Cénacle or Wild Apricot
Managing an association's members and growing a business club: two neighbouring needs, two tools.
In short
Wild Apricot is membership management software designed for small associations and non-profits: member database, website, events, dues and renewals. Cénacle is for clubs that select their members and sell their memberships: applications, following guests through to signing, dinners with seating plans.
| Criterion | Cénacle | Wild Apricot |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Recruiting for, selling and running a selective club. | Administering an association's members. |
| Recruitment | Club website, application quiz and a pipeline of guests. | An online membership form for people who want to join. |
| Selling memberships | A membership pipeline with activities, per-rep targets and loss reasons. | Outside its purpose: people join online, with no sales process. |
| Events | Paid dinners, QR code tickets, seating plans, waiting lists. | The association's event calendar with registrations. |
| Memberships | Plans with a set number of dinners, with the quota tracked at each registration. | Membership levels, dues and automatic renewals. |
| Steering | The club's business plan, sales KPIs, at-risk members and renewals to handle. | Reports on members, dues and events. |
Wild Apricot is a better fit if…
- You run an association people join freely, without selection.
- Your main need is the member database and tracking dues.
- You have no sales team selling memberships.
Cénacle is a better fit if…
- Your memberships are sold guest by guest, after a first dinner.
- You choose your members by application.
- You want to run the club like a business: business plan, sales, cash.
Moving from Wild Apricot to Cénacle
- 01
Export your members
Export your database as CSV and import it into Cénacle.
- 02
Bring over current memberships
Set each member's plan and the start date of their membership.
- 03
Open applications
Publish the club's website and quiz: newcomers land in the pipeline.
Frequently asked questions
Does Cénacle handle dues?
Cénacle tracks each member's membership: plan, start date, end date and remaining dinners, with reminders before it ends.
Can I keep my members' history?
Yes: when importing, you set each member's first membership date.
Is the club website included?
Yes, a club website is generated from a questionnaire and can then be edited without code.
Other comparisons
Your circle deserves better than a spreadsheet
Applications, dinners, payments and memberships in one place. Start with a free trial, or see the platform on your own club with the team.