Softwr

Software · head to head

Planning Center vs Tithely Church App

Planning Center logo

Planning Center

Software

Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tithely Church App logo

Tithely Church App

Software

All-in-one app for church giving and engagement

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Planning Center free tier limited to 5 team members and 10 daily check-ins per product; Tithely Church App card donations carry 2.9 percent plus $0.30, rising to 3.5 percent on American Express, so the free giving tier is not free to the church
  • They diverge on capability: Planning Center covers Service Planning, Tithely Church App covers Mobile Giving.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Planning Center and Tithely Church App differ
AttributePlanning CenterTithely Church App
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (Church Center app)IOS, Android
Founded20032013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Tithely Church App

  • Mobile Giving
  • Announcements
  • Event Calendar
  • Member Directory
  • Payment Processing
  • Church Management
  • Email Integration
  • 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 Tithely Church App
  • Volunteer coordination and event managementnot Tithely Church App
  • Worship service planning and schedulingnot Tithely Church App
  • Online giving and donation trackingnot Tithely Church App

Tithely Church App

  • Online and recurring giving for a congregationnot Planning Center
  • A branded church mobile appnot Planning Center
  • Church management including volunteer schedulingnot Planning Center
  • Pledge campaigns and giving statementsnot Planning Center
  • Church website hosting on the bundled plansnot 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

Tithely Church App

  • Card donations carry 2.9 percent plus $0.30, rising to 3.5 percent on American Express, so the free giving tier is not free to the church
  • Church management starts at $72 a month and the combined All Access plan is $119
  • The custom church app is $89 a month as a standalone product
  • Negotiated processing rates and a dedicated success manager require the Enterprise plan, aimed at congregations above 2,000 attendees

Pricing, plan by plan

Planning Center

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.

Tithely Church App

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic app
    • Limited features
  • Plus$99/month
    • Full app
    • Advanced features
    • Giving 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.
Planning Center review

Choose Tithely Church App if

  • You need mobile giving.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want announcements.
Tithely Church App review

Questions people ask

Is Planning Center or Tithely Church App better?
Neither clearly leads. Planning Center starts at Free and Tithely Church App at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Planning Center or Tithely Church App?
Planning Center starts at Free and Tithely Church App at Free.
Does Planning Center or Tithely Church App run on more platforms?
Planning Center runs on Web, Mobile (Church Center app). Tithely Church App runs on IOS, Android.
Can I use Planning Center for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Tithely Church App is typically brought in for.
What can Planning Center do that Tithely Church App cannot?
Planning Center covers Service Planning, Volunteer Management, Check-in System, Accounting Software. Tithely Church App covers Mobile Giving, Announcements, Event Calendar, Member Directory. Both handle IOS support, Android support.
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Related pages

More on Planning Center

More on Tithely Church App

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