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Religion · head to head

ChurchTrac vs Planning Center Services

ChurchTrac logo

ChurchTrac

Religion

Church management and member tracking software

From
Free
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

  • Only ChurchTrac has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ChurchTrac priced by how many people are tracked, in bands of 75, 125, 250, 500, 1,000 and unlimited names, so growth pushes a church up a tier; Planning Center Services the free tier of Services stops at 5 team members
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchTrac covers Member Management, 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 ChurchTrac and Planning Center Services actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchTrac and Planning Center Services differ
AttributeChurchTracPlanning Center Services
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20092006

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 ChurchTrac

  • Member Management
  • Attendance Tracking
  • Visitor Tracking
  • Payroll Systems
  • Payment Processors
  • Data Import/Export
  • Mobile-responsive support

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.

ChurchTrac

  • Church membership, giving and event management in one systemnot Planning Center Services
  • Fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregationnot Planning Center Services

Planning Center Services

  • Member managementnot ChurchTrac
  • Donation trackingnot ChurchTrac
  • Event planningnot ChurchTrac
  • Volunteer schedulingnot ChurchTrac
  • Communicationnot ChurchTrac

Where each one falls short

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

ChurchTrac

  • Priced by how many people are tracked, in bands of 75, 125, 250, 500, 1,000 and unlimited names, so growth pushes a church up a tier
  • The published figure is a starting price of $29 a month, with per band prices shown only in an on page calculator
  • Enhanced messaging is a $7 a month add on and includes 250 credits
  • Website and app setup starts at $477 and accounting setup at $399, both one off

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

ChurchTrac

Free
  • Starter (75 people)$29/month
    • Tracks up to 75 people
    • All core features included
  • Growth (250 people)$null/month
    • Tracks up to 250 people
    • All core features included
  • Enterprise (Unlimited people)$null/month
    • Unlimited people tracking
    • All core features included

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 ChurchTrac if

  • You need member management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want attendance tracking.
ChurchTrac 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 ChurchTrac or Planning Center Services better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchTrac starts at Free 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, ChurchTrac or Planning Center Services?
ChurchTrac has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ChurchTrac and On request for Planning Center Services.
Does ChurchTrac or Planning Center Services run on more platforms?
ChurchTrac runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Planning Center Services runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use ChurchTrac for free?
Yes. ChurchTrac has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Planning Center Services starts at On request.
What is ChurchTrac best used for?
ChurchTrac is most often used for church membership, giving and event management in one system, fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregation. Of those, church membership, giving and event management in one system and fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregation are not what Planning Center Services is typically brought in for.
What can ChurchTrac do that Planning Center Services cannot?
ChurchTrac covers Member Management, Attendance Tracking, Visitor Tracking, Payroll Systems. Planning Center Services covers Service Planning, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Setlists, Planning Center Giving. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ChurchTrac: How much does ChurchTrac cost?

ChurchTrac starts at $29/month for tracking 75 people and includes people management, fund accounting, giving, website and app, check-in, worship, groups, volunteers, messaging, registrations, and automations. Annual billing offers a 10% discount.

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
ChurchTrac: Is there a free trial for ChurchTrac?

Yes, ChurchTrac offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.

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
ChurchTrac: What costs extra in ChurchTrac?

Enhanced Messaging costs $7/month and includes 250 messaging credits monthly for two-way texting and voice. Website and App Build service starts at $477. Accounting Setup service starts at $399.

Source
ChurchTrac: How are ChurchTrac pricing tiers organized?

Pricing tiers are based on the number of people tracked: 75, 125, 250, 500, 1,000, or Unlimited. An interactive calculator on the pricing page shows exact costs for each tier.

Source
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