When to Build Your Own Membership Platform (and When Not To)
Here’s a comparison: not every business needs to own an event space.
Most are perfectly fine renting a venue.
That’s what using an off-the-shelf platform is.
It’s renting.
You’re swapping the resource and responsibility needed to design, build, and maintain your own platform for the convenience and limitations of someone else’s space.
For many membership organisations, the right choice is to build something that fits their members and operations perfectly. But for others, custom development is overkill.
After more than a decade helping organisations build digital communities, from fledgling start-ups to large, established membership bodies, this is how I think about the build-or-buy decision.
It’s worth noting, we spend our time doing three things;
Deepening engagement.
Creating frictionless operations.
Creating reports that drive growth.
Start With the Real Question
When someone says, “We want to build a platform,” what they usually mean is, “We want control.”
Control over the brand. Control over the member experience. Control over the data.
All valid reasons.
But control comes at a cost. Uptime, accessibility, long-term maintenance, user experience, all of it becomes your responsibility.
Before anyone writes a line of code, ask: What problem are we solving that existing tools can’t?
👉 If the issue is “our logo looks small on Circle,” that’s not a reason to build.
👉 If the issue is “we need deep integration with our CRM, our payment system, and our access controls,” now we’re talking.
You need a bespoke platform when the platform is the product, or when it’s critical to delivering the value you’ve promised your members.
When Off-the-Shelf Tools Make Sense
Platforms like Circle, Geneva, and Tightnit exist for good reason.
They do a lot of the heavy lifting; authentication, notifications, moderation, analytics - so you can focus on the actual community bit.
According to the 2023 Digital Community Leaders Report, only 29% of organisations have a documented community strategy, and many are still figuring out what “good” looks like for their audience. If that’s you, then flexibility matters more than full control.
You can:
Experiment with different membership models
Test onboarding flows
See what content sticks
Prove demand
All without hiring developers or investing thousands into a new platform.
So if you’ve got fewer than 1,000 members, or your revenue model is still being stress-tested, start with something out of the box. You’ll move faster, spend less, and learn more.
Think of it as your Minimum Viable Community; something Rosie Sherry, founder of Rosie.land, swears by: “Stop doing lots of planning upfront and instead embrace small-scale experimentation.”
When You Should Build
If your community is your entire product, your members expect something purpose-built.
Think Notion (now with 30M+ users), or Duolingo (with over $250M revenue).
They didn’t start on someone else’s platform; they are the platform.
Custom development makes sense when:
You need tight integration between membership, content, payments, and permissions
You’re working with sensitive data or need control over where and how it’s stored
Your existing stack is limiting growth, and new features feel like clunky workarounds
You want to build long-term value and avoid platform lock-in
One stat from the report really stood out: 62% of community leaders aren’t using any automation tools.
That’s a missed opportunity, because custom platforms can bake this in. Whether it’s intelligent onboarding, behaviour-based nudges, or personalised content delivery, you can shape the experience entirely.
And with tools like Laravel, Statamic, and Livewire, you’re not building from scratch. You’re crafting something scalable, secure, and sustainable, with full ownership of your data, your IP, and your roadmap.
If that sounds like where you’re headed, it’s time to talk to a team that knows how to build well.
Know Your Ecosystem
Sometimes the right answer isn’t “build” or “buy”; it’s “blend”.
Your community already lives across multiple touchpoints.
According to our Ecosystem Mapping resource, successful organisations think in systems.
They use social media to drive awareness, third-party tools to manage conversations, and owned platforms to host deeper engagement.
Where does your community naturally gather?
What tools are they already using?
What channels feel most alive?
BIMA, for example, mixes in-person events with a thriving online community, powered by its own member-driven governance model. They’ve created something that blends digital and physical touchpoints to create real belonging.
And the result? Members collaborate, create content, and even run internships under the BIMA banner.
Ready to start on your project?
We have been developing websites for over a decade. Our team of developers love what they do, and strive to ensure they leave the internet in a better place than they found it.
The Benefits of Ownership
There is more to a bespoke membership website than just control.
You get to:
Build tailored onboarding flows, improving engagement from day one (Threado’s 2023 report found that good onboarding doubles engagement)
Integrate with your CRM and analytics tools, giving you a full view of member behaviour
Create participation pathways that recognise and reward your most engaged users, using models like the Community Participation Ladder
Future-proof your investment, because your platform grows with you
And let’s be honest, member experience matters.
If you’re asking people to pay, participate, and show up regularly, the platform needs to reflect your values.
Sephora knows this. Their Beauty Insider community drives 80% of their sales. Not because of the platform alone, but because the experience is seamless, personal, and valuable.
Build with a Plan
Still thinking that a custom membership platform is for you?
Great news, we created a free Community Strategy Framework to help you lay the groundwork:
What's your mission?
Who are you serving?
What’s the member journey?
How will you measure success?
You’d be surprised how many organisations skip this step and expect software to do the heavy lifting. A beautiful platform without a clear purpose is just a shell.
Like the report says, “Only 29% of communities have a documented strategy.”
That’s a gap you can’t afford to fall into.
Let’s build
👉 If your goal is to prove a concept, grow fast, or stay nimble: rent.
👉 If your platform is your business, or if off-the-shelf tools are holding you back: own.
Don’t build just because it sounds impressive.
Build because it solves a real problem. Because your community deserves better. Because it gives you flexibility, focus, and freedom.
And if you’re not sure?
Let’s chat.
At Steadfast Collective, we’ve helped organisations just like yours navigate these decisions with clarity, not complexity.
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