Planning Center vs ChurchSuite

Planning Center9.4Visit CChurchSuite8.8Visit

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

C ChurchSuite #6 in Church Management Software 8.8/10 Pricing on request ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit ChurchSuite

• Planning Center fits best

  Churches wanting broad value and mobile access

• ChurchSuite fits best

  Small churches needing affordable ministry operations

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	Planning Center 9.4/10 Visit ↗	CChurchSuite 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Church Management Software	#6 in Church Management Software
Best for	Churches wanting broad value and mobile access	Small churches needing affordable ministry operations
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$15/unit/mo	Pricing on request
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Phone, Live chat, Community, Docs	Email, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Planning Center 5/5 · ChurchSuite 5/5
Group management	✓	✓
Event registration	✓	✓
Child check-in	✓	✓
SMS messaging	✓	✓
Volunteer scheduling	✓	✓
Specs
Member limit	75 members	Not checked yet
Mobile app	Vendor	Vendor
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	Covers databases, events, groups, rotas, giving and bookings Supports web, iOS and Android access Includes a 30-day trial and starts at $15.50 per month
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	Solo includes only one module Listed integrations are limited to Google Calendar and iCal No free plan is available
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 →	ChurchSuite is web-based church management software for churches and charities. It brings contact and member database management, event registration, children’s ministry check-in, small-group administration, volunteer rotas,… 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

• ChurchSuite — where it wins

  • Covers databases, events, groups, rotas, giving and bookings
  • Supports web, iOS and Android access
  • Includes a 30-day trial and starts at $15.50 per month

  Where it doesn't

  • Solo includes only one module
  • Listed integrations are limited to Google Calendar and iCal
  • No free plan is available

• 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 →
• CChurchSuite8.8/10 · Pricing on request

  An affordable church operations suite with broad ministry coverage and limited integrations.

  Visit ChurchSuiteFull verdict →