Board meetings are where your nonprofit’s biggest decisions happen — and also where things fall through the cracks. Agendas buried in email threads, board packets that take hours to compile, votes that happen without a proper record, and new directors who feel lost from day one. Board management software fixes all of that.
We compared the top board management platforms on the features nonprofits actually need: meeting scheduling, document sharing, voting, secure communication, and ease of use for board members who aren’t tech-savvy.
Quick Comparison
| Software | Best For | Starting Price | Free Plan | E-Signatures | Board Evaluations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BoardEffect | Best for nonprofits overall | Custom | No | Yes | Yes |
| OnBoard | Best user experience | Custom | No (free trial) | Yes | Yes |
| Diligent Boards | Best for large/complex boards | Custom | No | Yes | Yes |
| Aprio | Best for board collaboration | Custom | No | Yes | Yes |
| Boardable | Best budget option | $79/mo | Yes (limited) | Yes (add-on) | No |
1. BoardEffect — Best for Nonprofits Overall
BoardEffect was built specifically for nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and community banks. That focus shows. Every feature — from meeting center to board assessments — is designed around how nonprofit boards actually work, not how corporate boards work. It’s owned by Diligent, but remains its own product with its own nonprofit-first philosophy.
Pros:
- Purpose-built for nonprofit boards
- Meeting center with agenda builder, minutes, and task tracking
- Board self-evaluations and peer assessments built in
- Secure messaging between board members
- E-signatures for approvals and consent agendas
- Committee workspaces (separate from full board)
- Document library with version control and annotations
- Role-based permissions (board chair vs. member vs. staff)
- Strong onboarding and training for new board members
- Compliance features (conflict of interest tracking, D&O questionnaire)
- Good customer support with nonprofit expertise
- Integrates with common nonprofit tools
Cons:
- No transparent pricing (requires a sales call)
- Typically starts around $3,000-$5,000/year for small orgs
- Interface is functional but not as modern as OnBoard
- Learning curve for board members who aren’t tech-savvy
- Customization requires admin setup (not self-serve)
- Limited built-in video conferencing (integrates with Zoom/Teams)
- Annual contracts — no month-to-month option
Pricing: Custom (typically $3,000-$5,000+/year for small nonprofits; scales with org size)
Best for: Nonprofits that want a board platform designed around how nonprofit boards work — with committee support, evaluations, and compliance built in from day one.
2. OnBoard — Best User Experience
OnBoard (by Passageways) wins on usability. Board members open the app and immediately know what to do — review a packet, cast a vote, join a meeting. That matters, because the biggest barrier to board portal adoption is directors who don’t want to learn another tool. OnBoard reduces that friction to near zero.
Pros:
- Best-in-class user interface — clean, intuitive, and fast
- Board packets with annotations, highlights, and private notes
- E-signatures for approvals and voting
- Built-in video conferencing (no separate Zoom link)
- Offline access — board packets download to tablets automatically
- Meeting scheduler with Doodle-style availability polls
- Voting and approvals with full audit trail
- Board assessments and evaluations
- Role-based permissions and security
- Excellent mobile app (iPad, Android, Windows)
- Strong accessibility features (screen reader support, WCAG compliance)
- Quick onboarding for new board members
- Responsive customer support
Cons:
- No transparent pricing (requires demo/quote)
- Typically $3,000-$6,000+/year depending on org size
- Less nonprofit-specific than BoardEffect (built for any board type)
- Committee management is less granular
- No built-in conflict-of-interest tracking
- Limited grant or financial oversight features
- Annual contracts only
- More expensive for very small nonprofits
Pricing: Custom (typically $3,000-$6,000+/year)
Best for: Nonprofits whose board members are resistant to new technology — OnBoard’s interface is the easiest to adopt, period.
3. Diligent Boards — Best for Large/Complex Boards
Diligent is the 800-pound gorilla of board management. It’s used by Fortune 500 boards, major healthcare systems, and large nonprofits with complex governance needs. If your nonprofit has multiple subsidiaries, a large board with committees and advisory groups, or strict regulatory requirements, Diligent has the depth to handle it. For small nonprofits, it’s overkill.
Pros:
- Most comprehensive board management platform available
- Handles complex multi-entity governance structures
- Advanced security (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 certified)
- E-signatures with full compliance documentation
- Board evaluations with benchmarking against peer organizations
- Entity management for nonprofits with multiple subsidiaries
- Diligent Messenger for secure board communication
- Integration with Diligent’s full governance suite (ECO, CLD, etc.)
- Enterprise-grade audit trails and compliance reporting
- White-glove onboarding and dedicated customer success managers
- Works for boards that need regulatory-level security
- Available in 20+ languages
Cons:
- Most expensive option (typically $5,000-$15,000+/year)
- Overkill for small and mid-size nonprofits
- Complex setup — requires significant admin training
- Interface feels corporate and dense
- Sales process can be lengthy
- Requires Diligent’s ecosystem for full value (separate products for evaluations, messenger, etc.)
- Long-term contracts (2-3 year commitments common)
- Minimum seat requirements may not match small boards
- Board members may find it intimidating
Pricing: Custom (typically $5,000-$15,000+/year; enterprise pricing for large organizations)
Best for: Large nonprofits with complex governance needs, multiple entities, or regulatory requirements that demand enterprise-grade security and compliance.
4. Aprio — Best for Board Collaboration
Aprio focuses on the collaborative side of board work — making it easy for boards to discuss, decide, and move forward together. Its meeting workflows, annotation tools, and discussion features are designed to keep conversations productive and decisions documented. It also scores well on security and has a strong reputation for customer support.
Pros:
- Strong focus on board collaboration and discussion workflows
- Meeting builder with agenda templates and time allocation
- Annotations and private notes on board documents
- E-signatures and voting with full audit trail
- Board self-assessments
- Secure messenger for board communication
- Committee workspaces with separate permissions
- Good security posture (SOC 2 Type II certified)
- Responsive and helpful customer support
- Clean, modern interface
- Boardbook preparation tools for administrators
- Good for boards that want to reduce email reliance
Cons:
- No transparent pricing (requires demo)
- Pricing typically comparable to BoardEffect/OnBoard ($3,000-$6,000+/year)
- Smaller market share — fewer third-party reviews and comparisons
- Less brand recognition than BoardEffect or Diligent
- Offline access is less robust than OnBoard
- Fewer integrations than competitors
- No built-in video conferencing
- Limited nonprofit-specific features compared to BoardEffect
- Annual contracts only
Pricing: Custom (typically $3,000-$6,000+/year)
Best for: Nonprofits whose boards need better discussion and collaboration — if your board meetings feel disorganized and decisions get lost, Aprio’s workflow focus helps.
5. Boardable — Best Budget Option
Boardable is the most accessible board management platform for small nonprofits. It’s the only one on this list with transparent pricing and a functional free plan. You won’t get the depth of BoardEffect or the polish of OnBoard, but you’ll get a tool that works — meetings, documents, voting, and scheduling — at a price small nonprofits can actually afford.
Pros:
- Transparent pricing — no sales call required
- Most affordable option ($79/month for Essentials)
- Free plan available (up to 10 meetings, 2 groups)
- Meeting scheduler with availability polls
- Document center with shared board materials
- Voting and polls for board decisions
- Discussion boards for board communication
- Task management for action items
- Role-based permissions
- Good for small boards just starting with board portals
- Month-to-month billing available (no annual commitment)
- Quick setup — can be running in an hour
Cons:
- No built-in e-signatures (available as add-on via integration)
- No board self-evaluations or assessments
- Less robust document annotation than OnBoard or BoardEffect
- Interface is functional but less polished
- Limited committee management
- No offline access for board packets
- No conflict-of-interest tracking
- Fewer security certifications than enterprise tools
- Limited integrations compared to larger platforms
- Free plan is very limited (10 meetings, 2 groups)
- Not suitable for boards with complex governance needs
- Customer support is email-based on lower tiers
Pricing: Free (limited); Essentials $79/month; Professional $149/month; Enterprise custom
Best for: Small nonprofits that need basic board management — meetings, documents, and votes — without the enterprise price tag.
How to Choose
1. How big is your board?
5-15 members, simple structure → Boardable or BoardEffect. 15-30 members, committees → BoardEffect or OnBoard. 30+ members, multi-entity → Diligent Boards.
2. What’s your budget?
Under $1,500/year → Boardable. $3,000-$6,000/year → BoardEffect or OnBoard. $6,000+/year → Diligent Boards.
3. What’s your biggest pain point?
Board member adoption/resistance → OnBoard (easiest to use). Disorganized meetings and discussions → Aprio. No board portal at all, need basics → Boardable. Complex governance/compliance → Diligent Boards or BoardEffect.
4. Do your board members struggle with technology?
Yes → OnBoard. Its interface is the most intuitive, and offline access means directors can review packets on iPads without Wi-Fi.
5. Do you need nonprofit-specific features?
Board evaluations, conflict tracking, committee workspaces → BoardEffect. It was built for nonprofits first.
6. Do you need e-signatures?
All five platforms support e-signatures, but Boardable requires an add-on integration. If e-signatures are critical for consent agendas and resolutions, verify the details on any platform you’re evaluating.
Our Top Pick
For most small to mid-size nonprofits, BoardEffect is the best choice — it’s built for nonprofit governance, includes board evaluations and compliance features, and understands how nonprofit boards work. If your board members are tech-averse, OnBoard is worth the premium for its superior usability. And if budget is the primary constraint, Boardable gives you the essentials at a fraction of the cost.
SoftDecide helps churches, nonprofits, and small organizations find the right software. Our comparisons are independently researched. We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page — at no extra cost to you.