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Church & Religious · head to head

ChurchPlanner vs ACS Technologies Church Software

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ChurchPlanner

Church & Religious

Integrated church service and ministry planning platform

From
Free
Rated
-
ACS Technologies Church Software logo

ACS Technologies Church Software

Church & Religious

Church information and management system with advanced features

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ChurchPlanner limited to basic church management functions; lacks financial/giving analysis compared to full suites; ACS Technologies Church Software pricing is not published and requires a demo
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, ACS Technologies Church Software covers Member Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchPlanner and ACS Technologies Church Software actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchPlanner and ACS Technologies Church Software differ
AttributeChurchPlannerACS Technologies Church Software
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android mobile appWeb, Mobile-responsive
Founded20201987

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Church & Religious).

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 ChurchPlanner

  • Service Planning
  • Team Collaboration
  • Volunteer Scheduling
  • Song Selection
  • Planning Center
  • Music Databases
  • Calendar Systems
  • Email Notifications

Only in ACS Technologies Church Software

  • Member Management
  • Attendance Tracking
  • Giving Management
  • Financial Reporting
  • Accounting Software
  • Email Systems
  • Payment Processing
  • Data Import/Export

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ChurchPlanner

  • Member managementnot ACS Technologies Church Software
  • Donation trackingnot ACS Technologies Church Software
  • Event planningnot ACS Technologies Church Software
  • Volunteer schedulingnot ACS Technologies Church Software
  • Communicationnot ACS Technologies Church Software

ACS Technologies Church Software

  • Church membership and attendance managementnot ChurchPlanner
  • Fund accounting for a congregation or diocesenot ChurchPlanner
  • Online and recurring givingnot ChurchPlanner
  • Background checks for volunteersnot ChurchPlanner
  • Reporting across a diocese or multi-site ministrynot ChurchPlanner

Where each one falls short

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

ChurchPlanner

  • Limited to basic church management functions; lacks financial/giving analysis compared to full suites
  • No built-in website or membership portal included in pricing
  • Mobile app limited to Android; limited iOS functionality

ACS Technologies Church Software

  • Pricing is not published and requires a demo
  • A suite of separate products including Realm, fund accounting and giving rather than one application

Pricing, plan by plan

ChurchPlanner

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 15 contacts
    • Unlimited trial period
    • No credit card required
  • Premium$9.99/month
    • Up to 80 contacts
    • Service planning and volunteer scheduling
    • Attendance tracking
  • Pro$19.99/month
    • Unlimited contacts
    • All Premium features
    • SMS and email reminders

ACS Technologies Church Software

On request
  • Standard$149/month
    • Core modules
    • Up to 500 members
  • Premium$399/month
    • All modules
    • Unlimited members
    • Custom reports

Which should you pick?

Choose ChurchPlanner if

  • You need service planning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android mobile app.
  • You also want team collaboration.

Choose ACS Technologies Church Software if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want attendance tracking.

Questions people ask

Is ChurchPlanner or ACS Technologies Church Software better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchPlanner starts at Free and ACS Technologies Church Software at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchPlanner or ACS Technologies Church Software?
ChurchPlanner has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ChurchPlanner and On request for ACS Technologies Church Software.
Does ChurchPlanner or ACS Technologies Church Software run on more platforms?
ChurchPlanner runs on Web, Android mobile app. ACS Technologies Church Software runs on Web, Mobile-responsive.
Can I use ChurchPlanner for free?
Yes. ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ACS Technologies Church Software starts at On request.
What is ChurchPlanner best used for?
ChurchPlanner is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling. Of those, member management and donation tracking are not what ACS Technologies Church Software is typically brought in for.
What can ChurchPlanner do that ACS Technologies Church Software cannot?
ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Team Collaboration, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Selection. ACS Technologies Church Software covers Member Management, Attendance Tracking, Giving Management, Financial Reporting. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ChurchPlanner: How much does ChurchPlanner cost?

ChurchPlanner has a free tier with up to 15 contacts indefinitely (no credit card required), Premium at $9.99 CAD/month (up to 80 contacts), and Pro at $19.99 CAD/month (unlimited contacts with SMS reminders).

Source
ChurchPlanner: Does ChurchPlanner include worship planning?

Yes. ChurchPlanner includes worship planning with service order building, ministry team scheduling, and support for chord charts in ChordPro format.

Source
ChurchPlanner: Can volunteers get automated reminders?

Yes. ChurchPlanner sends automated SMS and email reminders to volunteers before services, reducing no-shows on the Pro plan.

Source
ChurchPlanner: Is attendance tracking included?

Yes. ChurchPlanner includes attendance tracking from any device with trend analysis and follow-up flagging capabilities.

Source
ChurchPlanner: Can I export my church data?

Yes. ChurchPlanner emphasizes data ownership and allows users to export their information anytime without restrictions.

Source

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