Softwr

Nonprofits · head to head

SmartSimple Cloud vs Wild Apricot

SmartSimple Cloud logo

SmartSimple Cloud

Nonprofits

Configurable grants, research and case management platform for large funders

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wild Apricot logo

Wild Apricot

Nonprofits

Membership management for small associations and clubs

From
$60/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SmartSimple Cloud almost everything useful is configured rather than switched on, so first-year cost is dominated by professional services and a live system is typically months rather than weeks away.; 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: SmartSimple Cloud covers Configurable object model, Wild Apricot covers Member database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SmartSimple Cloud and Wild Apricot actually diverge.

Attributes where SmartSimple Cloud and Wild Apricot differ
AttributeSmartSimple CloudWild Apricot
Starting priceOn request$60/month
Pricing modelquotePer month by contact count
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 SmartSimple Cloud

  • Configurable object model
  • Workflow and approval engine
  • Peer review
  • Budget and payments
  • Grantee portal
  • Report writer
  • Research administration

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.

SmartSimple Cloud

  • A national research council running peer-reviewed funding calls with panel conflict rules and multi-year milestone paymentsnot Wild Apricot
  • A private foundation whose grant process differs enough between programmes that packaged software would need four separate instancesnot Wild Apricot
  • A government department that must show a full audit trail of every decision and payment against public fundsnot Wild Apricot
  • A health charity running grants and beneficiary case management in one system with shared contact recordsnot Wild Apricot

Wild Apricot

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

Where each one falls short

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

SmartSimple Cloud

  • Almost everything useful is configured rather than switched on, so first-year cost is dominated by professional services and a live system is typically months rather than weeks away.
  • Because each deployment is bespoke, upgrades and new platform features often need configuration work before they apply to your instance, which slows the benefit of paying an annual subscription.
  • Organisations that lose their internal configurator become dependent on the vendor or a partner for even routine form changes, which turns small requests into billable work.
  • The user interface is dense and utilitarian; occasional users such as grant reviewers and applicants need instructions, which increases support load during a funding round.
  • It is priced and scoped for large funders, so a small foundation running one annual round will pay for flexibility it never uses and would be served faster by a packaged tool.

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

SmartSimple Cloud

On request
  • SmartSimple Cloud$undefined/year
    • Configurable grants, review and case management
    • Grantee and reviewer portals
    • Annual subscription plus separate implementation engagement

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 SmartSimple Cloud if

  • You need configurable object model.
  • You also want workflow and approval engine.
SmartSimple Cloud review

Choose Wild Apricot if

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

Questions people ask

Is SmartSimple Cloud or Wild Apricot better?
Neither clearly leads. SmartSimple Cloud starts at On request and Wild Apricot at $60/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SmartSimple Cloud or Wild Apricot?
SmartSimple Cloud starts at On request and Wild Apricot at $60/month.
Does SmartSimple Cloud or Wild Apricot run on more platforms?
SmartSimple Cloud runs on Web. Wild Apricot runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is SmartSimple Cloud best used for?
SmartSimple Cloud is most often used for a national research council running peer-reviewed funding calls with panel conflict rules and multi-year milestone payments, a private foundation whose grant process differs enough between programmes that packaged software would need four separate instances, a government department that must show a full audit trail of every decision and payment against public funds, a health charity running grants and beneficiary case management in one system with shared contact records. Of those, a national research council running peer-reviewed funding calls with panel conflict rules and multi-year milestone payments and a private foundation whose grant process differs enough between programmes that packaged software would need four separate instances are not what Wild Apricot is typically brought in for.
What can SmartSimple Cloud do that Wild Apricot cannot?
SmartSimple Cloud covers Configurable object model, Workflow and approval engine, Peer review, Budget and payments. Wild Apricot covers Member database, Automated renewals, Event registration, Website builder.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SmartSimple Cloud: How long does implementation take?

Plan in months, not weeks. Complex multi-programme funders routinely run six to twelve month implementations, and that work is billed separately from the subscription.

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.

SmartSimple Cloud: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted by modules, user counts and configuration scope. Ask specifically what future configuration changes cost, because that is the recurring surprise.

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.

SmartSimple Cloud: Can it handle multi-currency, multi-year grants?

Yes. Tranche payments conditional on milestone reports and multi-currency awards are among the reasons large international funders choose it.

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.

SmartSimple Cloud: Do we need our own administrator?

Practically, yes. Organisations without an internal configurator end up paying the vendor for routine form and workflow changes.

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

More on SmartSimple Cloud

More on Wild Apricot

Keep looking

Other head to heads