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Cost Comparison

The hidden cost of scattered tools

Most societies piece together free and cheap tools. But the real cost isn't just the subscriptions—it's the hours spent copying data, updating multiple systems, and training committee members.

The typical society toolkit

What most amateur theatre groups are using today

Email marketing tool

For newsletters and show announcements

£18 /month

Spreadsheets

For member lists and tracking

Free but manual

Online forms

For audition signups

Free limited features

Messaging apps

WhatsApp groups for cast/crew

Free but scattered

Cloud storage

For scripts and documents

£10 /month

Website builder

Society website + audition pages

£12 /month

Shared calendars

Rehearsal schedules

Free manual updates

Social media

Facebook groups for announcements

Free no control

Finance tracking

Spreadsheets for budgets and fees

Free error-prone

The true cost breakdown

Subscription costs are just the beginning

Scattered Tools

The DIY approach

Monthly subscription costs

Email marketing tool£18
Cloud storage (team plan)£10
Website builder£12
Other tools & services£8
Subscription total £48/month

Hidden time costs (per month)

Updating member lists in multiple places 3 hrs
Copying audition data to spreadsheets 2 hrs
Manual email list syncing 2 hrs
Updating calendars in multiple systems 4 hrs
Chasing payments via spreadsheets 3 hrs
Training committee on multiple tools 2 hrs
Time overhead 16 hrs/month

At £12/hour volunteer time value = £192/month

Total monthly cost
£240
(£48 subscriptions + £192 time)
Annual cost: £2,880
Data scattered across 6+ systems
Manual data entry and copying
Committee members need training on each tool
High risk of outdated information
Recommended

TheatreStack

All-in-one platform

Monthly subscription costs

Core (required)£12.50
Compliance Stack£5
Backstage Stack£5
Auditions Stack£5
Subscription total £27.50/month

Time saved (per month)

Single database—no copying data +3 hrs
Automatic audition integration +2 hrs
Built-in email system +2 hrs
Auto-sync calendars (ICS exports) +4 hrs
Automated payment tracking +3 hrs
One system to learn +2 hrs
Time saved 16 hrs/month

At £12/hour volunteer time value = £192/month saved

Total monthly cost
£27.50
(subscriptions only—no time overhead)
Annual cost: £264 (save £2,616/year)
All data in one place—always up to date
Automatic syncing between modules
Single login for the whole committee
Built-in help and support

Save £212.50 per month

That's £2,550 per year in real cost savings

£20.50
Lower subscription costs
£192
Time saved (16 hours/month)
89%
Total cost reduction

What that saved time looks like

16 hours per month is a lot. Here's what you could do instead.

4

Extra committee meetings per year

16

Hours for member outreach & recruitment

8

Extra rehearsals you could attend

192

Hours per year for actual theatre work

Real societies tell us

Common pain points from societies using scattered tools

"Our member list is always out of date"

With data in spreadsheets, email tools, and forms, nobody knows which version is current. Member updates get lost.

"I spend hours copying audition signups"

Forms collect data, but then you manually copy 50+ auditioners into spreadsheets, email lists, and cast lists.

"Rehearsal changes get lost in group chats"

You update the calendar, but half the cast doesn't see it. Messages get buried in WhatsApp groups with 40+ members.

"New committee members are overwhelmed"

Training someone new means showing them 6 different tools, each with its own login and quirks.

"We can't find last year's production data"

Files scattered across cloud storage, old committee members' accounts, and expired website builders.

"Chasing payments takes hours every month"

Tracking who's paid their membership fees or production costs in spreadsheets means manual follow-ups and reminder emails.

Stop juggling tools. Start making theatre.

TheatreStack brings everything together: members, productions, rehearsals, compliance, and communications. One login. One system. No data copying.

Ready to stack your society’s toolkit? Book a demo and we’ll map the right Core + Stacks setup for your season.

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