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Religion · head to head

Ministry Brands vs Vanco

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
Vanco logo

Vanco

Religion

Electronic giving and ACH payment solutions for churches

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Vanco gROW tier charges 2.90% plus $0.45 per debit or credit card transaction, and American Express is charged separately at 3.99% on both tiers
  • They diverge on capability: Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, Vanco covers ACH Giving.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Ministry Brands and Vanco differ
AttributeMinistry BrandsVanco
Pricing modelquotetransaction
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile app
FoundedUnknown1990

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Vanco

  • ACH Giving
  • Credit Card Processing
  • Text-to-Give
  • Church Management Systems
  • Accounting Software
  • Fund Accounting
  • Web support
  • Mobile app support

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

Vanco

  • Online and mobile giving processing for churches and nonprofitsnot 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.

Vanco

  • GROW tier charges 2.90% plus $0.45 per debit or credit card transaction, and American Express is charged separately at 3.99% on both tiers
  • PCI non-compliance fee of $23.95 per month applies if a merchant does not maintain compliance, and Giving Insights costs an additional $75 per month on top of the base plan

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

Vanco

On request
  • StandardFree
    • Payment processing
    • ACH payments (1.0% + $0.25)
  • Premium$149/month
    • Advanced tools
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom reporting

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 Vanco if

  • You need ach giving.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app.
  • You also want credit card processing.
Vanco review

Questions people ask

Is Ministry Brands or Vanco better?
Neither clearly leads. Ministry Brands starts at On request and Vanco at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ministry Brands or Vanco?
Ministry Brands starts at On request and Vanco at On request.
Does Ministry Brands or Vanco run on more platforms?
Ministry Brands runs on Web, iOS, Android. Vanco runs on Web, Mobile app.
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 Vanco is typically brought in for.
What can Ministry Brands do that Vanco cannot?
Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, Amplify Giving, Amplify Accounting, Amplify Websites and Streaming. Vanco covers ACH Giving, Credit Card Processing, Text-to-Give, Church Management Systems.

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.

Vanco: Is there a monthly fee to use Vanco's online giving platform?

No monthly fee is required for the GROW plan, which is free. The THRIVE plan costs $54/month and includes lower transaction fees and additional features.

Source
Ministry Brands: Is pricing published?

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

Vanco: What are the processing fees on Vanco's THRIVE plan?

THRIVE plan charges 2.65% plus $0.39 per transaction for debit/credit cards, and 0.90% plus $0.39 per transaction for ACH transfers.

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.

Vanco: Are there any contracts or cancellation fees with Vanco?

No contracts or cancellation fees apply to either the GROW or THRIVE plans.

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.

Vanco: What happens if a church on the GROW plan doesn't go live within 30 days?

A $10 monthly fee is charged if the organization does not go live within 30 days on the GROW plan.

Source
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