Software · head to head
FellowshipOne vs Planning Center
FellowshipOne
Software
Comprehensive church relationship and resource management
- From
- $500/month
- Rated
- -
Planning Center
Software
Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Planning Center has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: FellowshipOne custom pricing model requires sales contact, no public pricing transparency; Planning Center free tier limited to 5 team members and 10 daily check-ins per product
- They diverge on capability: FellowshipOne covers Relationship Management, Planning Center covers Service Planning.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which FellowshipOne and Planning Center actually diverge.
| Attribute | FellowshipOne | Planning Center |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $500/month | Free |
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, Mobile (Church Center app) |
| Founded | 2002 | 2003 |
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 FellowshipOne
- Relationship Management
- Membership
- Giving Management
- Small Groups
- Payment Processing
- Email Systems
- Custom APIs
- Mobile support
Only in Planning Center
- Service Planning
- Volunteer Management
- Check-in System
- PayPal
- Stripe
- Pushpay
- IOS support
- Android support
Both cover
- Accounting Software
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
FellowshipOne
- Member managementnot Planning Center
- Donation trackingnot Planning Center
- Event planningnot Planning Center
- Volunteer schedulingnot Planning Center
- Communicationnot Planning Center
Planning Center
- Integrated church management and schedulingnot FellowshipOne
- Volunteer coordination and event managementnot FellowshipOne
- Worship service planning and schedulingnot FellowshipOne
- Online giving and donation trackingnot FellowshipOne
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
FellowshipOne
- Custom pricing model requires sales contact, no public pricing transparency
- Setup and training can be time-intensive for smaller churches
Planning Center
- Free tier limited to 5 team members and 10 daily check-ins per product
- Pricing model requires customers to pay per product used; total cost scales with adoption
- No monthly minimums but multiple product subscriptions can accumulate
Pricing, plan by plan
FellowshipOne
$500/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the FellowshipOne review.
Planning Center
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.
Which should you pick?
Choose FellowshipOne if
- You need relationship management.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want membership.
Choose Planning Center if
- You need service planning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile (Church Center app).
- You also want volunteer management.
Questions people ask
- Is FellowshipOne or Planning Center better?
- Neither clearly leads. FellowshipOne starts at $500/month and Planning Center at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, FellowshipOne or Planning Center?
- Planning Center has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/month for FellowshipOne and Free for Planning Center.
- Does FellowshipOne or Planning Center run on more platforms?
- FellowshipOne runs on Web, iOS, Android. Planning Center runs on Web, Mobile (Church Center app).
- Can I use Planning Center for free?
- Yes. Planning Center has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. FellowshipOne starts at $500/month.
- What is FellowshipOne best used for?
- FellowshipOne is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling. Of those, member management and donation tracking are not what Planning Center is typically brought in for.
- What can FellowshipOne do that Planning Center cannot?
- FellowshipOne covers Relationship Management, Membership, Giving Management, Small Groups. Planning Center covers Service Planning, Volunteer Management, Check-in System, PayPal. Both handle Accounting Software, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
FellowshipOne: What accounting features does FellowshipOne offer?
FellowshipOne includes general ledger, accounts payable, payroll processing, and bank reconciliation tools.
FellowshipOne: Does FellowshipOne support online giving?
Yes. The platform supports online donations via eCheck or credit card processing.