# BoardEffect Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is BoardEffect the right Board Management solution for you? Explore 127 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/151082/BoardEffect/reviews --- BoardEffect 4.4 (127) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated June 3rd, 2026 # Reviews of BoardEffect Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 4.4 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews JR Jamie R Human Resources Manager and Corporate SecretaryBanking, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “BoardEffect has significantly improved our Board process; creating consistent Board packets, a library to house important documents that remain at the fingertips of our \[sensitive content hidden\], and an easy way for us to provide Board information to our auditors.“ July 8, 2025 SG Sheila G Administrative CoordinatorHigher Education, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I don't like that you can't alter a survey once you've received a response, and the fact that the server goes down at the most inopportune times, without notification that it's down so we can be better prepared to answer questions when we receive inquiries from our constituents as to why they are not able to log in to BE.“ August 4, 2025 AR Amanda R Executive AssistantNon-Profit Organization Management, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I like the ability to have multiple rooms for different committees within one platform, and the ability to keep documents organized and accessible.“ July 8, 2025 BM Bonnie M HRBanking, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Since the transition in early fall, my senior leadership has been unable to access a link to upload their monthly reports for the board to review. “ January 20, 2026 CC Christi C DirectorEducation Management, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “BoardEffect enables our nonprofit organization to effectively communicate and allows board members the agency to cross collaborate with each other in a seamless manner“ July 8, 2025 BM Bonnie M HRBanking, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I requested a customer service rep/account rep who is located in the US for the ability to communicate during working hours, but that hasn't happened. “ January 20, 2026 MJ Malik J Administrative DirectorCivic & Social Organization, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I appreciated being able to access the full calendar, RSVP to meetings, and check agendas right from my phone, especially when I was traveling for work.“ June 11, 2025 IL Ilona L GC and Corporate SecreatryNon-Profit Organization Management, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “There are so many ways to organize the folders and the links to different folders then become very confusing. “ February 24, 2026 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 127 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use amit S. Technical Lead Program Development Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Simplifies Board Meetings" December 13, 2024 5.0 It's an effective solution for organizing and streamlining board communications and meetings. Pros Preparing for board meetings was much easier as I could share documents securely and update agendas in real-time. Cons The app could use a more modern interface, but it’s still functional and reliable. Review Source JT Julia T. VP, CHRO Banking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "All In One" July 8, 2025 5.0 Overall, it's a smooth experience. I love the different ways we can use the library, the various department home pages, and the user maintenance interface is very easy. We really just love using for our committees! Pros One place for all our board volunteers to receive information with the highest level of security that we found when searching for a board platform. I love being able to add links in the library and not just documents. The daily digest is great, too. I love that users can join the meeting from the platform, and access the book in one place online or in the app. The app is great for users, too. Cons Sometimes the user or admin interface is not quite as intuitive as it eventually no doubt will be- they seem to be updating things. Alternatives considered [OnBoard](https://www.capterra.com/p/179015/OnBoard-Board-Portal/)[Boardable](https://www.capterra.com/p/221109/Boardable/) Reason for choosing BoardEffect has the highest security in the industry, was the most comprehensive system that met our needs, and being backed by Diligent, we felt it would only get better with time, not lag behind. Switched from [Microsoft SharePoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/1167/SharePoint/) SharePoint was glitchy and hard for our volunteers to use. Volunteers typically have no issues with the interface. Review Source KP Kim P. Executive Admin Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Would not recommend this platform" February 24, 2026 1.0 I do not feel that values their customer base; especially after the change to Diligent. It is definitely NOT the product for non-profit organizations based on the price, difficulty of use and lack of local (or any) support! They have rolled out functionality that does not work and no one in support even knows about it or how to make it work and then tell you it is not actually included in your package as an excuse for that. Our board members rarely use the platform because they find it cumbersome and difficult to navigate. Pros N/A. There is very little to like about . It is basically being used as a document storage because it is so disliked by our Board and staff. Cons was never very robust in areas like emails, reporting, making esoteric changes or even basic ease of use. New functionality, that was never really asked for and not very useful (like AI), has always been prioritized over fixing functionality that never worked well. Once Diligent took over, it has become an absolute nightmare to get support or CSM help. I have asked repeatedly to speak with our CSM and never get a call and cannot reach out directly because there is no phone number to do so. Alternatives considered [OnBoard](https://www.capterra.com/p/179015/OnBoard-Board-Portal/)[Boardable](https://www.capterra.com/p/221109/Boardable/) Reason for choosing BoardEffect Mostly due to cost and the timeframe of the old product being phased out, we did not have a lot of runway. Switched from [Microsoft SharePoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/1167/SharePoint/) We moved from BoardMax because it was being phased out. Review Source Response from Diligent March 17, 2026 Hi Kim, Thank you for taking the time to share feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that your experience with BoardEffect has not met expectations both in terms of product functionality and the level of support you’ve received. This is far from the experience we strive to deliver, and we understand how frustrating it must be for you and your board members. We appreciate you highlighting the concerns around usability, support accessibility, and the rollout of new features. Your feedback is incredibly important, and we will be sharing this with our Product team. If you’re open to it, we would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you directly so we can better understand your challenges and take the necessary steps to support you. Please reach out to us at valvarez@diligent.com, and we will ensure your concerns are escalated and addressed promptly. Thank you again for your candid feedback. —The BoardEffect Team VR Verified Reviewer Director Financial Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Secure and Easy to Use" July 10, 2025 4.0 We converted to a year ago and overall, it's been a great experience. It fills our needs for a secure, easy-to-use platform for board and leadership meeting information, as well as a cloud-based back-up for emergency procedures, and the search functionality has made it much simpler to find previous reports quickly. Pros is secure and generally easy to use for financial institution Board members and staff. The app is user friendly for tablet use and the web version is great for admins and larger viewing. I really appreciate the meeting packet template functionality and automatic agenda updates when changes are made, as well. In addition, the search function is great when coupled with strong doc naming conventions. Cons When you link to a library doc within a meeting packet, it pulls the whole doc into the packet rather than actually functioning as a link. Generally, we link to docs that are additional resources and longer than we'd like to include in the packet itself, so a page in the packet with the link to that doc would be more useful. The workroom functionality can also get a bit confusing for users who are in multiple groups. Accessing meeting info via the calendar and search helps solve for that though. Switched from [BoardPaq](https://www.capterra.com/p/151905/BoardPaq/) BoardPaq was sunset so we had to upgrade to or move to a different system Review Source MO Michael O. Executive Assistant Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "BoardEffect Saves Me Soooo Much Time!" July 9, 2025 5.0 It has been a lifesaver. Setting up the portal and creating user accounts was easy. Uploading is a breeze, and the collaborative agenda-building feature saves me a lot of time. People no longer have to send me their documents, as they can now upload directly into the agenda themselves. Pros I like that it consolidates many disparate functions into a one-stop shop portal. I no longer have to send email polls, use SurveyMonkey for surveys, maintain a current contact list, or distribute bulky board packets via mail or email. Cons I want to be able to create votes within a meeting agenda so that attendees can vote live during the meeting. I would also like to see attendance keeping as part of the Minutes feature, rather than having to take attendance manually within the board agenda. Currently, only Word integrates with the platform. I would also like to see Excel incorporated. Alternatives considered [Ideals Board](https://www.capterra.com/p/198652/iDealsBoard/)[Nasdaq Boardvantage](https://www.capterra.com/p/154125/Nasdaq-Boardvantage/)[OnBoard](https://www.capterra.com/p/179015/OnBoard-Board-Portal/) Reason for choosing BoardEffect It has all the features we were looking for at a very competitive price. I liked that it was built by and for non-profit organizations. Review Source KS Ketrina S. Executive Assistant Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "BoardEffect Meets our Expectations" July 8, 2025 5.0 Overall, I think that this product meets my expectations. It has saved us a TON of paper, and has the functionalities we desired. Pros What I like most is the "Contributor" functionality. I love that I can send out an email to all department heads that contains a link for them to upload their department reports monthly, without giving them full access to the system. This has saved time in many ways! No more downloading the file, saving it to a folder, then uploading it. Cons The 365 integration is not always on par. This creates a time issue where at that point I do need to download the document, which sometimes downloads in PDF format, then trying to edit the document can become a nightmare. I also don't like that it doesn't agree with Grammarly. I use Grammarly daily, and it is especially helpful when going through long Board books. However, if I try to accept the "suggestions" from Grammarly, it simply reverts back to what the text was before. Alternatives considered [BoardPro](https://www.capterra.com/p/164493/boardPro/)[Boardable](https://www.capterra.com/p/221109/Boardable/) Reason for choosing BoardEffect This was chosen because of the Microsoft 365 functionality, and the "contributor" option. Review Source YL Yvonne L. Executive Assistant Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "New User, But Pleased Overall" July 2, 2025 4.0 Overall, is an upgrade from our past software. The users like the platform. Support has been very responsive and polite while quickly solving one issue and a recent use question. Pros Ease of user experience. Once we have our Trustees logged in, they seem to be able to easily navigate the information. Cons Setting up reports and Board books for the first time was time consuming. There are hidden menus for some of the options I would have liked to have set up during the initial use. Alternatives considered [OnBoard](https://www.capterra.com/p/179015/OnBoard-Board-Portal/) Reason for choosing BoardEffect We didn't know of another organization like ours utilizing the Onboard platform. Switched from [BoardPaq](https://www.capterra.com/p/151905/BoardPaq/) The product is no longer available and Diligent handled the data transfer. Review Source JD Julie D. Director Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Eh... some benefits, but needs some help. " July 8, 2025 3.0 Not my favorite. I feel like there are multiple other platforms are have a much more integrated approach to boards. Creating board books is challenging and very manual. Pros Document storage (the library), ability to archive, ability to deactivate members without deleting their information. Cons not very intuitive or user friendly. Cannot easily track terms, reporting never works, dashboard is difficult to navigate and it does not have built in educational support. Switched from [Directors Desk](https://www.capterra.com/p/124523/Directors-Desk/) To align with the Governance Institute Education opportunities (which they don't partner anymore) Review Source KR Kirsten R. Manager of Board Engagement Events Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great user experience " July 8, 2025 5.0 Overall we have been very happy and learning how to utilize for more items about our organization Pros User ease both on the back end for admins and front end for Board members. It has been so easy to onboard our new Board members that we even have their training on and have started to utilize it for all sorts of Board members resources. Cons I wish that some of the "add-ons" like mins etc. were built into the standard system as those are standard operating items you need when running a Board meeting Alternatives considered [OnBoard](https://www.capterra.com/p/179015/OnBoard-Board-Portal/) Reason for choosing BoardEffect features and cost were a better value at the time of selection Review Source Bob B. Executive Vice President Construction Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "BoardEffect is Terrible" July 10, 2025 1.0 It doesn't work well...is not user-friendly for administration and I don't know why you changed from BoardPaq it was great. Pros Nothing...I don't know why you changed from BoardPaq it was great. Cons Everything...not user-friendly for administration...I don't know why you changed from BoardPaq it was great. Alternatives considered [OnBoard](https://www.capterra.com/p/179015/OnBoard-Board-Portal/) Reason for choosing BoardEffect ease of data transfer from BoardPaq ease of data transfer from BoardPaq Switched from [BoardPaq](https://www.capterra.com/p/151905/BoardPaq/) Diligent made the switch and screwed up a good program. Review Source GE Gloria E. Marketing HR Specialist Banking Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Still learning but easier to navigate than I thought!" July 10, 2025 4.0 At first I was a little overwhelmed but overall the entire site has been relatively easy to navigate. Pros I like that all our meetings and meeting books are neatly organized and easily accessible since that is what we spend 95% of our time on. Cons I'm not a fan of the overall look of the site. It's a little dull. More color or graphics would make it more eye catching, at least for me. I'm more of a visual person. Switched from [BoardPAC](https://www.capterra.com/p/153900/BoardPAC/) BoardPaq was going away. Had to look at other options. Review Source DC Daniel C. President Banking Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Absolutely Deficient for the Intended Purpose -" February 26, 2025 1.0 Could not be worse. Inferior programming design. Pros After 12 years of BoardPaq, which was a superior product, we will be leaving . Any other software users would never rate this product as capable. Our Board has unanimously decided to leave this product after 4 months Cons Difficult to navigate, poorly designed. This software should be intended to publish board level agenda's with attachments and libraries. There should never be a descriptor as a "workbook" at a board level. This appears to be designed by programmers. I have recommended BoardPaq to several organizations for the past decade. Not one past referral is satisfied with this product. Switched from [BoardPaq](https://www.capterra.com/p/151905/BoardPaq/) Never believed any software could be this bad Review Source MG Micci G. Executive Administrative Assistant Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Satisfied BoardEffect User" July 11, 2025 5.0 I have been successfully using since 2016 and truly appreciate having such a great tool to assist me in my role. Pros Ease of use. The product is very intuitive and even those who aren't very tech-savvy are able to navigate and use the it. Cons When creating a survey, I have to really pay attention to the due date and reminder calendar option to make sure I have the correct date and time. Review Source SW Sonia W. Director Banking Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Pros and cons of a board portal " July 15, 2025 4.0 Pretty okay with the Portal but do think it can be improved by making it more user friendly for non savvy technology personnel. Pros One can have access off-line thus enables you to do certain work anywhere Having easy mobile access where ever you are. Great for traveling I like that it opened like a book so I just keep scrolling down to the next page or agenda item. The built in calendar is very useful for me. Can also see a full directory of other member whic sure helps with collaboration. Cons Have difficulties knowing if my message was sent. Not very user friendly (having difficulties using the pen and the hi-lighter. Have difficulty using the pen and hi-lighter section at time and can’t get them off. Not too sure if my emails are sent. Switched from [BoardPAC](https://www.capterra.com/p/153900/BoardPAC/) They were finishing away with the Portal Review Source NB Nikki B. Executive Assistant Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The small things makes a difference. " July 8, 2025 4.0 Being able to stay organized and on top of things. Being able to build your meeting book once and share it with all participants when done. Being able to notify users when documents are uploaded. Pros Convenience of all meeting documents in one place and notifying all members at once. Staying on top of which meetings coming up soon. The attendance sheet is very helpful. I have not learned or used the minute taking option but love that it is available. Cons Not so easy to find things by the category listed. Provide more drop downs to find what exactly youre lokking for. Also setting a reminder for upcoming meeting such as an email. Review Source EM Elaine M. Executive Assistant Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Gettysburg College BoardEffect Review" July 10, 2025 5.0 Excellent! has provided exactly what we need in a product. The customer service and response is great. Pros provides a variety of ways to house secure documents and is so easy to use for the administrator and user. Cons It would be nice to have a survey option that users can complete without having to log into the site. Review Source QC Quonnetta C. Executive Assistant Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Five star platform" July 8, 2025 5.0 My experience with the platform has been extremely positive. It has been fairly easy to use and maintain. Pros Ease of use! Stores all related information centrally. Templates are useful. Can run reports to analyze user frequency. Cons not so much related to the platform, but it is just one more thing i have to monitor/maintain among all my other existing work. Review Source RH Ronald H. owner Entertainment Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "BoardEffect is pretty cool" June 20, 2025 4.0 I enjoyed it the little time I used it - it seems to be a very effective force to use especially in a corporate office type environment. Pros I liked the ease of execution the best. Once I started using it, I knew my way around very quickly. Not a fit for my small agency but perhaps in the future. Cons It doesn't seems to fit for a company of our size. We only have 4 employees currently but maybe one day in the future we can grow... Review Source VR Verified Reviewer board member Entertainment Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Stay away. " August 19, 2025 2.0 Pros Seems powerful in theory... Unlocking that power in practice seems quite out of reach. Clunky UX that requires 4 specific steps to do anything. Non-Intuitive Cons Really? I cant view a 9 slide power point because the in-browser file viewer continuously crashes? Lucky for me its so laggy it gives me enough time to write this review. Review Source KG Kim G. Assistant Director of Advancement Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "BoardEffect is a plus!" July 9, 2025 5.0 My personal experience has been positive from day one. I find it very user friendly, even though we do not use all the features available. Pros My number one reason is that saves us so much paper. Our last board meeting over 200 sheets. Besides helping the planet, it is a major timesaver in preparing for board meetings. Cons I think the only drawback, and it is not a issue, is that some locations we hold our board meetings, it is sometimes a struggle getting everyone on the WIFI at the same time. For board members that do not have a device with them, we supply Chromebooks for meeting usage only. Review Source CA Corelle A. Paralegal and Liaison to Board of Trustees Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good but has potential to be better" July 8, 2025 3.0 It gets the job done. I am able to maintain a paperless environment which I prefer, rather than store a mountain of paper documents. Pros It allows for the centralization of documents. I also liked that it allows you keep your Board and its committees organized and well-updated if the participants actually use it. Cons It is not as intuitive and modern as other document managing platforms. For example, it does not allow you to open a document, edit it, and autosave it. You have to remove the document, edit it, then reload it which can be time-consuming. Review Source RD Rachelle D. Chief of Staff Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Board Effect - AMAZING" July 8, 2025 5.0 I Love Board Effect. It has made my efficiency skyrocket. Board Books are easy to put together and taking minutes. I built our system out and was very user friendly. The staff are amazing and always so helpful! Pros It is very user friendly and easy to utilize. One place to do everything. When there are those last minute changes, so easy to handle and fast. Cons The "approval" function is a little cumbersome. There really isn't anything that I don't like about the system. Review Source DD Donna D. President Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "BoardEffect" July 8, 2025 4.0 has been a great addition to our organization. It allows us to keep all of our Board documents in one location. We use this platform to send out all of our information for Board meetings. Pros offers a great platform to keep Board and Governance Documents in one location. The platform is easy to use . Cons It is not a con, but a wish. I wish they would build templates for things like Board satisfaction surveys, Conflict of Interest Documents, etc Review Source OR Ornella R. Advancement Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Effective but needs design and UIX improvements" July 10, 2025 5.0 Its very good. But as I said, its not super intuitive and some of the functions are very similar, which confuses me on which one to use. Pros I like all the features it has. It is very useful to manage boards and introduces tools I didnt know I needed. Cons The design/ interface is not really attractive or calls attention. Also, even though its not "hard" to use, it is also not intuitive. User friendliness should be improved. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Executive Associate and Board Liaison Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "BoardEffect review" September 21, 2020 4.0 is great a a secure file sharing system, and offers good ways to cooperate, but our board has been very reluctant in adopting it and is not really happy. For them it is another system they need to learn in their busy lives. We try to steer most board interactions involving files into Board Effect but it is slow going. They do not use the discussion forum to interact amongst each other but stick to email. For admins I wish for greater ease in creating meeting books and editing them to make them look the way we want to. Pros \- I like having a secure file sharing system that offers safe communication and file archiving features. - I like having a dedicated system for board management - Amazing customer service! Fast and competent. Cons \- having to build a meeting book to get a preview - meeting book design is tedious and could be more flexible - agendas become giant as soon as documents are added and there is no way to change that - saving an existing meeting book as a template would be nice - the calendar subscription takes very long to push into personal calendars, sometimes re-subscribing is necessary - zoom add-on only possible with autogenerated links, we work with a dedicated zoom link for the board - I need an option to invite guest directors to join committee meetings, currently I need to create a separate calendar invite Review Source Response from Diligent October 2, 2020 Hello! Thank you so much for your feedback. We would love to connect on the items you mentioned as there are solutions within the BoardEffect platform for these issues. Our training team is available to walk you through this functionality, please reach out to us at training@boardeffect.com. We hope to speak with you soon!