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Alternatives · AlmaShines

AlmaShines alternatives for colleges and associations

AlmaShines is a hosted alumni platform that publishes its prices: a free directory for fewer than 500 alumni, then plans from $120 a month. If you would rather pay once a year, keep unlimited members on one plan, or run the site on your own hosting, here are six other options, ours included.

See the optionsOpen the live demo

AlumDeck

  • $49 a year, every feature, unlimited members
  • Runs on hosting you choose and control
  • History, In Memoriam and a hall of fame, built in

vs$49 a year for everything, or from $120 a month by plan

AlmaShines

  • From $120 a month; a free directory under 500 alumni
  • Live in 7 to 15 days, hosted on AWS
  • A shared app on every plan; a branded one costs extra

Why associations look elsewhere

A published price, priced by plan.

Four published facts about AlmaShines' plans.

  • $1,440a year for Booster, at the published $120 a month
  • 3,000members included in Booster
  • $240a month for Pro, where mentoring, fundraising and groups start
  • 7 to 15days to go live, by AlmaShines' account

AlmaShines is one of only two platforms we compared that publish a price, and its free AlmaDirectory is the only free tier on these lists. The prices are "starts at" figures, and the page also says "request pricing", so the final figure may differ. None of that makes it a bad product. It makes it a plan to choose, and to outgrow. Sources: AlmaShines pricing, checked October 2026, and AlmaShines platform, checked September 2026.

At a glance

Seven options, one table

AlumDeck comes first because it is ours. The rest run from the lowest published price to the highest, then the quote-only platforms in alphabetical order. No link on this page earns us anything.

The options at a glance
OptionPublished priceWho hosts itBest forRead more
AlumDeck (ours)$49 a yearYou, on shared hosting that meets the requirementsVolunteer committees and small alumni officesPricing
A marketplace script$45 to $49 onceYouA technical volunteer who wants to pay once and look after it aloneCompare
HivebriteFrom $895 a monthHivebriteLarge associations with chapters, paid memberships and an IT teamCompare
AlmabaseQuote onlyAlmabaseAdvancement offices that raise money online and run Raiser's EdgeCompare
GraduwayQuote after a demoGravytyUniversities and schools where mentoring programmes are the centre of alumni workCompare
HoopstrQuote onlyHoopstrInstitutions, mostly in India, that want outcomes delivered as well as softwareCompare
ToucanTechQuote onlyToucanTechSchool development offices that fundraise and want one system for everythingCompare

The options

Seven ways to run your alumni association.

Each with its published price, who hosts it, what it is best for and what to watch for.

Ours, listed first

AlumDeck: the whole association site, $49 a year

Every feature on one licence: a members-only directory, groups, mentoring, giving with numbered receipts, elections, reunions with QR tickets, and your history, In Memoriam and hall of fame. There is no plan to outgrow and no member limit.

  • Price: $49 a year in US dollars, no tax added, with a 14-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase
  • Best for: associations and colleges that want every feature and unlimited members at one price
  • Watch for: you look after the hosting, there is no free plan and no app in the phone stores, and it is sold only in the places on its list
Open the live demo

The other six, from the lowest published price

  1. A CodeCanyon alumni script: $45 to $49, once

    Alumni association scripts sold on CodeCanyon, which you install on your own hosting, like AlumDeck. For the best-selling script, donations and elections are $29 add-ons.

    Price: $45 to $49 once; add-ons $29 each (CodeCanyon search, "alumni")
    Who hosts it: You, on your own hosting
    Best for: A technical volunteer who wants to pay once and look after it alone
    Watch for: Support lasts 6 months unless extended, and it never covers installation

    The other option under $50: pay once and host it yourself, where AlmaShines hosts it on a monthly plan. Read AlumDeck vs marketplace scripts.

  2. Hivebrite: the full community platform

    A hosted platform for alumni networks, associations and nonprofits, with chapters, paid memberships, a white-label app, single sign-on and CRM connectors. It describes itself as built for complex organisations.

    Price: Core from $895 a month, Flex from $1,995 a month, billed annually (Hivebrite pricing)
    Who hosts it: Hivebrite, in the EU, US, Switzerland or Australia
    Best for: Large associations with chapters, paid memberships and an IT team
    Watch for: Core includes 2 admins and 5 groups; the app, languages, connectors and mentoring cost extra

    The other platform that publishes a price: Core from $895 a month, about seven times AlmaShines Booster. Read AlumDeck vs Hivebrite. See the Hivebrite alternatives.

  3. Almabase: fundraising and events for advancement teams

    Hosted engagement and fundraising software for university and school advancement offices: giving days, ticketed events with auctions, memberships, a directory and mentoring, with two-way Raiser's Edge NXT sync.

    Price: Quote only, priced by emailable contacts, plus a one-time setup fee (Almabase plans)
    Who hosts it: Almabase, on AWS and Azure
    Best for: Advancement offices that raise money online and run Raiser's Edge
    Watch for: No published price; 8 to 12 weeks to launch is typical; API access and text messaging cost extra

    Fundraising first, with a two-way Raiser's Edge NXT sync, and quoted where AlmaShines publishes a price. Read AlumDeck vs Almabase. See the Almabase alternatives.

  4. Graduway: community and mentoring, from Gravyty

    The alumni community and mentoring product in Gravyty's suite, with structured mentoring programmes, groups, events, single sign-on and an app or PWA. Giving, video and fundraiser tools are separate Gravyty products.

    Price: Quote after a demo, sized to your alumni community (Gravyty Graduway)
    Who hosts it: Gravyty, on AWS, with regional data residency
    Best for: Universities and schools where mentoring programmes are the centre of alumni work
    Watch for: You see a price only after a demo; other suite products are quoted separately

    Mentoring programmes at its centre, quoted after a demo; AlmaShines adds mentoring from its Pro plan. Read AlumDeck vs Graduway. See the Graduway alternatives.

  5. Hoopstr, formerly Vaave: a platform with programmes run for you

    An alumni portal and native app with chat, groups, events, membership fees and jobs, sold alongside programmes Hoopstr runs itself: meetups, mentoring tracks and fellowships. Its Magic service finds unregistered alumni on the web.

    Price: An annual subscription with no published price (Hoopstr offerings)
    Who hosts it: Hoopstr, on AWS
    Best for: Institutions, mostly in India, that want outcomes delivered as well as software
    Watch for: Profiles found on the web and scored for earning and donor potential may not suit a privacy-first association

    Also hosted, with programmes run for you, and no published price. Read AlumDeck vs Hoopstr. See the Hoopstr alternatives.

  6. ToucanTech: a CRM and website for school development offices

    One hosted system with a contact database, website builder, email, events, fundraising and payments, sold mostly to schools in the UK, Ireland, the US and Australia, with an account manager and phone support.

    Price: Quote only; the app and accounting module are paid add-ons (ToucanTech integrations)
    Who hosts it: ToucanTech, cloud only
    Best for: School development offices that fundraise and want one system for everything
    Watch for: Migration takes 60 to 90 days by its own account; no SOC 2 or ISO certification claimed

    A CRM, website and fundraising system for school development offices, quoted, with an account manager. Read AlumDeck vs ToucanTech. See the ToucanTech alternatives.

Or stay put

When AlmaShines is still the right answer.

Choose AlumDeck if

  • You want every feature and unlimited members at one low price
  • You would rather host it yourself than rent a plan
  • Your school's history and memorials matter as much as the directory
  • Someone can look after shared hosting

Choose AlmaShines if

  • You have fewer than 500 alumni and only need a directory, for free
  • Members expect an app they can find in the app stores
  • Procurement asks for a vendor with ISO 27001 certification
  • You want it hosted and live within two weeks, done for you

Questions

Leaving AlmaShines, asked plainly

Is there a free alternative to AlmaShines?

AlmaShines' own AlmaDirectory is the only free tier on this list: a directory for fewer than 500 alumni. The lowest paid options are a marketplace script at $45 to $49 once and AlumDeck at $49 a year with every feature. AlumDeck has no free plan; it has a live demo and a 14-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase.

Which AlmaShines alternative has no member limit?

AlmaShines Booster includes up to 3,000 members, and there is no limit from Pro, at $240 a month (AlmaShines pricing, checked October 2026). AlumDeck has no member limit on its one licence. Hivebrite Core limits admins and groups rather than members: 2 admins and 5 groups.

Is there a self-hosted alternative to AlmaShines?

Yes. AlumDeck and the marketplace scripts both install on your own hosting. AlmaShines itself sells a private-cloud Enterprise plan from $8,000 once, for groups of five or more institutes.

Which alternative is quickest to launch?

AlumDeck installs the same day on hosting you already have. Hoopstr says 7 days and AlmaShines 7 to 15 days, hosted for you. Almabase says 8 to 12 weeks is typical.

Will our member data come across?

Members, yes, if you can get them out as a CSV file: the import wizard maps the columns and runs a dry run first. Gifts and past events have their own CSV imports. News, pages and discussions do not import, so plan to rebuild what you need.

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