Planning Center vs Passport

Planning Center9.4Visit Passport8.4Visit

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

Passport #8 in Church Check-In Software 8.4/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Passport

• Planning Center fits best

  Churches wanting a complete, low-cost platform

• Passport fits best

  Budget-conscious churches wanting visitor follow-up

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Side by side

Feature	Planning Center 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Passport 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.4
Ranking	#1 in Church Check-In Software	#8 in Church Check-In Software
Best for	Churches wanting a complete, low-cost platform	Budget-conscious churches wanting visitor follow-up
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$15/unit/mo	$5.60/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, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Phone, Live chat, Community, Docs	Email, Docs
Compliance	SOC 2, GDPR, 2FA	2FA
Integrations	6 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market
Features Planning Center 0/6 · Passport 6/6
Badge printing	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Family linking	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Safety alerts	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Digital badges	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Attendance reports	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Multi-site support	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
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	Kiosk and staff check-in with secure pickup and SMS paging Visitor capture, follow-up journeys, messaging, and attendance history Annual plans support multi-site teams, exports, and retention analytics
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	Broader church management software rather than check-in only Automated messaging and dedicated phone numbers cost extra Advanced multi-site features start on the Pro plan
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 →	Passport combines children's check-in, attendance tracking, visitor capture, follow-up, and member engagement for small and mid-sized churches. It supports kiosk registration, manual staff check-in from an admin dashboard, room assignment,… 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

• Passport — where it wins

  • Kiosk and staff check-in with secure pickup and SMS paging
  • Visitor capture, follow-up journeys, messaging, and attendance history
  • Annual plans support multi-site teams, exports, and retention analytics

  Where it doesn't

  • Broader church management software rather than check-in only
  • Automated messaging and dedicated phone numbers cost extra
  • Advanced multi-site features start on the Pro plan

• 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 →
• Passport8.4/10 · 30-day trial

  A budget-friendly choice for churches combining check-in with visitor follow-up.

  Visit PassportFull verdict →