How to Choose Zoo Software + 8 Top Management Systems

Zoo operations can be incredibly complex. Visitor management, human resources, and facility maintenance are just a few components, and managing them across separate platforms can be time- and resource-intensive. It isn’t surprising, then, that many zoos are moving away from legacy manual processes and switching to software in the zoo industry that enables centralization and remote access. In 2024, the global zoo software market was valued at $250 million in 2024, and it’s projected to grow to $450 million by 2032.

With so many available, it’s important to choose a management solution that aligns with your organization’s unique needs and goals. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know to get started with zoo software. We’ll cover the following topics:

• Zoo Management Software FAQ
• The Best Zoo Management Software Options
• Additional Resources on Zoo Management
  

Gaining a deeper understanding of your zoo software options will make it easier to determine what your team needs and pick the perfect fit. Let’s dive in!

Zoo Management Software FAQ

What is zoo management software?

Zoo management software refers to technology systems designed to help zoos, wildlife conservation organizations, and other similar nonprofits streamline their operations. This type of software can involve a variety of functions, from tracking memberships to scheduling educational programs to selling merchandise.

There is often some overlap between the solutions zoos use and those leveraged by museums, aquariums, nature centers, and other similar organizations. These platforms are typically broader, integrated systems that cover a variety of functions. The zoo management solutions that are very specific to wildlife organizations typically focus on keeping records of the animals in your organization’s care rather than streamlining operations, although they’re often referred to by the same term.

Why should zoos use specialized software?

Implementing the right management software at your zoo benefits both your organization and its community of visitors. Some of the main advantages include:

• Streamlining your internal operations by combining fragmented functions across different departments into one cohesive system.
• Making data-driven decisions about supporter outreach, fundraising, strategic planning, and other key activities.
• Automating routine tasks such as recording transactions and sending donation follow-up emails to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
• Improving the visitor experience by simplifying ticketing, membership management, and event and program sign-ups.

The time-saving benefits of zoo software let your team focus on what matters most: your mission and community. This not only improves your organization's results but also elevates your visitors' experience, so keep that in mind as you choose and implement a platform.

What features are most important to look for in zoo software?

When selecting zoo software, your top priority should be finding the solution that best suits your organization. Every organization will have different needs and resources to address them. Therefore, you should make sure to consider your budget and implementation timeline as you make your decision. User-friendliness, robust reporting capabilities, and helpful customer support are also important factors that your zoo software should have.

Additional essentials to look for in zoo software include:

• Ticketing and admissions.Opt for a solution that simplifies admissions and reduces wait times with mobile check-ins and timed-entry capacity control.

• Memberships and fundraising. Being able to recruit, engage, and recognize your members and donors at every touchpoint ensures lasting memberships and revenue flow.

• Educational program planning. Alleviating logistical burdens, such as capacity control, scheduling, and billing for educational visits, field trips, and tours frees up your team to focus on creating a meaningful and memorable experience for participants.

• Event registration. Make sure you can create custom registration forms, streamline payment processing and scheduling, and boost event participation with custom promotions such as early registration discounts and coupon codes.

• Point of sale (POS) solutions. A POS integration makes it easy to sell and manage all your offers, such as tickets and memberships. It also improves accessibility, as customers can check out items from their mobile devices and receive digital receipts.
• Constituent relationship management (CRM). Centralizing data on your visitors, members, and donors enables you to track engagement, personalize outreach through supporter segmentation, and build lasting relationships.

Here is a handy checklist of essential zoo software features, along with the additional characteristics previously mentioned above.

The Best Zoo Management Software Options

Now that you understand the benefits of zoo management software and how to choose the right solution for your organization, here are eight of the top platforms to explore.

1. Doubleknot: Best All-in-One Zoo Management Software

Doubleknot is an all-in-one management and fundraising solution that is tailor-made for admissions-based nonprofits, including zoos, aquariums, museums, nature centers, and other cultural organizations. Your organization can manage every aspect of its operations in a single, unified platform through Doubleknot. As a result, you can more easily deliver exceptional service to your supporters and drive engagement and loyalty.

Doubleknot’s platform empowers zoos like yours to:

• Increase revenue opportunities using a robust point-of-sale (POS) system that supports a variety of pricing structures and upsell options, as well as a dedicated membership and fundraising system that helps you attract and retain donors.
• Improve the visitor experience by streamlining ticketing, registrations, and reservations for events and educational programs.
• Build stronger member and donor relationships through personalized, automated communications and simplified supporter data analysis.
• Work flexibly through integrations with popular nonprofit databases (including ClearView CRM and Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT) that seamlessly share Doubleknot data with the tools you already use.
  

 Get in touch with the Doubleknot team for a custom quote.  

2. ClearView CRM: Top CRM Solution for Zoos 

A wide range of nonprofits, including zoos, rely on ClearView CRM for donor management. Their platform supports memberships, transaction processing, and registration tracking in addition to general supporter data management features, making ClearView CRM an ideal choice for admissions-based organizations. Plus, you can access all of these tools through a convenient mobile app.

To provide a comprehensive management solution for your zoo, ClearView CRM supports a direct, bidirectional integration with Doubleknot. By leveraging these two solutions together, you can eliminate data silos, improve communications, and drive greater engagement at your organization.

For pricing information, contact Clearview CRM’s team directly.

3. Altru by Blackbaud: Best Fundraising-Focused Zoo Management Software

As a ticketing and membership software within the Blackbaud family of fundraising solutions, Altru has fundraising at its core. This cloud-based system centralizes your zoo’s operations by tracking everything from ticket and merchandise sales to memberships and donations.

Altru features an intuitive interface that allows users to quickly analyze visitor trends, evaluate campaign success, and identify frequent ticket-buyers who show strong donor potential. It offers a straightforward path to maximize revenue while cultivating long-term support.

You can get a personalized quote by reaching out to Altru’s team.

4. Volgistics: Top Zoo Software for Volunteer Management

If your zoo relies on volunteers to help run events or lead group tours, Volgistics provides a solution to manage these volunteers. This platform includes volunteer recruitment and screening, a database with built-in scheduling and reporting, and internal communication capabilities. All of these tools are highly customizable, so you can create a volunteer management system tailored to your organization’s needs.

The platform also includes a self-service mobile portal where volunteers can independently manage their schedules, sign up for shifts, and receive automated text reminders. On-site tracking is equally easy, thanks to an intuitive touchscreen kiosk that lets supporters clock in and out electronically.

Volgistics offers monthly subscriptions based on the number of volunteers you want to track, the number of different system operators you need, and whether you want add-on features. A price calculator is available on their website.

5. ROLLER: Best Zoo Management Software for Visitor Services

ROLLER is a modern, cloud-based platform designed to provide a positive guest experience at zoos and other admissions-based organizations. Many of their key features are visitor-facing, such as self-serve digital waiver kiosks, mobile food and beverage ordering, and automated feedback tools.

ROLLER also unifies ticketing, membership programs, and point-of-sale (POS) solutions into a single dashboard, making it easy to track gift shop sales and concessions while protecting your staff from overbooking through real-time capacity management.

While ROLLER does not list specific prices, it offers four plans: Lite, Pro, Premium, and Enterprise. Contact their team to get a custom quote.

6. RocketRez: Top Zoo Management Software for Tour Reservations

RocketRez is particularly well-suited for zoos that handle complex group tours and large crowds. Its highly customizable ticketing engine lets you set flexible rates and rules while easily organizing visitors into timed-entry slots to protect the facility from overcrowding.

The platform also features a built-in AI communication tool called Relay, which sends automated text messages to guests regarding booking confirmations, live schedule alerts, and personalized upgrade offers.

RocketRez offers custom pricing plans for every customer. Contact their team directly for a quote.

7. Versai by Explorer Systems: Best Zoo Software for Inventory Management

Versai combines CRM and POS tools into a single, fully integrated solution designed specifically to keep zoos and admissions-based nonprofits running smoothly. Unlike cloud-only platforms, it utilizes a secure on-site database to ensure your ticketing and sales stations keep working even if the internet goes down. This architecture keeps your front gate workers, education coordinators, and gift shop managers fully aligned and allows all team members to share live schedules instantly across your entire facility.

The platform also stands out for its robust inventory management system that syncs online sales with your physical gift shops. This way, whether a visitor buys a souvenir at an on-site register or orders one on your website, all transaction details are automatically updated in their profile, and your product numbers remain accurate.

Versai’s rates start at $199 per feature per month, with the final price depending on the specific tools your zoo needs. Get in touch with the Versai team for a personalized quote.

8. Oerca: Top Zoo Management Software for Animal Welfare Tracking

Unlike the providers listed above, OERCA offers the other type of zoo management software—the kind that allows care teams to track animal health, behavior, feeding schedules, and environmental conditions across all habitats. Its fully automated welfare assessment system calculates daily health scores to help staff catch subtle trends in an animal’s well-being before they become issues.

All of these daily metrics can be managed via a user-friendly mobile app, allowing keepers and veterinary staff to log observations and update population numbers from the field during their rounds.

Oerca offers three feature packages that it calls Basic, Premium, and Dive Only, with prices that scale based on the number of users your zoo wants to create logins for. Specific prices are available on their website.

Wrapping Up: Additional Resources on Zoo Management

The primary purpose of any zoo management software should be to provide a positive experience for everyone involved with your organization—visitors, staff members, and, by extension, the animals in your care.

When choosing a new solution for your zoo, make sure its features and level of customization meet your needs. Take the software’s track record and potential integrations into account, along with all of the possible short- and long-term benefits of leveraging it.

For more information on zoo management software, check out these resources:

• Zoo Ticketing Software: 6 Tips to Streamline Admissions. Discover how to maximize one of the major capabilities of an integrated zoo management solution: ticketing.
• Museum Software: FAQ + 12 Top Management Solutions. Some popular management platforms used by museums also work for zoos and vice versa—learn more in this complete guide.
• How Your Org Can Navigate Challenges and Opportunities. Learn how your zoo can overcome the most common difficulties cultural organizations face and turn them into possibilities for growth.