TidyHQ vs iMIS
iMIS is enterprise association management software built for large professional bodies with million-dollar budgets and dedicated IT staff. It starts at $7,200 USD/year with a $20,000+ implementation fee before you've logged in. TidyHQ starts free, scales to $890 AUD/year flat for Pro, and your volunteer secretary can have it running before the next committee meeting. If you're a 200-member sports club comparing these two, one of them was never built for you.
Where TidyHQ wins
You can start today — for free — with unlimited contacts, unlimited admin seats, and no implementation project. TidyHQ Pro is $890 AUD/year flat with 30,000 emails/month, digital membership cards, Xero integration, and governance tools. iMIS starts at $7,200 USD/year plus a $20,000+ setup fee, requires minimum two paid user licences, and typically needs a consultant to implement. TidyHQ's governance tools — meeting minutes, committee tasks, document storage — are included. iMIS charges for modules. If your organisation is run by volunteers who meet once a month and chase unpaid renewals on weekends, TidyHQ was built for exactly that.
Where iMIS wins
iMIS is genuinely powerful for large associations. Complex membership models — organisational memberships, multi-year renewals, chapter hierarchies — are native. Their financial management includes cash and accrual accounting, general ledger integration, and complex billing scenarios that TidyHQ doesn't touch. The CRM depth is real: engagement scoring, advanced segmentation, and workflow automation for organisations with thousands of members. Conference and event management with abstract submissions, exhibitor coordination, and sponsor tracking goes well beyond what TidyHQ offers. If you're a national professional association with 10,000+ members, paid staff, and a $3M+ operating budget, iMIS is built for that scale.
Best for
Clubs, community organisations, and small-to-mid associations that need membership management, governance, and financial tools without a five-figure implementation project. Organisations where volunteers do the admin and the software needs to be simple enough to learn without training.
Annual cost comparison
Drag the slider to see how subscription costs compare at your club’s size.
$890 AUD/year
- ✓ Service fees: 1% + 20c (plus Stripe)
- ✓ Unlimited contacts, members & administrators
- ✓ 30,000 emails/month
- ✓ Unlimited apps & integrations
- ✓ Digital membership cards
- ✓ Custom domain & priority support
- ✓ Open API
iMIS
$11,160 AUD/year*
iMIS Professional (from $7,200 USD/year — plus $20,000+ implementation fee in year one)
Save $10,270/year with TidyHQ(92% less)
Plus governance tools, Xero integration, and no penalty fees.
Subscription costs only — transaction fees excluded. Based on publicly available pricing as of April 2026. Annual billing discounts not applied. Actual costs may vary. *Approximate conversion: 1 AUD ≈ 0.65 USD ≈ 0.50 GBP.
Feature comparison
Annual cost
TidyHQ
$890 AUD/year flat (Pro)iMIS
From $7,200 USD/year + $20,000+ setupImplementation
TidyHQ
Self-service — live in minutesiMIS
$20,000+ setup, consultant requiredFree tier
TidyHQ
Full features, unlimited contactsiMIS
Online memberships
TidyHQ
Tiers, auto-renewals, familyiMIS
Complex models, organisational, multi-yearEvent management
TidyHQ
Ticketing with member pricingiMIS
Conferences, abstracts, exhibitorsFinancial reporting
TidyHQ
With Xero synciMIS
Full GL, cash & accrual accountingAccounting integration
TidyHQ
Xero native two-way synciMIS
Multiple GL integrationsMeeting minutes & governance
TidyHQ
Agendas, minutes, action itemsiMIS
Task management
TidyHQ
Assigned to committee rolesiMIS
Document storage
TidyHQ
25 GBiMIS
(varies by plan)Email communications
TidyHQ
30,000/month (Pro)iMIS
Digital membership cards
TidyHQ
Pro planiMIS
CRM & engagement scoring
TidyHQ
Basic contact managementiMIS
Advanced CRMWebsite CMS
TidyHQ
Flexible with widget drop-insiMIS
Optional Web CMS add-onChapter management
TidyHQ
iMIS
Published pricing
TidyHQ
On websiteiMIS
Partially — varies by configurationAustralian support
TidyHQ
iMIS
(via partners)API access
TidyHQ
Open APIiMIS
Extensive APIKey differences
Live in minutes, not months
iMIS implementations typically take 3–6 months with a consultant and cost $20,000+ before your first member logs in. TidyHQ is self-service — sign up, configure your membership types, and start collecting dues the same day. No implementation partner required.
$890/year vs $30,000+ in year one
iMIS Professional starts at $7,200 USD/year ($11,160 AUD) with a minimum of two user licences, plus a one-time setup fee starting at $20,000 USD ($31,000 AUD). Year one cost: over $42,000 AUD. TidyHQ Pro: $890 AUD/year, no setup fee, no per-user charges. Or start free.
Governance tools included, not extra
Meeting minutes with action items, committee task management, and 25 GB document storage come with every TidyHQ plan — including the free one. iMIS doesn't offer governance tools natively. You'd need additional modules or workarounds, adding to the cost.
Your volunteers don't need training
iMIS is powerful but complex — it's designed for paid association staff. TidyHQ is designed for the volunteer secretary who has 30 minutes on a Tuesday evening. Clean interface, mobile-friendly, no manual required.
What iMIS does well
iMIS is genuinely powerful for large associations. Complex membership models — organisational memberships, multi-year renewals, chapter hierarchies — are native. Their financial management includes cash and accrual accounting, general ledger integration, and complex billing scenarios that TidyHQ doesn't touch. The CRM depth is real: engagement scoring, advanced segmentation, and workflow automation for organisations with thousands of members. Conference and event management with abstract submissions, exhibitor coordination, and sponsor tracking goes well beyond what TidyHQ offers. If you're a national professional association with 10,000+ members, paid staff, and a $3M+ operating budget, iMIS is built for that scale.
We think honest comparisons build more trust than pretending competitors don’t exist. Try both and see which one your committee actually uses.
Is TidyHQ right for you?
TidyHQ is the better choice if…
- Your organisation is run by volunteers, not paid association staff
- You want to be live today, not after a 3–6 month implementation
- Your budget doesn't stretch to $30,000+ in year one
- You need governance tools — meeting minutes, tasks, documents
- You want a free tier to trial with your full membership database
- You're an Australian organisation wanting native Xero integration
iMIS might be better if…
- •You're a national professional association with 10,000+ members and a dedicated IT team
- •You need complex organisational memberships with chapter hierarchies
- •You require full general ledger accounting with cash and accrual methods
- •You run large conferences with abstract submissions and exhibitor management
- •Your operating budget supports a $30,000+ first-year software investment
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about using iMIS vs TidyHQ for membership organisations.
iMIS Professional starts at $7,200 USD/year with a minimum of two paid user licences. Implementation typically adds $20,000+ USD as a one-time fee. Year one cost for a mid-size association is over $27,000 USD before any add-on modules. TidyHQ Pro is $890 AUD/year (~$574 USD) flat with no setup fee and no per-user charges.
No. iMIS is built for large professional associations with dedicated IT staff, complex membership hierarchies, and operating budgets over $3 million. A 200-member sports club run by volunteers would be paying enterprise prices for features they don't need — chapter management, general ledger accounting, engagement scoring — while missing governance tools like meeting minutes that TidyHQ includes for free.
Typical iMIS implementations take 3-6 months and require an implementation consultant. The setup fee starts at $20,000 USD. TidyHQ is self-service — sign up, configure membership types, and start collecting dues the same day. No consultant, no project plan, no training budget required.
No. iMIS focuses on CRM, membership, and financial management for large associations but does not include native governance tools. Meeting minutes, committee task management, and structured document storage would require additional modules or third-party tools. TidyHQ includes agendas, minutes with action items, committee tasks, and 25 GB document storage on every plan.
Unlikely. iMIS is designed for paid association staff and typically requires formal training as part of the implementation. The interface reflects enterprise software complexity. TidyHQ is designed for the volunteer who has 30 minutes on a Tuesday evening — clean interface, mobile-friendly, no manual required.
Sources
Claims in this comparison are based on publicly available information. Verify current pricing and features directly with each provider.
- 1iMIS product overview— Official product capabilities including CRM, membership, and financial management
- 2iMIS on G2— User reviews from verified enterprise association customers
- 3iMIS on Capterra— Ratings, reviews, and feature comparisons from association professionals