Planning Center
Planning Center: A modular church suite covering people, groups, events, giving, services, and check-in. Ranked #1 of 38 in Church Management Software by our editors (9.4/10); pricing: Free plan · 30-day trial; best for churches wanting broad value and mobile access.
At a glance
- Editor score9.4 / 10
- PricingFree plan · 30-day trial
- Best forChurches wanting broad value and mobile access
- Free planYes
- Paid from$15/unit/mo
- Child check-inYes
- Founded2006 · Carlsbad, California, United States
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
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
Our verdict on Planning Center
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, facilities, worship planning, volunteer scheduling, communication, and congregation-facing access through Church Center. Staff and volunteers manage ministry operations, while congregants can register for events, join groups, give, update profiles, and stay connected through the app and web platform.
The pricing structure is modular rather than centered on one plan with a single member limit. The Free plan includes a people membership database and reporting, free tiers for multiple products, and Church Center access. Paid product plans start at $15 per month, billed monthly. Groups includes 75 group members, Services includes 20 team members, and Check-Ins includes 30 daily check-ins. A 30-day free trial is also available. This approach can suit churches that want to select only the products they need, though organizations seeking one consolidated plan may find the à la carte model less straightforward.
Planning Center’s strongest fit is for churches that need several connected ministry workflows in one ecosystem. Features include small-group attendance, announcements and chat; event payments, attendee management and custom forms; child check-in with security labels; volunteer scheduling; text messaging for People, Giving, Services and Check-Ins; and facilities, room and resource management. Integrations include Checkr, Twilio, Clearstream, Text in Church, RehearsalPack, SongSelect, and PraiseCharts. Churches wanting broad operational coverage and mobile access should consider Planning Center, while teams needing only a focused standalone tool may prefer a narrower alternative.
Your product? Our editors can test Planning Center in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Planning Center pricing
All 12 Planning Center plans and prices →
Planning Center fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $15/unit/mo |
| Member limit | 75 members |
| Group management | Yes |
| Event registration | Yes |
| Child check-in | Yes |
| SMS messaging | Yes |
| Mobile app | Vendor |
| Volunteer scheduling | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance & security | SOC 2, GDPR, 2FA |
| Support | Email, Phone, Live chat, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 6 integrations: Checkr, Mailchimp, SongSelect, PraiseCharts, RehearsalPack, MultiTracks See all → |
| Pricing | Free plan · 30-day trial (source) |
| Website | planningcenter.com |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
Planning Center integrations
Planning Center lists 6 integrations on its own site.
- Checkr
- Mailchimp
- SongSelect
- PraiseCharts
- RehearsalPack
- MultiTracks
See all Planning Center integrations →
Alternatives to Planning Center
- ChurchRaiseA broad, free web platform covering church administration, communication, giving, and events.9.3
- Rock RMSA broad, extensible church platform for organizations prepared to manage hosting.9.2
- ChurchTracChurchTrac combines ministry, finance, giving, and member workflows in one subscription.9.1
See all Planning Center alternatives →
Planning Center vs the competition
- Planning Center vs ChurchRaise
- Planning Center vs Rock RMS
- Planning Center vs ChurchTrac
- Planning Center vs ChMeetings
- Planning Center vs ChurchSuite
- Planning Center vs ChurchCMS
Compare Planning Center with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Planning Center is ranked in 12 of our directories; the 6 strongest besides Church Management Software.
Used Planning Center? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Planning Center for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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