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Religion · head to head

ChurchDesk vs ShelbyNext Membership

ChurchDesk logo

ChurchDesk

Religion

Church management and member portal platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

ShelbyNext Membership

Religion

Cloud-based church membership and management system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: ChurchDesk covers Announcements, ShelbyNext Membership covers Membership Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchDesk and ShelbyNext Membership actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchDesk and ShelbyNext Membership differ
AttributeChurchDeskShelbyNext Membership
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20101996

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

  • Announcements
  • Event RSVP
  • Volunteer Coordination
  • Email Integration
  • Calendar Systems
  • Giving Platforms
  • Mobile support

Only in ShelbyNext Membership

  • Membership Management
  • Online Giving
  • Communications
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Marketing
  • Calendar Integration
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Member Portal
  • Mobile App
  • 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

ShelbyNext Membership

  • 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

ShelbyNext Membership

Nothing recorded yet. See the ShelbyNext Membership review.

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

ShelbyNext Membership

On request
  • Core$99/month
    • Basic features
    • Up to 300 members
  • Plus$299/month
    • Full suite
    • Unlimited members
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose ChurchDesk if

  • You need announcements.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want event rsvp.
ChurchDesk review

Choose ShelbyNext Membership if

  • You need membership management.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want online giving.
ShelbyNext Membership review

Questions people ask

Is ChurchDesk or ShelbyNext Membership better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchDesk starts at On request and ShelbyNext Membership at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchDesk or ShelbyNext Membership?
ChurchDesk starts at On request and ShelbyNext Membership at On request.
Does ChurchDesk or ShelbyNext Membership run on more platforms?
ChurchDesk runs on Web, Mobile. ShelbyNext Membership 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 ShelbyNext Membership cannot?
ChurchDesk covers Announcements, Event RSVP, Volunteer Coordination, Email Integration. ShelbyNext Membership covers Membership Management, Online Giving, Communications, Payment Processing. Both handle Member Portal, Mobile App, 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
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
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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