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Religion · head to head

ChurchDesk vs Rock RMS

ChurchDesk logo

ChurchDesk

Religion

Church management and member portal platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rock RMS logo

Rock RMS

Religion

Comprehensive relationship and resource management system for churches

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; Rock RMS non-traditional pricing model based on donations rather than standard software licenses
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchDesk covers Member Portal, Rock RMS covers Member Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchDesk and Rock RMS actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchDesk and Rock RMS differ
AttributeChurchDeskRock RMS
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, Mobile apps, TV apps
Founded20102008

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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
  • Calendar Systems
  • Giving Platforms
  • Mobile App

Only in Rock RMS

  • Member Management
  • Giving & Finances
  • Group Management
  • Event Planning
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Marketing
  • Accounting Software
  • Custom APIs

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ChurchDesk

  • Member managementnot Rock RMS
  • Donation trackingnot Rock RMS
  • Event planningnot Rock RMS
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Rock RMS
  • Communicationnot Rock RMS

Rock RMS

  • Churches managing 10M+ people records with integrated giving and event systemsnot ChurchDesk
  • Organisations needing offline-first workflows with eventual replicationnot ChurchDesk
  • Tech-enabled churches seeking customisable digital engagement and mobile appsnot ChurchDesk

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

Rock RMS

  • Non-traditional pricing model based on donations rather than standard software licenses
  • Pricing based on self-reported average weekend attendance with honor system
  • Grant applications required for churches unable to afford donations
  • Cloud hosting fees may apply separately to donation amount

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

Rock RMS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Rock RMS review.

Which should you pick?

Choose ChurchDesk if

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

Choose Rock RMS if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile apps, TV apps.
  • You also want giving & finances.
Rock RMS review

Questions people ask

Is ChurchDesk or Rock RMS better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchDesk starts at On request and Rock RMS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchDesk or Rock RMS?
ChurchDesk starts at On request and Rock RMS at On request.
Does ChurchDesk or Rock RMS run on more platforms?
ChurchDesk runs on Web, Mobile. Rock RMS runs on Web, Mobile apps, TV apps.
What is ChurchDesk best used for?
ChurchDesk is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling. Of those, member management and donation tracking are not what Rock RMS is typically brought in for.
What can ChurchDesk do that Rock RMS cannot?
ChurchDesk covers Member Portal, Announcements, Event RSVP, Volunteer Coordination. Rock RMS covers Member Management, Giving & Finances, Group Management, Event Planning. Both handle 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
Rock RMS: How much does Rock RMS cost?

Rock operates on a donation model of $4.45 per average weekend attendee per year. Example: 100-person congregation = $445 annual commitment. No contracts, license fees, or hidden costs.

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
Rock RMS: What if a church cannot afford the donation?

Grant applications are available for churches unable to donate. Rock also offers alternative donation models for non-church nonprofits.

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
Rock RMS: Does Rock charge for cloud hosting?

Cloud-hosted churches combine the donation with hosting fees into a single monthly payment. Rock Cloud and Cloud 9 partner-hosted options are available with integrated billing.

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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