What’s the difference between Aprio vs. OnBoard? Whether you’re a government, financial, or nonprofit organization, choosing the right software vendor can have a significant impact on your board’s productivity.
Before you invest in a board management system, it’s important to ensure its features align with your board’s needs and processes. Below is a comprehensive software comparison that outlines the key differences and similarities between Aprio and OnBoard.
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Ideal customers: Aprio vs. OnBoard
OnBoard and Aprio are both well-known board management tools with similar features, but have some significant differences.
OnBoard is an international software provider serving customers in over 32 countries. It may be a good fit for enterprise teams with a large budget for software and IT support, and complex needs for reporting. It includes unique lifecycle management features alongside integrations with Microsoft 365 tools such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Aprio’s board portal is the #1 choice for North America’s credit unions, banks, education, and health organizations. Aprio is ideal for organizations that want to strike a balance between comprehensive features and simplicity, with user friendly workflows and one-on-one support for all the core board management tools organizations need at an affordable price.
Aprio vs. OnBoard: key benefits comparison
At their core Aprio and OnBoard board portals do similar things – help boards organize meetings, securely distribute board packages and keep directors up to date. However, there are some important differences to consider.
|
Benefits |
Aprio | OnBoard |
| User-friendly interface
Customer reviews of Aprio’s board portal indicate how easy it is for board members to log in and get started from day one. With Aprio’s intuitive navigation, board members can easily find files, links, and everything else they need. Some reviews of OnBoard indicate that the learning curve for new users can be steep and some features aren’t intuitive to navigate. |
Yes | No |
| Industry-leading security
Aprio offers robust encryption for complete security of board and company information, with certifications from independent, third-party security auditors – and includes multi-factor authentication and remote wiping. OnBoard also offers excellent security for its users but single sign on is only available for Premium users. |
Yes | Yes |
| Advanced features for all
Aprio offers all of our premium tools and features for every customer. If you wish to simplify your portal, you can hide the extra features you won’t use right now and then unhide them and set up training to scale at no extra cost when it works for you. To get all the advanced features of OnBoard, you’ll need to upgrade to the ultimate package. |
Yes | Ultimate package only |
| Virtual meeting readiness
While both Aprio and OnBoard integrate with Zoom, Aprio integrates with all major video conferencing tools including Webex, GoToMeeting and Microsoft Teams. Onboard integrates with Microsoft 365 for Teams meetings, but it’s only available as an add-on. |
Yes | Limited |
| Unlimited training and support included
From day one, Aprio helps every customer set up their board meeting software. You’ll work directly with experienced board portal administrators to help make setup a breeze, and have ongoing access to our top-tier customer support. OnBoard includes onboarding guidance for premium or ultimate customers only. OnBoard offers digital support on its Essentials tier, but managed implementations are only available through OnBoard’s Premium and Ultimate tiers. |
Yes | Limited |
| AI-enhanced features
Onboard offers AI features for transcribing and summarizing meeting minutes, creating surveys, and generating insights. While it’s possible to delete summaries, some users reported difficulty in editing summaries – and a higher price tag for each user. Aprio does not currently have AI-supported features as part of our commitment to protecting our customers’ data security and the affordability of our platform. |
No | Yes |
| Mobile & Offline Capabilities
Both Aprio and OnBoard offer mobile apps that allow directors to update and annotate documents without WiFi. Aprio’s mobile features let board members collaborate, access polls, manage expenses, and view agendas from any device. If they’re offline, the updates will sync as soon as board members are connected to the internet again. OnBoard has similar mobile features for mobile. |
Yes | Yes |
| Complete reporting
Aprio provides nine standard reports to track board activity, attendance, login behaviour, groups, and audit reporting. Onboard has diversity and skills reporting that Aprio does not, however Aprio includes built-in expense reporting that OnBoard lacks. |
Yes | Limited |
Choosing a comprehensive board portal: Aprio vs. OnBoard
Aprio and OnBoard both offer a suite of comprehensive features to distribute board packages, manage meeting agendas, track board member activity, and more.
Aprio and OnBoard offer similar board management features like:
- Document management and sharing features to distribute board materials
- Tools for creating and collaborating on meeting agendas
- Voting and board survey tools to improve board engagement and decision making
- Task tracking features to ensure action items are completed on time
- Meeting minute tool to draft minutes faster
- Collaboration tools that let board members annotate and comment on board documents
- Automated audit trail of past decisions and meetings
- Customizable reports to track board member activity over time
All of these features are available for every Aprio user, but many of the above features are not included in OnBoard’s basic package. If you choose OnBoard, you’ll need to upgrade to its Premium tier or purchase add-ons in order to gain access. OnBoard and Aprio also have different reporting features. OnBoard has diversity reporting and skills tracking features that aren’t available in Aprio, and Aprio has expense reporting and login behaviour.
It’s also important to consider ease of use when choosing a board portal. Many users remark that although OnBoard is comprehensive, its learning curve can pose a challenge to some board members and increase the timeline for implementation. Aprio was designed with ease of use in mind; if you don’t need all the features right away, you can choose to hide them until you’re ready to use them, with no surprise add-ons or change in your subscription cost.
AI-enabled vs. manual board management
Recently, OnBoard has added new AI-enabled features to their board management tools, including automated meeting minute transcripts and summaries. OnBoard’s controlled Azure infrastructure provides some degree of protection, but it’s important to ask detailed questions about data security, including:
- Is any data stored temporarily outside the secure Azure environment?
- How frequently are the models updated and retested?
- Are there mechanisms in place to flag inaccurate or sensitive outputs for review?
While Aprio is watching the space closely, we’ve decided to hold back on AI implementation due to its risks. These include:
Data security issues: Board portals often contain sensitive data such as merger and acquisition details, executive discussions, and strategic plans. AI that uses APIs for implementation can increase the risk of data breaches.
Transparency: Board decisions require a high degree of accountability. If AI is used to summarize documents or generate insights, it could make it difficult to confirm the reasoning behind its outputs.
Regulatory compliance: AI integration can complicate regulatory compliance with industry standards such as HIPAA and GDPR, particularly if the system processes data in ways that are not fully transparent.
AI has the potential to speed up communications and meeting minutes, but for boards with sensitive data considerations, it’s wise to weigh the risks and benefits of AI carefully. We understand the ethical considerations surrounding privacy that many boards are concerned about.
Board management software pricing comparison: Aprio vs. OnBoard
Both Aprio and OnBoard offer subscription plans. When comparing quotes of board portal software, consider how add-on fees or tier-based limitations might affect your budget as you scale.
OnBoard offers a free trial so you can test-drive features before reaching out for a quote. With Aprio, we offer a confidence booster: our contract includes a pilot phase with no cancellation fee until the day after your first meeting. This risk-free approach reflects our confidence in our solution – and we’ve never had anyone take us up on this offer.
OnBoard pricing
OnBoard offers three subscription tiers with varying features and levels of customer support. For example, voting & approvals, surveys, and e-signatures are all priced as add-ons in the Essentials package, but come as standard features in the Premium package. Their Support is also limited in the Essentials package, while managed implementation is available for Premium and Ultimate subscriptions.
The AI Intelligent Assistant comes standard on every tier, but automated meeting minutes are priced as an add-on. The feedback we’ve heard from customers is that the cost of OnBoard has increased due to the new AI capabilities.
Aprio pricing
Aprio believes that good governance should be simple, with no surprise add-ons or complicated tiered pricing.
All Aprio plans include:
- 20 user licenses, including unlimited administrators and committees.
- All features on the Aprio platform, including an archive of all past and current materials, minutes builder, agenda builder, calendars, collaboration tools, audit tracking, and more.
- Access to desktop and mobile applications.
- All security features, including remote wiping and multi-factor authentication.
- Ongoing training and support, including unlimited training for board members and group webinars.
If you wish to simplify your portal experience, you can hide the features you won’t use right now. Unhide them and set up training so that you can scale at no extra cost when it works for you. Learn more about Aprio’s pricing including requesting a custom quote.
Onboarding and support: Aprio vs. OnBoard
Not all board portals offer the same caliber of responsive service. Because a board portal is used by some of the most influential and time-starved people in your organization, it is paramount that product support is fast, friendly and available to every customer when they need it, without having to opt for a premium package to get access.
OnBoard’s Essentials tier offers 24/7 technical support available via email or phone along with an online knowledge center. However, many users reported that customer support can be lacking when they encountered glitches, and notifications for resolved tickets aren’t easy to spot.
With Aprio you won’t deal with hard-to-reach call centers, get directed to an online knowledge center, or find automated-chat answers. When you call us, you’ll speak with a former board administrator who knows firsthand the stresses and urgencies of boards—24/7, 365 days a year.
We’re proud to offer unmatched expert service and continue our track record of excellence in customer support and training, achieving a consistently high net promoter score.
“Aprio is the portal I recommend for every board. I have been using Aprio on a daily basis for six years for four different Boards and many committees. There are many aspects of the software I appreciate but, in particular, the ability to create a board package from beginning to end in a few minutes is the greatest gift to my very busy and time-sensitive schedule. I love the agenda generator and the ability to create skeleton minutes in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take. The highest compliment I have, however, is for the Aprio support team who are quick and responsive whenever there is an issue or suggestions for improvements.” – Board Secretary
“Aprio Board Management Software has been super easy to use and has the best customer service provided by the Aprio support team. We use Aprio almost on a daily basis and the application is super easy in terms of usage. Aprio has a great variety of features for the Directors and they also seem to be satisfied with the software.” – Board Administrator in Financial Services
Aprio vs. OnBoard: See the difference for yourself
For boards seeking an user friendly, secure board portal with all the premium board management features included, plus premium customer support and unlimited training for all – consider Aprio.
Board meetings can be stressful, so we believe that your board management software solution should be as stress-free as possible. Aprio can help your whole team lighten the work of meetings with expert support and intuitive features.
“Aprio staff are wonderful to work with; they are accommodating, understanding and very quick to respond to any inquiries, whether it be to assist the administrator or its Directors. I love that all our information is located in one depository for ease of access by everyone given permission to use it.” – Capterra Review
Making the switch in a few weeks is possible! We’re happy to help assess your needs and the fit with Aprio. Take the first step – talk to our team about your needs.
See how Aprio compares to other board portals:
- Board portal comparison – Aprio vs. Diligent
- Board portal comparison – Aprio vs. BoardEffect
- Board Portal Comparison – Aprio vs. Govenda
Disclaimer: The information presented in this blog is current as of February 25, 2025, and is accurate to the best of our knowledge. Our insights are derived from publicly available sources, such as product review websites and social media, as well as direct conversations with customers and prospects. This information is intended to provide a general comparison and may not reflect the most recent updates or changes in the products mentioned.
