Skip to main content
Head to head · 2026

Glue Up vs Wild Apricot for association management: events, member portal and fit

Wild Apricot is the better fit for small and mid-size associations and clubs that want a website, member database, events and email in one self-serve tool with a 60-day trial.

Glue Up wins for event-heavy, chapter-based or international associations that want a branded member app, multi-currency and multi-language support and a fuller event toolkit. Neither books facilities or schedules volunteers; groups that run programs or rent space usually need a third option.

Wild Apricot

Membership database, events, email and a website builder whose pricing counts every contact.

  • Memberships
  • Events
  • Donations
  • Website
Best for
Small to mid-size clubs, associations and nonprofits that want website, member database and events from one vendor and are comfortable using the in-house payment processor
Watch out for
Pricing is by total contacts (lapsed members, prospects, newsletter subscribers all count), so database growth pushes you into higher tiers; A subscription surcharge for using your own payment gateway instead of Personify Payments

Glue Up

Event-led membership platform with CRM, community and a branded member app.

  • Memberships
  • Events
  • Donations
  • Website
  • Chapters
Best for
Chambers of commerce, professional associations and event-heavy organizations, especially those operating internationally
Watch out for
Entry price on annual billing is steep for small nonprofits; website, community, chapters and certifications are extra power-ups; No free trial or self-serve signup; demo and proposal required
Side by side

Wild Apricot vs Glue Up, plus the option most comparisons skip.

Communal is listed as a third column because organizations comparing these two usually need the same things it was built for: memberships, programs and facilities in one database.

FeatureWild ApricotGlue UpCommunal
Membership management
Included
Included
IncludedTiers, custom fields, segments
Automated renewals
Included
Included
IncludedReminders and auto-renew
Digital membership cards (Apple / Google Wallet)
Partial
PartialIn-app cards
IncludedIncluded in every plan
Event registration & ticketing
Included
Included
Add-onPrograms & events add-on
Program & class registration
Not listed
Not listed
Add-onWaitlists, capacity, attendance, rosters
Facility booking & rentals
Not offered
Not offered
Add-onApprovals, invoices, agreements, iCal
Volunteer shifts & hour tracking
Not offered
Not offered
IncludedShifts, hours, auto volunteer discounts
Donations & fundraising
Included
Included
IncludedIncluded; donor covers fees option
Automatic tax receipts
PartialDonation receipts
Not listed
IncludedAutomatic
Member self-service portal
IncludedMember app
IncludedBranded app
Included
Email campaigns
Included
Included
IncludedCampaigns and segments
Website builder
Included
Included
Not offeredWorks beside your site
Public API
Included
Included
IncludedREST API, Zapier webhooks, MCP server

The detail

The short version

Pick Wild Apricot if you are a club or association that wants a website, member database, events and email from one vendor, month-to-month, with a long trial to set it up yourself. Pick Glue Up if events are the core of your association, you want a branded member app, or you run chapters or operate across countries and currencies. Pick neither if you also rent rooms, run programs or schedule volunteers.

Disclosure: Communal is our product. We cover it at the end for that last case.

Where Wild Apricot wins

  • Self-serve. A 60-day no-card trial, month-to-month billing and a very large user base. Glue Up is demo-led with annual contracts and no trial.
  • All features in one product. Website builder, events, email, store, donations and both mobile apps come with every plan. Glue Up sells website, community, chapters, certification and the branded app as separate power-ups.
  • Member-only web pages. Wild Apricot's builder and member-only content are its center of gravity.
  • Ecosystem. WordPress widgets, public API, Zapier, Make and QuickBooks.

Where Glue Up wins

  • Events. Full event lifecycle from its EventBank heritage: webinars, speed networking, attendee apps, surveys and invoicing tied to events.
  • Branded member app. My Glue with in-app digital membership cards and a community. Wild Apricot's member app carries its own brand.
  • Chapters and international reach. Chapter management, multi-currency and multi-language, offices worldwide. Wild Apricot has no multi-chapter support.
  • Automation and CRM. Its Advanced plan adds workflows, integrations and enhanced reporting, plus CPD credits for professional bodies.

Who should pick which

If you are...Lean towards
A club or association that wants a website and database togetherWild Apricot
A volunteer-run group that wants to trial and set up without a sales callWild Apricot
An association whose year is built around conferences, webinars and networkingGlue Up
A chapter-based or international body that wants a branded appGlue Up
A federation, league or center that runs programs, rents space or schedules volunteersNeither; see below

The third option

If your association also runs programs, rents facilities or depends on volunteers, neither product covers that. Communal counts members rather than contacts, adds program registration with waitlists and attendance and facility booking with approvals and invoices to the member record, and includes volunteer shifts, donations with tax receipts and POS software. It runs parent and chapter tenants with address-based routing for federations, ships Apple and Google Wallet cards and a public API, and has no contract, a 30-day trial and free migration. It does not have a website builder, a native mobile app or CPD tracking, which is the honest trade against both tools here.

Questions people ask about Wild Apricot vs Glue Up

Short answers.

Glue Up. It began as EventBank and covers the full event lifecycle: registration, webinars, speed networking and attendee apps, plus invoicing and surveys around the event. Wild Apricot's events are solid for an association calendar, with registration types, waitlists and guest registration, but it does not go as deep on conference-style events.