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Software · head to head

PastorsLine vs Planning Center

PastorsLine logo

PastorsLine

Software

Text messaging and communication platform for churches

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Planning Center logo

Planning Center

Software

Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Planning Center has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: PastorsLine pastorsLine has joined the Text In Church family and its own pricing page now sells Text In Church plans instead of PastorsLine plans; Planning Center free tier limited to 5 team members and 10 daily check-ins per product
  • They diverge on capability: PastorsLine covers SMS Messaging, Planning Center covers Service Planning.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PastorsLine and Planning Center actually diverge.

Attributes where PastorsLine and Planning Center differ
AttributePastorsLinePlanning Center
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, Mobile (Church Center app)
Founded20052003

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 PastorsLine

  • SMS Messaging
  • Email Integration
  • Contact Management
  • Scheduling
  • Church Management
  • Email Services
  • Contact Lists
  • Analytics

Only in Planning Center

  • Service Planning
  • Volunteer Management
  • Check-in System
  • Accounting Software
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • Pushpay
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

PastorsLine

  • Two-way SMS and voice communication with a church congregationnot Planning Center
  • Text-in keywords and automated follow-up for church guestsnot Planning Center
  • Group texting tied to church management system contactsnot Planning Center

Planning Center

  • Integrated church management and schedulingnot PastorsLine
  • Volunteer coordination and event managementnot PastorsLine
  • Worship service planning and schedulingnot PastorsLine
  • Online giving and donation trackingnot PastorsLine

Where each one falls short

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

PastorsLine

  • PastorsLine has joined the Text In Church family and its own pricing page now sells Text In Church plans instead of PastorsLine plans
  • No PastorsLine plan, rate or credit price is published on the pricing page any more
  • The only calls to action on the pricing page are a Text In Church free trial and a demo booking form

Planning Center

  • Free tier limited to 5 team members and 10 daily check-ins per product
  • Pricing model requires customers to pay per product used; total cost scales with adoption
  • No monthly minimums but multiple product subscriptions can accumulate

Pricing, plan by plan

PastorsLine

On request
  • Starter$29/month
    • SMS messaging
    • Up to 1000 contacts
  • Professional$99/month
    • Advanced features
    • Unlimited contacts
    • Email integration

Planning Center

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.

Which should you pick?

Choose PastorsLine if

  • You need sms messaging.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want email integration.
PastorsLine review

Choose Planning Center if

  • You need service planning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (Church Center app).
  • You also want volunteer management.
Planning Center review

Questions people ask

Is PastorsLine or Planning Center better?
Neither clearly leads. PastorsLine starts at On request and Planning Center at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PastorsLine or Planning Center?
Planning Center has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for PastorsLine and Free for Planning Center.
Does PastorsLine or Planning Center run on more platforms?
PastorsLine runs on Web, Mobile. Planning Center runs on Web, Mobile (Church Center app).
Can I use Planning Center for free?
Yes. Planning Center has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PastorsLine starts at On request.
What is PastorsLine best used for?
PastorsLine is most often used for two-way sms and voice communication with a church congregation, text-in keywords and automated follow-up for church guests, group texting tied to church management system contacts. Of those, two-way sms and voice communication with a church congregation and text-in keywords and automated follow-up for church guests are not what Planning Center is typically brought in for.
What can PastorsLine do that Planning Center cannot?
PastorsLine covers SMS Messaging, Email Integration, Contact Management, Scheduling. Planning Center covers Service Planning, Volunteer Management, Check-in System, Accounting Software. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

More on PastorsLine

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