ClubCensus
Free Club Membership Software: What Free Plans Really Include
“Free” rarely means zero trade-offs. Some platforms fund free tiers with advertising, transaction fees, or tight email caps. Others offer a permanent free workspace with clear numeric limits. This page spells out what you actually get — in AUD where published — so committees can budget honestly.
Three free models you will see
Ad-funded team apps: no subscription, optional ad removal, great for communication, light governance.
Freemium CRM: free Starter tier with limits on apps or emails; Pro unlocks volume.
Free software + payment fees: no monthly invoice until you process money through the vendor.
Free tier limits compared
Table checked 4 November 2026 from each vendor’s public pages. Not listed = not stated on the pages we checked on 4 November 2026. A competitor may still offer it elsewhere. ClubCensus prices match /pricing (no GST line). Member Jungle and some vendors quote prices excluding GST where noted on their site. Competitor details may change after 4 November 2026 — confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
Monthly subscription
- ClubCensus
- A$0
- TidyHQ Starter
- $0 AUD
- Spond Club
- $0 software fee
- Stack Team App
- $0 mandatory fees
Member / contact caps
- ClubCensus
- 100 members, 3 admins
- TidyHQ Starter
- Unlimited contacts
- Spond Club
- Not listed as member cap on overview
- Stack Team App
- Not listed
Outbound / bulk email
- ClubCensus
- Up to 100 members, 3 admins, 20 Bill questions/month, 500 MB storage; bulk Communications hub from Starter (auth emails never blocked)
- TidyHQ Starter
- 100 outbound emails / month (pricing page)
- Spond Club
- Not listed as separate cap on overview
- Stack Team App
- Not listed
Meetings / minutes
- ClubCensus
- Basic meetings hub; notes-only minutes; locked workflow on Professional+
- TidyHQ Starter
- Meetings app: try free — counts as 1 of 2 Starter apps (Meetings page)
- Spond Club
- Not listed
- Stack Team App
- Not listed
Bill / secretary assistant
- ClubCensus
- 20 Bill questions / month; no minutes drafting on Free
- TidyHQ Starter
- Not listed
- Spond Club
- Not listed
- Stack Team App
- Not listed
Cost when you collect money
- ClubCensus
- Stripe fees only; no ClubCensus platform fee stated
- TidyHQ Starter
- 3% + A$0.20 TidyHQ service fee + Stripe
- Spond Club
- 2.5% + A$0.30 per transaction (AU help article)
- Stack Team App
- Store / Team Payments fees if used
Ads
- ClubCensus
- No ads in club workspace
- TidyHQ Starter
- Not stated on pricing
- Spond Club
- Not stated
- Stack Team App
- Ad-supported
| ClubCensus | TidyHQ Starter | Spond Club | Stack Team App | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | A$0 | $0 AUD | $0 software fee | $0 mandatory fees |
| Member / contact caps | 100 members, 3 admins | Unlimited contacts | Not listed as member cap on overview | Not listed |
| Outbound / bulk email | Up to 100 members, 3 admins, 20 Bill questions/month, 500 MB storage; bulk Communications hub from Starter (auth emails never blocked) | 100 outbound emails / month (pricing page) | Not listed as separate cap on overview | Not listed |
| Meetings / minutes | Basic meetings hub; notes-only minutes; locked workflow on Professional+ | Meetings app: try free — counts as 1 of 2 Starter apps (Meetings page) | Not listed | Not listed |
| Bill / secretary assistant | 20 Bill questions / month; no minutes drafting on Free | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Cost when you collect money | Stripe fees only; no ClubCensus platform fee stated | 3% + A$0.20 TidyHQ service fee + Stripe | 2.5% + A$0.30 per transaction (AU help article) | Store / Team Payments fees if used |
| Ads | No ads in club workspace | Not stated on pricing | Not stated | Ad-supported |
True cost example: collecting A$10,000 in member fees
Suppose 100 members each pay A$100 in subs through your platform in a month — A$10,000 gross. Software can be “free” while payments still carry processor fees (and sometimes a vendor service fee on top).
On ClubCensus Free, member checkout uses Stripe. Stripe’s Australian pricing page (checked 4 November 2026) lists 1.65% + A$0.30 for domestic cards online (fees include GST) — on 100 payments of A$100 that is 1.65% of A$10,000 (A$165) plus 100 × A$0.30 (A$30) ≈ A$195, if every payment were a domestic card (real totals vary with card type, Amex, and chargebacks).
On TidyHQ Starter, the pricing page adds a 3% + A$0.20 TidyHQ service fee on TidyHQ-processed payments, with Stripe charged separately. On 100 payments of A$100 that is A$300 + A$20 = A$320 to TidyHQ, plus about A$195 to Stripe at the rate above, so roughly A$515 in total.
On Spond Club, the AU help article quotes 2.5% + A$0.30 per transaction when you collect through Spond — on 100 payments of A$100 that is A$250 + A$30 = A$280.
None of this replaces your bookkeeper’s view of GST, refunds, or bank charges — it shows why “free software” and “free to operate” are different questions.
Related: Stripe pricing (Australia)
When to upgrade from Free
Upgrade triggers: more than 100 active members, more than three admins, duty rosters or facility bookings, or a board that needs packs and locked minutes on Professional.
ClubCensus Starter (A$49/mo) raises caps and unlocks bulk email, bookings and duty rosters; Professional (A$199/mo) is the usual step when the board portal becomes essential.
Related: Pricing; Best club software 2026
Sources
Competitor and official references checked on 4 November 2026 unless noted. Vendor details may change.
- TidyHQ pricing — checked 2026-11-04
- Spond Club overview — checked 2026-11-04
- Team App cost FAQ — checked 2026-11-04
- Spond AU transaction fee — checked 2026-11-04
- Stripe pricing (Australia) — checked 2026-11-04
1.65% + A$0.30 for domestic cards (online payments; fees include GST)
- TidyHQ Meetings — checked 2026-11-04
Try meetings free
FAQ
- Is ClubCensus Free really free?
- Yes — no card required to start. Limits apply (100 members, 3 admins, 20 Bill questions/month, 500 MB storage). Bulk email via the Communications hub starts on Starter; Free includes other platform email within the monthly cap. Paid tiers raise caps and add board tooling.
