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Software · head to head

Planning Center Services vs Bible Gateway

Planning Center Services logo

Planning Center Services

Software

Digital worship planning and service execution platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bible Gateway logo

Bible Gateway

Software

Free online Bible access with multiple translations and reading tools

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bible Gateway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Planning Center Services the free tier of Services stops at 5 team members; Bible Gateway study Bibles, commentaries and dictionaries all require Plus at $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year
  • They diverge on capability: Planning Center Services covers Service Planning, Bible Gateway covers Multiple Translations.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Planning Center Services and Bible Gateway differ
AttributePlanning Center ServicesBible Gateway
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20061993

Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), 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 Planning Center Services

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

Only in Bible Gateway

  • Multiple Translations
  • Verse Comparison
  • Search
  • Reading Plans
  • Social Sharing
  • Email Integration
  • Mobile App
  • API Access

Both cover

  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Planning Center Services

  • Member managementnot Bible Gateway
  • Donation trackingnot Bible Gateway
  • Event planningnot Bible Gateway
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Bible Gateway
  • Communicationnot Bible Gateway

Bible Gateway

  • Reading and comparing across more than 70 Bible translationsnot Planning Center Services
  • Personal notes, highlights and bookmarksnot Planning Center Services
  • Reading plans and daily devotionalsnot Planning Center Services
  • Study Bibles and commentaries on the Plus subscriptionnot Planning Center Services
  • Original language work through the NIV Reverse Interlinearnot Planning Center Services

Where each one falls short

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

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

Bible Gateway

  • Study Bibles, commentaries and dictionaries all require Plus at $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year
  • The free tier carries advertising, removed only on Plus
  • The free account covers translations, notes and reading plans but no reference works

Pricing, plan by plan

Planning Center Services

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

Bible Gateway

Free
  • FreeFree
    • All translations
    • Search tools
    • Verse comparison

Which should you pick?

Choose Planning Center Services if

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

Choose Bible Gateway if

  • You need multiple translations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want verse comparison.
Bible Gateway review

Questions people ask

Is Planning Center Services or Bible Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. Planning Center Services starts at On request and Bible Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Planning Center Services or Bible Gateway?
Bible Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Planning Center Services and Free for Bible Gateway.
Does Planning Center Services or Bible Gateway run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Bible Gateway for free?
Yes. Bible Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Planning Center Services starts at On request.
What is Planning Center Services best used for?
Planning Center Services is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling. Of those, member management and donation tracking are not what Bible Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can Planning Center Services do that Bible Gateway cannot?
Planning Center Services covers Service Planning, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Setlists, Planning Center Giving. Bible Gateway covers Multiple Translations, Verse Comparison, Search, Reading Plans. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.
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