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Religion · head to head

Bible Gateway vs Elvanto

Bible Gateway logo

Bible Gateway

Religion

Free online Bible access with multiple translations and reading tools

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Elvanto logo

Elvanto

Religion

Church management with strong volunteer rostering, now owned by Tithe.ly

From
$72/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bible Gateway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bible Gateway study Bibles, commentaries and dictionaries all require Plus at $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year; Elvanto tithe.ly owns both Elvanto and Breeze, two overlapping church management systems, and has directed most recent product investment towards Breeze and giving, so Elvanto buyers are betting on a product that is maintained rather than actively advanced.
  • They diverge on capability: Bible Gateway covers Multiple Translations, Elvanto covers Volunteer rostering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bible Gateway and Elvanto actually diverge.

Attributes where Bible Gateway and Elvanto differ
AttributeBible GatewayElvanto
Starting priceFree$72/month
Pricing modelfreemiumPer month by plan
Free tierYesNo
Founded1993Unknown

Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Religion).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bible Gateway

  • Multiple Translations
  • Verse Comparison
  • Search
  • Reading Plans
  • Social Sharing
  • Email Integration
  • Mobile App
  • API Access

Only in Elvanto

  • Volunteer rostering
  • Service planning
  • People and groups
  • Child check-in
  • Online giving
  • Forms and event registration
  • Multi-site support
  • Church website and app

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bible Gateway

  • Reading and comparing across more than 70 Bible translationsnot Elvanto
  • Personal notes, highlights and bookmarksnot Elvanto
  • Reading plans and daily devotionalsnot Elvanto
  • Study Bibles and commentaries on the Plus subscriptionnot Elvanto
  • Original language work through the NIV Reverse Interlinearnot Elvanto

Elvanto

  • A multi-site church rostering several hundred volunteers across campuses where double-booking is a weekly problemnot Bible Gateway
  • A church outside the United States wanting a management system that was not designed solely around American church practicenot Bible Gateway
  • A congregation replacing spreadsheets for service planning, song rotation and CCLI reportingnot Bible Gateway
  • A church that wants management and online giving on one invoice rather than integrating two vendorsnot Bible Gateway

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bible Gateway

  • Study Bibles, commentaries and dictionaries all require Plus at $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year
  • The free tier carries advertising, removed only on Plus
  • The free account covers translations, notes and reading plans but no reference works

Elvanto

  • Tithe.ly owns both Elvanto and Breeze, two overlapping church management systems, and has directed most recent product investment towards Breeze and giving, so Elvanto buyers are betting on a product that is maintained rather than actively advanced.
  • The advertised monthly price excludes card processing on donations, which for a church taking most giving online is the larger of the two costs and is set by the payment provider, not the licence.
  • The interface is functional but dated relative to Planning Center, and volunteer-facing screens draw complaints from occasional users who only log in to accept a roster.
  • Reporting is adequate for attendance and giving summaries but weak for pastoral care analysis and cohort tracking, so larger churches export to spreadsheets.
  • Support is documentation-and-ticket based with no phone line on the standard plan, which is difficult for a volunteer administrator troubleshooting check-in on a Sunday morning.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bible Gateway

Free
  • Free AccountFree
    • Highlight verses
    • Save favorites
    • Take notes
  • Bible Gateway Plus$5/month
    • 70+ trusted Bible study resources
    • Access beside every passage
    • Annual pricing under $5/month

Elvanto

$72/month
  • Church Management + Giving$72/month
    • Full church management modules
    • Volunteer rostering and service planning
    • Child check-in
  • Church Management + Giving + Custom App$119/month
    • Everything in the base plan
    • Branded church mobile app
    • Push notifications

Which should you pick?

Choose Bible Gateway if

  • You need multiple translations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want verse comparison.
Bible Gateway review

Choose Elvanto if

  • You need volunteer rostering.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want service planning.
Elvanto review

Questions people ask

Is Bible Gateway or Elvanto better?
Neither clearly leads. Bible Gateway starts at Free and Elvanto at $72/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bible Gateway or Elvanto?
Bible Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bible Gateway and $72/month for Elvanto.
Does Bible Gateway or Elvanto run on more platforms?
Bible Gateway runs on Web, IOS, Android. Elvanto runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bible Gateway for free?
Yes. Bible Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Elvanto starts at $72/month.
What is Bible Gateway best used for?
Bible Gateway is most often used for reading and comparing across more than 70 bible translations, personal notes, highlights and bookmarks, reading plans and daily devotionals, study bibles and commentaries on the plus subscription. Of those, reading and comparing across more than 70 bible translations and personal notes, highlights and bookmarks are not what Elvanto is typically brought in for.
What can Bible Gateway do that Elvanto cannot?
Bible Gateway covers Multiple Translations, Verse Comparison, Search, Reading Plans. Elvanto covers Volunteer rostering, Service planning, People and groups, Child check-in.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bible Gateway: How much does Bible Gateway Plus cost?

Less than $5 per month when billed annually; promotional pricing was available through September 14.

Source
Elvanto: Is Elvanto still being developed?

It is maintained and sold to new customers, but Tithe.ly also owns Breeze and has prioritised that product and its giving tools. Ask the vendor directly what is on the Elvanto roadmap before a multi-year commitment.

Bible Gateway: Is there a free version of Bible Gateway?

Yes, free account available that enables highlighting verses, saving favorites, and taking notes for future reference.

Source
Elvanto: What does it really cost?

$72 a month for management plus giving, or $119 with a branded app, plus payment processing on every donation charged by the provider. Budget the processing rate as the main variable cost.

Elvanto: Is it better than Planning Center for rostering?

For availability handling, clash detection and swap requests it is genuinely competitive. Planning Center is stronger on service and worship team workflow and has a larger integration ecosystem.

Elvanto: Can we migrate our data out?

Yes, exports are available, but rebuilding rosters, forms and check-in configuration in a new system is manual work regardless of the export.

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