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Software · head to head

ChurchPlanner vs PowerChurch Plus

C

ChurchPlanner

Software

Integrated church service and ministry planning platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

PowerChurch Plus

Software

Church management software with integrated giving and accounting

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; PowerChurch Plus desktop PowerChurch Plus is a one time license at $445 rather than a subscription, with paid upgrades priced separately at $175
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, PowerChurch Plus covers Member Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchPlanner and PowerChurch Plus actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchPlanner and PowerChurch Plus differ
AttributeChurchPlannerPowerChurch Plus
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android mobile appWindows, Web
Founded20201989

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 PowerChurch Plus

  • Member Management
  • Attendance Tracking
  • Giving Management
  • Financial Reporting
  • Accounting Software
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Integration
  • Data Management

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ChurchPlanner

  • Member managementnot PowerChurch Plus
  • Donation trackingnot PowerChurch Plus
  • Event planningnot PowerChurch Plus
  • Volunteer schedulingnot PowerChurch Plus
  • Communicationnot PowerChurch Plus

PowerChurch Plus

  • Desktop church management software for congregations that prefer a one time license over a subscriptionnot 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

PowerChurch Plus

  • Desktop PowerChurch Plus is a one time license at $445 rather than a subscription, with paid upgrades priced separately at $175
  • PowerChurch Online's standard license covers only two concurrent users; each additional user costs $29 per month or $299 per year on top of the base subscription

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

PowerChurch Plus

On request
  • Basic$79/month
    • Core features
    • Up to 250 members
  • Complete$249/month
    • All features
    • Unlimited members
    • Advanced 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.
ChurchPlanner review

Choose PowerChurch Plus if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want attendance tracking.
PowerChurch Plus review

Questions people ask

Is ChurchPlanner or PowerChurch Plus better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchPlanner starts at Free and PowerChurch Plus at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchPlanner or PowerChurch Plus?
ChurchPlanner has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ChurchPlanner and On request for PowerChurch Plus.
Does ChurchPlanner or PowerChurch Plus run on more platforms?
ChurchPlanner runs on Web, Android mobile app. PowerChurch Plus runs on Windows, Web.
Can I use ChurchPlanner for free?
Yes. ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PowerChurch Plus 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 PowerChurch Plus is typically brought in for.
What can ChurchPlanner do that PowerChurch Plus cannot?
ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Team Collaboration, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Selection. PowerChurch Plus 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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Related pages

More on ChurchPlanner

More on PowerChurch Plus

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