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 gets expensive fast once you pass 100 members. 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, document storage with version history. 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.
Feature comparison
| Feature | TidyHQ | Wild Apricot |
|---|---|---|
| Online memberships | ||
| Event ticketing | ||
| Financial reporting | Basic | |
| Accounting integration (Xero) | ✗ (QuickBooks only) | |
| Meeting minutes | × | |
| Task management | × | |
| Email & SMS communications | (email only) | |
| Document storage | × | |
| Free tier | (full features, unlimited contacts) | ✗ (removed) |
| Website builder | Basic | (mature) |
| Third-party integrations | Growing | (extensive) |
| Australian support | ✗ (North American hours) | |
| API access | ||
| Mobile app |
Key differences
Your membership fees won't eat your budget
Wild Apricot charges per contact. A 200-member club pays noticeably more than a 50-member club — and the pricing jumps are steep. TidyHQ charges a flat rate. Add members without watching your bill climb.
Your treasurer will thank you
Wild Apricot integrates with QuickBooks. If your organisation uses Xero (and most Australian organisations do), that's a dead end. TidyHQ syncs natively with Xero — membership payments, event revenue, and invoices flow straight into your accounting.
Governance tools that don't exist in Wild Apricot
Meeting minutes with timed agendas and action items. Committee tasks that transfer when roles change hands. Document storage so the next secretary doesn't start from scratch. Wild Apricot focuses on member-facing tools — TidyHQ covers the internal operations that keep a club running between events.
Start free, stay free if you want
Wild Apricot removed their free plan. TidyHQ's free tier includes the full feature set with unlimited contacts. A small club can run entirely free — no trial clock, no credit card on file.
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.
No product is the right fit for everyone. If Wild Apricot’s strengths align with your primary needs, it may be the better choice.
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