When to Choose a Custom Membership Platform Over an      Off-the-Shelf Solution

In a world with no financial constraints, everyone would have a custom solution. But that’s not always the right answer. Off-the-shelf solutions are great because the cost of development is distributed across many users. But it’s not always the best solution for everyone.

You have three basic choices:

• - Off-the-Shelf Solution: A membership platform with clearly specified features. You can customize branding and basic configuration. You don’t own the software. Instead, you pay an ongoing licensing fee.
• - Platform Solution: Your needs are customized on top of an existing platform like SalesForce. Typically, you hire consultants who customize the platform for your needs. The benefit of a platform solution is broad acceptance of the platform with a robust ecosystem of plugin functionality. The downside is customization is often expensive and you still run into limitations based on inflexibility of the platform. You don’t own the software. Instead, you pay an ongoing licensing fee.
• - Custom Solution: You get a custom solution based on your needs. It can take longer to launch a solution. But when you do, you own the solution and typically don’t need to pay ongoing licensing costs.

This guide will help you determine whether a custom membership platform is the right choice for your needs.