Softwr

Nonprofits · head to head

Canva for Nonprofits vs Wild Apricot

Canva for Nonprofits logo

Canva for Nonprofits

Nonprofits

Design tool for nonprofit marketing

From
Free
Rated
-
Wild Apricot logo

Wild Apricot

Nonprofits

Membership management for small associations and clubs

From
$60/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Canva for Nonprofits has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Canva for Nonprofits free access covers up to 50 users; further seats are charged at 50 percent of Canva Enterprise pricing; Wild Apricot the website builder is dated and constrained, and organisations that care about their public site usually end up running a separate site alongside it
  • They diverge on capability: Canva for Nonprofits covers Design templates, Wild Apricot covers Member database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Canva for Nonprofits and Wild Apricot actually diverge.

Attributes where Canva for Nonprofits and Wild Apricot differ
AttributeCanva for NonprofitsWild Apricot
Starting priceFree$60/month
Pricing modelfreemiumPer month by contact count
Free tierYesNo
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Canva for Nonprofits

  • Design templates
  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Stock images
  • Brand kit
  • Team collaboration
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Slack

Only in Wild Apricot

  • Member database
  • Automated renewals
  • Event registration
  • Website builder
  • Online payments
  • Email and newsletters

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Canva for Nonprofits

  • Design work for a registered charity at no costnot Wild Apricot
  • Team collaboration on branded materials across up to 50 usersnot Wild Apricot
  • Access to Canva Pro premium photo, video and graphics librariesnot Wild Apricot
  • Brand kit management for consistent nonprofit communicationsnot Wild Apricot

Wild Apricot

  • Small associations and clubs replacing a spreadsheet and a separate websitenot Canva for Nonprofits
  • Volunteer-run organisations needing unlimited administrators without per-seat costnot Canva for Nonprofits
  • Professional bodies handling dues renewals and a member directorynot Canva for Nonprofits
  • Groups running paid events for members alongside membership subscriptionsnot Canva for Nonprofits

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Canva for Nonprofits

  • Free access covers up to 50 users; further seats are charged at 50 percent of Canva Enterprise pricing
  • Government agencies, political groups, educational institutions and grant-making foundations are all excluded
  • Most 501(c) categories other than 501(c)(3) do not qualify
  • Eligibility requires registered charitable status and country-specific documentation

Wild Apricot

  • The website builder is dated and constrained, and organisations that care about their public site usually end up running a separate site alongside it
  • Pricing by contact count means lapsed members and non-member contacts push you into a higher tier unless the database is actively pruned
  • Every module is adequate rather than good, so any organisation with a serious need in one area will outgrow that part first
  • Reporting is basic, and detailed membership analysis generally means exporting to a spreadsheet
  • Migration away is painful once the website, database and event history all live inside it

Pricing, plan by plan

Canva for Nonprofits

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Design templates
    • Basic elements
  • Canva Pro Nonprofit$1/month
    • Premium templates
    • Brand kit
    • Team collaboration

Wild Apricot

$60/month
  • Group$60/month
    • Up to 100 contacts
    • Member database
    • Website
  • Community$150/month
    • Up to 500 contacts
    • All Group features
    • More storage
  • Association$290/month
    • Up to 2,000 contacts
    • All Community features
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • 5,000 contacts and above
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom arrangements

Which should you pick?

Choose Canva for Nonprofits if

  • You need design templates.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want drag-and-drop editor.

Choose Wild Apricot if

  • You need member database.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated renewals.

Questions people ask

Is Canva for Nonprofits or Wild Apricot better?
Neither clearly leads. Canva for Nonprofits starts at Free and Wild Apricot at $60/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Canva for Nonprofits or Wild Apricot?
Canva for Nonprofits has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Canva for Nonprofits and $60/month for Wild Apricot.
Does Canva for Nonprofits or Wild Apricot run on more platforms?
Canva for Nonprofits runs on Web, IOS, Android. Wild Apricot runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Canva for Nonprofits for free?
Yes. Canva for Nonprofits has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wild Apricot starts at $60/month.
What is Canva for Nonprofits best used for?
Canva for Nonprofits is most often used for design work for a registered charity at no cost, team collaboration on branded materials across up to 50 users, access to canva pro premium photo, video and graphics libraries, brand kit management for consistent nonprofit communications. Of those, design work for a registered charity at no cost and team collaboration on branded materials across up to 50 users are not what Wild Apricot is typically brought in for.
What can Canva for Nonprofits do that Wild Apricot cannot?
Canva for Nonprofits covers Design templates, Drag-and-drop editor, Stock images, Brand kit. Wild Apricot covers Member database, Automated renewals, Event registration, Website builder.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Wild Apricot: How is Wild Apricot priced?

By contact count, not by staff seat, starting at 60 USD a month for up to 100 contacts. Unlimited administrators is the practical benefit for volunteer-run organisations.

Wild Apricot: Do lapsed members count toward the limit?

Contacts count, which includes records beyond current paying members. Pruning the database matters, because tier boundaries are the main cause of unexpected cost increases.

Wild Apricot: Is the website builder any good?

It is functional and dated. Organisations that care about their public web presence commonly run a separate site and use Wild Apricot for the member-only area.

Wild Apricot: Can it handle fundraising?

Basic donation collection, yes. Organisations whose main activity is fundraising rather than membership are better served by a donor management platform.

Wild Apricot: When do organisations outgrow it?

Usually at a few thousand members, or earlier if one area — events, fundraising or the website — becomes central to the organisation rather than incidental.

Share

Related pages

Other head to heads