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Head-to-head · Alumni Management Software

AlmaShines vs Anthology Encompass

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 8 checks side by side
Higher score AlmaShines #1 in Alumni Management Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 7 of 7 features Visit AlmaShines
Anthology Encompass #8 in Alumni Management Software 8.6/10 Pricing on request ✓ 5 of 7 features Visit Anthology

AlmaShines leads on 1 check, Anthology Encompass on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 8 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAlmaShines · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly AlmaShines
  • Most featuresAlmaShines · 7 of 7

AlmaShines scores higher on our rubric for alumni management software: 9.4 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #8.

AlmaShines offers mobile app; Anthology Encompass doesn't.

AlmaShines is the better fit for budget-conscious teams needing mobile coverage. Anthology Encompass is the better fit for advancement teams combining alumni and giving.

  • AlmaShines fits best

    Budget-conscious teams needing mobile coverage

  • Anthology Encompass fits best

    Advancement teams combining alumni and giving

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature AlmaShines 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Anthology Encompass 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.6
Ranking #1 in Alumni Management Software #8 in Alumni Management Software
Best for Budget-conscious teams needing mobile coverage Advancement teams combining alumni and giving
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $120/mo Pricing on request
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web
Support Email, Docs Email, Phone, Tickets, Docs
Compliance GDPR GDPR, PCI DSS
Integrations 11 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features AlmaShines 7/7 · Anthology Encompass 5/7
Event management ✓ ✓
Mentoring programs ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Fundraising tools ✓ ✓
Community spaces ✓ ✓
Mobile app ✓ (best) —
Email campaigns ✓ ✓
Engagement analytics ✓ ✓
Our review
Pros
  • Free AlmaDirectory plan for institutions with fewer than 500 alumni
  • Covers events, mentoring, fundraising, groups, campaigns, and analytics
  • Available on web, iOS, and Android with broad integrations
  • Combines email, events, giving, memberships, community, and analytics
  • Connects constituent records with engagement and gift-transaction workflows
  • Supports event registration, online giving, recurring gifts, and memberships
Cons
  • The Free plan is limited to AlmaDirectory
  • White-label branding starts with the Booster plan
  • Digital alumni cards are reserved for the Advanced plan
  • Web-only delivery provides no native mobile application
  • Broad functionality may exceed the needs of alumni-only teams
  • Advanced fundraising workflows depend on Anthology Raise integration
Our verdict

AlmaShines is an alumni management platform for colleges, universities, schools, and alumni associations. It combines alumni database and directory management with event registration, ticketing and payments, mentoring, fundraising,…

Read the review →

Anthology Encompass is a web-based alumni management and engagement platform for higher education institutions and alumni organizations. It brings together constituent records, email campaigns, event registration, online giving,…

Read the review →
  1. AlmaShinesAlumni Management Software 9.4Free plan
  2. Anthology EncompassAlumni Management Software 8.6Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • AlmaShines — where it wins

    • Free AlmaDirectory plan for institutions with fewer than 500 alumni
    • Covers events, mentoring, fundraising, groups, campaigns, and analytics
    • Available on web, iOS, and Android with broad integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • The Free plan is limited to AlmaDirectory
    • White-label branding starts with the Booster plan
    • Digital alumni cards are reserved for the Advanced plan

  • Anthology Encompass — where it wins

    • Combines email, events, giving, memberships, community, and analytics
    • Connects constituent records with engagement and gift-transaction workflows
    • Supports event registration, online giving, recurring gifts, and memberships

    Where it doesn't

    • Web-only delivery provides no native mobile application
    • Broad functionality may exceed the needs of alumni-only teams
    • Advanced fundraising workflows depend on Anthology Raise integration

More comparisons

All alumni management software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update