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Religion · head to head

Planning Center Services vs SermonAudio

Planning Center Services logo

Planning Center Services

Religion

Digital worship planning and service execution platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SermonAudio logo

SermonAudio

Religion

Free sermon hosting and distribution platform for churches

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SermonAudio 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; SermonAudio app requires reconfiguration after restart and resets items to default ordering
  • They diverge on capability: Planning Center Services covers Service Planning, SermonAudio covers Sermon Hosting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Planning Center Services and SermonAudio differ
AttributePlanning Center ServicesSermonAudio
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded20062005

Identical on both: 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 Planning Center Services

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

Only in SermonAudio

  • Sermon Hosting
  • Podcast Distribution
  • Audio Transcription
  • Analytics
  • Podcast Platforms
  • Website Integration
  • Email Distribution
  • Social Media Sharing

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

SermonAudio

  • 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.

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

SermonAudio

  • App requires reconfiguration after restart and resets items to default ordering
  • Bookmark search functionality sometimes returns no results due to app bugs
  • Mobile app limited to iOS and Android without web-based access for church administrators

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

SermonAudio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SermonAudio review.

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 SermonAudio if

  • You need sermon hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want podcast distribution.
SermonAudio review

Questions people ask

Is Planning Center Services or SermonAudio better?
Neither clearly leads. Planning Center Services starts at On request and SermonAudio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Planning Center Services or SermonAudio?
SermonAudio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Planning Center Services and Free for SermonAudio.
Does Planning Center Services or SermonAudio run on more platforms?
Planning Center Services runs on Web, IOS, Android. SermonAudio runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use SermonAudio for free?
Yes. SermonAudio 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.
What can Planning Center Services do that SermonAudio cannot?
Planning Center Services covers Service Planning, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Setlists, Planning Center Giving. SermonAudio covers Sermon Hosting, Podcast Distribution, Audio Transcription, Analytics. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
SermonAudio: Is SermonAudio free for listening to sermons?

Yes, the sermon library of nearly 3 million audio and video sermons from conservative Christian churches is free to access. However, churches and ministries that want to broadcast their own sermons must pay a subscription fee.

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
SermonAudio: What is the cost for churches to broadcast sermons on SermonAudio?

SermonAudio offers a flat-fee subscription model at $29.95/month, with smaller ministries potentially eligible for financial aid through a third-party scholarship program.

Source
SermonAudio: What platforms does SermonAudio support for accessing sermons?

SermonAudio supports native apps across a wide range of devices, including iOS, Android, and web browsers, allowing access to sermons anytime, anywhere.

Source
SermonAudio: Does SermonAudio provide offline access to downloaded sermons?

Yes, the app supports offline download capabilities, allowing you to download sermon audio or video and access them even without an internet connection.

Source
SermonAudio: What integrations does SermonAudio offer?

SermonAudio integrates with Logos Bible Software, Blue Letter Bible, Biblearc, and Church Plant Media, enabling seamless distribution and organization of sermon content across platforms.

Source
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