Softwr

Software · head to head

Planning Center vs Subsplash

Planning Center logo

Planning Center

Software

Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving

From
Free
Rated
-
Subsplash logo

Subsplash

Software

Church app and website builder for digital presence

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; Subsplash card giving is 2.3% plus 30 cents and ACH 1%, deducted from each donation
  • They diverge on capability: Planning Center covers Service Planning, Subsplash covers Custom App Builder.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Planning Center and Subsplash differ
AttributePlanning CenterSubsplash
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (Church Center app)Web, IOS, Android
Founded20032013

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

Only in Subsplash

  • Custom App Builder
  • Website Builder
  • Live Streaming
  • Giving Platforms
  • Calendar Systems
  • Analytics

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

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

Subsplash

  • Church mobile apps, websites and media streamingnot Planning Center
  • Online giving and congregation engagement in one platformnot 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

Subsplash

  • Card giving is 2.3% plus 30 cents and ACH 1%, deducted from each donation
  • The lower advertised rates of 1.9% and 0.5% require GrowCurve rather than being standard
  • No monthly price is published for the One or Enterprise packages, which are quoted on church size and usage
  • Reaching a quote requires contacting sales by phone

Pricing, plan by plan

Planning Center

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.

Subsplash

On request
  • Starter$199/month
    • Basic app and website
    • Giving integration
  • Pro$399/month
    • Premium features
    • Custom branding
    • Priority support

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 Subsplash if

  • You need custom app builder.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want website builder.

Questions people ask

Is Planning Center or Subsplash better?
Neither clearly leads. Planning Center starts at Free and Subsplash at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Planning Center or Subsplash?
Planning Center has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Planning Center and On request for Subsplash.
Does Planning Center or Subsplash run on more platforms?
Planning Center runs on Web, Mobile (Church Center app). Subsplash 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. Subsplash 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 Subsplash is typically brought in for.
What can Planning Center do that Subsplash cannot?
Planning Center covers Service Planning, Volunteer Management, Check-in System, Accounting Software. Subsplash covers Custom App Builder, Website Builder, Live Streaming, Giving Platforms. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.

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