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Religion · head to head

Gloo vs Pushpay

Gloo logo

Gloo

Religion

Data and AI platform connecting churches, ministries and the people looking for them

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pushpay logo

Pushpay

Religion

Mobile-first giving platform for churches and nonprofits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Gloo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Gloo churches are not the paying customer, so the product roadmap answers to ministries, funders and campaign buyers whose interests do not always match a local congregation.; 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: Gloo covers Gloo Workspace, Pushpay covers Mobile Giving.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gloo and Pushpay actually diverge.

Attributes where Gloo and Pushpay differ
AttributeGlooPushpay
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree tier for churches, paid tiers and campaign services quotedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android, SMS
FoundedUnknown2012

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 Gloo

  • Gloo Workspace
  • Church messaging
  • Prayer inbox
  • Explorer campaigns
  • Ministry insights
  • Aggregated content and research
  • Free tier

Only in Pushpay

  • Mobile Giving
  • Recurring Donations
  • Text-to-Give
  • Planning Center
  • Accounting Software
  • CRM Systems
  • Web support
  • IOS support

What people use each for

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

Gloo

  • A church with no communications budget wanting AI drafting and mass texting without a subscriptionnot Pushpay
  • A congregation that wants to be the local referral destination for people searching online for help with addiction or anxietynot Pushpay
  • A denomination seeking engagement data across its member churches rather than per-church anecdotesnot Pushpay
  • A ministry running a national awareness campaign that needs to route responders to nearby churchesnot Pushpay

Pushpay

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Gloo

  • Churches are not the paying customer, so the product roadmap answers to ministries, funders and campaign buyers whose interests do not always match a local congregation.
  • Participation routes congregant and enquirer interactions through a commercial data network, and a church board should have the data terms reviewed before enrolling a congregation rather than after.
  • It is not a church management system: there is no membership database, giving ledger, child check-in or rostering, so it sits alongside an existing ChMS rather than replacing one.
  • Free message credits are capped monthly, and a church that builds its weekly communications on texting will exceed them and move to paid volume where the effective cost is comparable to dedicated messaging vendors.
  • The company has grown by acquiring more than twenty brands, and integrating that many products takes time, so overlap and inconsistency between the acquired tools is visible to users.

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

Gloo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core Workspace AI tools
    • Monthly message credit allowance
    • Prayer inbox
  • Gloo+ and campaign services$undefined/year
    • Higher message volumes and additional media features
    • Explorer campaign participation
    • Ministry and denomination data services

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 Gloo if

  • You need gloo workspace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want church messaging.
Gloo review

Choose Pushpay if

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

Questions people ask

Is Gloo or Pushpay better?
Neither clearly leads. Gloo 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, Gloo or Pushpay?
Gloo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Gloo and On request for Pushpay.
Does Gloo or Pushpay run on more platforms?
Gloo runs on Web, iOS, Android. Pushpay runs on Web, IOS, Android, SMS.
Can I use Gloo for free?
Yes. Gloo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pushpay starts at On request.
What is Gloo best used for?
Gloo is most often used for a church with no communications budget wanting ai drafting and mass texting without a subscription, a congregation that wants to be the local referral destination for people searching online for help with addiction or anxiety, a denomination seeking engagement data across its member churches rather than per-church anecdotes, a ministry running a national awareness campaign that needs to route responders to nearby churches. Of those, a church with no communications budget wanting ai drafting and mass texting without a subscription and a congregation that wants to be the local referral destination for people searching online for help with addiction or anxiety are not what Pushpay is typically brought in for.
What can Gloo do that Pushpay cannot?
Gloo covers Gloo Workspace, Church messaging, Prayer inbox, Explorer campaigns. Pushpay covers Mobile Giving, Recurring Donations, Text-to-Give, Planning Center.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Gloo: Is this the same as Gloo Gateway the API product?

No. This is gloo.com, the faith sector data and AI platform. Gloo Gateway is an unrelated API gateway product from a different company.

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
Gloo: Why is it free for churches?

Because churches are not the revenue source. Ministries, publishers, philanthropists and campaign funders pay to reach and measure engagement with the audience the network reaches.

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
Gloo: Does it replace our church management software?

No. There is no membership ledger, giving records, check-in or volunteer rostering. Keep your ChMS.

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
Gloo: What happens to data about people who contact us through Explorer?

That is the question to put in writing to Gloo before joining. Enquirer data flows through a commercial network, and the governing terms should be reviewed by whoever advises your board.

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
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