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Religion · head to head

ParishSOFT vs Planning Center Services

ParishSOFT logo

ParishSOFT

Religion

Catholic parish management and sacramental records system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Planning Center Services logo

Planning Center Services

Religion

Digital worship planning and service execution platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ParishSOFT no published pricing information or tiers; Planning Center Services the free tier of Services stops at 5 team members
  • They diverge on capability: ParishSOFT covers Sacramental Records, Planning Center Services covers Service Planning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ParishSOFT and Planning Center Services actually diverge.

Attributes where ParishSOFT and Planning Center Services differ
AttributeParishSOFTPlanning Center Services
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb, IOS, Android
Founded19882006

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), 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 ParishSOFT

  • Sacramental Records
  • RCIA Management
  • Parish Accounting
  • Member Directory
  • Diocese Systems
  • Accounting Software
  • Email Integration
  • Report Generation

Only in Planning Center Services

  • Service Planning
  • Volunteer Scheduling
  • Song Setlists
  • Planning Center Giving
  • Music Database
  • Calendar Systems
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ParishSOFT

  • Member management
  • Donation tracking
  • Event planning
  • Volunteer scheduling
  • Communication

Planning Center Services

  • Member management
  • Donation tracking
  • Event planning
  • Volunteer scheduling
  • Communication

Both are used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling, communication, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

ParishSOFT

  • No published pricing information or tiers
  • Pricing determined through custom quotes and demos
  • No feature breakdowns by pricing level available

Planning Center Services

  • The free tier of Services stops at 5 team members
  • Each Planning Center product is billed separately, so Registrations, Giving, Check-ins, Groups and Calendar each carry their own free cap and their own subscription
  • The Music Stand add-on is a further $5 a month
  • Text messaging costs $5 a month for a toll-free number plus $0.02 per message
  • Card payments are charged at 2.15 percent plus $0.30 per transaction, with a further 1.5 percent on international cards

Pricing, plan by plan

ParishSOFT

On request
  • Standard$179/month
    • Core modules
    • Basic records
  • Complete$399/month
    • All features
    • Full sacramental records
    • Advanced reporting

Planning Center Services

On request
  • Basic$49/month
    • Service planning
    • Basic volunteer scheduling
  • Plus$99/month
    • All features
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Mobile app

Which should you pick?

Choose ParishSOFT if

  • You need sacramental records.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want rcia management.
ParishSOFT review

Choose Planning Center Services if

  • You need service planning.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want volunteer scheduling.
Planning Center Services review

Questions people ask

Is ParishSOFT or Planning Center Services better?
Neither clearly leads. ParishSOFT starts at On request and Planning Center Services at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ParishSOFT or Planning Center Services?
ParishSOFT starts at On request and Planning Center Services at On request.
Does ParishSOFT or Planning Center Services run on more platforms?
ParishSOFT runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Planning Center Services runs on Web, IOS, Android.
What is ParishSOFT best used for?
ParishSOFT is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling.
What can ParishSOFT do that Planning Center Services cannot?
ParishSOFT covers Sacramental Records, RCIA Management, Parish Accounting, Member Directory. Planning Center Services covers Service Planning, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Setlists, Planning Center Giving. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ParishSOFT: How much does ParishSOFT cost?

ParishSOFT does not publish pricing information on its website. Pricing is customized based on individual parish or diocese needs through direct contact and demos.

Source
Planning Center Services: How much does Planning Center Services cost?

Planning Center Services pricing is not publicly available. The pricing page requires account authentication and redirects to the login portal. Contact Planning Center sales directly for rate information.

Source
ParishSOFT: How do I get a pricing quote for ParishSOFT?

ParishSOFT encourages visitors to schedule a demo to learn more about solutions and pricing. The company tailors packages to individual needs, so pricing is determined through these custom consultations.

Source
Planning Center Services: Does Planning Center Services offer a free plan or trial?

No public information about free plans or trial availability is accessible without logging in. Contact Planning Center directly to inquire about trial options.

Source
ParishSOFT: What type of pricing model does ParishSOFT use?

ParishSOFT uses a custom quote model typical for enterprise church management software that tailors packages to individual parish or diocese requirements.

Source
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