Because It’s All About Your Members
It was designed when deep customization was the goal. Today, that same customization is precisely what’s keeping associations stuck — on old versions, with painful upgrade paths and growing technical debt. re:Members offers a modern alternative without losing the flexibility your association depends on.
How the two platforms stack up across the dimensions that matter most to growing associations.
The single biggest difference between re:Members and iMIS isn’t a feature — it’s how the systems were built. Architecture decides everything that comes after: upgrades, integrations, performance, and your team’s daily experience.
Six categories, scored honestly. We give iMIS credit where it’s earned — but the gaps tell a clear story.
Configure workflows, fields, and business rules through checkboxes and drop-downs. Staff make changes without coding or vendor dependency.
Requires extensive customization and development resources. Most changes require vendor support and additional fees.
Site license covers unlimited users. All modules included. Predictable annual subscription with no surprise bills.
Per-user licensing, module-based pricing, expensive customizations, and ongoing professional services fees that compound over time.
Outcome-based implementation done in-house. Typical timeline 4–6 months. Clear scope, clear costs, no third parties.
Often requires third-party integrators. Lengthy implementations with unpredictable costs that frequently exceed initial estimates.
Snowflake data warehouse, native Power BI integration, and an intuitive query builder that lets you ask questions in plain English.
Restricted SQL access in cloud version. Complex IQA tool requires technical expertise. Reports often need outside help to build.
Automatic updates 3x per year. No risk of falling off the upgrade path. Configuration carries forward — not the customizations that break.
Heavy customizations make upgrades expensive and risky. Clients describe systems “collapsing under their own weight” after years of use.
Intuitive interface with minimal training. AI-powered help and conversational search. Staff can self-configure on day one.
Complex interface with steep learning curve. Frequent login and session-timeout issues lead to low staff adoption.
iMIS pricing rewards complexity — more users, more modules, more customization, more cost. re:Members rewards growth with a single, all-inclusive subscription.
One predictable annual fee. Every module. Every user. Every staff member.
Variable costs that grow with your organization — often unpredictably.
Three organizations that knew iMIS inside and out — and decided the future was somewhere else.
“We’re kind of a victim of our own doing… and a victim of our own success in terms of the growth we’ve experienced that’s really starting to expose the real liabilities that we’ve built for ourselves.”
Situation
Stuck on a very old version of iMIS with massive customizations. Had to wrap “massive security around it to isolate it because the upgrade path was so painful.” Couldn’t trust the data in Power BI.
“If we’re going to have to redo everything anyway… we’re going to look at everything, we’re going to consider all of our options.”
Situation
On iMIS for 10+ years and planning an EMS upgrade. Realized the cloud migration would cost as much as switching to a new system entirely — and they’d lose SQL access in the process.
“ASI is a one-size-fits-all. You have to use it the way it is. If it doesn’t work for you, well, too bad… We need to move beyond that.”
Situation
On iMIS for 18+ years with heavy customization. Could only link parent-to-child relationships (not multi-level), with duplicate record issues and limited reporting flexibility.
If you’ve been on iMIS for 10, 15, or 20 years, you have legitimate concerns. Here’s how we address the ones we hear most.
Our Response
We hear that frequently, and most of our clients were in the exact same position — on iMIS for 10–20 years before making the switch. The level of embeddedness is exactly why we invest heavily in our implementation process. We’ve completed 20+ iMIS conversions and have it down to a science. We understand the complexity and have proven processes to migrate your data, configurations, and business rules. The real question isn’t whether you can switch — it’s whether staying on iMIS is sustainable for your future needs.
Our Response
That’s a smart move to consider cloud, but we’d encourage you to treat the EMS upgrade like you would any new system evaluation. You’re going to lose some functionality, face significant costs, and still need to change business processes anyway. If you’re going to invest that time and money regardless, it makes sense to look at what else is available. Many organizations find that for the same investment, they can move to a more modern, more flexible platform — without the legacy baggage.
Our Response
That’s actually one of the challenges we hear most often. Yes, iMIS can be customized to do almost anything — but at what cost? We regularly talk to organizations spending hundreds of thousands on customizations, then getting stuck because they can’t upgrade without breaking everything. Our approach is different: we give you the configurability to meet your unique needs without custom code, so you never fall off the upgrade path and can adapt as your needs change. And if you do need the full power of customization, our AMS Platform built on Salesforce is purpose-built for that.
Our Response
We understand, and that’s exactly why our implementation model is different. We do fixed-fee implementations with clear timelines and outcomes — you’re not managing multiple vendors or dealing with time-and-materials billing. Plus, think about the resources you’re already spending today: staff time working around system limitations, vendor fees for every change, IT resources maintaining customizations. Many clients find they actually free up resources after switching, because the system is so much easier to use and maintain.
Both platforms serve mid-to-large associations. The difference is what you give up to use them.
Scales efficiently for mid-market and large associations. Designed to grow with you without per-user pricing penalties.
Enterprise-focused solution. Pricing and complexity often outpace mid-market needs as organizations grow.
Join 300+ associations — including 20+ that switched from iMIS — and find out why staying with legacy software is often more expensive than switching.
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