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Nonprofits · head to head

Glue Up vs Tendenci

Glue Up logo

Glue Up

Nonprofits

Membership, events and engagement software with strong Asia-Pacific presence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tendenci logo

Tendenci

Nonprofits

Open-source association management system for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tendenci has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Glue Up pricing is not published, and quotes vary substantially by region, which makes budgeting harder than with the published North American tools; Tendenci self-hosting is a real operational commitment, and organisations without technical capacity should not treat the free licence as a free system
  • They diverge on capability: Glue Up covers Event management, Tendenci covers Open-source licence.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Glue Up and Tendenci actually diverge.

Attributes where Glue Up and Tendenci differ
AttributeGlue UpTendenci
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, with paid hosting available
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, Cloud

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 Glue Up

  • Event management
  • Member mobile app
  • Email campaigns
  • Integrated CRM
  • Regional payments

Only in Tendenci

  • Open-source licence
  • Events and registration
  • Donations
  • Content-managed website
  • Email

Both cover

  • Membership management

What people use each for

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

Glue Up

  • Chambers of commerce and professional bodies operating across Asia-Pacificnot Tendenci
  • Associations whose events are the core of member value rather than an add-onnot Tendenci
  • Organisations wanting a branded member app rather than a web portalnot Tendenci
  • Bodies needing local payment methods and regional data residencynot Tendenci

Tendenci

  • Nonprofits whose boards require member and donor data to stay under their own controlnot Glue Up
  • Organisations with data residency obligations a hosted platform cannot satisfynot Glue Up
  • Groups with technical capacity wanting to avoid per-member subscription costs at scalenot Glue Up
  • Associations needing to customise workflows beyond what a proprietary platform allowsnot Glue Up

Where each one falls short

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

Glue Up

  • Pricing is not published, and quotes vary substantially by region, which makes budgeting harder than with the published North American tools
  • Membership management is less deep than the dedicated association management systems, reflecting its event-management origins
  • Smaller North American and European ecosystem, so integrations and local references are thinner outside Asia
  • Fundraising and donor management are weak, so charities whose main activity is giving should look elsewhere
  • The breadth means individual modules are good rather than excellent when compared against specialist tools

Tendenci

  • Self-hosting is a real operational commitment, and organisations without technical capacity should not treat the free licence as a free system
  • The community is small compared with mainstream open-source projects, so answers are harder to find and contributors are few
  • The interface is dated against the commercial association platforms and this is the most common user complaint
  • Fewer integrations than commercial competitors, and building them is a development task rather than a configuration one
  • Feature depth in events and continuing education is behind the specialist commercial systems

Pricing, plan by plan

Glue Up

On request
  • Essentials$undefined/year
    • Event management
    • Membership
    • Email campaigns
  • Professional$undefined/year
    • All Essentials features
    • Member mobile app
    • CRM
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Multi-chapter
    • API access
    • Custom integrations

Tendenci

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Full source code
    • No per-member licence
    • Community support
  • Managed hosting$undefined/month
    • Hosted and maintained
    • Updates applied
    • Support included

Which should you pick?

Choose Glue Up if

  • You need event management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want member mobile app.
Glue Up review

Choose Tendenci if

  • You need open-source licence.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Cloud.
  • You also want events and registration.
Tendenci review

Questions people ask

Is Glue Up or Tendenci better?
Neither clearly leads. Glue Up starts at On request and Tendenci at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Glue Up or Tendenci?
Tendenci has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Glue Up and Free for Tendenci.
Does Glue Up or Tendenci run on more platforms?
Glue Up runs on Web, iOS, Android. Tendenci runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Cloud.
Can I use Tendenci for free?
Yes. Tendenci has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Glue Up starts at On request.
What is Glue Up best used for?
Glue Up is most often used for chambers of commerce and professional bodies operating across asia-pacific, associations whose events are the core of member value rather than an add-on, organisations wanting a branded member app rather than a web portal, bodies needing local payment methods and regional data residency. Of those, chambers of commerce and professional bodies operating across asia-pacific and associations whose events are the core of member value rather than an add-on are not what Tendenci is typically brought in for.
What can Glue Up do that Tendenci cannot?
Glue Up covers Event management, Member mobile app, Email campaigns, Integrated CRM. Tendenci covers Open-source licence, Events and registration, Donations, Content-managed website. Both handle Membership management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Glue Up: Where is Glue Up strongest?

Asia-Pacific. Local payment methods, WeChat integration, regional data residency and in-region support are things the North American platforms cannot match there.

Tendenci: Is Tendenci really free?

The software is, under an open-source licence with no per-member fee. Running it is not: hosting, updates, backups and security are the organisation responsibility unless managed hosting is purchased.

Glue Up: Was it called something else?

Yes, EventBank. The rename to Glue Up reflected the shift from pure event management to membership and engagement.

Tendenci: Who should choose it?

Organisations with a genuine requirement to control their own data, and the technical capacity to act on it. Choosing it purely to avoid subscription cost usually ends badly.

Glue Up: What does it cost?

Not published, and it varies by region. Expect an annual contract quoted on member count and modules.

Tendenci: Can I move my data out?

Yes, entirely. That is the point. Data lives in a PostgreSQL database you control, and there is no vendor holding it.

Glue Up: Is the member app real?

Yes, a branded native app rather than a mobile web view. For associations whose members network at events, it is one of the strongest reasons to choose it.

Tendenci: How does it compare to Wild Apricot?

Wild Apricot is easier, better supported and better looking. Tendenci is the answer when data ownership is a requirement rather than a preference.

Glue Up: Should a US-only association consider it?

It can, but Wild Apricot and MemberClicks have published pricing, larger local ecosystems and more local references. The Asia-Pacific advantage is the reason to pick Glue Up.

Tendenci: Is it actively maintained?

It is developed openly on GitHub with a small team and community. Check recent commit activity before committing, as with any small open-source project.

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