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Religion · head to head

Ministry Brands vs SermonAudio

Ministry Brands logo

Ministry Brands

Religion

A church software holding company whose current product is the Amplify module suite

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SermonAudio logo

SermonAudio

Religion

Free sermon hosting and distribution platform for churches

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SermonAudio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ministry Brands the legacy acquired brands and Amplify are different software, so a church buying Shelby or Fellowship One today is buying a product line that is not receiving the development investment.; SermonAudio app requires reconfiguration after restart and resets items to default ordering
  • They diverge on capability: Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, SermonAudio covers Sermon Hosting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ministry Brands and SermonAudio actually diverge.

Attributes where Ministry Brands and SermonAudio differ
AttributeMinistry BrandsSermonAudio
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
FoundedUnknown2005

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 Ministry Brands

  • Amplify People
  • Amplify Giving
  • Amplify Accounting
  • Amplify Websites and Streaming
  • Background screening
  • Amplify Service Planning

Only in SermonAudio

  • Sermon Hosting
  • Podcast Distribution
  • Audio Transcription
  • Analytics
  • Podcast Platforms
  • Website Integration
  • Email Distribution
  • Social Media Sharing

What people use each for

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

Ministry Brands

  • A church that wants member records, giving, website and streaming from one vendor with one loginnot SermonAudio
  • A congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business softwarenot SermonAudio
  • Running volunteer background checks under a child protection policy without a separate screening vendornot SermonAudio
  • A denominational office standardising several congregations on one records and giving platformnot SermonAudio

SermonAudio

  • Member managementnot Ministry Brands
  • Donation trackingnot Ministry Brands
  • Event planningnot Ministry Brands
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Ministry Brands
  • Communicationnot Ministry Brands

Where each one falls short

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

Ministry Brands

  • The legacy acquired brands and Amplify are different software, so a church buying Shelby or Fellowship One today is buying a product line that is not receiving the development investment.
  • Nothing is publicly priced at any level, so churches cannot compare modules against single-purpose competitors without running a full sales process.
  • Ministry Brands processes the giving, so the transaction rate is a large and negotiable part of the cost that is easy to overlook while comparing module subscriptions.
  • Module count creates upsell pressure, and churches often sign for a bundle then use three or four modules while paying for the rest.
  • Moving from a legacy brand onto Amplify is a full data migration with its own cost and risk, which weakens the argument that staying inside the family is the low-effort choice.

SermonAudio

  • App requires reconfiguration after restart and resets items to default ordering
  • Bookmark search functionality sometimes returns no results due to app bugs
  • Mobile app limited to iOS and Android without web-based access for church administrators

Pricing, plan by plan

Ministry Brands

On request
  • Amplify$undefined/year
    • Modules bought individually or bundled
    • Priced by church size and modules selected
    • Giving processed by Ministry Brands at a negotiated transaction rate
  • Legacy products$undefined/year
    • Shelby Systems, Elexio, Fellowship One, easyTithe and others
    • Supported for existing customers
    • Not the go-forward investment line

SermonAudio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SermonAudio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ministry Brands if

  • You need amplify people.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want amplify giving.
Ministry Brands review

Choose SermonAudio if

  • You need sermon hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want podcast distribution.
SermonAudio review

Questions people ask

Is Ministry Brands or SermonAudio better?
Neither clearly leads. Ministry Brands starts at On request and SermonAudio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ministry Brands or SermonAudio?
SermonAudio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Ministry Brands and Free for SermonAudio.
Does Ministry Brands or SermonAudio run on more platforms?
Ministry Brands runs on Web, iOS, Android. SermonAudio runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use SermonAudio for free?
Yes. SermonAudio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ministry Brands starts at On request.
What is Ministry Brands best used for?
Ministry Brands is most often used for a church that wants member records, giving, website and streaming from one vendor with one login, a congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business software, running volunteer background checks under a child protection policy without a separate screening vendor, a denominational office standardising several congregations on one records and giving platform. Of those, a church that wants member records, giving, website and streaming from one vendor with one login and a congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business software are not what SermonAudio is typically brought in for.
What can Ministry Brands do that SermonAudio cannot?
Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, Amplify Giving, Amplify Accounting, Amplify Websites and Streaming. SermonAudio covers Sermon Hosting, Podcast Distribution, Audio Transcription, Analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ministry Brands: What do I actually buy from Ministry Brands?

Amplify, sold as modules. The older acquired brands are still supported but are not what new customers are sold.

SermonAudio: Is SermonAudio free for listening to sermons?

Yes, the sermon library of nearly 3 million audio and video sermons from conservative Christian churches is free to access. However, churches and ministries that want to broadcast their own sermons must pay a subscription fee.

Source
Ministry Brands: Is pricing published?

No. Everything is quoted by church size and module selection, and the giving transaction rate is negotiated separately.

SermonAudio: What is the cost for churches to broadcast sermons on SermonAudio?

SermonAudio offers a flat-fee subscription model at $29.95/month, with smaller ministries potentially eligible for financial aid through a third-party scholarship program.

Source
Ministry Brands: Are Shelby and Fellowship One discontinued?

They are supported but not the go-forward line. Ask for written end-of-support commitments before renewing.

SermonAudio: What platforms does SermonAudio support for accessing sermons?

SermonAudio supports native apps across a wide range of devices, including iOS, Android, and web browsers, allowing access to sermons anytime, anywhere.

Source
Ministry Brands: Is Amplify Equip the same as Faithlife Equip?

No. Amplify Equip is an AI sermon preparation module. Faithlife Equip was a separate product that has been discontinued.

SermonAudio: Does SermonAudio provide offline access to downloaded sermons?

Yes, the app supports offline download capabilities, allowing you to download sermon audio or video and access them even without an internet connection.

Source
SermonAudio: What integrations does SermonAudio offer?

SermonAudio integrates with Logos Bible Software, Blue Letter Bible, Biblearc, and Church Plant Media, enabling seamless distribution and organization of sermon content across platforms.

Source
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