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Religion · head to head

Ministry Brands vs Text In Church

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
Text In Church logo

Text In Church

Religion

SMS-based giving and engagement for churches

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Text In Church 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.; Text In Church text volume is the binding limit: 500 texts per month on Basic, 1,500 on Pro and 2,500 on Premium
  • They diverge on capability: Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, Text In Church covers Text Giving.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ministry Brands and Text In Church actually diverge.

Attributes where Ministry Brands and Text In Church differ
AttributeMinistry BrandsText In Church
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidSMS, Web
FoundedUnknown2009

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 Text In Church

  • Text Giving
  • SMS Messaging
  • Keyword-based Giving
  • Real-time Alerts
  • Payment Processing
  • Church Management
  • Analytics
  • Reporting

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 Text In Church
  • A congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business softwarenot Text In Church
  • Running volunteer background checks under a child protection policy without a separate screening vendornot Text In Church
  • A denominational office standardising several congregations on one records and giving platformnot Text In Church

Text In Church

  • Two-way texting with a congregation and automated guest follow-upnot Ministry Brands
  • Digital connect cards and keyword text-in for visitorsnot Ministry Brands
  • Automated reminder and welcome message workflows for church eventsnot 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.

Text In Church

  • Text volume is the binding limit: 500 texts per month on Basic, 1,500 on Pro and 2,500 on Premium
  • Local phone numbers are capped at 1, 2 and 3 across the three plans
  • Monthly billing costs $37, $67 and $97 against $31, $56 and $81 when paid annually, so monthly is roughly 19% more
  • The calling features are a separate Calling Plus add-on at $10 per month per seat
  • Concierge onboarding starts at $249 as a one-off charge purchased at checkout
  • Churches needing more than 2,500 texts a month have no published plan and must contact support

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

Text In Church

Free
  • Basic$31/month
    • 500 texts per month
    • 1 local phone number
    • Unlimited keywords
  • Pro$56/month
    • 1500 texts per month
    • 2 local phone numbers
    • All Basic features
  • Premium$81/month
    • 2500 texts per month
    • 3 local phone numbers
    • All Basic and Pro features

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 Text In Church if

  • You need text giving.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on SMS, Web.
  • You also want sms messaging.
Text In Church review

Questions people ask

Is Ministry Brands or Text In Church better?
Neither clearly leads. Ministry Brands starts at On request and Text In Church at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ministry Brands or Text In Church?
Text In Church has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Ministry Brands and Free for Text In Church.
Does Ministry Brands or Text In Church run on more platforms?
Ministry Brands runs on Web, iOS, Android. Text In Church runs on SMS, Web.
Can I use Text In Church for free?
Yes. Text In Church 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 Text In Church is typically brought in for.
What can Ministry Brands do that Text In Church cannot?
Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, Amplify Giving, Amplify Accounting, Amplify Websites and Streaming. Text In Church covers Text Giving, SMS Messaging, Keyword-based Giving, Real-time Alerts.

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.

Text In Church: How much do you save with annual billing?

Annual billing saves $75 on Basic ($31/month vs $37/month), $136 on Pro ($56/month vs $67/month), and $197 on Premium ($81/month vs $97/month).

Source
Ministry Brands: Is pricing published?

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

Text In Church: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Text In Church offers a free 30-day trial for all plans with no credit card required. They also provide a 30-day money-back guarantee if unsatisfied.

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.

Text In Church: What is the Calling Plus add-on?

Calling Plus ($10/month per seat) adds automated text replies, digital receptionist features, automated greetings, direct extensions, call forwarding, and smart voicemail capabilities.

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.

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