Softwr

Religion · head to head

ChurchPlanner vs Planning Center Services

C

ChurchPlanner

Religion

Integrated church service and ministry planning platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Planning Center Services logo

Planning Center Services

Religion

Digital worship planning and service execution platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Planning Center Services the free tier of Services stops at 5 team members
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchPlanner covers Team Collaboration, Planning Center Services covers Song Setlists.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchPlanner and Planning Center Services actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchPlanner and Planning Center Services differ
AttributeChurchPlannerPlanning Center Services
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android mobile appWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20202006

Identical on both: 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

  • Team Collaboration
  • Song Selection
  • Planning Center
  • Music Databases
  • Email Notifications

Only in Planning Center Services

  • Song Setlists
  • Planning Center Giving
  • Music Database

Both cover

  • Service Planning
  • Volunteer Scheduling
  • Calendar Systems
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android 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

Planning Center Services

  • 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

Planning Center Services

  • The free tier of Services stops at 5 team members
  • Each Planning Center product is billed separately, so Registrations, Giving, Check-ins, Groups and Calendar each carry their own free cap and their own subscription
  • The Music Stand add-on is a further $5 a month
  • Text messaging costs $5 a month for a toll-free number plus $0.02 per message
  • Card payments are charged at 2.15 percent plus $0.30 per transaction, with a further 1.5 percent on international cards

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

Planning Center Services

On request
  • Basic$49/month
    • Service planning
    • Basic volunteer scheduling
  • Plus$99/month
    • All features
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Mobile app

Which should you pick?

Choose ChurchPlanner if

  • You need team collaboration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android mobile app.
  • You also want song selection.
ChurchPlanner review

Choose Planning Center Services if

  • You need song setlists.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want planning center giving.
Planning Center Services review

Questions people ask

Is ChurchPlanner or Planning Center Services better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchPlanner starts at Free and Planning Center Services at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchPlanner or Planning Center Services?
ChurchPlanner has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ChurchPlanner and On request for Planning Center Services.
Does ChurchPlanner or Planning Center Services run on more platforms?
ChurchPlanner runs on Web, Android mobile app. Planning Center Services runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use ChurchPlanner for free?
Yes. ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Planning Center Services 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 Planning Center Services cannot?
ChurchPlanner covers Team Collaboration, Song Selection, Planning Center, Music Databases. Planning Center Services covers Song Setlists, Planning Center Giving, Music Database. Both handle Service Planning, 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
Planning Center Services: How much does Planning Center Services cost?

Planning Center Services pricing is not publicly available. The pricing page requires account authentication and redirects to the login portal. Contact Planning Center sales directly for rate information.

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
Planning Center Services: Does Planning Center Services offer a free plan or trial?

No public information about free plans or trial availability is accessible without logging in. Contact Planning Center directly to inquire about trial options.

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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