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If you’re launching or growing a membership site or online community, you've likely considered 51���� vs. WildApricot to power it. But how do these platforms compare? 

It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but the two platforms do overlap in certain areas. In this detailed 51���� vs. WildApricot review, we'll take a deep dive into the features you need to make your membership site a raging success. 

Keep reading to learn more about 51���� and WildApricot’s key features, integrations, pricing, and more. By the end of this article, you'll have a clear idea of which platform gives you the best no-hassle membership platform for you.

An overview: WildApricot vs. 51����

What is WildApricot? 

WildApricot is a web-based association management software for nonprofit organizations, clubs, and associations. 

Founded in 2006 by Dmitry Ivanov and Dimitry Buterin, it was bought in 2017 by Personify, a constituent management and engagement platform that served national clubs and associations. Since bringing Personify360 and WildApricot under one roof, they serve more than 32,000 organizations. 

Despite its origins, you don’t have to be a nonprofit or association to use WildApricot. But the features that benefit nonprofits — namely the ability to take donations or launch an online store — are available to all users.

What is 51����?

51���� is an all-in-one business platform for creative entrepreneurs. Since launching in 2010, it’s empowered over 60,000 knowledge creators in 120 countries to serve 60 million students and make over $5 billion in sales.

With 51����, you get all the tools you need to turn your knowledge into income. Not only does it help you build a membership site, but it also gives you a course builder, coaching platform, sales funnel builder, and more. Plus, every tool is designed specifically for knowledge creators, so its intention is to drive revenue.

Okay! That gives you a high-level look at WildApricot vs. 51����. Now, let’s look more deeply at the different features you get with each.

Drag-and-drop website builder

Both 51���� and WildApricot offer a drag-and-drop website builder. The question, then, is which has the best user interface.  

51����’s website builder allows you to create mobile-friendly, responsive, and fast-loading web pages that let your brand shine — a must for running an online business today. And, it automatically integrates with our marketing and sales tools, so you can spend less time working on your website and more time taking care of your customers.

, “I love 51����. I was able to pick up on how 51���� works pretty quickly and found it to be an intuitive product that is easy to use.”

WildApricot also boasts a website builder, but that doesn’t mean it’s user-friendly. Take a look at this :��

“The biggest area for improvement would be an easier way to edit the front-end, member-facing pages of our WildApricot website. While it is possible to edit the CSS files, it is very difficult compared to WordPress.” 

This user ultimately found it easier to build their website outside of WildApricot:��

“We currently link our WildApricot events and registrations to a WordPress website. We use WildApricot as a secondary site for items related to membership like new sign-ups, renewals, event registration and those types of things.”

A good website builder needs to be intuitive and give you the freedom to create a website that’s cohesive with your brand strategy. It should also give you the tools you need to market and sell your products. That’s just what you get with 51����.

Membership sites

Membership sites, with subscriptions, are ideal for generating recurring revenue. But to be effective, you need to be able to control member access, protect content, and give users a way to engage with one another. 

WildApricot has been ranked the #1 membership management software, so this is where they shine. 

With WildApricot, you can create tiered memberships and offer individual or group memberships. While it does allow you to add content at each tier, it isn’t a course builder. It’s possible that you may struggle to format a course or show student progress. And, it won’t host your videos or digital files.

51���� includes many of the same member features as WildApricot, but its focus is helping you productize your membership site.

With 51����, you can organize and manage your community in any way you like. For instance, you can create a membership site as a stand-alone offer. Or, you can sell a course or coaching program with a membership portal as a bonus. 

Since 51���� includes a complete suite of marketing tools, it enables you to grow your business. Think funnels, marketing emails, courses, student assessments, and communities. With 51����, you can create a mix of digital products, so you can provide the exact solutions your customers want and need.  

If all you want to build is a membership site, WildApricot gives you the features to do so. But if you plan to scale your business by offering different types of digital products, or expanding your marketing capabilities, 51���� may be the better fit. 

CRM

Both 51����’s and WildApricot have a CRM (customer relationship management) system to help you connect with your members. Both have membership databases that make it easy to keep track of your users and stay responsive through automated emails (more on that in a minute).

With WildApricot, you can create a member directory that’s always up to date. You can also store membership information in the cloud, so your team can access that information. But for most business cases, especially if you’re selling courses and coaching, these features won’t help you grow your membership. 

51����'s CRM is designed for growth. It lets you automate key customer interactions at every stage of their journey with you — triggering emails, coupons, and product access with simple rules you only have to set once. 

For instance, if members reach a certain level in your course, you can send them a congratulatory email with next steps or a new offer.

Tag, segment, and filter your customers using any criteria you want. They get better, faster service, and you get your time back. It’s a win-win solution!

Community

Both 51���� and WildApricot let you build a community where your members can interact and support one another. Communities build loyalty and engagement for your brand and let you interact with your members directly. This is the perfect place for member-only updates, announcements, or new offers. 

For years, most businesses hosted their communities on Facebook or other social media platforms. But with that approach, you don’t actually own your community which makes more difficult. You’re subject to their algorithms and rules. 

With 51���� and WildApricot, you own your community. You set the terms and conditions. And, both may be free or paid.

WildApricot’s community feature lets you share a calendar of events and event registrations. They offer member-only pages, a member directory, and a donations page.

With 51����, you can create a community for any of your digital products. Use it as a bonus when customers purchase another product or make it your primary offer. 

Payments and processing

51���� vs. Wild Apricot differ considerably when it comes to payment processing. Both platforms have built-in payment processors, but WildApricot’s payment gateway is only available to clients based in the US and Canada. 51����'s online payment processing is facilitated by Stripe, which is available to businesses in 47 different countries. 

If you live outside the US or Canada, WildApricot does support several third-party payment processors. However, it’s important to note that there is a hefty 20% Payment System Servicing Fee for doing so. 

Email marketing

Both 51���� and WildApricot include robust email marketing software that lets you customize clean, modern email templates to fit your brand. That makes it easy to send announcements or offers to all of your members. 

However, 51���� goes beyond basic email marketing to offer something much more innovative: marketing pipelines. This feature allows you to create drag-and-drop sales funnels quickly and easily.

Want to offer potential members a free basic course to drive interest in your paid membership? No problem! 

Set up a marketing pipeline to promote your offer. When they sign up, you can collect their email addresses and send them an automated email with their login credentials (giving them a taste of the amazing value you offer in your membership).  

Building your pipeline is easy. 51���� automatically builds the pages you need, based on the type of funnel it is. You simply add your content. So you can effortlessly engage new and existing contacts, building trust and liking, so they’re excited to join your membership and purchase your offers. 

Pricing

Pricing is another area where 51���� vs. WildApricot differs widely.

WildApricot’s plans range from $0 for up to 50 contacts to $378 per month for up to 15,000 contacts (billed annually), depending on the number of contacts or members in your organization. And they have several tiers, which means you can find the pricing plan that best fits the size of your organization or association. 

51���� has three pricing plans. If you pay annually, they’re:��

• Basic - $119 per month
• Growth - $159 per month
• Pro - $319 per month

Depending on the number of contacts you have, WildApricot could be the cheaper option for your membership site. But when you add the cost of the third-party tools you’ll need to run your business, 51���� may be less expensive. It’s certainly worth doing the math to make sure. 

For example, if you have more than 500 contacts, you’ll need WildApricot’s Professional plan for $171 per month. 51����'s Basic plan is only $119 per month and allows for up to 1,000 active members and 10,000 contacts. Plus, you also get:

• 3 Products
• 3 Pipelines
• Unlimited Landing Pages
• Unlimited Marketing Emails
• 10,000 Contacts
• 1,000 Active Members
• 1 Website
• 1 Admin User

But let’s say you only have 500 members. WildApricot’s price is $99 per month, paid annually, so it’s cheaper — correct? 

Not if you need funnels, video hosting, or podcasting services. You’ll need to add those to your budget. And, if you're outside the US or Canada, you’ll need to pay for a third-party payment processor plus the 20 percent Payment System Servicing Fee.

Factoring in these extra costs, 51���� becomes the less expensive option. 

Here’s another scenario to consider: You build a membership site on WildApricot, and you want to do email marketing with automated funnels. You also want to sell individual courses, launch a podcast, offer a paid newsletter, or provide one-on-one coaching and consulting services. You’re going to need several third-party integrations to do everything you envision.

But integrating these tools can be complicated, and you’ll need time to build them and keep them working. If that takes you past your comfort zone, you may need to outsource the work to a developer, adding to the cost. 

With 51����, you can do everything you’ve planned without having to purchase additional tools or resources. Plus, it’s designed to grow with you, so you only need to upgrade when you’re ready to scale. 

Keep in mind, while WildApricot and 51���� are both all-in-one platforms, WildApricot was built for managing membership sites. 51���� was built to help you build your business and monetize it through a range of digital products, including memberships.

Why would someone choose 51���� vs WildApricot?

51���� is a business-in-a-box platform that includes powerful membership site features. WildApricot is an association and organization management system aimed at in-person clubs, nonprofits, churches, and organizations. 

51���� is designed specifically for knowledge creators who are ready to monetize their skills and knowledge. WildApricot is designed for member organizations, helping them manage their community, monetize tiered content (or accept donations for nonprofits), and communicate easily with members.

If you want a platform that lets you manage a basic membership site for your club or nonprofit organization, WildApricot may be the right choice. And depending on the size of your membership site, it can be an inexpensive option for getting the job done. 

But if you’re a digital entrepreneur looking to build a community around your expertise — or if you run an organization, club, or nonprofit and want to generate growth or revenue — 51���� is your all-in-one solution. 

Both 51���� vs. WildApricot have extensive knowledge bases with video walkthroughs and tutorials to help you get up and running quickly. But, 51���� goes a step further. They offer training on the basics of running a profitable online business through 51���� University, free to all users. 

The bottom line

If you're ready to launch or grow your membership site, it's never a bad idea to explore your options. It’s important to find the right platform for your specific needs. 

WildApricot and 51���� each offer free trials. So take advantage of those offers and explore their different features and usability.  

But if you're ready to treat it as an integral part of a full-fledged business, 51���� makes it easy to hit the ground running. Start your free, 14-day trial now. Experience its intuitive website builder, seamless marketing pipelines, and built-in email marketing suite. 

With 51����, there’s a lot to be wild about.

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