Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the
shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in Church management software
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 12 tools, reviewed
#1 ChurchTrac
All-in-one church software priced by number of names · United States · churchtrac.com
All-inclusive tiers Fund accounting Free data import
ChurchTrac is the choice we would hand a treasurer who also does the membership roll.
- Pricing: Per size tier / month. Six published tiers from $29 a month for 75 names to $119 for an unlimited database, with a 10% discount for yearly payment and a 30-day trial that needs no card. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Small and mid-sized churches
- Strengths: People, families and groups; Church accounting and funds; Online giving and statements.
Where it falls short
Two-way texting, dedicated numbers and text giving sit in a separate Enhanced Messaging add-on. The tiers price by names, so a church that never prunes its roll drifts up the ladder.
Wrong for
Skip it if you run several campuses with campus-level permissions, or if the church wants a heavily customized data model.
Visit ChurchTrac →
#2 Breeze ChMS
Simple church database on one flat monthly plan · United States · breezechms.com
Flat price Unlimited people Free export
Breeze built its name on being the system a part-time volunteer can learn in an hour, and its pricing page keeps that promise: one flat rate, no tiers tied to church growth, no contract and no termination fees. The listed core features include unlimited contacts, event management, member directories, check-in, a mobile app, service planning and free data export and import.
- Pricing: Flat monthly. A single flat plan listed at $72 a month with unlimited admin users and people, texting credits beyond 250 a month billed at $10 per 500, and worship tools as a $29 add-on. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Small churches wanting simplicity
- Strengths: Unlimited people and admin users; Online and text giving; Event management.
Where it falls short
Breeze is lighter than a full platform. Complex workflows, deep permission roles and multi-campus reporting are not where it competes, and the worship tools are a paid add-on. Text messages beyond the included 250 a month cost extra.
Wrong for
Not for a large or multi-site church that needs custom fields, role-based permissions and automation.
Visit Breeze ChMS →
#3 Rock RMS
Open source church platform from a nonprofit · United States · rockrms.com
Open source Nonprofit Highly customizable
Rock RMS is a different bargain from the rest of the list. The software is open source and maintained by Spark Development Network, a nonprofit supported by church donations, so there are no license fees, no contract and no seats.
- Pricing: Donation per attendee. No license fee: churches are asked to donate $4.45 per average weekend attendee per year, plus hosting from a cloud partner or on their own servers. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Large churches with technical staff
- Strengths: People and family records; Check-in system; Workflow builder.
Where it falls short
Rock rewards technical staff and punishes their absence. Customizing blocks, workflows and reports needs someone fluent in the system, and self-hosting adds server and security duties. A hosting partner reduces the burden but adds a bill.
Wrong for
Not for a church without a volunteer or staff member who enjoys configuring systems.
Visit Rock RMS →
#4 Planning Center
Modular church software with free entry tiers · United States · planningcenter.com
Modular Free tiers No contracts
Planning Center's pricing page tells you how it works: every product has a usage meter and a free starting level. The People database and reporting are free, as are Calendar for one room, Services for five team members, Registrations for five attendees, Giving for ten monthly donations, Check-Ins for ten daily check-ins and Groups for fifteen members.
- Pricing: Per product / usage tier. Each product is priced by usage, with free entry levels (People is always free). Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Churches adding one ministry at a time
- Strengths: People database and reporting; Services worship planning; Check-ins.
Where it falls short
Using five products means five separate plans, and the monthly total depends on counts you have to keep an eye on.
Wrong for
Not for a church that wants a single flat monthly figure or deep customization.
Visit Planning Center →
#5 Tithely
Church giving, apps and management on one plan · United States · tithely.com
All-in-one bundle Flat $119 plan CSV export
Tithely sells the bundle most small and mid-sized churches say they want: pay a flat $119 a month and get giving, a church app, a website, management tools and service planning, regardless of growth.
- Pricing: Flat monthly. A single All-Access plan listed at $119 a month that covers all five products, with a 30-day free trial and a free People product for tracking members. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Churches wanting one all-in-one bill
- Strengths: Online and text giving; Church management and people; Messaging and email.
Where it falls short
The bundle is the point and the problem: a church that only needs the database pays for tools it will not use, and leaving later means leaving the app and website too.
Wrong for
Not for a church that wants only a database at the lowest price, or one that needs deep customization.
Visit Tithely →
#6 Pushpay
Giving-first platform for large churches · New Zealand · pushpay.com
Giving-first Large churches Multi-year contracts
Pushpay's strength is giving. The company says it owns the giving infrastructure, markets a six-second mobile giving flow, and states that 84 of the 100 largest US churches use its tools. ChurchStaq combines giving, management and engagement for churches, and ParishStaq covers Catholic parishes and dioceses.
- Pricing: Quote only. Plans are shown through a demo. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Large churches centered on giving
- Strengths: Online and mobile giving; ChurchStaq management; Church apps.
Where it falls short
The commitments are heavier than the rest of the list: one to three year contracts, with early cancellation requiring payment of the balance. Prices appear only after a demo.
Wrong for
Not for a small church that wants a visible price, a trial and a month-to-month commitment.
Visit Pushpay →
#7 Subsplash
Church apps, media and giving in one platform · United States · subsplash.com
App and media first Quote based Giving at $0/mo
Subsplash started with apps and media, and the management side is built to feed them. Subsplash One bundles websites, media hosting, custom mobile and TV apps, live streaming, giving, people management, event registration, groups, volunteer management, child check-in, service planning and messaging.
- Pricing: Quote only. Subsplash One is priced by church size and usage through a quote. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Churches that lead with app and media
- Strengths: Custom mobile and TV apps; Websites; Media hosting and delivery.
Where it falls short
Nothing on the public pages gives a monthly price for the bundle, so budgeting needs a sales call.
Wrong for
Not for a church that mainly needs a clean database and volunteer scheduling with a public price.
Visit Subsplash →
#8 MinistryPlatform
Customizable ChMS for large churches and dioceses · United States · ministryplatform.com
Customizable Dioceses and parishes Large churches
MinistryPlatform is for organizations that want to shape the system around themselves. Its site describes a platform that centralizes parishes, people and operations in a single database, with routines, views, notifications, widgets and a customizable mobile app called PocketPlatform. It is aimed at large churches, parishes and denominational offices, with a Catholic offering from the same company, ACS Technologies.
- Pricing: Quote only. No public price list; the site directs buyers to register for a demo. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Large churches, parishes, dioceses
- Strengths: Profiles and households; Groups; Calendar and events.
Where it falls short
The flexibility has a price in effort: configuring routines, views and widgets needs an administrator who treats the system as a project.
Wrong for
Not for a church under a few hundred people or without a dedicated administrator.
Visit MinistryPlatform →
#9 Realm
ACS Technologies' church management platform · United States · acst.com
Established vendor Demo request Groups and volunteers
Realm is the church management product from ACS Technologies, a company that says it has served churches since 1978 and now serves more than 50,000 churches, dioceses, schools and ministries across its products. The ACS church management page describes comprehensive profiles, group tools for leaders on the go, volunteer recruiting and scheduling, and predefined or custom reports.
- Pricing: Quote only. No price list on the ACS Technologies pages we could fetch; the pages push a demo request. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Mid-sized churches wanting a vendor with history
- Strengths: Member profiles; Group management; Volunteer recruiting and scheduling.
Where it falls short
The public site hides the price and the product page leans on general claims rather than a feature table. Realm's sign-in also stood behind a cookie wall when we fetched it, so public evidence is thin.
Wrong for
Not for a small church that wants transparent pricing and a self-serve trial.
Visit Realm →
#10 Servant Keeper
Long-running ChMS with two clear plans · United States · servantkeeper.com
Two plans Includes web and app Annual discount
Servant Keeper keeps the pricing simple: Core covers members, families and gifts for smaller ministries, and Complete adds email, texting, a website, an app, a content library and live streaming.
- Pricing: Per plan / month. Core at $79.99 a month and Complete at $159.99 a month, with 8% off for annual payment. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Small to mid-sized churches
- Strengths: Families and members; Integrated giving; Child check-in.
Where it falls short
User caps of four and eight limit growth, and check-in costs $199 extra on Core. The standard processing rate on Core is higher than on Complete. White glove data transfer is offered on request, not included.
Wrong for
Not for a church with many staff and volunteer administrators who need logins.
Visit Servant Keeper →
#11 Church Windows
Modular church software with accounting and payroll · United States · churchwindows.com
Desktop or web Fund accounting Payroll
Church Windows is a publisher's product more than a platform: Computer Helper Publishing says it has built church software since 1987 and is the sole developer and provider, with no resellers. The four main modules are Membership, Scheduler, Donations and Accounting, with Payroll alongside, and the system is available through remote web access or a desktop install.
- Pricing: Per module / support tier. Sold as modules with support tiers; the pricing page lists tiers and the vendor offers free demos. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Churches that want desktop-style control
- Strengths: Membership; Scheduler; Donations.
Where it falls short
The product is module-based, which means more purchase decisions than a flat plan, and the interface reflects its desktop origins. It gives less weight to giving apps, church apps and website tools than newer products.
Wrong for
Not for a church that expects mobile apps, text giving and a website in the same login.
Visit Church Windows →
#12 Shelby Systems
Integrated ChMS, giving and church accounting · United States · shelbysystems.com
Integrated finance Established vendor Free trial or demo
Shelby Systems sells a connected set: church management, online giving, financials through its HeadQuarters accounting product, a MinistryOne mobile app, church websites, background checks and worship planning. The company says over 3,000 churches use its management solution, and its site stresses automated task assignments and emails so that every visitor gets a follow-up.
- Pricing: Quote only. No price listed on the pages we fetched; buyers are offered a free trial or a call with a specialist. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Established churches wanting integrated finance
- Strengths: Member management; Online giving; Church accounting.
Where it falls short
The brand now sits under Ministry Brands Holdings, so it competes with the parent's other church products. We found no public price, and the site is built around calls and demos.
Wrong for
Not for a small congregation that wants a public price, a quick start and a flat plan.
Visit Shelby Systems →
Questions and answers
What is the best church management software in 2026?
ChurchTrac ranks first of 12, best for small and mid-sized churches. Breeze ChMS is second (small churches wanting simplicity) and Rock RMS third (large churches with technical staff). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
How much does church management software cost?
The range is wide. ChurchTrac starts at $29 a month and rises to $119 for an unlimited database. Breeze lists $72 a month, Servant Keeper $79.99 for its core plan, and Tithely $119 a month for a bundle.
Is there free church management software?
Partly. Planning Center lists its People product (the member database, reporting and communication) as always free, and its Giving, Check-Ins, Groups, Services and Registrations products have free tiers with small usage limits.
What is the difference between a ChMS and church accounting software?
A ChMS tracks people: members, families, attendance, groups, volunteers and gifts per donor. Church accounting tracks money by fund: restricted offerings, building funds, budgets and payroll. Some products cover both, such as ChurchTrac, Church Windows and Shelby.
Do I need online giving built into the church management software?
Not always, but integrated giving saves hours. When gifts post directly to the member record, year-end statements and giving follow-up need no re-keying. The trade-off is that the vendor often controls the processing relationship.
What should a small church with under 100 members choose?
Start with a flat or free product. Planning Center's free tiers fit a church that mainly needs a member database and a service plan. ChurchTrac's 75-name tier at $29 a month adds accounting, a website and an app.
Which church software works best for large or multi-campus churches?
Rock RMS and MinistryPlatform are the customization-heavy options, both aimed at larger organizations with technical staff.
Can I switch church management systems without losing my giving history?
Usually yes, but it needs planning. Ask the old vendor for a full export of donors, families and contribution records before cancelling.
Is Planning Center the standard in church software?
It is the most widely recommended modular option, and its free tiers make it a safe first choice. Each product is separate: People, Services, Check-Ins, Groups, Giving, Registrations, Calendar.
Does church software handle background checks?
Some do. Tithely lists background checks among its church management tools, and ACS Technologies lists them among its solutions, and Shelby Systems describes itself as a leader in faith-based background checks. Others leave screening to an outside provider.
How long does it take to implement church management software?
A small church can have a working database in a few days if the roll is clean. The slow parts are cleaning duplicate households, setting up funds and check-in hardware, and training volunteers.
