Planning Center vs ChurchTools

Planning Center9.4Visit ChurchTools8.6Visit

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

ChurchTools #8 in Church Management Software 8.6/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit ChurchTools

• Planning Center fits best

  Churches wanting broad value and mobile access

• ChurchTools fits best

  Growing churches needing deep operations and integrations

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Side by side

Feature	Planning Center 9.4/10 Visit ↗	ChurchTools 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.6
Ranking	#1 in Church Management Software	#8 in Church Management Software
Best for	Churches wanting broad value and mobile access	Growing churches needing deep operations and integrations
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$15/unit/mo	$39/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	30 days	30 days
Free trial length	30 days	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
Compliance	SOC 2, GDPR, 2FA	GDPR
Integrations	6 integrations	12 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Planning Center 5/5 · ChurchTools 5/5
Group management	✓	✓
Event registration	✓	✓
Child check-in	✓	✓
SMS messaging	✓	✓
Volunteer scheduling	✓	✓
Specs
Member limit	75 members	100 members (best)
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	Combines member records, groups, worship, finance, check-in, and communication REST API offers more than 800 endpoints, plus multiple third-party integrations Web, iOS, and Android access includes mobile check-in and church workflows
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	Package XS supports 100 people and has no additional campuses SMS messaging requires CM Telecom and incurs provider charges Feature and capacity limits vary substantially across six paid packages
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 →	ChurchTools is a web-based church management platform for Protestant and Catholic parishes, Free Churches, Christian ministries, and congregations of different sizes. It brings together people records, group management, calendars, event… 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

• ChurchTools — where it wins

  • Combines member records, groups, worship, finance, check-in, and communication
  • REST API offers more than 800 endpoints, plus multiple third-party integrations
  • Web, iOS, and Android access includes mobile check-in and church workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • Package XS supports 100 people and has no additional campuses
  • SMS messaging requires CM Telecom and incurs provider charges
  • Feature and capacity limits vary substantially across six paid packages

• 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 →
• ChurchTools8.6/10 · 30-day trial

  A broad ChMS for churches that need operations, communication, finance, and integrations.

  Visit ChurchToolsFull verdict →