Clients will sometimes say to me: "Can't you just tell me what the best association management system is so that I can buy it?" Frankly, that's like saying "tell me the best car to buy."
There are hundreds of software packages for membership management. There are dozens of software packages for association management (which typically involves more than just membership management). The question is: why? Why are there so many choices?
The simple answer is, there is usually more than one solution to any given problem. And in the case of managing the data for your association, there are literally dozens (if not hundreds) of technology solutions available. I personally track nearly 30 different vendors providing association management software to the association market.
And just like buying a car, you have to decide what's important to you, what features you need, and how the product will better serve you. The good news is, you have plenty of options to choose from; the bad news is, you have plenty of options to choose from.
The reality is, there isn't a single best solutions for all organizations. So you need to do your homework, identifying what your needs are, and which packages can best address those needs.