Convene vs OnBoard Board Portal Comparison for UK Boards

Convene and OnBoard are both cloud-based board portals that replace paper board packs with a single platform for papers, voting and minutes. For UK boards, the key differentiator is which platform is built around UK regulation and UK data protection.

What do Convene and OnBoard do?

Convene and OnBoard are both board portal platforms, also called board management software, that let directors read board papers, vote and store governance records online instead of on paper.

• Convene is the flagship product of Azeus, headquartered in London, with additional offices in Singapore and Madrid, used by boards in over 100 countries.
• OnBoard is owned by Passageways Inc, a private company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States, founded in 2003.

How do Convene and OnBoard differ on UK regulation?

Which platform is built around UK company law changes?

Convene is the platform more directly shaped by current UK company law, because its UK entity operates under the same rules its customers must follow.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 made identity verification compulsory for directors and persons with significant control from 18 November 2025, and removed the separate statutory registers many company secretaries previously maintained, as set out in Companies House’s transition plan.

The FRC’s UK Corporate Governance Code 2024 applies to financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2025, with a new internal controls declaration under Provision 29 from 1 January 2026.

A UK-headquartered, ICO-registered vendor such as Azeus Convene can build features around these UK deadlines directly whereas a US-headquartered vendor serving the UK as one market among several may prioritise its home regulatory calendar first.

Does data residency matter when choosing a UK board portal?

Yes, because UK boards handling personal data, such as director or PSC details, fall under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, both of which carry record-keeping and accountability duties over where that data sits.

• Convene operates a UK entity registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and offers UK hosting through Amazon Web Services’ UK region, alongside Cyber Essentials Plus certification, as declared in Azeus’s own G-Cloud service definition, submitted to the government’s Digital Marketplace.
• OnBoard states on its own compliance page that it is GDPR compliant and runs on Microsoft Azure, but its published material does not name a UK entity, a UK hosting region or ICO registration, so ask the vendor directly.

How does security certification compare?

Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus have been required on certain central government and NHS contracts since 2014, most recently set out in Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note 014.

71% of UK governance professionals expect cyber risk to increase this year, and two thirds plan to increase security spending, according to the CGI Boardroom Bellwether survey for summer 2025.

Convene holds more publicly documented UK-specific certification than OnBoard, though every claim below still needs checking directly with the vendor.

• Convene, ISO 27001, ISO 27017 and ISO 27018 for its UK cloud infrastructure and Cyber Essentials Plus for its UK operation, as declared in Azeus’s own G-Cloud service definition, submitted to the government’s Digital Marketplace.
• Azeus’s CMMI Level 5 appraisal is independently confirmed in BSI’s own client directory.
• Azeus has AICPA SOC 1, 2 and 3 compliance.
• OnBoard’s own site states that it holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification, is ISO 27701 certified and GDPR and HIPAA compliant, and runs on Microsoft Azure infrastructure.

What does support look like for a UK board?

Support depends heavily on where a vendor’s team is based and what hours it keeps.

• Convene operates a UK office, giving UK company secretaries a local point of contact.
• OnBoard is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and its published material centres on US-based support.

Ask any vendor directly what UK hours are covered, how escalations work outside those hours, and whether a UK-based account manager is assigned.

How do Convene and OnBoard compare on pricing?

Both platforms are sold on a custom quote basis reflecting board size, committee numbers and features needed. You can request quotes from both providers covering the same user numbers and contract length.

Which UK boards suit which platform?

The better fit depends on sector and regulatory exposure rather than a single universal winner.

Convene’s UK presence and its coverage of NHS trusts, housing associations, universities, charities and listed companies suits boards that need a vendor already familiar with UK-specific frameworks, from the FRC’s Code to the 2025 Charity Governance Code.

OnBoard may suit organisations with a primarily US or multinational board structure, where alignment with US governance norms matters more than UK-specific regulatory fit.

Conclusion

Convene’s UK entity, its ICO registration and its Cyber Essentials Plus certification give UK boards a level of local accountability that is harder to establish with a US-headquartered provider. This creates a clearer path for company secretaries working through ECCTA 2023 and the FRC’s 2024 Code.

Why UK boards choose Convene

For UK boards that need a portal built around UK regulation rather than adapted to it, Convene offers the following:

• A UK-registered entity, Cyber Essentials Plus certification and hosting through AWS’s UK region.
• ISO 27001 across its UK infrastructure, as declared in Azeus’s G-Cloud service definition, and an independently confirmed CMMI Level 5 appraisal.
• A support team already operating inside ECCTA 2023 and the FRC’s 2024 Code.

To see how Convene handles board packs, voting and minutes for your specific sector, book a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Convene GDPR compliant for UK boards?

Yes, Convene’s data processing is designed to comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and Azeus’s UK entity is registered with the ICO and holds Cyber Essentials Plus certification.

What is the difference between a board portal and board management software?

In practice, the terms are used interchangeably, and both Convene and OnBoard use both labels. A board portal originally meant the secure document library for board papers, while board management software covers the wider workflow of agendas, voting and minutes built around it.