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Religion · head to head

ChurchDesk vs Planning Center Services

ChurchDesk logo

ChurchDesk

Religion

Church management and member portal platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Planning Center Services logo

Planning Center Services

Religion

Digital worship planning and service execution platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ChurchDesk all subscription plans carry a one time setup fee of 655 GBP per parish for onboarding and training; Planning Center Services the free tier of Services stops at 5 team members
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchDesk covers Member Portal, Planning Center Services covers Service Planning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchDesk and Planning Center Services actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchDesk and Planning Center Services differ
AttributeChurchDeskPlanning Center Services
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20102006

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 ChurchDesk

  • Member Portal
  • Announcements
  • Event RSVP
  • Volunteer Coordination
  • Email Integration
  • Giving Platforms
  • Mobile App
  • Mobile support

Only in Planning Center Services

  • Service Planning
  • Volunteer Scheduling
  • Song Setlists
  • Planning Center Giving
  • Music Database
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Calendar Systems
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ChurchDesk

  • Member management
  • Donation tracking
  • Event planning
  • Volunteer scheduling
  • Communication

Planning Center Services

  • Member management
  • Donation tracking
  • Event planning
  • Volunteer scheduling
  • Communication

Both are used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling, communication, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

ChurchDesk

  • All subscription plans carry a one time setup fee of 655 GBP per parish for onboarding and training
  • Multi-Parish support is only available by contacting sales on the Small, Medium and Large plans
  • Payment Terminal add-on costs 456 GBP per year on top of the Basic through Medium plans

Planning Center Services

  • The free tier of Services stops at 5 team members
  • Each Planning Center product is billed separately, so Registrations, Giving, Check-ins, Groups and Calendar each carry their own free cap and their own subscription
  • The Music Stand add-on is a further $5 a month
  • Text messaging costs $5 a month for a toll-free number plus $0.02 per message
  • Card payments are charged at 2.15 percent plus $0.30 per transaction, with a further 1.5 percent on international cards

Pricing, plan by plan

ChurchDesk

On request
  • Starter$99/month
    • Basic features
    • Up to 500 members
  • Plus$299/month
    • All features
    • Unlimited members
    • Advanced portal

Planning Center Services

On request
  • Basic$49/month
    • Service planning
    • Basic volunteer scheduling
  • Plus$99/month
    • All features
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Mobile app

Which should you pick?

Choose ChurchDesk if

  • You need member portal.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want announcements.
ChurchDesk review

Choose Planning Center Services if

  • You need service planning.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want volunteer scheduling.
Planning Center Services review

Questions people ask

Is ChurchDesk or Planning Center Services better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchDesk starts at On request and Planning Center Services at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchDesk or Planning Center Services?
ChurchDesk starts at On request and Planning Center Services at On request.
Does ChurchDesk or Planning Center Services run on more platforms?
ChurchDesk runs on Web, Mobile. Planning Center Services runs on Web, IOS, Android.
What is ChurchDesk best used for?
ChurchDesk is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling.
What can ChurchDesk do that Planning Center Services cannot?
ChurchDesk covers Member Portal, Announcements, Event RSVP, Volunteer Coordination. Planning Center Services covers Service Planning, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Setlists, Planning Center Giving. Both handle Calendar Systems, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ChurchDesk: What is ChurchDesk's pricing structure?

ChurchDesk offers four subscription plans billed annually: Basic at £54/month, Small at £97/month, Medium at £140/month, and Large at £239/month, excluding VAT.

Source
Planning Center Services: How much does Planning Center Services cost?

Planning Center Services pricing is not publicly available. The pricing page requires account authentication and redirects to the login portal. Contact Planning Center sales directly for rate information.

Source
ChurchDesk: What is included in ChurchDesk plans?

All tiers include the same core modules: Calendar, People, Forms, Website, Workflows, and Finance, plus attendance tracking, payments, booking enquiries, and studio access.

Source
Planning Center Services: Does Planning Center Services offer a free plan or trial?

No public information about free plans or trial availability is accessible without logging in. Contact Planning Center directly to inquire about trial options.

Source
ChurchDesk: What setup costs does ChurchDesk charge?

ChurchDesk charges a one-time setup fee of £655 per parish for 'Upstart & Training,' which covers initial configuration and onboarding.

Source
ChurchDesk: What ChurchDesk add-ons are available?

Add-ons include Studio (£57/month), Cookies & Analytics (£10/month), Additional Websites (£36/month), and Payment Terminal (£456/year for smaller plans). The Large plan includes one Payment Terminal.

Source
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