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Religion · head to head

ChurchPlanner vs Pushpay

C

ChurchPlanner

Religion

Integrated church service and ministry planning platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Pushpay logo

Pushpay

Religion

Mobile-first giving platform for churches and nonprofits

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; Pushpay the pricing page names Core, Advanced and Complete packages but publishes no price, no minimum and no per-transaction rate for any of them
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Pushpay covers Mobile Giving.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchPlanner and Pushpay actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchPlanner and Pushpay differ
AttributeChurchPlannerPushpay
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android mobile appWeb, IOS, Android, SMS
Founded20202012

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

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

Only in Pushpay

  • Mobile Giving
  • Recurring Donations
  • Text-to-Give
  • Accounting Software
  • CRM Systems
  • SMS support

Both cover

  • Planning Center
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

ChurchPlanner

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

Pushpay

  • church giving and donation managementnot ChurchPlanner
  • churchcommunity building and engagementnot ChurchPlanner
  • remote check deposit processingnot 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

Pushpay

  • The pricing page names Core, Advanced and Complete packages but publishes no price, no minimum and no per-transaction rate for any of them
  • Integrations and API access are withheld from the Core package and require Advanced
  • Giving history on Advanced is capped at 7 years
  • Multi-site support, per-campus branding, multiple bank accounts and metric dashboards require the Complete package
  • Check-in, facility management, forms and volunteer scheduling are excluded from Core
  • Check scanning and remote deposit start at $0.29 per check on top of the plan

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

Pushpay

On request
  • StandardFree
    • Transaction fees apply (2.2% + $0.30)
    • Mobile giving
  • Premium$299/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Priority support
    • Custom integrations

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 Pushpay if

  • You need mobile giving.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, SMS.
  • You also want recurring donations.

Questions people ask

Is ChurchPlanner or Pushpay better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchPlanner starts at Free and Pushpay at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchPlanner or Pushpay?
ChurchPlanner has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ChurchPlanner and On request for Pushpay.
Does ChurchPlanner or Pushpay run on more platforms?
ChurchPlanner runs on Web, Android mobile app. Pushpay runs on Web, IOS, Android, SMS.
Can I use ChurchPlanner for free?
Yes. ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pushpay 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 Pushpay is typically brought in for.
What can ChurchPlanner do that Pushpay cannot?
ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Team Collaboration, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Selection. Pushpay covers Mobile Giving, Recurring Donations, Text-to-Give, Accounting Software. Both handle Planning Center, Web support, IOS support, Android 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
Pushpay: How much does Pushpay cost?

Pushpay pricing is not published; the vendor requires you to request a demo to receive pricing for Core, Advanced, or Complete subscription tiers.

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
Pushpay: Does Pushpay charge per transaction?

Pushpay does not appear to charge per-transaction fees; subscription is monthly or annual with ACH payments; additional services like check scanning cost USD 0.29 per check.

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
Pushpay: Are there setup fees for Pushpay?

No, Pushpay explicitly states there are no setup fees required for any of their plans, making it easier to get started with their services.

Source
ChurchPlanner: Is attendance tracking included?

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

Source
Pushpay: What payment options and contract terms does Pushpay offer?

Pushpay allows automatic ACH payments with monthly or annual subscriptions; contract terms of 1, 2, or 3 years are available based on your needs.

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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