Software · head to head
Planning Center vs TouchPoint
Planning Center
Software
Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
T
TouchPoint
Software
Enterprise church management software with integrated giving
- 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; TouchPoint starts at 6000 USD annually, priced per active record (a household that donated once in 12 months or an individual who registered/attended twice) rather than a flat per-seat tier
- They diverge on capability: Planning Center covers Service Planning, TouchPoint covers Membership Management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Planning Center and TouchPoint actually diverge.
| Attribute | Planning Center | TouchPoint |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile (Church Center app) | Web, Mobile |
| Founded | 2003 | 1998 |
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
- Check-in System
- PayPal
- Stripe
- Pushpay
- IOS support
- Android support
Only in TouchPoint
- Membership Management
- Online Giving
- Fund Accounting
- Business Rules Engine
- Mobile support
Both cover
- Volunteer Management
- 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 TouchPoint
- Volunteer coordination and event managementnot TouchPoint
- Worship service planning and schedulingnot TouchPoint
- Online giving and donation trackingnot TouchPoint
TouchPoint
- 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
TouchPoint
- Starts at 6000 USD annually, priced per active record (a household that donated once in 12 months or an individual who registered/attended twice) rather than a flat per-seat tier
Pricing, plan by plan
Planning Center
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.
TouchPoint
On request- Standard$199/month
- Core modules
- Up to 500 members
- Enterprise$499/month
- All modules
- Unlimited members
- Custom integration
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 check-in system.
Choose TouchPoint if
- You need membership management.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want online giving.
Questions people ask
- Is Planning Center or TouchPoint better?
- Neither clearly leads. Planning Center starts at Free and TouchPoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Planning Center or TouchPoint?
- Planning Center has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Planning Center and On request for TouchPoint.
- Does Planning Center or TouchPoint run on more platforms?
- Planning Center runs on Web, Mobile (Church Center app). TouchPoint runs on Web, Mobile.
- Can I use Planning Center for free?
- Yes. Planning Center has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. TouchPoint 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 TouchPoint is typically brought in for.
- What can Planning Center do that TouchPoint cannot?
- Planning Center covers Service Planning, Check-in System, PayPal, Stripe. TouchPoint covers Membership Management, Online Giving, Fund Accounting, Business Rules Engine. Both handle Volunteer Management, Accounting Software, Web support.