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Nonprofits · head to head

Tendenci vs Trello for Nonprofits

Tendenci logo

Tendenci

Nonprofits

Open-source association management system for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trello for Nonprofits logo

Trello for Nonprofits

Nonprofits

Simple project management for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Tendenci self-hosting is a real operational commitment, and organisations without technical capacity should not treat the free licence as a free system; Trello for Nonprofits free plan limited to 10 collaborators per Workspace, which restricts larger team usage
  • They diverge on capability: Tendenci covers Open-source licence, Trello for Nonprofits covers Kanban boards.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tendenci and Trello for Nonprofits actually diverge.

Attributes where Tendenci and Trello for Nonprofits differ
AttributeTendenciTrello for Nonprofits
Pricing modelOpen source, with paid hosting availablesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, CloudWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Tendenci

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

Only in Trello for Nonprofits

  • Kanban boards
  • Card management
  • Team collaboration
  • Integrations
  • Labels and checklists
  • Slack
  • Google Drive
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Tendenci

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

Trello for Nonprofits

  • Project management and team collaboration for nonprofit organizationsnot Tendenci

Where each one falls short

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

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

Trello for Nonprofits

  • Free plan limited to 10 collaborators per Workspace, which restricts larger team usage
  • Pricing shown is per-user monthly subscription; total cost grows with team size

Pricing, plan by plan

Tendenci

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

Trello for Nonprofits

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 collaborators per Workspace
    • Unlimited cards
    • Up to 10 boards
  • Standard$5/month
    • Annual billing; $6 USD per user per month with monthly billing
    • AI features
    • Unlimited boards
  • Premium$10/month
    • Annual billing; $12.50 USD per user per month with monthly billing
    • Multiple views (Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard, Map)
    • Unlimited command runs
  • Enterprise$17.5/month
    • Billed annually at $210 per user per year
    • Unlimited Workspaces
    • Organization-wide permissions

Which should you pick?

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 membership management.
Tendenci review

Choose Trello for Nonprofits if

  • You need kanban boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want card management.
Trello for Nonprofits review

Questions people ask

Is Tendenci or Trello for Nonprofits better?
Neither clearly leads. Tendenci starts at Free and Trello for Nonprofits at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tendenci or Trello for Nonprofits?
Tendenci starts at Free and Trello for Nonprofits at Free.
Does Tendenci or Trello for Nonprofits run on more platforms?
Tendenci runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Cloud. Trello for Nonprofits runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Tendenci for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Tendenci best used for?
Tendenci is most often used for nonprofits whose boards require member and donor data to stay under their own control, organisations with data residency obligations a hosted platform cannot satisfy, groups with technical capacity wanting to avoid per-member subscription costs at scale, associations needing to customise workflows beyond what a proprietary platform allows. Of those, nonprofits whose boards require member and donor data to stay under their own control and organisations with data residency obligations a hosted platform cannot satisfy are not what Trello for Nonprofits is typically brought in for.
What can Tendenci do that Trello for Nonprofits cannot?
Tendenci covers Open-source licence, Membership management, Events and registration, Donations. Trello for Nonprofits covers Kanban boards, Card management, Team collaboration, Integrations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Trello for Nonprofits: How much does Trello Standard plan cost?

Trello Standard costs $5 USD per user per month with annual billing, or $6 USD per user per month with monthly billing. Standard includes AI features, unlimited boards, custom fields, card mirroring, and 1,000 workspace command runs monthly.

Source
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.

Trello for Nonprofits: What is the difference between Trello Premium and Enterprise plans?

Premium ($10 per user per month annually, $12.50 monthly) includes multiple views, unlimited command runs, and admin controls. Enterprise ($17.50 per user per month or $210 annually) adds unlimited Workspaces, organization-wide permissions, multi-board guests, Atlassian Guard Standard, and 24/7 Enterprise Admin support.

Source
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.

Trello for Nonprofits: What is included in Trello Free plan?

Trello Free includes unlimited cards, up to 10 boards, up to 10 collaborators per Workspace, Inbox, unlimited Power-Ups, assignees, due dates, mobile apps, and two-factor authentication. No payment required.

Source
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.

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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