Softwr

Church & Religious · head to head

ChurchPlanner vs Church Alive

C

ChurchPlanner

Church & Religious

Integrated church service and ministry planning platform

From
Free
Rated
-
C

Church Alive

Church & Religious

Church management and event software

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Church Alive covers Member Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchPlanner and Church Alive actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchPlanner and Church Alive differ
AttributeChurchPlannerChurch Alive
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android mobile appWeb, Mobile
Founded20202006

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
  • Song Selection
  • Planning Center
  • Music Databases
  • Email Notifications
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Only in Church Alive

  • Member Management
  • Event Planning
  • Group Coordination
  • Email Integration
  • Payment Processing
  • Giving Integration
  • Mobile support

Both cover

  • Volunteer Scheduling
  • Calendar Systems
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ChurchPlanner

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

Church Alive

  • 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.

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

Church Alive

Nothing recorded yet. See the Church Alive review.

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

Church Alive

On request
  • Basic$49/month
    • Core management
    • Up to 200 members
  • Professional$149/month
    • All features
    • Unlimited members
    • Advanced reporting

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 Church Alive if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want event planning.

Questions people ask

Is ChurchPlanner or Church Alive better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchPlanner starts at Free and Church Alive at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchPlanner or Church Alive?
ChurchPlanner has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ChurchPlanner and On request for Church Alive.
Does ChurchPlanner or Church Alive run on more platforms?
ChurchPlanner runs on Web, Android mobile app. Church Alive runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use ChurchPlanner for free?
Yes. ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Church Alive starts at On request.
What is ChurchPlanner best used for?
ChurchPlanner is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling.
What can ChurchPlanner do that Church Alive cannot?
ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Team Collaboration, Song Selection, Planning Center. Church Alive covers Member Management, Event Planning, Group Coordination, Email Integration. Both handle Volunteer Scheduling, Calendar Systems, 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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