Softwr

Religion · head to head

ChurchTrac vs MediaShout

ChurchTrac logo

ChurchTrac

Religion

Church management and member tracking software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MediaShout logo

MediaShout

Religion

Worship presentation and media management software

From
$198/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ChurchTrac 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; MediaShout the perpetual MediaShout 7 Site licence is a $599 one-time purchase, and phone support is limited to 2 sessions in the first 30 days before dropping to email and live chat
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchTrac covers Member Management, MediaShout covers Lyric Display.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchTrac and MediaShout actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchTrac and MediaShout differ
AttributeChurchTracMediaShout
Starting priceFree$198/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWindows
Founded20092000

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 ChurchTrac

  • Member Management
  • Attendance Tracking
  • Visitor Tracking
  • Payroll Systems
  • Payment Processors
  • Data Import/Export
  • Web support
  • Mobile-responsive support

Only in MediaShout

  • Lyric Display
  • Video Integration
  • Theme Creation
  • Remote Control
  • Song Databases
  • Planning Center
  • CCLI Integration
  • Web Remote

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 MediaShout
  • Fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregationnot MediaShout

MediaShout

  • Church worship presentation and lyrics displaynot ChurchTrac
  • Multi-screen sermon notes and Bible verse displaynot ChurchTrac
  • CCLI SongSelect integration for compliancenot ChurchTrac
  • 70+ Bible translation displaynot 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

MediaShout

  • The perpetual MediaShout 7 Site licence is a $599 one-time purchase, and phone support is limited to 2 sessions in the first 30 days before dropping to email and live chat
  • Ongoing phone and video support with remote desktop control requires the Plus Membership at $199 per year on top of the software
  • The cheapest option, MediaShout LE at $198 per year, licenses one computer only and omits the stage and confidence display
  • Shift Worship media access requires MediaShout 7 Complete at $798 one-time plus $299 per year
  • Upgrading from a previous MediaShout version still costs $399 for the Site licence or $498 for Essentials
  • The published plans are for MediaShout 7 for Windows, listed separately from the Mac product

Pricing, plan by plan

ChurchTrac

Free
  • Starter (75 people)$29/month
    • Tracks up to 75 people
    • All core features included
  • Growth (250 people)$null/month
    • Tracks up to 250 people
    • All core features included
  • Enterprise (Unlimited people)$null/month
    • Unlimited people tracking
    • All core features included

MediaShout

$198/year
  • MediaShout 7 LE (Subscription)$198/year
    • Single computer
    • Limited features
    • Annual subscription
  • MediaShout 7 Essentials (Windows)$698/one-time
    • Perpetual license
    • 1 year Plus Membership ($199 annual renewal)
    • Unlimited computers with Site License upgrade
  • MediaShout 7 Complete (Windows)$798/one-time
    • Perpetual license
    • Plus Membership
    • Shift Worship media library access
  • MediaShout 7 Site License (Windows)$599/one-time
    • Unlimited computers
    • Perpetual license

Which should you pick?

Choose ChurchTrac if

  • You need member management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want attendance tracking.
ChurchTrac review

Choose MediaShout if

  • You need lyric display.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want video integration.
MediaShout review

Questions people ask

Is ChurchTrac or MediaShout better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchTrac starts at Free and MediaShout at $198/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchTrac or MediaShout?
ChurchTrac has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ChurchTrac and $198/year for MediaShout.
Does ChurchTrac or MediaShout run on more platforms?
ChurchTrac runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. MediaShout runs on Windows.
Can I use ChurchTrac for free?
Yes. ChurchTrac has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MediaShout starts at $198/year.
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 MediaShout is typically brought in for.
What can ChurchTrac do that MediaShout cannot?
ChurchTrac covers Member Management, Attendance Tracking, Visitor Tracking, Payroll Systems. MediaShout covers Lyric Display, Video Integration, Theme Creation, Remote Control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ChurchTrac: How much does ChurchTrac cost?

ChurchTrac starts at $29/month for tracking 75 people and includes people management, fund accounting, giving, website and app, check-in, worship, groups, volunteers, messaging, registrations, and automations. Annual billing offers a 10% discount.

Source
MediaShout: What is the cheapest way to use MediaShout for a church?

MediaShout 7 LE subscription at $198/year provides single-computer access. Alternatively, Site License at $599 one-time covers unlimited computers permanently without annual fees.

Source
ChurchTrac: Is there a free trial for ChurchTrac?

Yes, ChurchTrac offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
MediaShout: Does the perpetual license include ongoing support after purchase?

No, perpetual licenses (Essentials $698, Complete $798, Site $599) require optional Plus Membership renewal annually ($199-299/year) for priority support and training access.

Source
ChurchTrac: What costs extra in ChurchTrac?

Enhanced Messaging costs $7/month and includes 250 messaging credits monthly for two-way texting and voice. Website and App Build service starts at $477. Accounting Setup service starts at $399.

Source
MediaShout: What is the cost difference between Windows and Mac versions?

Mac Essentials costs $598 (vs $698 Windows). Mac Complete costs $698 (vs $798 Windows). Mac Site License costs $499 (vs $599 Windows). All include same perpetual license model with annual membership options.

Source
ChurchTrac: How are ChurchTrac pricing tiers organized?

Pricing tiers are based on the number of people tracked: 75, 125, 250, 500, 1,000, or Unlimited. An interactive calculator on the pricing page shows exact costs for each tier.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on ChurchTrac

More on MediaShout

Keep looking

Other head to heads