Planning Center review
A modular church suite covering people, groups, events, giving, services, and check-in.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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.
Planning Center pros and cons
- 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
Planning Center fact sheet, pricing and score →
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.
Last updated · How we research and update