TidyHQ vs Membes
Both are Australian-built with Xero integration. Membes has CPD tracking that's genuinely useful for professional associations. But Membes starts around $20,000 AUD/year and doesn't publish pricing — try getting budget approval from your committee when you can't even see what it costs without a sales call. TidyHQ starts free with unlimited contacts, scales to $890 AUD/year flat for Pro (including digital membership cards), and your volunteer treasurer can sign up in ten minutes.
Where TidyHQ wins
A free tier with unlimited contacts, unlimited admin seats, and no credit card required — Membes doesn't offer this at all, and they won't even tell you what they charge without a conversation. A modern interface volunteers adopt without training, not an enterprise system designed for paid staff. Digital membership cards on the Pro plan. Stronger event management with ticketing, RSVPs, and member-only pricing. Meeting minutes and committee task management that Membes doesn't offer. Flat, published pricing your treasurer can put in a budget proposal tonight.
Where Membes wins
Membes has genuine depth in CPD and continuing professional development tracking — if your members need to log accreditation hours for professional registration, Membes handles that properly. They have a track record with large industry bodies and peak associations where compliance and credentialing workflows are complex. At around $20,000 AUD/year, it's priced for organisations with paid admin staff and real budgets. If you're a professional association with 5,000+ members and a full-time office, Membes knows that world.
Best for
Clubs and community organisations where the admin is done by volunteers who need software they can learn in an afternoon, not a system that requires a demo and a sales call to even see pricing. Organisations that want to start free and only pay when they're ready.
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
Membes
$20,000 AUD/year
~$20,000/year (no published pricing — contact sales)
Save $19,110/year with TidyHQ(96% 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 subscription
TidyHQ
$890 AUD/year flat (Pro)Membes
~$20,000 AUD/year (no published pricing)Free tier
TidyHQ
Full features, unlimited contactsMembes
✗ Sales call requiredOnline memberships
TidyHQ
Membes
Event ticketing
TidyHQ
With member pricingMembes
BasicFinancial reporting
TidyHQ
With Xero syncMembes
Accounting integration (Xero)
TidyHQ
Native two-way syncMembes
Meeting minutes & governance
TidyHQ
Agendas, minutes, action itemsMembes
Task management
TidyHQ
Assigned to committee rolesMembes
Email & SMS communications
TidyHQ
30,000 emails/mo (Pro)Membes
Document storage
TidyHQ
25 GBMembes
Digital membership cards
TidyHQ
Pro planMembes
CPD tracking
TidyHQ
BasicMembes
(advanced)Published pricing
TidyHQ
On websiteMembes
✗ Contact salesAustralian support
TidyHQ
Membes
API access
TidyHQ
Open APIMembes
Key differences
Your volunteers will actually use it
Adoption is the real risk with club software. If your committee won't log in, features don't matter. TidyHQ's interface is clean and mobile-friendly — committee members learn it without training sessions or user manuals. Membes is built for paid staff who can invest time in a more complex system.
Start free, no sales call required
Membes doesn't offer a free tier — their pricing reflects enterprise positioning. TidyHQ's free plan includes the full feature set with unlimited contacts. A small club can run entirely free. No credit card, no trial expiry, no "contact sales for pricing."
Events that go beyond a registration form
Clubs run trivia nights, AGMs, fundraisers, and social functions. TidyHQ includes proper event ticketing with member-only pricing, RSVPs, and QR check-in. Membes treats events as a secondary feature.
What Membes does well
Membes has genuine depth in CPD and continuing professional development tracking — if your members need to log accreditation hours for professional registration, Membes handles that properly. They have a track record with large industry bodies and peak associations where compliance and credentialing workflows are complex. At around $20,000 AUD/year, it's priced for organisations with paid admin staff and real budgets. If you're a professional association with 5,000+ members and a full-time office, Membes knows that world.
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 admin team are volunteers, not paid staff
- You need a modern interface people adopt without training
- You want a free tier for a small or mid-sized organisation
- Event management with ticketing and member pricing matters to you
- You need meeting minutes and committee task management
Membes might be better if…
- •You're a professional association with CPD and accreditation requirements
- •You're a large industry body with 5,000+ members and paid admin staff
- •You need complex credentialing workflows and compliance tracking
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about using Membes vs TidyHQ for membership organisations.
Membes is built for large professional associations with paid admin staff — their pricing starts around $20,000 AUD/year and requires a sales call to even see a quote. Volunteer-run clubs typically need software they can sign up for and learn in an afternoon. TidyHQ starts free with unlimited contacts and a modern interface volunteers adopt without training.
Membes doesn't publish pricing — you must contact their sales team for a quote. Industry estimates put it around $20,000 AUD/year. TidyHQ Pro is $890 AUD/year flat, and the free tier includes the full feature set with unlimited contacts. That's roughly a 22x price difference.
No. Membes has no free tier and no self-serve trial. You must book a sales call to see pricing or get started. TidyHQ has a free plan with unlimited contacts, unlimited admin seats, full features, no credit card required, and no expiry.
No. Membes focuses on membership management, CPD tracking, and credentialing for professional associations. It does not offer meeting minutes, committee task management, or governance workflows. TidyHQ includes agendas, minutes with action items, and task management assigned to committee roles.
If you're a professional association with CPD and accreditation tracking requirements — such as logging continuing education hours for professional registration — Membes has genuine depth there. It's designed for large industry bodies with 5,000+ members and dedicated office staff. For community organisations, sports clubs, or any group run by volunteers, TidyHQ covers more ground at a fraction of the cost.
Sources
Claims in this comparison are based on publicly available information. Verify current pricing and features directly with each provider.
- 1Membes official website— Product overview and feature descriptions for Australian membership organisations
- 2Membes on Capterra— User reviews and ratings from Australian association administrators
- 3Membes CPD features— Detailed feature list including CPD tracking and credentialing workflows