MinuteSmith vs. enterprise board portals
A board portal your board can start using this week.
Boardvantage, Diligent, and OnBoard are serious enterprise board-management platforms, with board books, e-signature voting, director portals and deep security programs. They are built for a large company’s board office, a buying committee and a planned rollout.
MinuteSmith is a board portal for HOA, condo and nonprofit boards: minutes, documents, secure messaging and approvals in one place, self-serve with published prices. It also drafts the minutes for you and keeps every decision searchable across years. To see that on real history, read how one anonymized board archive became searchable.
One decision, followed across meetings
- Annual Budget ReviewRaisedResidents flag complaints about AquaCare
- Reserve Study MtgRFP authorizedRFP issued; bids slow — flagged overdue
- Pool Bids & Town HallBids comparedAquaPro $1,850 vs CleanWater $1,950
- Town Hall RecapApproved 7–0AquaPro Services selected · $1,850/mo
Governance standing, from the board’s own record
Governance standing
Riverbend HOA · derived from the record
On record
Not yet recorded
| Capability | MinuteSmith | Board portals |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes, documents, secure messaging and approvals in one place | ||
| Drafts the minutes for you from notes, a transcript or a recordingPortals mostly store minutes you write; drafting help varies by vendor. | ||
| Ask questions across years of minutes, with cited answersVaries by vendor. | ||
| Approved minutes locked from edits | ||
| Self-serve signup and a free trialMany enterprise portals start with a demo call; varies by vendor. | ||
| Published prices, billed per organization, board members freePricing models vary; check each vendor. | ||
| Board books with annotation, and formal e-voting at scaleWhere enterprise portals are deeper. MinuteSmith has meeting packets and approval votes. | ||
| Formal security certifications and a procurement teamWe publish a Trust Center and a Security page that lists what we don't claim; we are a self-serve product. |
Comparison reflects the typical enterprise board-portal category, not a feature-by-feature audit of any one vendor; pricing and capabilities vary and change. Where a portal is deeper, such as annotated board books and formal e-voting, we say so.
When an enterprise portal fits
A large public-company or major-nonprofit board that needs board-pack distribution, formal e-voting, and a dedicated procurement relationship.
When you need MinuteSmith
An HOA, condo or nonprofit board run by volunteers that wants minutes, documents, messaging and approvals in one place now, without a sales call or a long implementation.
See also: MinuteSmith vs. AI note-takers · Trust Center
Questions about MinuteSmith and board portals
How is MinuteSmith different from a board portal like Diligent, OnBoard, or Boardable?+
MinuteSmith is a board portal too, built for HOA, condo and nonprofit boards rather than a large company's board office. It covers minutes, documents, secure messaging and approvals, and it also drafts the minutes and keeps every decision searchable with Ask AI. Enterprise portals go further on annotated board books and formal security certifications.
Is MinuteSmith a full replacement for our board portal?+
For most community and nonprofit boards, yes: minutes, documents, board messaging, approvals and member records all live in MinuteSmith. If your board relies on annotated board books, or your procurement requires formal security certifications, compare carefully against the table above.
How does pricing compare to enterprise board portals?+
MinuteSmith plans start at $149/month (Governance Essentials), billed per organization, and board members invited by an owner are free. Enterprise portal pricing varies by vendor, so ask each one. There's a 14-day free trial; a credit card is required and you can cancel anytime before it ends.
Can we bring our existing board history into MinuteSmith?+
Yes. Import past minutes (PDF, Word, Zoom transcripts) and years of history become searchable immediately, so Ask AI and governance memory work right away instead of only after new meetings accrue.
Try it with one of your own meetings
Paste notes, drop in a recording, or import a year of past minutes, and see the board-ready record that comes out.
Start free trial →14-day trial. Credit card required. Board members always free.