# Best Church Management Software - 2026 Reviews & Pricing

> Find the best Church Management Software for your organization. Compare top Church Management Software systems with customer reviews, pricing, and free demos.

Source: https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4520-church-management

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# Best Church Management Software of 2026

Updated June 25, 2026

On this page

1.  FrontRunners
2.  Popular Comparisons
3.  Buyers Guide
4.  Related Software

Filter products

113 results

### Compare Products

Showing 1 - 25 of 113 products

#### Company Size

-   Self-Employed
    
-   2-10
    
-   11-50
    
-   51-200
    
-   201-500
    
-   501-1000
    
-   1000+
    

#### Pricing Options

-   $$$$$
    
-   $$$$$
    
-   $$$$$
    
-   $$$$$
    
-   $$$$$
    

### Compare Products

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**Alphabetically (A-Z)**: Sorts listings by product name from A to Z.

4.50

[(4)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/sunergo-profile/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Not available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Sunergo is a suite of tools for churches, which includes a website, event registration and an online donation portal. It offers a contact management platform that helps manage tax receipting, volunteer scheduling and more. Members can search for churches, donate generously, participate in church events, and volunteer in church ministries.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/sunergo-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Member Directory

5.0

Activity Dashboard

5.0

Donation Management

4.7

Online Giving

4.5

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/sunergo-profile/#key-features)

4.53

[(1060)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/food-service-management/charitytracker-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Small businesses

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Meet CharityTracker, the approachable and affordable CRM solution for organizations that lets you focus on your clients to measure real-world impact, not just data. We’ll help you generate meaningful data and collaborative partnerships that can solve complex community challenges, every connection along the way. As a HIPAA-compliant database, we serve 20,000+ users worldwide through transformational processes that support comprehensive, coordinated care. Our hearts are in this with you from implementation and beyond. Unlike other companies that disappear after you onboard, we’ll grow alongside you as you increase your caring power and community impact.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/food-service-management/charitytracker-profile/)

### What users love

-   Intuitive interface and onboarding
-   Holistic client tracking and referrals
-   Responsive and helpful support team

### To take in mind

-   Complex and inflexible reporting tools
-   Cost concerns for nonprofits
-   Inefficient and inconsistent search experience

### Best rated features:

Care Plan Management

5.0

Workflow Management

5.0

Member Communication

5.0

Referral Tracking

5.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/food-service-management/charitytracker-profile/#key-features)

### Basic

$20.00/month

Ideal for small nonprofits and community organizations, CharityTracker Basic offers essential case management tools to streamline your operations. Features include easy case management, comprehensive reporting, area-wide bulletins, and secure, 24/7 access with daily backups. This plan provides a solid foundation for tracking assistance and managing client information efficiently.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/food-service-management/charitytracker-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

### Plus

$40.00/month

Building upon the Basic plan, CharityTracker Plus introduces advanced features to enhance your organization's capabilities. In addition to all Basic features, Plus includes barcode scanning, client ID management, digital signature capture, file uploads, and the ability to create and track outcomes. These tools facilitate more detailed record-keeping and improved client service.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/food-service-management/charitytracker-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

### Pro

$60.00/month

Designed for organizations seeking comprehensive case management solutions, CharityTracker Pro encompasses all features of the Plus plan and adds kiosk mode for remote intake, SMS text broadcasts, appointment scheduling, customizable assessments, change-over-time reporting, street address autocomplete, and API access. This plan is tailored for agencies requiring robust tools for in-depth client engagement and data analysis.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/food-service-management/charitytracker-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/food-service-management/charitytracker-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

4.71

[(1138)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/planning-center-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Worship Planning

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

Planning Center’s the all-in-one church management software that helps churches help people. It gives leaders, teams, and congregants a single place to organize, connect, and get involved. No matter your size, Planning Center’s the easy-to-use platform for: - Scheduling volunteers - Accepting online donations - Creating event signups - Establishing safe and secure family check-ins And so much more! Find out all you can do from the freedom of a 30-day trial. No credit card needed! And, when you’re ready to upgrade, you only pay for what you need, when you need it, and cancel whenever you want.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/planning-center-profile/)

### What users love

-   Comprehensive volunteer coordination tools
-   Flexible and intuitive scheduling system
-   Centralized music planning features

### To take in mind

-   Steep learning curve for users
-   Costs add up with modules
-   Feature complexity and gaps

### Best rated features:

Contact Management

5.0

Reporting & Statistics

5.0

Registration Management

5.0

Forms Management

5.0

### Worst rated features:

Image Library

3.7

Event Scheduling

4.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/planning-center-profile/#key-features)

### People

Custom

Pricing available upon request

Planning Center People is a membership database that helps you centralize information from your ministries. With Planning Center People, you can sync information from across your church into a single place. Send church-wide emails, follow up with visitors using custom workflows, organize personal details of people and their families, record background check completions, create reports based on peoples’ information and activity records, and much more.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/planning-center-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

### Services

$0.00/month

Services is priced by the total number of people who access the system in any way. All plans include unlimited feature access, teams, service types, and plans. 5 Team Members 100MB Storage Free Select Plan 20 Team Members 2GB Storage $14/mo. Select Plan 50 Team Members 4GB Storage $29/mo. Select Plan 150 Team Members 10GB Storage $59/mo. Select Plan 400 Team Members 30GB Storage $99/mo. Select Plan 30 Days Free | No Set Up Fees | Cancel Anytime... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/planning-center-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

### Check-ins

$0.00/month

Check-Ins is priced by the total number of people who access the system in any way. All plans include unlimited feature access, teams, service types, and plans. 30 Days Free | No Set Up Fees | Cancel Anytime... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/planning-center-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/planning-center-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

4.32

[(38)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/cdmplus-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

CDM+ is a church management solution designed for small and midsize churches and ministries that offers attendance management, contribution management, event management and check-in functionality within a single unified software suite. CDM+ features membership management that allows users to record member information such as names and addresses in a central location. The solution also allows users to record member attendance with the help of the mobile app. CDM+ features "MapQuest," which integrates with maps and enables users to access directions. Manage accounts payable, accounts receivable and bank reconciliation. Users have access to an online portal letting them create and access purchase orders, invoices and vendor payments. CDM+ Contribution allows users to track the performance of stewardship programs with the help of giving history reporting. CDM+ Plans start at $25 a month.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/cdmplus-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Membership Management

3.0

Payroll Management

3.0

Asset Tracking

2.0

General Ledger

2.0

### Worst rated features:

Accounting

1.0

Budgeting/Forecasting

1.0

Financial Management

1.0

Donation Management

1.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/cdmplus-profile/#key-features)

### Starter

$25.00/month

The plan is exclusively for new and small churches to manage 50 individuals

### Grow 1

$50.00/month

It helps new and small churches collect contributions from up to 50 givers.

### Grow 2

$75.00/month

It helps new and small churches manage accounting and memberships

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/cdmplus-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Tithely Church Management](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/breeze-chms-profile/)

4.85

[(624)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/breeze-chms-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Membership Management

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Breeze is an intuitive web-based church management software that helps small to mid-size churches and organizations monitor people, manage events and track donations. With Breeze, organizations can manage databases, create groups, send and schedule email and text messages, offer online and text message giving, generate contribution reports, set up event registration and manage volunteers, securely check-in children and print name tags, print member directories, and more. Breeze also integrates with QuickBooks for accounting management and can sync contact and group data with MailChimp. Support is provided through email, phone, and an online help desk at no additional cost. There's no contract, no setup fees, and Breeze will even move in existing data for you for no cost. Try a free 30-day trial of Breeze today and see why more than 11,000 churches love Breeze!... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/breeze-chms-profile/)

### What users love

-   Responsive and knowledgeable support team
-   Comprehensive church organization tools
-   Intuitive and user-friendly interface

### To take in mind

-   Email functionality limitations and issues

### Best rated features:

Pledge Management

5.0

Attendance Tracking

4.9

Contact Database

4.9

Membership Management

4.8

### Worst rated features:

Third-Party Integrations

3.4

Scheduling

3.5

Communication Management

3.6

Multi-Location

3.6

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/breeze-chms-profile/#key-features)

### Breeze

$72.00/month

Unlimited Users

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/breeze-chms-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[ChurchTrac](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/churchtrac-profile/)

4.82

[(864)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/churchtrac-profile/reviews/)

Best for:For Religious Organizations

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Our goal is to EQUIP churches to build the body of Christ. Churches choose ChurchTrac for 4 reasons: Most Affordable, Most Features, Easy-To-Use, and Support.  You’ll find that ChurchTrac is truly the ONLY All-In-One church management software that does everything you need at an affordable price. Whether it’s Church Accounting, Child Check-In, Websites, Donation Tracking, even a mobile app! Join the 60,000+ church leaders who made the switch and create your free 30-day trial today.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/churchtrac-profile/)

### What users love

-   Comprehensive church administration tools
-   Responsive and helpful support team
-   Intuitive and user-friendly interface

### To take in mind

-   Limited reporting customization options

### Best rated features:

Electronic Payments

5.0

Content Library

5.0

Search/Filter

5.0

Recurring/Subscription Billing

5.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/churchtrac-profile/#key-features)

### All-In-One Church Software

$9.00/month

Pricing is based on the size of your church database and usage of texting & accounting.

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/churchtrac-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Clearstream](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/clearstream-profile/)

4.82

[(687)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/clearstream-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Small businesses

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Clearstream is a product-first company building powerful, beautiful communication and engagement software for the local church. We've been around since 2010, and we're proud to help over 10,000 churches and nonprofits connect with their people on a weekly basis. Our platform includes two-way texting, email, QR codes, NFC tags, custom landing pages, link shortening, text-to-join keywords, video texting and MMS, workflows, short codes, and more. It's integrated with church management software like Planning Center and Rock RMS. And, we have killer customer support with an average response time of 2-3 minutes (not hours or days). Try it free for 30 days, then update your plan at any time, with no contracts or hidden fees. And if you're a church plant, you can use Clearstream free for one year! Just reach out to us.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/clearstream-profile/)

### What users love

-   Flexible and reliable texting platform
-   Responsive and helpful support team
-   Strengthening church community connections

### To take in mind

-   Confusing and restrictive credit system

### Best rated features:

Customizable Branding

5.0

Campaign Scheduling

5.0

QR Codes

5.0

Role-Based Permissions

5.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/clearstream-profile/#key-features)

### $29/mo

$29.00/month

Upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime.

### $49/mo

$49.00/month

Upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime.

### $99/mo

$99.00/month

Upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime.

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/clearstream-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Chmeetings](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/chmeetings-profile/)

4.88

[(164)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/chmeetings-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Value for money

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

ChMeetings is designed to help churches thrive by providing the tools they need to manage, engage, and grow their communities. With over 7,000 churches worldwide using the platform, ChMeetings is known for offering outstanding value through a combination of powerful features, accessible pricing, user-friendly design, responsive support, and scalability to match any ministry’s needs. As a complete Church Management Software solution, ChMeetings supports your operations with tools for Membership Management, Online Giving, Church Accounting, Event Organization, Volunteer Scheduling, Child Check-In, a secure Member Portal, Communication Features, and a mobile app available in both standard and branded formats. Whether you're managing a small congregation or a multi-site ministry, ChMeetings keeps everything organized and within reach, from anywhere.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/chmeetings-profile/)

### Best rated features:

API

5.0

Accounting

5.0

Donation Tracking

5.0

Recurring Giving

5.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/chmeetings-profile/#key-features)

### Free

$0.00/month

Free Plan

### V. Small Account

$12.00/month

\- Up to 100 People - Two months discount when paying annually

### Small Account

$25.00/month

\- Up to 250 People - Two months discount when paying annually

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/chmeetings-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[ToucanTech](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/toucantech-profile/)

4.90

[(151)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/toucantech-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Ease of use

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Not available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

ToucanTech is a community management platform that combines database management, website hosting, communication tools, and engagement features in one system. It is designed for schools, universities, alumni organizations, associations, and membership groups to manage and engage their communities. The platform includes a secure database for storing member records with querying and reporting capabilities. It offers a customizable website builder with branding and layout options, along with an optional private member portal and mobile app. Communication tools allow for sending newsletters and tracking engagement. Event management features support planning and organizing gatherings, while integrated payment processing handles transactions and invoices. The system automatically records member interactions to maintain updated records and provide insights into engagement. Additional tools include group and club management for creating sub-communities and fostering networking. ToucanTech centralizes member interactions in one location, reducing the need for multiple applications. It supports tasks such as data management, event planning, and communication within a single platform.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/toucantech-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Gift Matching Management

5.0

Member Types

5.0

Dues Management

5.0

Committee Management

5.0

### Worst rated features:

Ideation

2.5

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/toucantech-profile/#key-features)

[Nucleus](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/nucleus-profile/)

4.95

[(119)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/nucleus-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Customer support

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

Nucleus is a church management software that helps manage online giving, worships, sermons, payments, communication and more on a unified portal. The platform offers a website builder, which enables users to design and launch personalized websites with custom logos, themes, colours and content. The giving module in Nucleus allows organizations to embed a donation section across multiple web pages, enabling donors to make donations via credit card or bank transfers. It offers a host of features such as podcast hosting, customizable templates, drag-and-drop editor, a form builder, bulk transactions, and more. Additionally, administrators can create custom social media posts using high definition images and videos to connect with participants and volunteers across various social networks. Nucleus supports integration with numerous third-party applications like MailChimp, Google Calendar, Elvanto, HubSpot and more. Pricing includes monthly subscriptions and support is provided via email, FAQs and other online measures.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/nucleus-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Pre-built Templates

5.0

Customizable Templates

5.0

Activity Dashboard

5.0

Social Media Integration

5.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/nucleus-profile/#key-features)

### Basic

$0.00/month

The Launcher by Nucleus Nucleus Prayer Free forever products for every church!

### Essential

$49.00/month

Nucleus Web The Launcher by Nucleus Nucleus Prayer Web Hosting (SEO Optimized) Mobile Optimized Websites Church Website Page Templates Unlimited Pages Custom CSS Sitewide & On-Page SEO Works With Any Custom Domain SSL Certificate Multiple Admins... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/nucleus-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

### Standard

$99.00/month

Everything in Essential, plus... Nucleus Flows Nucleus People & Messages Church Signup & Registration Templates Unlimited Flows & Submissions Unlimited Email Subscribers & Campaigns Create Manual, Fixed, & Dynamic Email Lists Automatic Follow-Up Emails & Sequences... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/nucleus-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/nucleus-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Rock RMS](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/rock-rms-profile/)

4.85

[(101)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/rock-rms-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Features

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

Rock RMS is an open-source church management software designed to help churches of all sizes manage relationships, data, finances and more on a unified portal. The platform enables organizations to maintain visitor records, group them into categories, add custom notes, and handle events check-in/out. Rock RMS allows administrators to create custom workflows to streamline visitor communication and capture details using custom forms. It offers a host of features such as engagement tracking, structured programs management, dashboards, calendar management and more. Additionally, users can design, launch and manage personalized websites with custom content, themes and layout to establish brand identity with the audience. Rock RMS lets managers gain insights into pledges, transactions, batches, fundraising, and other metrics using analytics and custom reports. It also supports integration with various third-party applications via API. Pricing includes annual subscriptions and support is extended via FAQs, a community and other online measures.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/rock-rms-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Electronic Payments

5.0

Contact Management

5.0

Online Calendar

5.0

For Religious Organizations

4.9

### Worst rated features:

Mobile Access

3.8

Volunteer Management

4.0

Member Portal

4.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/rock-rms-profile/#key-features)

### Recommended Donations

$4.10/year

Rock is supported by a recommended donation of $4.10 per average weekend attendee per year (for a church of ~1,000 attendees per week, that would be $4,100/year or $342/month). All main Rock features are included at this rate.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/rock-rms-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/rock-rms-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Church Social](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-social-profile/)

5.0

[(45)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-social-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Church Social is a church management solution designed to help congregations handle donations, sermons, events, members, task schedules and more on a centralized platform. Administrators can generate reports to gain visibility into members' activities, bouncing emails, login frequency or user roles and export them in CSV or PDF format according to requirements. Using Church Social, churches can maintain an accessible member directory with details such as contact information, family images, birthdays, anniversaries, addresses and locations. Members can quickly view clubs, committees or bible studies, send messages to specific groups and store relevant files in s secure repository. Additionally, congregations can create recurring events for worship services and send weekly email reminders to members about upcoming tasks. Pastors, leaders and deacons can use Church Social to organize members based on wards, districts or parishes. The product is available on monthly subscriptions and support is extended via documentation and email.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-social-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Membership Management

4.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-social-profile/#key-features)

### Small

$50.00/month

This plan is for 0-200 users.

### Medium

$75.00/month

This plan is for 200-400 members.

### Large

$100.00/month

This plan is for 400+ members.

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-social-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Tithe.ly](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/tithe-ly-profile/)

4.69

[(693)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/tithe-ly-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Ease of use

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Tithe.ly is a cloud-based funds collection application and online giving solution designed for churches of all sizes. It offers a mobile app that allows church members to donate funds in a variety of ways and provides reports, alerts and donation tracking. Tithe.ly offers products for Church Giving, Apps, Sites, and Events, as well as an all-inclusive church management suite. The platform facilitates digital giving, custom church website building, church app creation, events management and more. Users can use Tithe.ly to create a custom church app or church website using logos, graphics and brand colors. Mobile giving options include fund transfer using saved cards, automated recurring giving, ACH payments, credit or debit card donations, a text-to-give feature and an option that allows members to cover their transaction fee. Churches can also set up a mobile kiosk to enable visitors to donate funds without setting up an account. Donors have access to records of all their contributions and the iPhone app can send weekly giving reminders to donors. Administrators can enter large gift amounts manually, customize the text that appears on donors' credit card statements and set up multiple church locations or different bank accounts. Tithe.ly pricing is based on required features and a transaction fee is added to each donation, on top of the monthly fee.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/tithe-ly-profile/)

### What users love

-   Comprehensive church administration tools
-   User-friendly and accessible platform
-   Responsive and helpful support team

### To take in mind

-   Challenging integrations and website setup
-   Limited customization and intuitiveness
-   Slow deposits and payment limitations

### Best rated features:

Third-Party Integrations

5.0

Customizable Branding

5.0

Access Controls/Permissions

5.0

Image Library

5.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/tithe-ly-profile/#key-features)

### Giving Platform

Custom

Pricing available upon request

0.30 per trx + 2.9%

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/tithe-ly-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Notebird](https://www.softwareadvice.com/note-taking/notebird-profile/)

4.89

[(64)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/note-taking/notebird-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Notebird is a pastoral care application designed for churches, nonprofits, and ministries seeking to enhance their care efforts. The app offers a centralized location for storing conversation notes, assigning follow-ups, and monitoring significant life events for each individual. The Activity Feed feature in Notebird allows users to view real-time updates and interactions between team members and congregants. Additionally, the app enables users to generate Care Reports for an overview of pastoral care activities. The Milestones Feed displays upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates to help users stay informed about significant occasions. Notebird also includes a Tasks feature, which assigns follow-ups to team members, ensuring that no one is overlooked. This application assists clergy and ministry teams in staying organized, prepared, and coordinated in their pastoral care efforts. By storing care interactions, tracking milestones, and facilitating follow-ups, Notebird aims to bring efficiency and organization to churches and ministries of various sizes.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/note-taking/notebird-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Collaboration Tools

5.0

For Religious Organizations

5.0

Multi-Device Support

4.9

Reminders

4.9

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/note-taking/notebird-profile/#key-features)

### Simple Pricing

$12.00/month

Visit Notebird to see our sliding-scale pricing.

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/note-taking/notebird-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Church Services](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-services-profile/)

4.94

[(52)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-services-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Church Services is a cloud-based platform designed to help you mange your church events, members, groups, and administrative operations efficiently. We designed this user-friendly church management system to offer seamless engagement among all church members.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-services-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Attendance Tracking

5.0

Multi-Location

5.0

Member Directory

5.0

Event Management

5.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-services-profile/#key-features)

### Up to 250 Church Members

$25.00/month

Includes 250 Text/Month - Unlimited Emails

### Up to 500 Members

$32.00/month

Includes 500 Txt/Month - Unlimited Emails

### Up to 1000 Members

$40.00/month

Includes 1000 Txt/Month - Unlimited Emails

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/church-services-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[AssoConnect](https://www.softwareadvice.com/membership-management/assoconnect-profile/)

4.73

[(211)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/membership-management/assoconnect-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Value for money

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

AssoConnect is an all-in-one nonprofit management software. It helps organizations save time on daily management with features for fundraising, accounting, emailing, website building, and more. Rated 4.6/5 stars on Google, AssoConnect has over 30,000 happy customers.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/membership-management/assoconnect-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Customizable Branding

5.0

CRM

5.0

Fundraising Management

5.0

Customizable Templates

5.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/membership-management/assoconnect-profile/#key-features)

### Liberty

€0.00/month

All-in-one solution

### Serenity

€24.00/month

All-in-one solution

### Professional

€99.00/month

All-in-one solution

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/membership-management/assoconnect-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[One Church Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/one-church-profile/)

4.86

[(74)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/one-church-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

One Church is a cloud-based church management solution suitable for businesses of all sizes. It helps ministries reach out to their local communities and manage daily operations such as donations, events, volunteers and more. Key features include people management, volunteer scheduling, kids check-in, text messaging, workflow creation and calendar management. One Church provides a member portal that allows members to manage their profiles, giving history, contact preferences and small groups. Users can also set recurring donations and sign up for church events. The solution can send text messages through the system to inform members about upcoming events. One Church provides support for multiple campuses and allows users to view data for all campuses or restrict access to a selected location. It allows users to create workflows for manual processes and automate text messages, emails, promotions and assignments.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/one-church-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Email Management

5.0

Recurring Giving

5.0

Donation Tracking

5.0

SMS Messaging

5.0

### Worst rated features:

Registration Management

3.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/one-church-profile/#key-features)

### Core

$58.00/month

Pricing is based on the number of person profiles that are tracked and goes from 250 to Unlimited.

### Core +

$82.00/month

The pricing plan depends on the number of person profiles you plan to track and ranges from 250 profiles to Unlimited.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/one-church-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/one-church-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Anedot](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/anedot-profile/)

4.84

[(68)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/anedot-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

Anedot is a cloud-based solution that helps non-profit organizations manage fundraising campaigns and collect donations. The centralized platform enables users to create customizable forms and embed them into websites. Furthermore, team members can prepare personalized thank-you notes for donors after accepting deposits. Key features of Anedot include account verification, chargeback management, reporting, alerts/notifications, and compliance review. It allows users to process payments via credit cards and accept donations in cash, check, text-to-give, or in-kind contributions. Additionally, it lets organizations monitor transactions and prevent fraud by using TLS encryption across financial data. Anedot facilitates integration with third-party applications such as Google Analytics, NationBuilder, Paypal, Crimson, and more. Pricing is available on per transaction basis and support is extended via live chat, email, phone, and other online measures.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/anedot-profile/)

### Best rated features:

For Religious Organizations

5.0

Online Giving

5.0

Campaign Management

5.0

Data Import/Export

5.0

### Worst rated features:

Online Forms

3.0

Online Payments

4.0

Customizable Branding

4.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/anedot-profile/#key-features)

### Basic

Custom

Pricing available upon request

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/anedot-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Faith Teams](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/faith-teams-profile/)

4.85

[(46)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/faith-teams-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Easy and Affordable church management software - perfect for small and mid-sized churches, including all the features you need for less than $42/month flat rate \[no up-sells or add-ons\]. Our team will help you move in and get started fast. Try it FREE for 10 Days! Including: Clean Database for your People & Families, Attendance Tracking, Kids Check-in (including label printing), Automated Guest Follow-up, Events Calendar, Online Giving, - Text-to-Give, Contribution Tracking & Reporting, Service Planner, Volunteer Scheduling, Email & Texting, Manage Groups, Track Benchmarks such as Salvations & Baptisms, Custom Forms (for Sign-ups and Registrations). Web-based so you can access anywhere, Free iOS and Android Apps so you can access info on-the-go, Unlimited Users so your entire staff can use it, and No Limit on the number of people you can add to your database. Incredible Customer Support and we’ll help you move your people in - Free. Start a Free Trial today and try the entire system before you pay a dime!... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/faith-teams-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Donation Management

5.0

Attendance Tracking

5.0

Member Portal

5.0

Member Communication

4.9

### Worst rated features:

Volunteer Management

3.7

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/faith-teams-profile/#key-features)

### Basic

$50.00/month

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/faith-teams-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[ProPresenter](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/propresenter-profile/)

4.62

[(2086)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/propresenter-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Multi-Screen Support

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

ProPresenter is a church management software, which helps churches display lyrics, chord charts and presentations in real-time. The solution enables teams to control live presentations across multiple screens during worship gatherings, trade shows and conferences from a unified dashboard. The platform allows operators to import videos, add custom color effects, manage brightness and crop videos to change the pre-produced content. ProPresenter lets administrators blend multiple screens to create a wide image, share videos across serial digital interfaces and use customizable built-in themes to unify content. Additionally, it provides access to translations of The Bible in multiple languages and helps communicate information to people on the stage regarding announcements and slide notes. ProPresenter lets businesses integrate the system with several third-party applications such as Planning Center, CCLI SongSelect and more. Pricing is based on annual subscriptions and perpetual licenses and support is offered via video tutorials, a knowledge base and other online measures.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/propresenter-profile/)

### What users love

-   Versatile multimedia presentations
-   Optimized for church services
-   Accessible learning and training resources

### To take in mind

-   Video playback and compatibility issues
-   Playlist management frustrations
-   Slide editing and formatting challenges

### Best rated features:

API

5.0

Project Management

5.0

Recording

4.9

Multi-Screen Support

4.7

### Worst rated features:

Mobile Access

4.0

Audio File Management

4.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/propresenter-profile/#key-features)

### Standard - Monthly

$29.00/month

### Standard - Yearly

$289.00/year

### Campus - Monthly

$59.00/month

Includes 20 seats For Worship customers only

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/propresenter-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Duplie](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/duplie-profile/)

4.87

[(23)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/duplie-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Duplie is a cloud-based fundraising solution that helps organizations to manage fundraising campaigns and volunteer coordination activities. It offers a website builder offering theme customizations, vanity URLs, mobile and search engine optimization, social media integration and other features. The fundraising and volunteer modules integrate with the website builder. Duplie’s fundraising module allows users to create custom donation forms, enable peer-to-peer (P2P) campaigns, support sponsorships and recurring donations, communicate with donors and more. Social integration is included for sharing campaigns across online channels, while reporting tools let administrators analyze the results. The volunteer management module allows administrators to add new volunteers, assign them to roles and create custom forms that capture volunteer information. Volunteers also have the option to view opportunities and sign up for roles themselves. Email and SMS/text notifications are generated automatically. Services are offered on a monthly subscription basis that includes support via email.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/duplie-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Membership Management

5.0

Attendee Management

5.0

Mobile Access

5.0

Registration Management

5.0

### Worst rated features:

Customizable Forms

4.0

Recognition Management

4.0

Calendar Management

4.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/duplie-profile/#key-features)

### Micro

$49.00/month

The plan includes a free trial and has top-tier support.

### Basic

$99.00/month

The plan includes a free trial and has top-tier support.

### Premium

$149.00/month

The plan includes a free trial and has top-tier support.

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/duplie-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Text In Church](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/text-in-church-profile/)

4.63

[(260)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/text-in-church-profile/reviews/)

Best for:Features

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

Text In Church is a church communication platform built to help ministry leaders connect with people beyond Sunday mornings. Whether you are following up with a first-time guest, re-engaging a member who has gone quiet, or sending a weekly encouragement to your whole congregation, Text In Church gives your team the tools to make every person feel known, noticed, and loved so nobody slips through the cracks. Designed for churches of all sizes, Text In Church combines 2-way text messaging, email, voice broadcasting, and automated workflows in one easy-to-use platform. Church staff and volunteers can send individual or group messages, set up automated follow-up sequences triggered by keywords or actions, and manage all conversations from a centralized inbox. The Plan A Visit feature helps churches capture and follow up with website visitors who are considering attending for the first time. Text In Church also includes a built-in Marketplace where churches can add on message bundles, additional phone numbers, and done-for-you communication kits to fit the needs of their ministry. The platform is accessible via desktop and native mobile apps for Android and iOS, so your team can stay connected on the go. Support is available through live chat, email, and an extensive library of training resources so your church can get up and running quickly and keep growing with confidence.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/text-in-church-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Event Management

5.0

Small Group Management

4.8

Membership Management

4.8

For Religious Organizations

4.7

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/text-in-church-profile/#key-features)

### Basic

$37.00/month

14-day free trial.

### Pro

$67.00/month

14-day free trial.

### Premium

$97.00/month

14-day free trial.

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/text-in-church-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Gracely](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/gracely-profile/)

4.83

[(23)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/gracely-profile/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

Gracely redefines church management with advanced technology. Designed to enhance efficiency, security, and effectiveness for churches of all sizes, it offers a wide range of features, from membership management to event planning and communication tools. By simplifying administrative tasks, Gracely allows church leadership to focus on spiritual growth and community building, ensuring your church thrives in the digital age.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/gracely-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Financial Reporting

5.0

Bank Reconciliation

5.0

Fund Accounting

5.0

Budgeting/Forecasting

5.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/gracely-profile/#key-features)

### Free

$0.00/month

Unlimited Members

### Standard

$19.00/month

Unlimited Members

### Pro

$49.00/month

Unlimited Members

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/gracely-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[KidCheck](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/kidcheck-profile/)

4.67

[(42)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/kidcheck-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Not available

Software Advice Summary

KidCheck is a children’s check-in platform designed for organizations such as churches, fitness facilities, camps, daycares and activity centers that helps optimize child safety, streamline check-ins and more. It offers touchless Express Check-In where parents check kids in using their smartphone and Roster Check-In for list-based check-in needs. The solution includes security features such as matching security codes, prominent allergen and medical warnings and electronic guardian receipts. For organizations with integrated church management platform, KidCheck seamlessly integrates, enabling them to maintain a single church-wide database.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/kidcheck-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Event Scheduling

5.0

Registration Management

4.8

Attendance Tracking

4.7

Calendar Management

4.7

### Worst rated features:

Billing & Invoicing

4.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/kidcheck-profile/#key-features)

### Starter

$25.00/month

For one check-in device

### Plus

$45.00/month

For one check-in device

### Premier

$60.00/month

For one check-in device

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/kidcheck-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

[Excellerate](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/excellerate-profile/)

4.89

[(18)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/excellerate-profile/reviews/)

### Pricing availability

Free trial: Available

Free version: Available

Software Advice Summary

Excellerate is a church management solution designed for midsize and large churches and ministries that offers attendance management, group management, visitor tracking and reporting functionalities within a suite. The solution can be deployed either on-premise or in the cloud. Excellerate enables users to perform member check-ins in three different ways - express mode, touch-screen mode or attendant mode. The express mode records attendance with the help of barcodes and key tags. The touch-screen mode allows members to look up their records on the tablet application and punch in their attendance, while the attendant mode allows volunteers and attendants to punch in attendance. Excellerate features membership management, which allows users to create member records using customizable fields. Based on information in the records, users can send targeted emails and mass messages based on attributes such as attendance and physical location. The volunteer management functionality of the solution allows users to schedule volunteers based on their availability, send email or text notification and access their assignments.... [Read more](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/excellerate-profile/)

### Best rated features:

Membership Management

5.0

Member Directory

4.5

Donation Management

4.0

Member Communication

4.0

[See all features](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/excellerate-profile/#key-features)

### Basic

$49.00/month

[See full pricing details](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/excellerate-profile/#pricing-and-plans)

1

[2](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4520-church-management/?page=2)[3](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4520-church-management/?page=3)[4](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4520-church-management/?page=4)[5](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4520-church-management/?page=5)

## Popular Comparisons

[

Tithe.ly vs ProPresenter

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/propresenter-profile/vs/tithe-ly/)[

Clearstream vs Planning Center

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/clearstream-profile/vs/planning-center/)[

ChurchTrac vs Church Windows

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/church-windows-profile/vs/churchtrac/)[

Tithely Church Management vs Servant Keeper

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/breeze-chms-profile/vs/servant-keeper/)[

Realm vs IconCMO

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/compare/136747-iconcmo/vs/151411-Realm/)

## Your Guide to Top Church Management Software, July 2023

Software Advice uses reviews from real software users to highlight the top-rated Church Management products in North America.

[Learn how products are chosen](https://www.softwareadvice.com/legal-page/frontrunners-methodology/)

#### Explore FrontRunners

-   [ChurchTrac](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/churchtrac-profile/)
-   [Breeze ChMS](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/breeze-chms-profile/)
-   [Chmeetings](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/chmeetings-profile/)
-   [Continue to Give](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/continue-to-give-profile/)
-   [Planning Center](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/planning-center-profile/)
-   [Iglesia HOY](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/iglesia-hoy-profile/)
-   [Churchteams](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/churchteams-profile/)
-   [Tithe.ly](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/tithe-ly-profile/)
-   [InPeace](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/inpeace-profile/)
-   [Realm](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/151411-Realm/)
-   [Servant Keeper](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/servant-keeper-profile/)
-   [Aplos](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/aplos-profile/)
-   [Church Windows](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/church-windows-profile/)
-   [Pushpay](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/pushpay-profile/)

“Usability” includes user ratings for Functionality and Ease of Use.

“Customer Satisfaction” includes user ratings for Customer Support, Likelihood to Recommend and Value for Money.

Reviews analysis period: The reviews analysis period spans two years and ends the 15th of the month prior to publication.

Churches and religious organizations have hundreds of church management software (ChMS) solutions from which to choose. Between standalone fund accounting applications to fully integrated suites, there are many effective options to streamline church operations and save time so church leaders can stay focused on advancing their organization’s mission.

The challenge for buyers is analyzing different solutions to determine which best meets their organization’s immediate and future needs. This guide provides an overview of church management software to help identify the best system for your organization.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

[What Is Church Management Software?](#WhatIsChurchManagementSoftware)

[Common Features of Church Management Software](#CommonFeaturesofChurchManagementSoftware)

[How Is ChMS Software Priced?](#HowIsChMSSoftwarePriced)

[What Type of Buyer Are You?](#WhatTypeofBuyerAreYou)

[Benefits and Potential Issues](#BenefitsandPotentialIssues)

[Best Tactics to Select New Software](#BestTacticstoSelectNewSoftware)

[Market Trends to Understand](#MarketTrendstoUnderstand)

## What Is Church Management Software?

Church management software enables churches and religious organizations to automate common administrative, management and reporting tasks. These feature-rich programs aim to expedite communications, streamline daily operations and support collaboration. Available as both standalone applications and comprehensive programs, organizations of any size and budget can benefit from the features church management software offers. Each system is unique, but most offer similar core functions, which are highlighted below.

_Church software donor management demonstration video from Servant Keeper_

## Common Features of Church Management Software

**Membership management**

Keep important member, volunteer and visitor information, such as phone numbers, addresses and activity involvement, up-to-date. Search and reporting features allow you to create directories and customize lists for outreach.

**Contributions/donor management**

Contribution management software provides secure collection and management of individual, planned and major donations.

Accounting

Enables secure tracking and reporting of expenditures and revenues for multiple funds.

**Event & facilities management**

Event and activity planning reduces the administrative time required to manage group activities and events. Scheduling functions prevent double booking of resources, such as rooms, vans and video equipment. Other functions include [Web-based registration](https://www.softwareadvice.com/registration/), event listing search, payment process support, tracking and reporting.

**Volunteer management**

Volunteer management software helps churches organize contact information, volunteer history, availability and more. Scheduling features provide outreach tools to contact volunteers for upcoming events.

**Communications/outreach**

Communications and outreach tools help you increase member engagement through email marketing, direct mail, activities and events.

**Check-in & child security**

Check-in applications track member and visitor attendance at any event, including seminars, camps and retreats. Many check-in programs integrate with touch screen technology for self-service check-in. Others include child check-in functionality, which keeps track of which children are present in specific church locations, such as classrooms and nurseries.

Many of the above features can also be found in [general nonprofit software suites](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4280-nonprofit/). However, church management systems are designed to handle member relationships unique to churches and faith-based organizations.

_Giving summary dashboard in Bloomerang_

_Donor overview in Kindful_

## How Is ChMS Software Priced?

Church management systems generally follow three pricing models:

_Pricing model_

_Description_

_Example products_

**Subscription based on weekly attendance**

A monthly or annual fee based on weekly attendance numbers.

Fresh Vine, ACS Realm

**Subscription based on number of member records**

A monthly or annual fee based on number of member records stored in the database.

Shelby Church, Church 360, Church Office Online

**Perpetual license fee**

A one-time per user, or per computer fee. Some licenses allow multiple users one a single license, while others require an additional license for each user.

[Servant Keeper](https://www.softwareadvice.com/church/servant-keeper-profile/), By the Book, CDM+

ChMS pricing tends to increase along with the breadth and depth of functionality included in the system.

([https://software-advice.imgix.net/managed/tinymce\_files/images/Church](https://software-advice.imgix.net/managed/tinymce_files/images/Church) Mgmt/chms-price-visualization.jpg)Packages on the higher end of the cost scale will offer the most robust features, such as online community support, integrated check-in/security and volunteer management. Packages for small churches, on the other hand, will include only the most essential church management functions, such as member records management, email communications and basic reporting.

Generally, large churches will benefit most from more comprehensive packages, while small churches will find packages with less functionality meet their needs and budget. Large churches are not the only buyers of church administration software with the most extensive features sets (as the chart above indicates), but because costs tend to increase with greater functionality, it can be difficult for small churches to afford those packages.

## What Type of Buyer Are You?

Before purchasing software for your church or religious organization, it’s important to understand your organizational needs and how a ChMS solution can help meet those requirements.

**Small or family size church.** Everyone may know everyone else in your congregation, but it’s still important for church managers to securely maintain membership information, track attendance and record contributions. ChMS vendors offer affordable installed and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) membership management solutions to speed the handling of administrative tasks.

**Medium to large size churches.** Churches with 250 to 2,000 members have large budgets that require sophisticated, double-entry accounting and reporting systems. These systems efficiently track spending by fund, department and project, and automate payroll, taxes, fixed asset tracking and member contributions.

**Corporate size or megachurch.** Megachurch management requirements are considerably different than those of smaller churches and demand an enterprise-level solution to meet the needs of a 2,000+ member congregation. Megachurches may have multiple locations, so a system integrated with a single database that allows leadership to monitor and report from any location is essential for handling the constant outreach and events common within large religious organizations. A communication platform that lets members and volunteers create groups, schedule activities and collaborate keeps everyone informed and connected.

## Benefits and Potential Issues

Churches that adopt the right types of software may realize many benefits, such as:

-   Maintaining a secure contact database of every church visitor and member with reporting capabilities to compile the information necessary to make good stewardship decisions.
    
-   Easily communicating announcements to the entire congregation or select individuals and groups for increased membership engagement.
    
-   Securely tracking donations and contributions with back-end processing and reporting for statement generation and audit purposes.
    
-   Empowering members and groups through automated event and activity scheduling.
    

Churches that fail to realize some of these core benefits often do so because they:

-   Select a management system that does not integrate with other membership, contributions or accounting tools, or doesn’t scale for growth.
    
-   Overlook essential accounting, compliance or regulatory issues.
    
-   Do not have the right infrastructure in place to support integration of systems from different vendors.
    
-   Fail to properly train staff on how to leverage the software’s full scope of features and functionality.
    

## Best Tactics to Select New Software

Evaluating new church management software can be a daunting task—there are many variables to consider and hundreds of products from which to choose. Nonetheless, it’s a step that cannot be overlooked.

We recently surveyed buyers across multiple industries to determine which tactics are most effective for selecting software. Top methods include checking vendor references, having agreements reviewed by an attorney, assessing financial viability of vendors and preparing an RFP.

_Quadrant indicating where selection tactics fall on the “impact” and “satisfaction” spectrum_

By sticking to selection tactics that fall in "most effective" quadrant and avoiding tactics in the "least effective" quadrant, you can avoid spending time using methods that are less likely to return information that is most useful finding the right software.

## Market Trends to Understand

As a church manager, you know that budgeting, contributions and compliance are ongoing issues that impact your ability to serve your church members and communities. Here are a few other issues to keep in mind as you explore the right solution for your organization:

**Adoption of the cloud.** Church managers are charged with finding ways to boost contributions, and one of the biggest hindrances to growth is handling financial management tasks. [Cloud accounting software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/online-accounting-software-comparison/) allows church leadership to review budgets and monitor program impact in real-time from any location. With automatic reporting and financial information at your fingertips, it’s easier to make proactive decisions that support program impact and growth. An [Intacct survey](http://us.intacct.com/about-us/press/intacct-survey-finds-churches-using-cloud-more-likely-see-increase-giving) found four out of five churches reporting 1,000 weekly attendees or more have adopted cloud technology, while 55 percent of smaller churches are currently “in the cloud.” According to Intacct, churches that are using the cloud for online giving are nearly twice as likely to see an increase in donations.

**Online giving.** According to the [Blackbaud Index on Charitable Giving](https://www.blackbaud.com/files/resources/11.13.CORP_BBIndex.pdf) Trends, online giving in faith-based organizations grew by 6.1 percent in 2012. Additionally, online giving at over 200 congregations and other faith-based groups that raised more than $110 million in 12 months grew by 16.7 percent from August to October 2013. This trend is expected to continue, which means it’s important to provide members with ways to make mobile and online contributions.

**Social media.** To foster ongoing communications with members and volunteers, churches and religious organizations are turning to social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to share information and increase support. Connecting other outreach channels, such as email communication and events, with social media channels can facilitate increased communication among members.

### Related Church Management Software

-   [Church Accounting Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/3574-church-accounting/)
-   [Donation Management Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/crm-software-comparison/)
-   [Membership Management Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/membership-management/)
-   [Nonprofit Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4280-nonprofit/)
-   [Worship Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/worship/)