo is membership management software built for the organizations that bring communities together — non-profits, civic clubs, community groups, Rotary clubs, PTAs, and similar organizations. Learn more at sodalo.com