Appy Pie Church App Maker vs Shepard

Appy Pie Church App Maker9.4Visit Shepard8.7Visit

Higher score Appy Pie Church App Maker #1 in Church App Builders 9.4/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Appy Pie

vs

Shepard #5 in Church App Builders 8.7/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Shepard

• Appy Pie Church App Maker fits best

  Budget-conscious churches needing broad app features

• Shepard fits best

  Churches wanting automation and community depth

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Appy Pie Church App Maker 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Shepard 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.7
Ranking	#1 in Church App Builders	#5 in Church App Builders
Best for	Budget-conscious churches needing broad app features	Churches wanting automation and community depth
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$16/unit/mo	$39/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	7 days	14 days
Free trial length	7 days · no card needed	14 days · no card needed
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS
Support	Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7	Email
Integrations	500+ integrations	9 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Appy Pie Church App Maker 5/5 · Shepard 5/5
Custom branding	✓	✓
Sermon library	✓	✓
Digital giving	✓	✓
Groups	✓	✓
Push messaging	✓	✓
Specs
App store publishing	Both	Vendor_managed
Member limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes sermons, prayer wall, and small-groups directory Supports giving, events, groups, streaming, volunteering, and messaging Native Android and iOS publishing is available on paid tiers	Combines giving, groups, events, sermons, chat, and prayer tools Workflow automation includes triggers, conditions, filters, and delays Granular permissions and multi-site management support larger teams
Cons	Android and iOS publishing starts on different plans Monthly push notifications and downloads are capped on paid tiers The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simpler church apps	No free plan; monthly pricing starts at $39 Platform coverage is limited to web and iOS Advanced features require the Premium or Enterprise plans
Our verdict	Appy Pie Church App Maker is a no-code, AI-assisted platform for churches and ministries that want a branded mobile app without building from scratch. It supports custom logos, brand colors, and typography, alongside sermon publishing,… Read the review →	Shepard brings member communication and church administration into one service. It is designed for churches that need community feeds, groups, chat, events, prayer requests, digital giving, sermon publishing, check-in, and staff tools in… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Appy Pie Church App Maker — where it wins

  • Free plan includes sermons, prayer wall, and small-groups directory
  • Supports giving, events, groups, streaming, volunteering, and messaging
  • Native Android and iOS publishing is available on paid tiers

  Where it doesn't

  • Android and iOS publishing starts on different plans
  • Monthly push notifications and downloads are capped on paid tiers
  • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simpler church apps

• Shepard — where it wins

  • Combines giving, groups, events, sermons, chat, and prayer tools
  • Workflow automation includes triggers, conditions, filters, and delays
  • Granular permissions and multi-site management support larger teams

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; monthly pricing starts at $39
  • Platform coverage is limited to web and iOS
  • Advanced features require the Premium or Enterprise plans

• Appy Pie Church App Maker9.4/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A broad church app builder with a free plan and paid publishing tiers.

  Visit Appy PieFull verdict →
• Shepard8.7/10 · 14-day trial

  Shepard combines church communication, giving, events, workflows, and AI assistance.

  Visit ShepardFull verdict →