Planning Center vs ChurchCMS

Planning Center9.4Visit ChurchCMS8.7Visit

Higher score Planning Center #1 in Church Management Software 9.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 5 of 5 features Try Planning Center

vs

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

• Planning Center fits best

  Churches wanting broad value and mobile access

• ChurchCMS fits best

  Technical churches wanting open-source flexibility

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Side by side

Feature	Planning Center 9.4/10 Visit ↗	ChurchCMS 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.7
Ranking	#1 in Church Management Software	#7 in Church Management Software
Best for	Churches wanting broad value and mobile access	Technical churches wanting open-source flexibility
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$15/unit/mo	$290/yr
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension	Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, Android
Support	Email, Phone, Live chat, Community, Docs	Email, Community
Integrations	6 integrations	4 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Planning Center 5/5 · ChurchCMS 5/5
Group management	✓	✓
Event registration	✓	✓
Child check-in	✓	✓
SMS messaging	✓	✓
Volunteer scheduling	✓	✓
Specs
Member limit	75 members	Not checked yet
Mobile app	Vendor	Branded
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes people records, reporting, and Church Center access Covers groups, events, check-in, scheduling, messaging, giving, and facilities Supports web, iOS, Android, and congregation-facing Church Center experiences	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	À la carte pricing requires choosing and paying for individual products Paid product plans have different usage limits by module May be more than needed for churches seeking one narrow-purpose tool	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	Planning Center is an à la carte church management suite for churches and ministry organizations. Its connected products support membership records, group engagement, event registration, attendance, child and family check-in, giving,… 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

• Planning Center — where it wins

  • Free plan includes people records, reporting, and Church Center access
  • Covers groups, events, check-in, scheduling, messaging, giving, and facilities
  • Supports web, iOS, Android, and congregation-facing Church Center experiences

  Where it doesn't

  • À la carte pricing requires choosing and paying for individual products
  • Paid product plans have different usage limits by module
  • May be more than needed for churches seeking one narrow-purpose tool

• 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

• Planning Center9.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A modular church suite covering people, groups, events, giving, services, and check-in.

  Try Planning CenterFull verdict →
• ChurchCMS8.7/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit ChurchCMSFull verdict →