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Hivepass vs Join It

For mountain bike clubs, bike parks and trail associations

Join It makes it easy to collect membership payments via Stripe, with wallet membership cards and event registration on its paid plans. But for a trail association or MTB club that needs a native member mobile app, day passes, trail management and Trailforks map links, a general-purpose membership tool is just the starting point.

This guide compares Hivepass and Join It across features, pricing, and what each platform is actually designed to do.

Hivepass vs Join It comparison

Overview

Feature Comparison

Pricing

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What is Join It?

Join It is a general-purpose membership management tool that simplifies online member sign-ups and payment collection via Stripe. Organisations sign up members through a hosted page, and Join It handles the transaction, member database and renewals, with digital wallet cards, event registration and a member directory on higher plans.

Join It can send simple emails to member segments, and push notifications to wallet cards on its Extra plan. For fuller email marketing it integrates with Mailchimp and other tools (HubSpot via Zapier). There is no native mobile app for members: digital membership cards live in Apple or Google Wallet (Total plan and up).

Join It suits general membership organisations wanting a simple way to accept membership payments online. For trail organisations, its limitations become apparent.

What is Hivepass?

Hivepass is a membership management platform purpose-built for trail associations, mountain bike clubs, and bike parks. It is used by over 150 outdoor organisations across New Zealand, Australia, the US, Canada, and beyond.

Where Join It is a general-purpose membership tool, Hivepass is built for trail organisations: native mobile app, live digital membership cards, email campaigns, event listings (registration coming soon), links to Trailforks trail maps, digital waivers, day passes, and trail management tools, all in one platform.

Hivepass uses per-member pricing. Costs scale predictably as your club grows, with no percentage fee on membership payments on top of standard Stripe processing (donations carry a 1% + $0.50 fee).

Not sure yet? Read our full buyers guide or see how other clubs use Hivepass.

At a glance

Join It is a general-purpose membership tool built around Stripe payments. Hivepass is a membership platform built for trail associations and MTB clubs. If your club needs a member app, day passes and trail tools (and most active outdoor clubs do), the platforms are built for different jobs.

Member mobile app

Hivepass has a full iOS and Android member app (plus a web version), with digital cards and offline access. Join It has no native mobile app; its cards live in Apple or Google Wallet.

Event management

Join It includes event registration and ticketing. Hivepass lets clubs list events today, with event registration and payments coming soon.

Built-in email campaigns

Hivepass has a built-in drag-and-drop email campaign tool, with a free plan. Join It sends simple emails to member segments and connects to Mailchimp or similar tools for full email marketing.

Feature Comparison

Feature information verified October 2026. Verify current features at joinit.com.

Membership & Member Experience

HivepassJoin It
Cloud based member database
Web-based member app
Member mobile app (iOS & Android)
Live digital membership card
Apple/Google Wallet, Total plan and up
Offline capable (app works without data)
Group & family memberships
Short-term day passes
Push notifications to members
To wallet cards, Extra plan
Partner deals for members in app
QR code for direct app download

Administration & Communication

HivepassJoin It
Automated email renewal reminders
Built-in email campaign / newsletter tool
Simple emails to member segments
Event managementEvent listings
Registration coming soon
Donation / fundraising tools
Stripe payment integration
Chat support for admins
Mailchimp integration
Free plan available
Free trial only

Trail Association & Outdoor Club Features

HivepassJoin It
Digital waivers
Trail management tools
Links trails to Trailforks maps
Downloadable trail signs & stickers
Purpose-built for MTB / trail organisations

Pricing Comparison

Join It has no free plan (every plan has a free trial). Its subscriptions start at $29/month, and it adds a service fee of 1.5% to 3% (depending on plan) to paid memberships, event registrations and donations, on top of Stripe fees. Digital membership cards start on the $99/month Total plan.

Hivepass (USD/year)

  • 100 members: $250
  • 300 members: $470
  • 1,000 members: $1,240
  • 5,000 members: $3,440
  • No setup fee and no monthly subscription. Includes the mobile app, digital cards, day passes, event listings and a free email campaign plan.
  • No percentage fee on membership payments. Donations: 1% + $0.50. Stripe card fees apply.

See full Hivepass pricing →

Join It (USD)

  • Starter: $29/month ($313.20/year billed annually), 3% service fee
  • Total: $99/month ($1,069.20/year), 2% service fee, adds digital membership cards
  • Extra: $199/month ($2,149.20/year), 1.5% service fee, adds push notifications
  • Enterprise: custom pricing, adds multi-chapter support
  • Stripe card fees apply on top. Nonprofits get an extra 10% off.

Join It has no native member app, and its built-in email is for simple messages, so clubs wanting full newsletters may need a separate tool such as Mailchimp. Verify current pricing at Join It's website.

Verify current Join It pricing at joinit.com/pricing →

Ease of Use & Onboarding

Join It: Join It is designed to be simple to set up: a hosted membership form connected to Stripe is quick to configure. For basic payment collection this is a genuine strength. External integrations (Mailchimp, or HubSpot via Zapier) add configuration overhead for those who need them.

Hivepass: Hivepass is designed for rapid onboarding by volunteer committees. The Hivepass team provides hands-on support via in-app chat throughout setup, and because the platform is purpose-built for outdoor clubs, there's no adapting generic tools to your workflows.

There is no setup fee for Hivepass (importing existing members is an optional $100 add-on). Your members download the app via a unique QR code that takes them directly to your club in the App Store or Google Play.

Ratings & Reviews

Independent reviews are one of the most reliable ways to evaluate software. Below are current ratings for both platforms.

Hivepass on Capterra

4.9 / 5, verified reviews from trail associations and MTB clubs

Read Hivepass reviews on Capterra →

Join It on Capterra

Join It has a small number of reviews on Capterra. The reviews tend to come from very small organisations who value simplicity. As your club grows and needs expand, these reviews may not reflect your experience.

Read Join It reviews on Capterra →

Who Should Choose Join It?

Join It may be worth considering if:

  • Your organisation only needs online membership payments, renewals and simple event registration, without a native mobile app or trail-specific tools
  • You already have Mailchimp or HubSpot for email marketing and just need a payment layer on top
  • A monthly subscription plus a per-transaction service fee suits your budget at your current scale

For trail associations and MTB clubs, Join It's lack of a native mobile app, day passes and trail-specific features means you will likely need additional tools, or a platform that includes them from the start.

Who Should Choose Hivepass?

Purpose-built for trail associations and MTB clubs

Hivepass is trusted by over 150 trail associations and mountain bike clubs across New Zealand, Australia, the US, Canada, and beyond. This isn't a generic membership platform adapted for cycling: it has been built from the ground up around the specific needs of outdoor organisations.

That depth of experience matters. Hivepass understands trail access management, the difference between a day pass and an annual membership, how clubs use digital cards as trail access credentials, and the administrative reality of a committee-run volunteer organisation. Every feature in the platform has been shaped by feedback from real clubs just like yours.

When Hivepass is the right call

  • Your organisation is a trail association, MTB club, or bike park, not a generic community group or team sport
  • You want members to carry a live digital membership card on their phone, usable as a trail access credential
  • You want to offer short-term day passes or casual memberships alongside annual memberships
  • You want your trails listed in your club app with links to their Trailforks maps
  • You want simple per-member pricing that scales transparently as your club grows, with no percentage platform fee on memberships (donations carry 1% + $0.50)
  • You want a professional member experience with no ads
  • You want to replace a patchwork of tools (Join It + Mailchimp + spreadsheets) with a single platform built for your type of club

See how real trail associations and MTB clubs use Hivepass →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Join It used for?

Join It is a general-purpose membership management tool that connects to Stripe for payment collection. It works well for organisations that need online sign-ups, renewals, wallet membership cards and event registration. For active outdoor clubs that need a native member app, day passes and trail-specific tools it becomes limiting quickly.

Does Join It have a mobile app?

Join It does not have a native mobile app for members. Members use a web portal and, on the Total plan and up, can add a digital membership card to Apple or Google Wallet. Hivepass provides a full iOS and Android member app with live digital membership cards, offline capability, push notifications, and links to Trailforks trail maps.

Can I use Join It for a mountain bike club?

Join It can collect membership payments and offers wallet membership cards and event registration, but it lacks features that MTB clubs and trail associations often need: no native member mobile app, no day passes, no Trailforks map links and no trail management tools. You would need to combine Join It with several other tools to replicate what Hivepass provides in one platform.

How does Join It pricing compare to Hivepass?

Join It charges a monthly or annual subscription from $29/month (Starter) to $199/month (Extra), plus a service fee of 1.5% to 3% on paid memberships, event registrations and donations, on top of Stripe fees. Digital membership cards need the $99/month Total plan. Hivepass has no subscription: it charges per member, with no percentage fee on membership payments (donations carry 1% + $0.50), and includes the member app, digital cards and day passes. For most clubs, Hivepass often works out less expensive overall.

Can I switch from Join It to Hivepass?

Yes. The Hivepass team can import your existing member data during onboarding (an optional one-off $100 add-on).

Also compare: Hivepass vs Sporty · Hivepass vs Wild Apricot · Hivepass vs TidyHQ

Read our full membership software buyers guide →

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