Software guide · Historical society websites
Options to compare: Wild Apricot, StarChapter, Join It. Compare the tasks you need, the complete price and the terms before choosing.
The cost case · Historical society websites
Start with the bill and one costly workflow. The comparison is straightforward: recurring software costs you can actually remove, minus the hosting, AI, integrations and upkeep a replacement needs. Time saved is a separate gain, and only becomes margin when the business can use it.
Current software · researched prices
Historical society websites software runs $29 to $385 a month across the 3 vendors that publish prices. A website-related price point in the research is $170 a month; check whether it is a plan rate or a separate fee. 1 of 5 vendors have quote-only pricing in our research.
Published starting prices are not a like-for-like quote. Confirm the plans, seats, add-ons, payment fees and setup your workflow requires.
A focused tool · under your control
One time: map the rules, build, test edge cases, move only the data needed and train the people who use it.
Each month: affordable hosting, coding-AI usage, any database or integrations, backups and maintenance. Price these for the actual application; a $0 or low hosting tier is not the total cost.
You control: the code repository, domain, data and service accounts. Someone on your side owns updates, access, recovery and support.
The exact replacement cost depends on scope and usage. Bring your invoice and one frustrating task; we’ll map what can stay, what could be owned and the costs to verify.
Get a free 30-minute cost and workflow reviewBuild the member workspace and role permissions, then the directory, events, renewals and self-service portal. Reconcile dues before moving collections.
Ask for a sample export. Check relationships, attachments and history, not just row counts.
These terms appear in the same research category. Check your specific workflow before treating products as interchangeable.
Historical society websites software runs $29 to $385 a month across the 3 vendors that publish prices. A website-related price point in the research is $170 a month; check whether it is a plan rate or a separate fee. 1 of 5 vendors have quote-only pricing in our research.
Where the money goes
Most of it pays for a member database, a dues form, an event calendar and a website bundled together. StarChapter adds a one-time setup fee of $1,169 to plans from $86 a month. Join It starts at $29 a month but takes a 3.0% service fee on dues and saves custom domains for its $199 tier.
Keep whatever the treasurer uses for dues if it works and the next treasurer can run it. Officers turn over every year, so the audit checks who holds the logins before changing anything.
Ask providers to demonstrate this workflow using your edge cases. Check which plan includes each step, what costs extra and how your records can be exported.
5 vendors sell to historical society websites
| Vendor | Plans (per month) | Website | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Join ItCharges by member count + percentage service fee on transactions |
| $170/mo | 2026-09-21 |
| StarChapterCharges by member count band + additional contact allowance |
| $130/mo | 2026-09-21 |
| Wild ApricotCharges by contact count band (100, 250, 500, 2000, 5000, 15000, 50000) |
| Included | 2026-09-21 |
| ClubExpress | Not verified | — | — |
| GrowthZone (ChamberMaster / MemberSuite) | Quote only | — | — |
Prices are what each vendor publishes on its own pricing page, on the date shown. "Quote only" means the vendor doesn't publish prices. "Not verified" means we couldn't read a price off the vendor's own page, so we don't print one.
Questions owners ask
Membership platforms that include a website start at $29 a month on published plans. Wild Apricot is $66 a month for 100 contacts, and StarChapter starts at $86 a month plus a $1,169 setup fee.
No. Wild Apricot offers a 60-day trial, not a permanent free tier. The 100-contact plan is $66 a month, or $56.10 a month on a two-year prepay.
For a chapter under 50 members, $86 a month, which is $1,032 a year, plus the $1,169 setup fee. Setup fees rise with the tier, up to $3,041 for Enterprise.
Related businesses
Bring one workflow or software bill to a free 30-minute conversation. We’ll map what a coding AI and affordable hosting might cover, and what ownership would require.
Practical guidance, not a promise of a cheap or maintenance-free replacement.