Hitobito Ag

What Hitobito Ag does

Hitobito AG is a Swiss open-source community management software company headquartered in Bern, founded in 2012 as a project by Puzzle ITC for Jungwacht Blauring Schweiz and spun off as an independent entity in 2016 under Puzzle ITC's continued ownership. The company builds and operates a modular, Ruby on Rails-based platform (with Apache HTTPD, Phusion Passenger, MySQL, Memcached, and Sphinx) for managing associations, federations, clubs, parties, and networks — particularly those with complex multi-layered organizational structures (e.g., national, regional, and local chapters). The platform handles contact and member management, role-based permissions, event and course administration, mailing lists, invoicing with Swiss QR-bill support, EBICS bank integration, OAuth/OIDC authentication, and multi-language interfaces (German, French, English, Italian). Source code is released under GNU AGPL v3.0 on GitHub with 46+ contributors, while a modular extension system called "Wagon" supports customer-specific customizations without forking the core.

The commercial business operates a SaaS subscription model denominated in Swiss Francs with custom quotes, annual billing, and 12-month minimum terms, complemented by consulting, support, and implementation services delivered through a partner network including Puzzle ITC, Comvation, Zeilenwerk, and Snowflake Productions. Customers are primarily Swiss non-profit organizations across verticals such as youth organizations (Jubla, Pfadi, Cevi), sports federations (SAC, Swiss Canoe), music associations (Swiss Blasmusikverband), disability support (insieme), environmental groups (Pro Natura), and political parties (Die Mitte, GLP). Distribution combines direct sales, partner-led implementations, and community-driven open-source adoption; 20+ independent self-hosted deployments also extend reach. The company maintains roughly 10-12 employees under CEO Oliver Dietschi (since October 2022) and has scaled to over 4,000 customer associations serving more than 1.2 million members.

Name

Hitobito Ag

Legal name

Hitobito AG

Website

https://hitobito.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hitobito AG is a Swiss open-source community management software provider serving over 4,000 associations, federations, clubs, and political parties across Switzerland, managing more than 1.2 million members through its Ruby on Rails-based modular platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Management Software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Compliance, Governance & Board Support Services (BPAJAHAN)

Keywords

• Community management software
• Membership management software
• Association management software
• Open source SaaS
• Federated organization software

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription (Software as a Service): Hitobito is offered as a hosted SaaS solution where customers access the software over the internet. The customer receives a non-exclusive, non-transferable, time-limited, fee-based, and revocable right to use the software. Pricing is based on a subscription model with fees paid in advance per the price list or separate quote, in Swiss Francs excluding VAT. The contract has a minimum 12-month initial term with a 2-month notice period, with the option for immediate termination for material breach after a 60-day cure period.
2. Open Source (Self-Hosted): The source code is freely available under the GNU Affero General Public License 3.0, allowing organizations to self-host the software without licensing fees. Revenue from self-hosted deployments comes indirectly through implementation, consulting, and support services from the partner network.
3. Consulting & Support Services: Separately agreed consulting or maintenance services are billed according to offered hourly rates, invoiced in arrears. Hitobito works with implementation partners (Comvation, Snowflake, Zeilenwerk, etc.) who provide customization and deployment services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Hitobito AG provides an open-source, web-based community management platform for associations, federations, clubs, political parties, and non-profit networks with complex, multi-layered organizational structures. The platform combines role-based member and contact management, hierarchical organization mapping, course and event administration, mailing lists, and invoicing with Swiss QR-bill and EBICS bank integration. It is delivered either as a hosted SaaS subscription or as a self-hosted open-source deployment under GNU AGPL v3, with optional customization through a modular "Wagon" extension system.

Product overview

Hitobito is a unified open-source community management software platform, available as SaaS or self-hosted deployment. The core platform provides modular functionality through integrated components including Contact & Member Management, Organization & Roles Administration, Courses & Events Management, Mailing System with integrated mail client, and Invoicing & Payments with EBICS integration. The open architecture uses a wagon modular system allowing custom extensions for specific industries. Hitobito currently manages over 4,000 associations and 1.2 million members across Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hitobito Platform (SaaS) Hosted, subscription-based deployment of the Hitobito community management software, operated directly by Hitobito AG and offered to associations, federations, clubs, and political parties. Customers receive a non-exclusive, time-limited right to use the software with fees paid in advance in Swiss Francs, a minimum 12-month initial term, and 2-month notice for cancellation.
• Hitobito Open Source (Self-Hosted) Freely available open-source edition of the Hitobito community management platform, distributed under the GNU AGPL v3 license for organizations that prefer to host and operate the software themselves, typically with implementation support from Hitobito's partner network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Managing over 4,000 associations and 1.2 million members across Switzerland
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature15 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Puzzle ITCflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Puzzle ITC is the founding parent company of Hitobito AG and serves as the primary development and implementation partner. Puzzle ITC is a Swiss software and technology company with over 20 years of history, approximately 150 employees across Bern, Zurich, Basel, and Tübingen (Germany), specializing in Java, Ruby, Linux, and Kubernetes. Puzzle developed the original Hitobito software in 2012 for Jungwacht Blauring and spun it off as Hitobito AG in 2016.
• Snowflake Productions GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSnowflake Productions is a digital agency responsible for the concept and design of Hitobito's website and brand materials. They provide digital design and implementation services for Hitobito and its customers.
• ZeilenwerkcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerZeilenwerk is a web application and mobile app development agency specializing in process digitization for companies and public organizations. They are listed as a Hitobito partner for web development and strategy projects.
• ComvationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerComvation develops digital solutions and automates processes with leading standard web solutions. They partnered with Hitobito on the Efficiency Club Bern project, integrating Hitobito into the customer's new website.
• Open CircleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOpen Circle provides the Swiss Business Cloud as a complete IT solution for SMEs in a rental model. They offer secure infrastructure and data hosting in Switzerland as part of the Hitobito partner network.
• Renuo AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRenuo AG produces customized web and mobile applications, specializing in Ruby on Rails — the development language of Hitobito. Listed as a Hitobito partner providing custom development services.
• Sieber & PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSieber & Partners acts as an independent consultant and digital business specialist, accompanying organizations through the digital world. Listed as a Hitobito partner offering consulting services.
• NextcloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationNextcloud integration allows Hitobito users to store documents and photos within the member database, transfer group and role structures for automatic permission setup on shared folders, and exchange data securely on Swiss-hosted servers. This feature was released in 2023.
• Swiss Banks via EBICScoreTechnology or IntegrationHitobito integrates with Swiss financial institutions via the EBICS standard, enabling automated payment verification, reconciliation, and donation tracking. Supported banks include PostFinance and multiple cantonal banks (Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, Walliser Kantonalbank, Urner Kantonalbank, Banque Cantonale Neuchâteloise).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GrowthZone: GrowthZone is an association management software platform offering member management, events, accounting, and communications tools for chambers of commerce, trade associations, and professional societies. It serves a similar SMB-to-mid-market association segment as Hitobito with comparable feature breadth.
• AssoConnect: AssoConnect is a French SaaS platform for managing associations, providing member databases, event management, payments, and email communications. It is a strong European peer for Hitobito with a comparable focus on the association/nonprofit vertical and similar SMB/mid-market positioning.
• WildApricot: WildApricot is a leading cloud-based membership management SaaS for associations, clubs, and nonprofit organizations, offering member databases, event registration, payments, and websites. It is the closest comparable product to Hitobito in terms of target customer (small-to-mid associations) and core functionality, though it is commercial proprietary software rather than open source.
• Novi AMS: Novi AMS is an association management system built on the Salesforce platform, offering member management, events, and community features for trade associations and professional societies. It targets a similar buyer profile to Hitobito (small-staff associations) but leverages the Salesforce ecosystem rather than a standalone stack.
• ClubExpress: ClubExpress is a SaaS platform providing websites, member databases, event registration, and communications for clubs and associations. It targets the same small-to-mid association and club segment as Hitobito with comparable core features, primarily serving the North American market.
• Glue Up: Glue Up (formerly EventBank) is an all-in-one engagement management platform for associations, chambers of commerce, event organizers, and membership organizations. It directly competes with Hitobito on member management, events, email campaigns, and payments, with stronger international presence but similar target buyer.
• MemberClicks: MemberClicks provides association management software for small-staff associations, including member databases, event management, online communities, and email marketing. It targets the same niche of small-to-mid professional and trade associations that Hitobito serves.
• CiviCRM: CiviCRM is an open-source constituent relationship management platform built for nonprofits and civic organizations, offering member management, events, contributions, and mailing lists. It is the most directly comparable peer to Hitobito in business model (open source + paid services) and target vertical (nonprofits and civic associations), though it is community-governed rather than a commercial company.

Broad incumbents

• Salesforce (Nonprofit Cloud / NPSP): Salesforce, through its Nonprofit Cloud and Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), provides CRM, donor management, and program management for nonprofits and associations. While it does not specialize in Hitobito's specific federated-association niche, it is the dominant broad CRM platform that associations and nonprofits frequently consider, making it the most credible broad incumbent.
• Personify: Personify is a larger, established provider of membership, events, and commerce solutions for associations and nonprofits, owning brands such as WildApricot, MemberPlanet, and Community Brands. It overlaps with Hitobito on association management but serves a broader portfolio and broader market segment including larger enterprise associations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/teamhitobito
• GitHubgithub.com/hitobito
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hitobito-ag

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hitobito Ag