Softwr

Software · head to head

Planning Center vs Pushpay Church App

Planning Center logo

Planning Center

Software

Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving

From
Free
Rated
-
Pushpay Church App logo

Pushpay Church App

Software

Mobile-first giving and engagement app for churches

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; Pushpay Church App pricing page lists Core, Advanced and Complete tiers with no dollar figures shown, directing buyers to request a demo or call 1-844-PUSHPAY for a quote
  • They diverge on capability: Planning Center covers Service Planning, Pushpay Church App covers Mobile Giving.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Planning Center and Pushpay Church App actually diverge.

Attributes where Planning Center and Pushpay Church App differ
AttributePlanning CenterPushpay Church App
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (Church Center app)IOS, Android
Founded20032012

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

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

Only in Pushpay Church App

  • Mobile Giving
  • Announcements
  • Event Calendar
  • Sermons
  • Pushpay Platform
  • Church Management
  • Streaming
  • Push Notifications

Both cover

  • 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 Pushpay Church App
  • Volunteer coordination and event managementnot Pushpay Church App
  • Worship service planning and schedulingnot Pushpay Church App
  • Online giving and donation trackingnot Pushpay Church App

Pushpay Church App

  • Church giving, communication and management app bundled as ChurchStaqnot 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

Pushpay Church App

  • Pricing page lists Core, Advanced and Complete tiers with no dollar figures shown, directing buyers to request a demo or call 1-844-PUSHPAY for a quote
  • Remote check deposit is billed separately starting at $0.29 per check on top of the platform subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

Planning Center

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.

Pushpay Church App

On request
  • Standard$99/month
    • Basic app
    • Giving integration
  • Pro$299/month
    • Premium features
    • Custom branding
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

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.

Choose Pushpay Church App if

  • You need mobile giving.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want announcements.

Questions people ask

Is Planning Center or Pushpay Church App better?
Neither clearly leads. Planning Center starts at Free and Pushpay Church App at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Planning Center or Pushpay Church App?
Planning Center has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Planning Center and On request for Pushpay Church App.
Does Planning Center or Pushpay Church App run on more platforms?
Planning Center runs on Web, Mobile (Church Center app). Pushpay Church App runs on IOS, Android.
Can I use Planning Center for free?
Yes. Planning Center has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pushpay Church App 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 Pushpay Church App is typically brought in for.
What can Planning Center do that Pushpay Church App cannot?
Planning Center covers Service Planning, Volunteer Management, Check-in System, Accounting Software. Pushpay Church App covers Mobile Giving, Announcements, Event Calendar, Sermons. Both handle IOS support, Android support.

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