Church & Religious · head to head
IconCMO vs ChurchPlanner
IconCMO
Church & Religious
Comprehensive church and organization management 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: IconCMO membership and accounting are priced as two separate subscriptions, so a church needing both pays for both; ChurchPlanner limited to basic church management functions; lacks financial/giving analysis compared to full suites
- They diverge on capability: IconCMO covers Member Management, ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IconCMO and ChurchPlanner actually diverge.
| Attribute | IconCMO | ChurchPlanner |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Desktop | Web, Android mobile app |
| Founded | 1985 | 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 IconCMO
- Member Management
- Financial Management
- Volunteer Coordination
- Facility Management
- Accounting Packages
- Payment Processing
- Email Systems
- Reporting Tools
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.
IconCMO
- Church membership and attendance recordsnot ChurchPlanner
- Donation tracking and contribution statementsnot ChurchPlanner
- Fund accounting for a congregationnot ChurchPlanner
- Event registration and child check-in on the Premium tiernot ChurchPlanner
- Bulk email to membersnot ChurchPlanner
ChurchPlanner
- Member managementnot IconCMO
- Donation trackingnot IconCMO
- Event planningnot IconCMO
- Volunteer schedulingnot IconCMO
- Communicationnot IconCMO
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IconCMO
- Membership and accounting are priced as two separate subscriptions, so a church needing both pays for both
- The Basic membership plan at $50 a month includes a single user
- Communications and email statements start at the Standard plan at $75 a month, capped at 2,000 emails a month and 5 users
- Event registration, check-in and document storage require Premium at $125 a month
- Accounts payable and receivable are gated to the Premium accounting tier at $45 a month
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
IconCMO
On request- Professional$199/month
- Core modules
- Standard support
- Enterprise$499/month
- All modules
- Custom integration
- Priority support
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 IconCMO if
- You need member management.
- You work on Web, Desktop.
- You also want financial management.
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 IconCMO or ChurchPlanner better?
- Neither clearly leads. IconCMO 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, IconCMO or ChurchPlanner?
- ChurchPlanner has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for IconCMO and Free for ChurchPlanner.
- Does IconCMO or ChurchPlanner run on more platforms?
- IconCMO runs on Web, Desktop. 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. IconCMO starts at On request.
- What is IconCMO best used for?
- IconCMO is most often used for church membership and attendance records, donation tracking and contribution statements, fund accounting for a congregation, event registration and child check-in on the premium tier. Of those, church membership and attendance records and donation tracking and contribution statements are not what ChurchPlanner is typically brought in for.
- What can IconCMO do that ChurchPlanner cannot?
- IconCMO covers Member Management, Financial Management, Volunteer Coordination, Facility Management. 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