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Software · head to head

Planning Center vs SecureGive

Planning Center logo

Planning Center

Software

Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SecureGive logo

SecureGive

Software

Secure giving platform for churches and nonprofits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; SecureGive the Basic plan at $149 per month caps transactions at 2,000 per month
  • They diverge on capability: Planning Center covers Service Planning, SecureGive covers Secure Giving.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Planning Center and SecureGive actually diverge.

Attributes where Planning Center and SecureGive differ
AttributePlanning CenterSecureGive
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumtransaction
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (Church Center app)Web, Mobile-responsive
Founded20032010

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
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • Pushpay
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Only in SecureGive

  • Secure Giving
  • Mobile Access
  • Recurring Gifts
  • PCI Compliance
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Notifications
  • Reporting
  • Mobile-responsive support

Both cover

  • Accounting Software
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Planning Center

  • Integrated church management and schedulingnot SecureGive
  • Volunteer coordination and event managementnot SecureGive
  • Worship service planning and schedulingnot SecureGive
  • Online giving and donation trackingnot SecureGive

SecureGive

  • Online, text and kiosk giving for churchesnot Planning Center
  • Managing pledges and capital campaigns for a congregationnot Planning Center
  • Accepting stock and cryptocurrency donations converted to dollarsnot 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

SecureGive

  • The Basic plan at $149 per month caps transactions at 2,000 per month
  • Basic supports online or kiosk giving only; mobile, text and check scanning require Premium at $299 per month
  • API access, the virtual terminal and the auto card updater require the Premium plan
  • Premium is limited to 5 campuses; unlimited campuses, transactions and kiosks require Enterprise
  • Non-cash giving for crypto and stock is a $99 per month add-on and Campaigns is a $49 per month add-on unless you are on Enterprise
  • Church Apps cost $200 per month bundled with giving, $300 per month standalone, plus a $500 one-time setup cost
  • Enterprise is call-for-quote with no published rate
  • Payment processing is charged on top of the subscription, described only as an effective rate that most churches see at 2% or less

Pricing, plan by plan

Planning Center

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.

SecureGive

On request
  • StandardFree
    • Giving platform
    • Transaction fees apply (2.5% + $0.25)
    • Setup fee $99

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.
Planning Center review

Choose SecureGive if

  • You need secure giving.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want mobile access.
SecureGive review

Questions people ask

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