A business network needs membership software that treats a company and its staff as one membership, runs a busy events calendar without a second ticketing tool, and helps members find each other. Glue Up, GrowthZone, Hivebrite and Raklet each cover parts of this, with a different emphasis. We make Portava, which competes with all four, so every claim about another product links to that company’s own website or help centre.
This post is for people who run business networks, sector networks, business improvement districts and growth hubs in the UK and Ireland. If you have not yet written down what you need, start with our buyer’s guide to choosing membership software. Chambers should also read our comparison of Glue Up alternatives for chambers and associations, which covers accounting links, recurring events and data migration.
What a business network needs that a club tool may not
Many membership tools grew up serving clubs and charities, where one person holds one membership. A business network differs in four ways.
Companies and their people
A firm joins and five of its staff use the membership. The software has to hold the company and the people separately, list colleagues together in the directory, and know who holds the membership. When that person leaves, your team should be able to hand it to a colleague without losing the company’s history or renewal date, and the renewal invoice should still reach the company.
Events are the main product
For many networks the monthly breakfast is the reason people join. That means member and guest prices, a ticket for the prospect a member brings along, a check-in list that works on a phone, and a follow-up to those who came and those who did not.
Introductions
Members join to meet people who might buy from them, sell to them or advise them. A directory of businesses and people, searchable by sector, is the minimum. Some systems match members automatically; in others your team makes introductions by hand. Decide which you want before the demos.
Sponsors and partners
A bank sponsors the breakfast series, or the council funds a programme. Sponsors want their name seen and a login or two without being counted as members. Ask how each system shows a sponsor and gives a partner’s contact access for a fixed period.
Which software suits a membership-based business network?
Software that holds companies and their staff as members, sells and checks in tickets for frequent events, and gives members a directory for finding each other. Glue Up, GrowthZone, Hivebrite, Raklet and Portava cover these in different ways, and none is right for every network. Test each one with a real company, a real event and a real introduction.
| Glue Up | GrowthZone | Hivebrite | Raklet | Portava | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company and staff | Corporate membership, one primary member | Individuals and organisations in one database | Membership set aside for a partner organisation | Company with sub-members | Company membership, main contact and team seats |
| Introductions | Speed networking, automatic pairing | Business directory with offers and jobs (ChamberMaster) | AI matching, one-to-one or groups | Directories with custom filters | Directory, follows and direct messages |
| Check-in | Glue Up Manager app | Staff mobile app | Built in | QR code or barcode scan | QR-code tickets, check-in on a phone |
| Online events | In person, virtual and hybrid | Webinar tool links | Virtual or in person | Physical or online | Online and hybrid supported |
| Sponsors | Branding for sponsors and exhibitors | Sponsorship packages (ChamberMaster) | Sponsorship spaces in groups, pages and news | Not found on pages we checked | Partner contacts as guests with an end date |
| Apps | My Glue for members | Staff apps | White-label app | Branded iPhone and Android apps | Branded mobile app |
| CRM | Built-in CRM | Built-in prospect pipeline | HubSpot, Salesforce and Zoho links | Built-in member database and CRM | HubSpot sync; engagement score to HubSpot, Salesforce or another CRM |
Checked on 29 September 2026, on each company’s own website or help centre, linked below. Products change, so confirm anything that matters with the supplier.
Glue Up
Glue Up describes itself as all-in-one software for associations, chambers and non-profits, covering events, memberships, CRM and email marketing (Glue Up). Its speed networking pairs attendees at random for short one-to-one video meetings. Staff handle check-in and badges in the Glue Up Manager app, events can be in person, virtual or hybrid, and webinars and virtual events offer branding for sponsors and exhibitors (event management). Each corporate membership has one primary member who manages it.
GrowthZone
GrowthZone AMS is built for associations, including trade associations and chambers (GrowthZone AMS). It keeps individuals and organisations in one database with engagement scoring, tracks prospects in a built-in pipeline, and checks attendees in from a staff app. Its chamber product, ChamberMaster, manages sponsorship packages and their fulfilment, and gives members directory profiles with special offers and job postings. On sponsorship and prospect tracking it goes further than Portava.
Hivebrite
Hivebrite is a community platform for associations, non-profits, higher education and business organisations, with a white-label mobile app (Hivebrite). Its AI matching pairs members one-to-one or in groups from criteria you set, then sends a calendar invite and video link. Events can be virtual or in person, with check-in and follow-up (features). Sponsorship spaces can be opened across groups, pages and news, and a membership can be set aside for a partner organisation (monetisation features). It connects to HubSpot and syncs engagement scores both ways with Salesforce.
Raklet
Raklet serves professional associations, alumni networks, clubs, non-profits and event organisers among others, with branded iPhone and Android apps (Raklet). A company can hold a group membership: the primary member adds sub-members, who each get their own login, and handles renewals and payments. Events can be physical or online, with ticket types and QR code or barcode check-in, and every attendee becomes a contact.
Which membership software suits business networks with frequent networking events?
Look for software that sells member and guest tickets, checks people in from a phone and sends follow-ups afterwards; all five products here handle check-in at the door. For structured networking, Glue Up’s speed networking and Hivebrite’s AI matching go furthest. Also check how a monthly event is set up, because some tools create each date separately.
In a demo, ask the supplier to set up your next three breakfasts with member and guest prices, book a guest onto one, check five people in on a phone and send the thank-you email. Count the steps. Then ask what a member sees on their own phone.
Which membership platforms are good for medium-sized UK business networks?
For a network of a few hundred member businesses and a small team, compare company memberships, whether payments land in your own account, how members exercise their UK GDPR rights, and links to the CRM and accounting tools you already use. Test Glue Up, GrowthZone, Hivebrite, Raklet and Portava on these points with your own data.
With members on both sides of the Irish border, also ask how sterling and euro payments work and how VAT appears on invoices.
When to stay with what you have
A move costs a season of staff time and some of your members’ habits. Stay if your current system handles company memberships cleanly, renewals go out without manual chasing and members use its app. If members book Glue Up speed networking every month, or Hivebrite matches lead to introductions people mention at events, that habit is worth more than a feature list. Switch when you can name the members or staff hours the gaps are costing you.
How Portava works for a business network
We make Portava, and networks and business improvement districts are among the organisations it is built for. Each tier applies to people, companies or both. A company membership is held by a main contact, who invites colleagues from My company up to the plan’s seats and receives the renewal reminders. When that person leaves, the team chooses Make main contact beside the colleague taking over.
The directory lists organisations and people, with colleagues under their company. Members can follow and message one another, and each chooses who may message them. The member assistant answers questions such as “who can help with exporting?” from the same directory.
Example screen with sample data
Ticket types are set by tier, so a signed-in member sees their own price, and every booking comes with a QR-code ticket. The team checks people in from a list on a phone, then sends follow-ups to those who came and those who did not. Members can propose events, and approved ones carry their organisation’s logo. Online and hybrid events are supported. A sponsor’s contact can be invited as a guest with an end date. The team sees engagement scores and risk signals, and the score can be sent to HubSpot, Salesforce or another CRM. Members use the portal in a browser or a branded mobile app.
There are no recurring events yet, so each monthly breakfast is created as its own event. Portava does not pair members automatically or manage sponsor packages; introductions come from the directory and your team. To see a company membership and an event run from start to finish, request a demo of Portava.
Frequently asked questions
What platforms are there for running a business community?
Glue Up, GrowthZone, Hivebrite and Raklet all offer membership and event tools for communities, and Portava is another option. Glue Up and Hivebrite lean towards structured networking and matching, GrowthZone towards associations and chambers with sponsorship tools, and Raklet towards memberships and events for many kinds of community.
Can one system handle company and individual members?
Yes. Glue Up, GrowthZone, Raklet and Portava each describe company or organisation memberships on their own sites. Check the detail in a demo: who holds a company membership, how colleagues are added, how many seats a plan includes, who receives the renewal reminder, and how the membership passes on when its holder leaves.
Does a business network need a member app?
Not always. A portal that works in a phone browser covers booking, tickets and the directory. An app helps when members use it between events, for messages, notifications and finding people. Glue Up, Hivebrite, Raklet and Portava all offer member apps, so ask whether yours would carry your own brand.
How should a network handle sponsors in its software?
Decide first what a sponsor gets: their name on events and pages, logins for their people, or both. Some systems have sponsorship tools, such as ChamberMaster’s sponsorship packages or Hivebrite’s sponsored spaces. Elsewhere, invite partners as guests or give them their own tier.
Glue Up, GrowthZone, ChamberMaster, Hivebrite, Raklet, HubSpot and Salesforce are trademarks of their respective owners.
