TidyHQ vs Wild Apricot
Wild Apricot has been doing this since 2004 and powers 60,000+ organisations — mostly in North America. They have a more mature website builder and deeper third-party integrations. TidyHQ wins on flat pricing, Xero integration, governance tools, and a free tier that Wild Apricot removed. If you're in Australia, the choice is straightforward. If you're in North America, read the detail.
Where TidyHQ wins
Flat pricing that doesn't penalise you for growing — Wild Apricot's per-contact model charges $48–$720 USD/month depending on how many contacts you have. Native Xero integration for the accounting software most Australian organisations actually use. Governance tools Wild Apricot doesn't have at all: meeting minutes with action items, committee task management, 25 GB document storage. No penalty for using Stripe — Wild Apricot adds a 20% surcharge if you don't use their in-house payment processor. A free tier with unlimited contacts and full features — no credit card, no expiry.
Where Wild Apricot wins
Wild Apricot has earned its 60,000+ organisations over two decades. Their website builder is genuinely deeper — if your org needs its website and member portal in one tool, they do that well. Their third-party integration library is larger. Their email marketing has mature templates and automation that reflect years of iteration. And if you're in North America, their community, support hours, and payment processing are home turf.
Best for
Australian clubs and associations that need Xero, governance tools, and flat pricing. Also strong for any organisation worldwide that wants a free tier with full features rather than per-contact pricing surprises.
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
Wild Apricot
$1,116 AUD/year*
Group plan ($60/mo)
Hidden fee: Add 20% to subscription if using Stripe instead of WildApricot Payments (US/CA). That would add $223/year to the cost above.
Save $226/year with TidyHQ(20% 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
Subscription (500 members)
TidyHQ
$890 AUD/year flatWild Apricot
~$153 AUD/month (~$1,841/yr annual billing)Transaction fees
TidyHQ
1% + 20c + Stripe (1.75% + 30c AU)Wild Apricot
2.9% + 30c (Visa/MC) or 3.5% + 30c (AmEx)Penalty for using Stripe
TidyHQ
None — Stripe is the default gatewayWild Apricot
20% surcharge on subscription (PSSF, US/CA only)Xero integration
TidyHQ
Native two-way syncWild Apricot
~$4,649 AUD setup + ~$153/yr via third partyOnline memberships
TidyHQ
Tiers, auto-renewals, familyWild Apricot
Tiers, auto-renewals, bundlesEvent ticketing with member pricing
TidyHQ
Members see discounted priceWild Apricot
Ticket types by membership levelMeeting minutes & governance
TidyHQ
Agendas, minutes, action itemsWild Apricot
✗ Not availableTask management
TidyHQ
Assigned to committee rolesWild Apricot
✗ Not availableDocument storage
TidyHQ
25 GBWild Apricot
2 GB cap on all plansOnline shop
TidyHQ
With member pricingWild Apricot
With member pricingEmail communications
TidyHQ
With status segmentationWild Apricot
With status segmentationSMS messaging
TidyHQ
Wild Apricot
US & Canada onlyWebsite builder
TidyHQ
Flexible with widget drop-insWild Apricot
Mature, template-basedMobile app
TidyHQ
Responsive webWild Apricot
Separate admin + member appsFree tier
TidyHQ
Full features, no expiryWild Apricot
60-day trial onlyAPI access
TidyHQ
Wild Apricot
REST with rate limits*Approximate conversion: 1 AUD ≈ 0.65 USD ≈ 0.50 GBP. Actual rates may vary.
Key differences
Your membership fees won't eat your budget
Wild Apricot charges $48–$720 USD/month based on contact count. A 500-member club pays $99/month ($1,188/yr on annual billing). TidyHQ is $890 AUD/year flat — regardless of how many members you have.
No 20% penalty for using Stripe
Wild Apricot charges a 20% Payment System Servicing Fee (PSSF) on your subscription if you use Stripe, PayPal, or any processor other than their in-house WildApricot Payments. On the $190/month Professional plan, that's $38/month extra — $456/year just for choosing your own payment processor. TidyHQ uses Stripe as the default gateway with zero penalty.
Xero without the $3,000 setup fee
Wild Apricot has no native Xero integration. The only option is a third-party service costing $2,999 USD setup + $99/year + $9/month. TidyHQ syncs natively with Xero — included in your subscription.
Governance tools that don't exist in Wild Apricot
Meeting minutes, committee task management assigned to roles, and 25 GB document storage. Wild Apricot's own support docs confirm: zero results for "meeting minutes," "AGM," or "governance." These features don't exist.
What Wild Apricot does well
Wild Apricot has earned its 60,000+ organisations over two decades. Their website builder is genuinely deeper — if your org needs its website and member portal in one tool, they do that well. Their third-party integration library is larger. Their email marketing has mature templates and automation that reflect years of iteration. And if you're in North America, their community, support hours, and payment processing are home turf.
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 based in Australia or New Zealand and needs Xero
- You need governance tools — meeting minutes, tasks, document storage
- You want flat pricing that doesn't penalise you for growing
- You want a free tier with full functionality and no expiry
- You need support during Australian business hours
Wild Apricot might be better if…
- •You're based in North America and want a large, established community
- •You need a mature website builder as your organisation's primary web presence
- •You rely on QuickBooks for accounting
- •You're already on Wild Apricot and your workflows depend on their integration ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about using Wild Apricot vs TidyHQ for membership organisations.
Wild Apricot works, but it's built for the North American market. There's no native Xero integration — the only option costs $2,999 USD setup plus $99/year through a third party. Support hours don't align with Australian business hours. TidyHQ is Australian-built with native Xero sync included in every plan, including the free tier.
Wild Apricot's Community plan for up to 500 contacts is $99 USD/month ($1,188/year on annual billing). If you use Stripe instead of WildApricot Payments, add a 20% surcharge (PSSF) — that's an extra $237/year. TidyHQ Pro is $890 AUD/year flat with no per-contact pricing and no payment processor penalty.
No. Wild Apricot's own documentation returns zero results for "meeting minutes," "AGM," or "governance." If your club needs to record committee decisions, track action items, or store governance documents, you'll need a separate tool. TidyHQ includes agendas, minutes, action items, and 25 GB document storage.
Wild Apricot charges a 20% Payment System Servicing Fee (PSSF) on your subscription if you use any processor other than WildApricot Payments — including Stripe and PayPal. On the $190/month Professional plan, that's $456/year extra just for choosing your own payment gateway. TidyHQ uses Stripe as the default with zero surcharge.
Wild Apricot offers a 60-day free trial, but there is no permanent free tier. After 60 days you must choose a paid plan starting at $48 USD/month. TidyHQ has a free plan with unlimited contacts, full features, no credit card required, and no expiry.
Sources
Claims in this comparison are based on publicly available information. Verify current pricing and features directly with each provider.
- 1Wild Apricot pricing page— Current plan tiers, per-contact pricing bands, and PSSF surcharge details
- 2Wild Apricot on Capterra— User reviews and ratings from verified customers
- 3Wild Apricot features overview— Official feature list including website builder, email, and event tools