MinuteSmith

MinuteSmith vs. Convene

Per-organization governance memory, not per-seat meetings.

Convene is a paperless board-meeting platform — agenda and pack distribution, in-meeting tools, and e-signatures, commonly priced per user. It is built to run the meeting paperlessly.

MinuteSmith is built around the record and the memory rather than the meeting room. It generates approved, compliance-checked minutes and makes your entire history answerable — and it's priced per organization, so inviting your whole board never adds a per-seat fee.

What governance memory looks like

One decision · four meetings · zero dropped threadsTopic: Pool maintenance vendor
  1. Annual Budget Review
    Raised
    Residents flag complaints about AquaCare
  2. Reserve Study Mtg
    RFP authorized
    RFP issued; bids slow — flagged overdue
  3. Pool Bids & Town Hall
    Bids compared
    AquaPro $1,850 vs CleanWater $1,950
  4. Town Hall Recap
    Approved 7–0
    AquaPro Services selected · $1,850/mo
Ask AI · scoped to your boards
“What did we decide about the pool maintenance vendor?”
The board approved AquaPro Services at $1,850/month (motion carried 7–0), closing a four-meeting thread that began with resident complaints. Cited: Town Hall Recap · Motion 9

The difference in one line: Convene makes the meeting paperless. MinuteSmith makes the decisions permanent and searchable — for one per-organization price.

Where Convene fits

A board that wants a polished paperless-meeting experience — digital board packs, in-meeting annotation, and e-signing — and is comfortable with per-user pricing.

Where MinuteSmith fits

An organization that wants the minutes generated, the decisions tracked, and the history searchable, with simple per-organization pricing and board members included free.

Convene is described at the category level (paperless board-meeting platform); this is not a feature-by-feature audit, and capabilities and pricing change — confirm current specifics on Convene’s own site. MinuteSmith details above are current.

Understand the category: What is governance memory? · Institutional memory for boards · How it works · Pricing

Other comparisons: vs. Diligent · vs. OnBoard · all comparisons

MinuteSmith vs. Convene — FAQ

Is MinuteSmith a Convene alternative?+

If your priority is the governance record and institutional memory rather than a paperless in-meeting experience, MinuteSmith is a focused alternative — and its per-organization pricing means adding board members never increases the bill.

How does MinuteSmith's pricing compare?+

MinuteSmith publishes its pricing and bills per organization, not per director or per seat — invited board members are always free. Plans start at $149/month (Governance Essentials, one organization), with Professional at $349/month and Portfolio at $699/month, and a 14-day free trial (credit card required, cancel anytime). Enterprise board platforms are typically quote-based and priced per seat; confirm current figures on the vendor's own site.

Can MinuteSmith import our existing board history?+

Yes. Import past minutes — PDFs, Word documents, scanned pages, or Zoom transcripts — and years of history become searchable immediately, so Ask AI and continuity briefs work against your full record right away.

Does MinuteSmith charge per board member?+

No. Pricing is per organization, and invited board members are always free. They review and approve minutes through a private link without needing an account.

See it with one of your own meetings.

Paste notes, drop a recording, or import a year of past minutes. Get a board-ready record — and a searchable memory — in minutes.

Start free trial →

14-day trial. Credit card required. Board members always free.