Softwr

Nonprofits · head to head

GuideStar vs MemberClicks

GuideStar logo

GuideStar

Nonprofits

Nonprofit profile and intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MemberClicks logo

MemberClicks

Nonprofits

Association management for professional bodies and trade associations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GuideStar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GuideStar guideStar and Foundation Directory are being retired and merged into a single Candid platform, per Candid's own learning.candid.org help pages, with existing subscribers redirected to log in at app.candid.org; MemberClicks pricing is not published, which is a marked step down in transparency from Wild Apricot at the tier below it
  • They diverge on capability: GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, MemberClicks covers Membership management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GuideStar and MemberClicks actually diverge.

Attributes where GuideStar and MemberClicks differ
AttributeGuideStarMemberClicks
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1995Unknown

Identical on both: 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 GuideStar

  • Nonprofit profile
  • Impact data
  • Donor verification
  • Financial transparency
  • Ratings
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics
  • Web support

Only in MemberClicks

  • Membership management
  • Chapters and committees
  • Continuing education
  • Events and registration
  • Job board
  • Member community

What people use each for

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

GuideStar

  • Business operationsnot MemberClicks
  • Productivitynot MemberClicks
  • Automationnot MemberClicks

MemberClicks

  • Professional associations tracking continuing education credits for membersnot GuideStar
  • Trade associations with chapters that manage their own membershipnot GuideStar
  • Chambers of commerce running events, directories and job boardsnot GuideStar
  • Organisations that have outgrown a small-club membership toolnot GuideStar

Where each one falls short

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

GuideStar

  • GuideStar and Foundation Directory are being retired and merged into a single Candid platform, per Candid's own learning.candid.org help pages, with existing subscribers redirected to log in at app.candid.org
  • Candid's own pricing page lists Candid Premium (annual) at $1,199 per year in USD, and $219 per month if billed monthly, with an Ultimate annual tier at $1,699 per year adding compliance monitoring features
  • Candid's free tier limits search results, profile views and dashboards; full grants and profile data downloads are capped even on Premium annual, at 1,000 grants downloads and 5,000 profile downloads per month

MemberClicks

  • Pricing is not published, which is a marked step down in transparency from Wild Apricot at the tier below it
  • Annual contracts and implementation fees make it a considerably larger commitment than the per-month membership tools
  • The interface is dated in places, particularly the website content management
  • Migration from Wild Apricot is a real project despite the shared ownership, and buyers sometimes assume otherwise
  • Smaller associations will pay for chapter and continuing education machinery they never use

Pricing, plan by plan

GuideStar

Free
  • ProfileFree
    • Nonprofit profile
    • Basic data
  • Gold$300/month
    • Enhanced profile
    • Donor verification
    • Impact reporting

MemberClicks

On request
  • MemberClicks$undefined/year
    • Membership management
    • Events
    • Chapters and committees
  • MC Professional$undefined/year
    • Continuing education
    • Job board
    • Advanced reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose GuideStar if

  • You need nonprofit profile.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want impact data.
GuideStar review

Choose MemberClicks if

  • You need membership management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want chapters and committees.
MemberClicks review

Questions people ask

Is GuideStar or MemberClicks better?
Neither clearly leads. GuideStar starts at Free and MemberClicks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GuideStar or MemberClicks?
GuideStar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GuideStar and On request for MemberClicks.
Does GuideStar or MemberClicks run on more platforms?
GuideStar runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. MemberClicks runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use GuideStar for free?
Yes. GuideStar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MemberClicks starts at On request.
What is GuideStar best used for?
GuideStar is most often used for business operations, productivity, automation. Of those, business operations and productivity are not what MemberClicks is typically brought in for.
What can GuideStar do that MemberClicks cannot?
GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, Impact data, Donor verification, Financial transparency. MemberClicks covers Membership management, Chapters and committees, Continuing education, Events and registration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MemberClicks: How does it differ from Wild Apricot?

Chapters, committees and continuing education credit tracking. Those structures are what make professional associations different from clubs, and they are where simpler tools fail.

MemberClicks: What does it cost?

Not published. It is an annual contract with implementation, quoted on member count and modules.

MemberClicks: Is migration from Wild Apricot easy?

Not automatically. Both are owned by Personify, but they are separate products and a migration is a project with data mapping and re-implementation.

MemberClicks: Does it handle continuing education?

Yes, including credit tracking and certification records, which is one of the main reasons professional bodies choose it.

MemberClicks: Who should not buy it?

Small clubs and associations without chapters or education requirements. The machinery that justifies the price will sit unused.

Share

Related pages

More on GuideStar

More on MemberClicks

Keep looking

Other head to heads