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Religion · head to head

ChurchPlanner vs Gloo

C

ChurchPlanner

Religion

Integrated church service and ministry planning platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gloo logo

Gloo

Religion

Data and AI platform connecting churches, ministries and the people looking for them

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ChurchPlanner limited to basic church management functions; lacks financial/giving analysis compared to full suites; Gloo churches are not the paying customer, so the product roadmap answers to ministries, funders and campaign buyers whose interests do not always match a local congregation.
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Gloo covers Gloo Workspace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchPlanner and Gloo actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchPlanner and Gloo differ
AttributeChurchPlannerGloo
Pricing modelUnknownFree tier for churches, paid tiers and campaign services quoted
PlatformsWeb, Android mobile appWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2020Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 ChurchPlanner

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

Only in Gloo

  • Gloo Workspace
  • Church messaging
  • Prayer inbox
  • Explorer campaigns
  • Ministry insights
  • Aggregated content and research
  • Free tier

What people use each for

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

ChurchPlanner

  • Member managementnot Gloo
  • Donation trackingnot Gloo
  • Event planningnot Gloo
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Gloo
  • Communicationnot Gloo

Gloo

  • A church with no communications budget wanting AI drafting and mass texting without a subscriptionnot ChurchPlanner
  • A congregation that wants to be the local referral destination for people searching online for help with addiction or anxietynot ChurchPlanner
  • A denomination seeking engagement data across its member churches rather than per-church anecdotesnot ChurchPlanner
  • A ministry running a national awareness campaign that needs to route responders to nearby churchesnot 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

Gloo

  • Churches are not the paying customer, so the product roadmap answers to ministries, funders and campaign buyers whose interests do not always match a local congregation.
  • Participation routes congregant and enquirer interactions through a commercial data network, and a church board should have the data terms reviewed before enrolling a congregation rather than after.
  • It is not a church management system: there is no membership database, giving ledger, child check-in or rostering, so it sits alongside an existing ChMS rather than replacing one.
  • Free message credits are capped monthly, and a church that builds its weekly communications on texting will exceed them and move to paid volume where the effective cost is comparable to dedicated messaging vendors.
  • The company has grown by acquiring more than twenty brands, and integrating that many products takes time, so overlap and inconsistency between the acquired tools is visible to users.

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

Gloo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core Workspace AI tools
    • Monthly message credit allowance
    • Prayer inbox
  • Gloo+ and campaign services$undefined/year
    • Higher message volumes and additional media features
    • Explorer campaign participation
    • Ministry and denomination data services

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.
ChurchPlanner review

Choose Gloo if

  • You need gloo workspace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want church messaging.
Gloo review

Questions people ask

Is ChurchPlanner or Gloo better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchPlanner starts at Free and Gloo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchPlanner or Gloo?
ChurchPlanner starts at Free and Gloo at Free.
Does ChurchPlanner or Gloo run on more platforms?
ChurchPlanner runs on Web, Android mobile app. Gloo runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use ChurchPlanner for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Gloo is typically brought in for.
What can ChurchPlanner do that Gloo cannot?
ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Team Collaboration, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Selection. Gloo covers Gloo Workspace, Church messaging, Prayer inbox, Explorer campaigns.

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
Gloo: Is this the same as Gloo Gateway the API product?

No. This is gloo.com, the faith sector data and AI platform. Gloo Gateway is an unrelated API gateway product from a different company.

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
Gloo: Why is it free for churches?

Because churches are not the revenue source. Ministries, publishers, philanthropists and campaign funders pay to reach and measure engagement with the audience the network reaches.

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
Gloo: Does it replace our church management software?

No. There is no membership ledger, giving records, check-in or volunteer rostering. Keep your ChMS.

ChurchPlanner: Is attendance tracking included?

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

Source
Gloo: What happens to data about people who contact us through Explorer?

That is the question to put in writing to Gloo before joining. Enquirer data flows through a commercial network, and the governing terms should be reviewed by whoever advises your board.

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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