Cross-Platform
A native desktop app on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No Microsoft dependency. A server stack built entirely on open-source software.
Windows, macOS, and Linux
The CBSMembers desktop application runs natively on all three major platforms. It is built with Avalonia UI — an open-source, cross-platform framework that renders using the platform's own graphics system, not a web view. The app looks and behaves like a native application on each platform.
Windows 10 or later, 64-bit. Installs via a standard Windows installer with Start Menu integration.
macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, Apple Silicon and Intel. Distributed as a standard .app bundle. Coming soon.
64-bit desktop Linux — Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and others. X11 and Wayland both supported. Installs to /usr/local/bin with an application menu entry.
The installer includes everything it needs.
Open-source server stack
The server-side components CBSMembers depends on are all free, open-source software with no licensing cost and no vendor lock-in:
The database. Battle-tested, open source, and runs on any Linux server. CBSMembers uses row-level security to enforce multi-tenancy at the database level.
Document storage for PDFs — share certificates, dividend statements, and anything published to the member portal. S3-compatible, self-hostable, free.
Standard email relay. Works with Office 365, Google Workspace, or any self-hosted mail server. No proprietary email platform required.
Where it runs
Today, CBSMembers runs on a Linux server managed by Stockwood CBS, with each society's data isolated by row-level security at the database. You log in from the desktop app on your own machine and connect over HTTPS — no proprietary cloud platform sits in the middle.
It is planned to make it possible for a society to run its own server, which could be free-standing or linked to the main server for backup and remote-access purposes. Get in touch if that's important to you.
Unlimited users — charged on members, not seats
Any number of staff, volunteers, or committee members can run CBSMembers simultaneously on their own machines — Windows, macOS, or Linux — all working against the same live data. There is no per-seat licence fee and no limit on how many people can use the system. Pricing is based on the number of members in your register, not the number of people managing it.
See the pricing section for details.
Access controlled centrally
User accounts are managed by Stockwood CBS through a separate administration tool. When someone logs in to CBSMembers, the system checks their email address against the user register and verifies that their account is active. If a user needs to be removed or a society's access suspended, it takes effect immediately — there is nothing to uninstall or change on individual machines.
This is also how licensing works in practice: your society's account and its users are set up and maintained by Stockwood CBS. Your member data never leaves your own database as part of this process.