Volunteer management software is the system a charity, hospice, museum or event uses to recruit, check, schedule and stay in touch with its volunteers from one place. For many UK organisations, it replaces the spreadsheets, paper sign-in sheets and group chats that worked with 20 volunteers but struggle at 200.
Choosing one is harder than it should be. Research commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport found that awareness of the tools on offer is low among volunteer-involving organisations, and that some end up running several systems to cover everything they need.
This guide looks at five volunteer management platforms with an established UK customer base, what each one is best suited to and how to decide between them.
How the five were chosen
Each platform is a dedicated volunteer management system with UK customers, mobile access for volunteers and published information about its features. Each were compared on recruitment and onboarding, compliance checks such as DBS, scheduling, communication, reporting and how pricing is structured. Every detail comes from the company’s own website and was checked at the time of writing.
Five volunteer management software platforms to consider
1. Volunteero – best for management and a volunteer app in one
Built for charities, nonprofits, healthcare and events, Volunteero’s volunteer management software takes organisations from recruitment through to reporting, with its own mobile app for volunteers. Government-commissioned research into digital volunteering tools found only three platforms that combine back-office volunteer management with a volunteer-facing app, and Volunteero was one of them.
Applications turn into volunteer profiles, references are collected automatically and DBS checks run through Verifile, so volunteers only take on roles they are qualified for. Volunteers then claim shifts, check in by QR code and message coordinators in the app. Users include Citizens Advice and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
- Best for: charities, hospices and NHS volunteer services that want DBS-checked onboarding and a volunteer app in one system
- Standout feature: recruitment, compliance, scheduling and reporting linked to a dedicated volunteer app
- Pricing: one plan with every feature, priced annually by active volunteers and staff users, with setup, training and data migration included
2. Access Assemble – best for larger charities in the Access ecosystem
Access Assemble is the volunteer management system from The Access Group, designed specifically for charities. It covers recruitment through structured applications, volunteer records across teams and locations, rotas built around availability and skills, event management and diversity and inclusion tracking, plus a mobile app where volunteers manage their shifts.
Access publishes results from UK customers: the RSPCA reports 224% growth in volunteer numbers and Mencap grew its volunteers by 71% in a year. Assemble connects with the wider Access Charity Suite and with CRM and LMS tools, and support comes from a UK-based team. Access normally recommends it to charities with at least 200 volunteers.
- Best for: charities with 200 or more volunteers, especially those already using other Access products
- Standout feature: diversity and inclusion tracking alongside rotas, events and a volunteer app
- Pricing: Standard from £225 a month, billed annually, for 250+ volunteers; Enterprise for 2,000+ volunteers on application
3. Better Impact – best for established programmes wanting a long track record
Better Impact launched in 2000 and says it has more than 25,000 customers in over 20 countries, including the UK. Its main platform, Volunteer Impact, covers customisable application forms, an automatically built volunteer database, self-scheduling, eLearning and training modules, email and SMS communications, a volunteer portal and reporting. Application forms can also be embedded on an organisation’s own website.
Its portfolio reaches beyond volunteers. Client Impact handles client-facing work in settings such as hospitals and hospice care, and Member Impact covers membership management. Better Impact holds ISO 27001 certification and says more than 500 million volunteer hours have been logged in Volunteer Impact.
- Best for: medium to large programmes, including healthcare, that value a mature platform with a long track record
- Standout feature: self-scheduling and built-in eLearning in one volunteer portal
- Pricing: three plans (Foundation, Growth and Impact), priced by the number of active volunteers; prices are not published
4. TeamKinetic – best for councils, volunteer centres and tighter budgets
TeamKinetic is based in Manchester and works with organisations including Manchester City Council, the Youth Hostel Association, Glasgow Life and NHS Scotland. Its platform covers recruitment and onboarding, automated messaging, inbuilt criminal checks, real-time reporting for demonstrating social value, and rewards such as Tempo Time Credits, OpenBadge awards and progress milestones.
Volunteers use free iOS and Android apps, which Enterprise customers can have white-labelled, and TeamKinetic never charges per volunteer, as every package includes unlimited volunteer accounts. Its API has built-in connectors for GOVO and Volunteer Scotland, which suits volunteer centres and public bodies that share data with national volunteering networks.
- Best for: local authorities, volunteer centres and smaller charities watching costs
- Standout feature: a free Community edition and unlimited volunteers on every plan
- Pricing: Community is free, Essentials is £29 a month and Growth is £79 a month; Enterprise is on application
5. Rosterfy – best for events and large-scale rostering
Rosterfy has offices in London, Melbourne, Sydney, Denver and New York, and says it is used by more than five million volunteers and staff across 77+ countries. UK users include the British Heart Foundation, WaterAid, St John Ambulance, Marie Curie and the London Marathon.
It covers recruitment and onboarding, online training and inductions, advanced scheduling, reward and retention, reporting and a volunteer app, with more than 50 API integrations across CRM, fundraising and background-check tools. Volunteers can view opportunities, complete training and respond to schedule changes from their phones. The British Heart Foundation case study reports £200,000 in annual savings and onboarding start times cut by 21 days.
- Best for: events, sports bodies and national charities rostering large volunteer workforces
- Standout feature: advanced scheduling with two-way volunteer messaging for high-volume, multi-shift programmes
- Pricing: tailored to each organisation’s size, goals and volunteer needs; prices are not published
How to choose volunteer management software for a UK organisation
The right volunteer management software is the one that fits how many volunteers you have, how closely their roles are regulated and how your team already works. These six questions narrow the field quickly.
- How many volunteers will you manage? Some platforms are built with a size in mind. Access recommends Assemble for charities with at least 200 volunteers, while TeamKinetic offers a free Community edition aimed at small charities and community groups.
- Do your roles need DBS checks? If volunteers work with children or vulnerable adults, look for checks that run inside the system and restrict roles until they are cleared, rather than records kept in a separate spreadsheet.
- What will volunteers actually use? A coordinator dashboard is only half the picture. Check that volunteers can find shifts, sign up, check in and message the team from their phone without needing training.
- How is pricing calculated? Models vary widely. Some providers price by active volunteers, some by package with unlimited volunteers and some by volunteer bands, so ask for a quote based on your real numbers.
- What happens to your existing data? Ask whether data migration and staff training are included, and how long setup typically takes.
- Can you show impact to trustees and funders? Check whether hours are logged automatically from check-ins and whether reports can be built without exporting data to spreadsheets.
It is also worth checking how each provider handles UK GDPR, including where volunteer data is hosted and whether a data processing agreement is available.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best software for managing volunteers?
The best software for managing volunteers depends on your size, budget and compliance needs. Volunteero is well suited to organisations that want recruitment, DBS checks, scheduling and a volunteer app in one system, while Access Assemble suits larger charities, Better Impact suits established programmes, TeamKinetic suits tighter budgets and Rosterfy suits large events.
What is the best app for volunteer management?
Volunteero, Access Assemble, TeamKinetic and Rosterfy all give volunteers a mobile app for shifts, updates and communication. Volunteero’s app also lets people search for opportunities, apply and track their application before they start volunteering, and TeamKinetic’s apps are free on iOS and Android.
What is the best software for tracking volunteer hours?
Software that logs hours automatically removes the need for paper timesheets. Volunteero records hours from shift check-ins, ready for reports, and Better Impact lets volunteers log hours through its portal, with more than 500 million hours logged in Volunteer Impact to date.
What are the 3 Rs of good volunteer management?
The 3 Rs of volunteer management are recruitment, retention and recognition. Volunteer management software supports all three: recruitment through online applications and onboarding, retention through scheduling and communication that keep volunteers engaged, and recognition through features such as automated badges, rewards and milestone tracking.
Final thoughts
All five platforms take volunteer management out of spreadsheets, but each is built around a different kind of organisation. Volunteero is a good fit for charities and healthcare volunteer services that want recruitment, DBS checks, scheduling and a volunteer app working as one system. Access Assemble, Better Impact, TeamKinetic and Rosterfy are each worth considering for larger charities, established programmes, budget-conscious organisations and big events respectively. Shortlist two or three, then book demos built around your own volunteer roles.
This article is editorial opinion based on information each provider publishes on its own website, not on first-hand testing of any of the platforms. Features, prices and customer examples were checked at the time of writing and may change, so confirm the details directly with any provider you are considering. Before committing, ask for a demo using one of your real volunteer roles, find out how your current records would be migrated and get written confirmation of how DBS checks and UK GDPR obligations are handled.
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