Planning Center vs Grace Gate Check-In

Planning Center9.4Visit Grace Gate Check-In8.9Visit

Higher score Planning Center #1 in Church Check-In Software 9.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 6 features Try Planning Center

vs

Grace Gate Check-In #3 in Church Check-In Software 8.9/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 4 of 6 features Visit Grace Gate

• Planning Center fits best

  Churches wanting a complete, low-cost platform

• Grace Gate Check-In fits best

  Affordable dedicated check-in teams

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Side by side

Feature	Planning Center 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Grace Gate Check-In 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.9
Ranking	#1 in Church Check-In Software	#3 in Church Check-In Software
Best for	Churches wanting a complete, low-cost platform	Affordable dedicated check-in teams
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$15/unit/mo	$9.99/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	30 days	30 days
Free trial length	30 days	30 days · no card needed
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Phone, Live chat, Community, Docs	Email, Docs
Integrations	6 integrations	4 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market
Features Planning Center 0/6 · Grace Gate Check-In 4/6
Badge printing	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Family linking	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Safety alerts	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Digital badges	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Attendance reports	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Multi-site support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Check-in modes	Not checked yet	Both
Our review
Pros	Free plan plus paid products starting at $15 per month Child and family check-in with checkout and security labels Web, iOS, Android, and congregation-facing Church Center experience	$9.99 monthly plan includes check-in, labels, reports, and unlimited paired iPads Security-code pickup verification plus parent, comfort, and medication alerts Imports or synchronization with Planning Center, Breeze, and Elvanto
Cons	À la carte pricing can make total costs vary by selected modules The Check-Ins plan includes 30 daily check-ins Broad functionality may exceed the needs of check-in-only teams	No free plan; access is paid after the 30-day trial The published offering has one plan rather than multiple paid tiers Its focus is children’s ministry check-in rather than broader church operations
Our verdict	Planning Center is a connected church management suite for churches and ministry organizations that need more than child check-in alone. Its products cover membership records, reporting, groups, attendance, events, payments, custom forms,… Read the review →	Grace Gate Check-In is a children’s ministry check-in system for churches that need iPad kiosks, printed labels, pickup controls, and parent communication in one workflow. It combines family check-in with child name tags, parent pickup… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Planning Center — where it wins

  • Free plan plus paid products starting at $15 per month
  • Child and family check-in with checkout and security labels
  • Web, iOS, Android, and congregation-facing Church Center experience

  Where it doesn't

  • À la carte pricing can make total costs vary by selected modules
  • The Check-Ins plan includes 30 daily check-ins
  • Broad functionality may exceed the needs of check-in-only teams

• Grace Gate Check-In — where it wins

  • $9.99 monthly plan includes check-in, labels, reports, and unlimited paired iPads
  • Security-code pickup verification plus parent, comfort, and medication alerts
  • Imports or synchronization with Planning Center, Breeze, and Elvanto

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; access is paid after the 30-day trial
  • The published offering has one plan rather than multiple paid tiers
  • Its focus is children’s ministry check-in rather than broader church operations

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

  A low-cost church platform that combines child check-in with broad ministry management.

  Try Planning CenterFull verdict →
• Grace Gate Check-In8.9/10 · 30-day trial

  An affordable dedicated check-in system for churches running children’s ministry workflows.

  Visit Grace GateFull verdict →