Membership Management Software vs CRMs: Why You Need Both

Introduction

Membership-based organizations often face a familiar question: should we invest in a CRM or a membership management platform? The truth is, the right answer depends on your size, goals, and how you operate.

Join It was built to be flexible enough to serve all three types of organizations. For some, it works as a complete all-in-one system. For others, it complements a CRM by handling the operational side of membership management. And for larger teams, it integrates seamlessly with CRMs to keep data accurate and renewals automated.

This guide explains how each scenario works and why Join It is the right fit at every stage of growth.

1. For Small Organizations That Want an All-in-One Solution

Smaller clubs, associations, and nonprofits often don’t need a separate CRM. What they need is a single platform that helps them manage members, process payments, and track engagement without complexity or extra cost.

Join It serves as that all-in-one system. It gives you everything required to manage relationships, including:

• Recording member details, notes, and contact history
  
  
• Automating renewals and reminders
  
  
• Processing one-time or recurring payments
  
  
• Issuing digital membership cards
  
  
• Tracking attendance and registrations for events
  
  

This means a small organization can operate confidently without adding multiple tools or data silos. Every membership detail lives in one place, and admin time drops dramatically.

Example:
A local theatre society uses Join It to manage all its memberships, from collecting annual fees to storing member contact info and renewal dates. No CRM required, no spreadsheets, and no manual tracking.

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2. For Small Organizations That Plan to Scale

As some organizations grow, they eventually outgrow spreadsheets or basic systems and start thinking about CRMs for marketing or donor management. For these teams, Join It offers a scalable foundation that supports that transition.

Join It runs the operational engine - renewals, payments, digital cards, and event tracking - so when the time comes to adopt a CRM, the two can connect easily.

With Join It in place early on, teams benefit from:

• Clean, structured membership data ready to sync with any CRM
  
  
• A proven automation system that grows with them
  
  
• Less risk of disruption during software changes
  
  

Example:
A state-wide cycling club begins with Join It to manage payments and membership renewals. Two years later, when they adopt HubSpot to manage broader communications, Join It continues running renewals while syncing data automatically into their CRM.

In this model, Join It is not replaced; it remains the membership hub that ensures the CRM always has accurate data.

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3. For Larger Organizations with Existing CRMs

Larger associations, arts institutions, and nonprofits usually already have a CRM in place -often Salesforce, HubSpot, or Pipedrive. These systems excel at managing relationships, segmenting contacts, and tracking communication history.

What they don’t do natively is handle membership operations such as:

• Collecting and renewing payments
  
  
• Issuing digital membership cards
  
  
• Managing access or event attendance
  
  
• Automating renewal reminders and lapsed-member workflows
  
  

Join It fills that operational gap. It integrates directly with leading CRMs to sync real-time membership data and automate the tasks that CRMs weren’t built for.

Example:
A national arts association uses Salesforce to manage contacts and fundraising. Join It processes all membership payments, issues digital cards, and updates member records in Salesforce automatically. The result is a single, accurate view of each member without the manual effort.

By combining both systems, organizations create a complete ecosystem where Join It powers the membership operations and the CRM drives engagement and communication.

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4. The Benefits Across All Three Scenarios

Regardless of size or setup, organizations using Join It see measurable impact:

• Time savings: On average, Join It customers save 305 admin hours a year through automation.
  
  
• Faster growth: Members using Join It grow 28% faster thanks to smoother operations and better retention.
  
  
• Accuracy and visibility: Whether you use Join It alone or alongside a CRM, data stays current and consistent.
  
  
• Flexibility: Join It grows with your organization, adapting as your needs evolve.
  
  

Conclusion

Choosing between a CRM and a membership management platform isn’t an either-or decision.

For small organizations, Join It works perfectly as a complete membership and relationship management system. For those planning to scale, it provides a reliable base that integrates with future CRMs. And for larger organizations, Join It complements existing CRMs by automating the workflows they don’t handle.

Join It simplifies memberships at every stage— from your first member to your thousandth.

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Learn how Join It fits your organization’s needs at joinit.com and remember, Join It also works as a membership-focused CRM to track all your members and their activities in one place.

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