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Religion · head to head

ChurchDesk vs The Church App

ChurchDesk logo

ChurchDesk

Religion

Church management and member portal platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
The Church App logo

The Church App

Religion

Branded church app and digital engagement 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; The Church App specific pricing is not published on the public website
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchDesk covers Member Portal, The Church App covers Custom Branding.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchDesk and The Church App actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchDesk and The Church App differ
AttributeChurchDeskThe Church App
PlatformsWeb, MobileIOS, Android
Founded20102012

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
  • Calendar Systems
  • Mobile App
  • Web support

Only in The Church App

  • Custom Branding
  • Sermon Streaming
  • Giving Integration
  • Event Management
  • Sermon Storage
  • Analytics
  • Push Notifications
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Giving Platforms

What people use each for

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

ChurchDesk

  • Member managementnot The Church App
  • Donation trackingnot The Church App
  • Event planningnot The Church App
  • Volunteer schedulingnot The Church App
  • Communicationnot The Church App

The Church App

  • Church and faith community management and engagementnot ChurchDesk
  • Giving and donation management (mentioned 10% or more increase in giving)not ChurchDesk
  • Member and volunteer coordinationnot 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

The Church App

  • Specific pricing is not published on the public website
  • Requires contacting sales team or booking a demo to obtain pricing information

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

The Church App

On request
  • Starter$99/month
    • Basic app
    • Core features
  • Premium$299/month
    • Custom branding
    • Advanced features
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose ChurchDesk if

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

Choose The Church App if

  • You need custom branding.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want sermon streaming.
The Church App review

Questions people ask

Is ChurchDesk or The Church App better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchDesk starts at On request and The Church App at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchDesk or The Church App?
ChurchDesk starts at On request and The Church App at On request.
Does ChurchDesk or The Church App run on more platforms?
ChurchDesk runs on Web, Mobile. The Church App runs on IOS, Android.
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 The Church App is typically brought in for.
What can ChurchDesk do that The Church App cannot?
ChurchDesk covers Member Portal, Announcements, Event RSVP, Volunteer Coordination. The Church App covers Custom Branding, Sermon Streaming, Giving Integration, Event Management. Both handle Giving Platforms.

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
The Church App: How much does The Church App cost?

Specific pricing is not published on The Church App website. Contact sales at 469-564-3922, [email protected], or use the contact form to request pricing 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
The Church App: Is there a free trial or demo available?

The Church App offers the ability to book a demo to learn about their platform and pricing. Visit their website and click the 'Book a Demo' link to connect with a sales representative.

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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