Why these numbers
We charge what it costs us, not what we can extract.
Most membership platforms price by member count because it scales their revenue. Sembr prices by organization because that matches the value we deliver. But we still need to cover infrastructure, and infrastructure scales with activity, not contracts.
Here is the actual cost basis behind each tier.
The tiers
Essential ($129/mo annual, $169/mo monthly) covers up to 500 members. This is where most chambers, service clubs, and community organizations sit. At this scale, our infrastructure cost is dominated by support and the database, both fixed.
Growth ($249/mo annual, $299/mo monthly) covers up to 2,500 members. Email volume, smart-automation token usage, and storage all scale here. Roughly 98% of mid-sized membership organizations fit this tier without ever needing a capacity pack.
Enterprise (custom) is for organizations above 2,500 members or with custom integration, SSO, or compliance requirements. We size each engagement to the actual infrastructure footprint, not a list price.
Capacity packs
If a Growth org grows past 2,500 members, you can add +500 members for $25 USD/mo (or $250 annual). That price is built from the actual variable costs at that scale:
| Cost | Per +500 members |
|---|---|
| Email (Resend, ~12 sends/member/year) | ~$5/mo |
| Smart automation tokens (typical usage) | ~$3-7/mo |
| Database + backups | <$1/mo |
| Support burden | ~$2-3/mo |
| Pass-through total | ~$12-15/mo |
| What we charge | $25/mo |
The markup covers support response time, occasional anomalous usage spikes, and a small operating reserve. We don't profit from your growth. We cover what hosting it costs us.
Why we don't say "unlimited"
Three reasons.
It would be dishonest at scale. Every platform that says "unlimited" eventually throttles, rate-limits, or sends you to a sales team when costs run away. Saying it up front and pricing it transparently is the better trade.
It blocks honest upgrade conversations. If you outgrow Essential, we want to talk about it before you hit a wall, not after.
It rewards organizations that are growing. Growing is the goal. We want to make growth predictable, not punishing.
What you get back if your numbers change
If your member count drops below your tier in a renewal year, you can downgrade with one click and we'll refund the difference. If it grows beyond Growth + capacity packs, we'll talk about Enterprise. No mystery, no surprises.
Questions?
Email us at the address in the footer. We answer.