Church & Religious · head to head
ChurchTrac vs ChurchPlanner
ChurchTrac
Church & Religious
Church management and member tracking software
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
ChurchPlanner
Church & Religious
Integrated church service and ministry planning platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: ChurchTrac priced by how many people are tracked, in bands of 75, 125, 250, 500, 1,000 and unlimited names, so growth pushes a church up a tier; ChurchPlanner limited to basic church management functions; lacks financial/giving analysis compared to full suites
- They diverge on capability: ChurchTrac covers Member Management, ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ChurchTrac and ChurchPlanner actually diverge.
| Attribute | ChurchTrac | ChurchPlanner |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile-responsive | Web, Android mobile app |
| Founded | 2009 | 2020 |
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 ChurchTrac
- Member Management
- Attendance Tracking
- Visitor Tracking
- Payroll Systems
- Payment Processors
- Data Import/Export
- Mobile-responsive support
Only in ChurchPlanner
- Service Planning
- Team Collaboration
- Volunteer Scheduling
- Song Selection
- Planning Center
- Music Databases
- Calendar Systems
- Email Notifications
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ChurchTrac
- Church membership, giving and event management in one systemnot ChurchPlanner
- Fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregationnot ChurchPlanner
ChurchPlanner
- Member managementnot ChurchTrac
- Donation trackingnot ChurchTrac
- Event planningnot ChurchTrac
- Volunteer schedulingnot ChurchTrac
- Communicationnot ChurchTrac
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
ChurchTrac
- Priced by how many people are tracked, in bands of 75, 125, 250, 500, 1,000 and unlimited names, so growth pushes a church up a tier
- The published figure is a starting price of $29 a month, with per band prices shown only in an on page calculator
- Enhanced messaging is a $7 a month add on and includes 250 credits
- Website and app setup starts at $477 and accounting setup at $399, both one off
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
Pricing, plan by plan
ChurchTrac
On request- Basic$29/month
- Basic tracking
- Up to 200 members
- Professional$99/month
- Full features
- Unlimited members
- Mobile app
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
Which should you pick?
Choose ChurchTrac if
- You need member management.
- You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
- You also want attendance tracking.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is ChurchTrac or ChurchPlanner better?
- Neither clearly leads. ChurchTrac starts at On request and ChurchPlanner at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ChurchTrac or ChurchPlanner?
- ChurchPlanner has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ChurchTrac and Free for ChurchPlanner.
- Does ChurchTrac or ChurchPlanner run on more platforms?
- ChurchTrac runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. ChurchPlanner runs on Web, Android mobile app.
- Can I use ChurchPlanner for free?
- Yes. ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ChurchTrac starts at On request.
- What is ChurchTrac best used for?
- ChurchTrac is most often used for church membership, giving and event management in one system, fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregation. Of those, church membership, giving and event management in one system and fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregation are not what ChurchPlanner is typically brought in for.
- What can ChurchTrac do that ChurchPlanner cannot?
- ChurchTrac covers Member Management, Attendance Tracking, Visitor Tracking, Payroll Systems. ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Team Collaboration, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Selection. 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).
SourceChurchPlanner: 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.
SourceChurchPlanner: Can volunteers get automated reminders?
Yes. ChurchPlanner sends automated SMS and email reminders to volunteers before services, reducing no-shows on the Pro plan.
SourceChurchPlanner: Is attendance tracking included?
Yes. ChurchPlanner includes attendance tracking from any device with trend analysis and follow-up flagging capabilities.
SourceChurchPlanner: Can I export my church data?
Yes. ChurchPlanner emphasizes data ownership and allows users to export their information anytime without restrictions.
Source