Softwr

Church & Religious · head to head

ChurchPlanner vs Rock RMS

C

ChurchPlanner

Church & Religious

Integrated church service and ministry planning platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rock RMS logo

Rock RMS

Church & Religious

Comprehensive relationship and resource management system for churches

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; Rock RMS pricing not published on website; requires contacting sales for quote, preventing transparent cost comparison
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Rock RMS covers Member Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchPlanner and Rock RMS actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchPlanner and Rock RMS differ
AttributeChurchPlannerRock RMS
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android mobile appWeb, Mobile apps, TV apps
Founded20202008

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

Only in Rock RMS

  • Member Management
  • Giving & Finances
  • Group Management
  • Event Planning
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Marketing
  • Accounting Software
  • Custom APIs

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ChurchPlanner

  • Member managementnot Rock RMS
  • Donation trackingnot Rock RMS
  • Event planningnot Rock RMS
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Rock RMS
  • Communicationnot Rock RMS

Rock RMS

  • Churches managing 10M+ people records with integrated giving and event systemsnot ChurchPlanner
  • Organisations needing offline-first workflows with eventual replicationnot ChurchPlanner
  • Tech-enabled churches seeking customisable digital engagement and mobile appsnot 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

Rock RMS

  • Pricing not published on website; requires contacting sales for quote, preventing transparent cost comparison
  • Self-hosted deployment requires 'technical experience'; non-technical churches limited to managed hosting options
  • Managed hosting through third-party providers (Rock Cloud, Cloud 9); switching providers involves vendor lock-in complexity

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

Rock RMS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Rock RMS review.

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 Rock RMS if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile apps, TV apps.
  • You also want giving & finances.
Rock RMS review

Questions people ask

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

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