ChurchRaise vs ChurchCMS

ChurchRaise9.3Visit ChurchCMS8.7Visit

Higher score ChurchRaise #2 in Church Management Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit ChurchRaise

vs

ChurchCMS #7 in Church Management Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit ChurchCMS

• ChurchRaise fits best

  Budget-conscious churches needing an all-in-one system

• ChurchCMS fits best

  Technical churches wanting open-source flexibility

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Side by side

Feature	ChurchRaise 9.3/10 Visit ↗	ChurchCMS 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.7
Ranking	#2 in Church Management Software	#7 in Church Management Software
Best for	Budget-conscious churches needing an all-in-one system	Technical churches wanting open-source flexibility
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free	$290/yr
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile
Platforms	Web	Web, Android
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Community
Integrations	9 integrations	4 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features ChurchRaise 5/5 · ChurchCMS 5/5
Group management	✓	✓
Event registration	✓	✓
Child check-in	✓	✓
SMS messaging	✓	✓
Volunteer scheduling	✓	✓
Specs
Member limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Mobile app	None	Branded
Our review
Pros	Free platform includes membership, giving, events, groups, and communications Covers child check-in, volunteers, forms, website tools, and reports Connects with Google Calendar, QuickBooks Online, Stripe, Zapier, and more	Self-hosted option includes full source code and all features Covers giving, events, groups, check-in, volunteers, and communications Branded Android app plus website, media, API, and six integrations
Cons	Platform access is listed for the web Terms mention prepaid AI credit purchases It is proprietary rather than open source	Self-hosting requires server installation and environment configuration Mobile app support is centered on Android Advanced deployment support costs extra through hosting or setup services
Our verdict	ChurchRaise is a web-based church management platform for churches and ministry teams that want one system for people records, giving, communication, events, groups, attendance, volunteers, forms, websites, and reports. Its people and… Read the review →	ChurchCMS is an open-source church management platform for churches and ministry teams that want member records, giving, events, groups, attendance, communications, websites, and media tools in one system. Its scope covers family units,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ChurchRaise — where it wins

  • Free platform includes membership, giving, events, groups, and communications
  • Covers child check-in, volunteers, forms, website tools, and reports
  • Connects with Google Calendar, QuickBooks Online, Stripe, Zapier, and more

  Where it doesn't

  • Platform access is listed for the web
  • Terms mention prepaid AI credit purchases
  • It is proprietary rather than open source

• ChurchCMS — where it wins

  • Self-hosted option includes full source code and all features
  • Covers giving, events, groups, check-in, volunteers, and communications
  • Branded Android app plus website, media, API, and six integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosting requires server installation and environment configuration
  • Mobile app support is centered on Android
  • Advanced deployment support costs extra through hosting or setup services

• ChurchRaise9.3/10 · Free plan

  A broad, free web platform covering church administration, communication, giving, and events.

  Visit ChurchRaiseFull verdict →
• ChurchCMS8.7/10 · Free plan

  A flexible church platform for teams that want broad features and deployment control.

  Visit ChurchCMSFull verdict →