Software · head to head
Planning Center vs Planning Center Services
Planning Center
Software
Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Planning Center Services
Software
Digital worship planning and service execution platform
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Planning Center has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Planning Center free tier limited to 5 team members and 10 daily check-ins per product; Planning Center Services the free tier of Services stops at 5 team members
- They diverge on capability: Planning Center covers Volunteer Management, Planning Center Services covers Volunteer Scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Planning Center and Planning Center Services actually diverge.
| Attribute | Planning Center | Planning Center Services |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile (Church Center app) | Web, IOS, Android |
| Founded | 2003 | 2006 |
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 Planning Center
- Volunteer Management
- Check-in System
- Accounting Software
- PayPal
- Stripe
- Pushpay
Only in Planning Center Services
- Volunteer Scheduling
- Song Setlists
- Planning Center Giving
- Music Database
- Calendar Systems
Both cover
- Service Planning
- Web support
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Planning Center
- Integrated church management and schedulingnot Planning Center Services
- Volunteer coordination and event managementnot Planning Center Services
- Worship service planning and schedulingnot Planning Center Services
- Online giving and donation trackingnot Planning Center Services
Planning Center Services
- Member managementnot Planning Center
- Donation trackingnot Planning Center
- Event planningnot Planning Center
- Volunteer schedulingnot Planning Center
- Communicationnot Planning Center
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Planning Center
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.
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 Planning Center if
- You need volunteer management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile (Church Center app).
- You also want check-in system.
Choose Planning Center Services if
- You need volunteer scheduling.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want song setlists.
Questions people ask
- Is Planning Center or Planning Center Services better?
- Neither clearly leads. Planning Center 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, Planning Center or Planning Center Services?
- Planning Center has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Planning Center and On request for Planning Center Services.
- Does Planning Center or Planning Center Services run on more platforms?
- Planning Center runs on Web, Mobile (Church Center app). Planning Center Services runs on Web, IOS, Android.
- Can I use Planning Center for free?
- Yes. Planning Center has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Planning Center Services starts at On request.
- What is Planning Center best used for?
- Planning Center is most often used for integrated church management and scheduling, volunteer coordination and event management, worship service planning and scheduling, online giving and donation tracking. Of those, integrated church management and scheduling and volunteer coordination and event management are not what Planning Center Services is typically brought in for.
- What can Planning Center do that Planning Center Services cannot?
- Planning Center covers Volunteer Management, Check-in System, Accounting Software, PayPal. Planning Center Services covers Volunteer Scheduling, Song Setlists, Planning Center Giving, Music Database. Both handle Service Planning, Web support, IOS support, Android support.