Ecoferral vs TidyHQ
TidyHQ runs clubs and associations; Ecoferral runs referral groups. A side-by-side look at referrals, meetings, guests, websites, payments and price.
Published November 5, 2026
The short version
Ecoferral
Ecoferral runs a referral group's whole week, including QR check-in, guests, online joining and a website for each chapter, under your own brand.
TidyHQ
TidyHQ is all-in-one software for clubs and associations: memberships and renewals, events with tickets and QR check-in, payments, email and SMS, and a website.
| Ecoferral | TidyHQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $39 a month for a group; $30 a group on network plans ($99 a month minimum) | Pro $69 USD a month or $690 a year, plus 1% + 20c per payment; also priced in AUD, NZD, GBP and EUR |
| Free plan | No | Yes, Starter: unlimited contacts, 100 emails a month, 3% + 20c per payment |
| Best for | Groups that want meetings, guests and websites handled | Clubs and associations that want members, renewals, events and payments in one place |
| Feature | Ecoferral | TidyHQ |
|---|---|---|
| Referrals | ||
| Give a referral from your phone | YesIn any phone browser; add it to the home screen | Not statedReferral tracking isn't among its listed features |
| Follow it to closed business, with the amount | YesContacted, meeting set, closed, with the amount | Not statedNot mentioned |
| Suggestions of who to refer next | YesFrom your chapter's own activity, with the reason shown | Not statedNot mentioned |
| 1-to-1s | YesLogged in a couple of taps | Not statedNot mentioned |
| Thank-yous and testimonials | YesA thank-you when it closes; testimonials for your website | Not statedNot mentioned |
| Meetings | ||
| QR code check-in | YesA rotating code on the screen; members tap once | YesAny phone scans tickets or membership cards at the door, or search by name |
| RSVPs, reminders and meal counts | YesOne-tap RSVP with a meal choice and a count for the venue | PartlyFree or paid tickets with questions such as dietary needs; reminders not stated |
| Attendance reports | YesIn the chapter's monthly report | YesAttendance kept on each profile; post-event reports and exports |
| Speaker schedule and a meeting screen | YesUpcoming speakers and a meeting mode for the room | Not statedAgendas and minutes for committee meetings; a speaker rota isn't mentioned |
| Guests and joining | ||
| Guests sign up online | YesA visit form on your chapter website | YesNon-members book event tickets without an account |
| Automatic guest follow-up | YesA thank-you the next day, a note a week later, a nudge to the inviter | PartlyEmails to everyone who attended; a follow-up sequence isn't mentioned |
| Online application with an e-signed agreement | YesApply, e-sign your agreement, the leader approves | PartlyApplication form with your own fields and file uploads; admins approve; e-signing not stated |
| One professional per category | YesTaken categories are greyed out when people apply | Not statedNot mentioned |
| Websites and search | ||
| A website for each chapter | YesIncluded and kept current by the portal; four designs | YesA website built from your TidyHQ data; your own domain on Pro |
| Pages for each member and open seat | YesA page per member business and per open category | PartlyCommittee pages and a members' directory; open-category pages not stated |
| Help showing up in local search | YesMeetings listed as events for Google; town pages | Not statedNot mentioned |
| Several chapters | ||
| Every chapter side by side | YesA network dashboard and monthly network report | YesTidyConnect reports across clubs or chapters; Enterprise, priced by quote |
| Your brand and category list | YesYour logo, colors and categories on every screen | PartlyBranded pages and membership cards; a shared category list isn't mentioned |
| Reports emailed each month | YesChapter and member reports on the 1st | Not statedReal-time reports and exports; emailing isn't mentioned |
| Club admin and payments | ||
| Dues paid online | YesThrough the chapter's own Stripe account, no Ecoferral fee | YesAutomatic renewal reminders and one-click payment through Stripe; TidyHQ keeps a fee |
| Invoices and accounting sync | NoNot part of Ecoferral | YesBulk invoicing and Xero sync |
| Text messages and a shared inbox | NoMembers are notified by email | YesEmail and SMS from your contacts; replies land in one shared inbox |
| Digital membership cards | NoNot part of Ecoferral | YesIn Apple Wallet and Google Wallet on Pro |
| Phone app from the app stores | PartlyWorks in the phone's browser and installs to the home screen | PartlyNo app; use the phone's browser and add it to the home screen |
| Free plan | NoPlans start at $39 a month | YesStarter is free; 3% + 20c of each payment and 100 emails a month |
What TidyHQ offers is from its own website, checked November 5, 2026. Products change; tell us if something here is out of date. Sources: TidyHQ home page · Pricing · Memberships · Events · Web pages · Communications · TidyConnect · For business networks · For hobby and social clubs · Help: managing member approvals · Help: events with members and non-members · Help: mobile app
When TidyHQ may be the better choice
- You run a club or association, not a referral group: TidyHQ is built around memberships, renewals, events and payments, and doesn't list referral tracking.
- You sell tickets or take lots of payments: paid events, member-only pricing, invoices and Xero sync are built in.
- You want a free plan with unlimited contacts, and are happy for TidyHQ to keep 3% plus 20 cents of each payment.
- You want text messages and a shared inbox for the committee, or membership cards in Apple and Google Wallet.
- You're a federation or national body wanting oversight of many affiliated clubs through TidyConnect.
The details
Ecoferral and TidyHQ are built for different kinds of groups. TidyHQ is all-in-one software for clubs and associations: memberships and renewals, events with tickets and QR check-in, payments, email and text messages, and a website made from its data. Ecoferral is built for referral networking groups: referrals passed and followed to closed business, weekly meeting check-in, guests followed up, joining with one professional per category, and a website for each chapter. TidyHQ's site doesn't list referral tracking among its features.
How they're priced
Ecoferral is priced per group: $39 a month for a single group, or $30 a group on network plans with a $99 monthly minimum. Members never pay. TidyHQ's Starter plan is free, with unlimited contacts and 100 emails a month, and it keeps 3% plus 20 cents of each payment. Pro is $69 USD a month or $690 a year, with the fee cut to 1% plus 20 cents; it's also priced in Australian and New Zealand dollars, pounds and euros. Stripe's own processing fees come on top on both plans. Federations and national bodies can get TidyConnect at a quoted price.
Which to choose
If your chapters meet weekly to pass referrals and you want those referrals, guests, check-in and a chapter website handled together, Ecoferral covers more of that week. If you run a club or association that mainly needs memberships, renewals, paid events, invoices and accounting sync, TidyHQ does more of that work, and its free plan is a low-risk place to start.
Want to see Ecoferral with your own group's details? Book a 15-minute walkthrough.
Questions
Does TidyHQ track referrals between members?
Its website doesn't list referral tracking as a feature; its product pages cover memberships, events, payments and communications. Ecoferral is built around referrals, from the first introduction to closed business.
Which one has a free plan?
TidyHQ's Starter plan is free, with unlimited contacts and 100 emails a month, and it keeps 3% plus 20 cents of each payment. Ecoferral has no free plan; it starts at $39 a month for a group.
Do both have QR code check-in?
Yes, in different ways. TidyHQ turns a phone into a scanner for event tickets and membership cards at the door. Ecoferral shows a rotating code on the meeting screen and members check themselves in with one tap.
Is there a phone app?
Neither has an app in the app stores. TidyHQ's help center suggests using your phone's browser and adding it to the home screen, and Ecoferral works the same way.