Church management software
Published prices and the features most churches compare, side by side.
| Software | Suits | Price | Free plan | Online giving | Check-in | Accounting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planning Center | Churches that like starting with a free people database, then paying for add-ons as needs grow | Free core People database; other apps priced per usage (e.g., team members, donations, check-ins) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Breeze ChMS (Tithely Church Management) | Smaller and mid-sized churches that prefer one steady price and unlimited contacts | $72 a month flat rate, unlimited contacts | Free trial only | Yes | Yes | Uses QuickBooks or Aplos |
| ChurchTrac | Small churches that want ChMS and fund accounting together at the lowest full-package cost | $29 a month (up to 75 names), all features included | Free trial only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Realm | Mid-sized and multi-campus churches after ChMS with accounting as an add-on | Realm Inform $49 a month after a 30-day free trial; larger plans by demo request | Free trial only | Yes | Yes | Add-on |
| Pushpay ChMS (formerly Church Community Builder) | Larger churches that prefer giving and ChMS from a single provider | Quote only | No | Yes | Yes | Through a partner |
| Elvanto | Churches that prefer pricing tied solely to active adults | $19 a month billed monthly (up to 50 active adults) plus $149 setup | No | Yes | Yes | Giving tracking only |
| Subsplash One | Churches that want app, website, streaming and ChMS under one roof | Quote only (priced by church size and usage); Subsplash Giving alone is $0 a month | Giving tool only | Yes | Yes | Separate accounting system |
Prices from each company's own pricing page.
| Giving tool | Fees |
|---|---|
| Planning Center Giving | 2.15% + $0.30 per card transaction; $0.30 per ACH transfer (US) |
| Tithely Giving | 2.9% + $0.30 per card charge (3.5% + $0.30 Amex); 1% + $0.30 ACH; $0 monthly |
| Subsplash Giving | 2.99% + $0.30 Visa/Mastercard and 1% ACH (standard); 2.30% + $0.30 cards with an Exclusive Partnership |
Fees as published by each provider.
Church management software keeps your people list, donation records, event check-ins and, for some tools, bookkeeping together in one spot, and what you'll pay ranges from nothing up to a custom quote. This page compares seven well-known options using the prices each company posts on its own site.
Prices and best fit for each tool
People often shorten this sort of tool to ChMS, simply short for church management system. In the table you'll find what each company publishes as its price, along with the sort of church it says the product suits.
Fund accounting, included with ChurchTrac, keeps money set aside for each purpose in its own lane, like a building fund versus the general fund. Realm treats accounting as an add-on, so you can use the people tools on their own.
Is a quote-only price a sign of high cost?
You can't tell from the outside. A quote-only price simply means you won't see a figure until you ask. Realm lists $49 a month for its Inform plan and links its other plans to a demo request, and Pushpay asks you to request a demo for pricing. Subsplash One offers custom quotes based on church size and usage.
The prices that are published carry limits worth knowing about. For $29, ChurchTrac lets you store 75 names, Elvanto's $19 plan allows 50 active adults, and Breeze at $72 places no cap on contacts whatsoever.
Giving tools and their fees
With giving tools, people can donate online or from a phone, and rather than a monthly bill, the biggest cost is usually a small charge per donation. ACH is a direct bank-account payment rather than a card payment, and it tends to carry a lower rate.
That 2.30% Subsplash card rate is tied to its Exclusive Partnership, so unless your church has agreed to that, budget around the standard 2.99%.
Common questions
Is there free church management software?
Among these, Planning Center is the only one with a published free plan, limited to the core People database. Adding giving, check-ins or extra team members later means paying based on usage.
How much does church management software cost?
Planning Center's core People database is free. Among the paid plans with published prices, Elvanto starts lowest at $19 a month for up to 50 active adults, and Breeze costs $72 a month with no limit on contacts. Elvanto also has the lone one-time setup fee, $149, so month one runs higher than the headline rate.
Which giving tool has the lowest fees?
Of these three tools, Planning Center Giving lists the lowest card processing rate: 2.15% plus $0.30. For US bank transfers, it charges a flat $0.30; Tithely charges 1% plus $0.30, and Subsplash charges 1%. The cheapest bank-transfer option depends on the donation amount.