Softwr

Religion · head to head

Realm vs Vanco

Realm logo

Realm

Religion

Church management and engagement platform by Community

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vanco logo

Vanco

Religion

Electronic giving and ACH payment solutions for churches

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Realm realm is deprecated. MongoDB Realm documentation redirects to MongoDB Atlas pricing. No Realm-specific pricing published. Realm was MongoDB's mobile and edge database platform.; Vanco gROW tier charges 2.90% plus $0.45 per debit or credit card transaction, and American Express is charged separately at 3.99% on both tiers
  • They diverge on capability: Realm covers Member Directory, Vanco covers ACH Giving.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Realm and Vanco actually diverge.

Attributes where Realm and Vanco differ
AttributeRealmVanco
Pricing modelsubscriptiontransaction
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile app
Founded20121990

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Religion).

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 Realm

  • Member Directory
  • Group Management
  • Online Giving
  • Communications
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Integration
  • Event Management
  • Mobile App

Only in Vanco

  • ACH Giving
  • Credit Card Processing
  • Text-to-Give
  • Church Management Systems
  • Accounting Software
  • Fund Accounting
  • Mobile app support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Realm

  • Member managementnot Vanco
  • Donation trackingnot Vanco
  • Event planningnot Vanco
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Vanco
  • Communicationnot Vanco

Vanco

  • Online and mobile giving processing for churches and nonprofitsnot Realm

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Realm

  • Realm is deprecated. MongoDB Realm documentation redirects to MongoDB Atlas pricing. No Realm-specific pricing published. Realm was MongoDB's mobile and edge database platform.

Vanco

  • GROW tier charges 2.90% plus $0.45 per debit or credit card transaction, and American Express is charged separately at 3.99% on both tiers
  • PCI non-compliance fee of $23.95 per month applies if a merchant does not maintain compliance, and Giving Insights costs an additional $75 per month on top of the base plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Realm

On request
  • Essential$99/month
    • Basic features
    • Up to 500 members
  • Complete$299/month
    • All features
    • Unlimited members
    • Advanced analytics

Vanco

On request
  • StandardFree
    • Payment processing
    • ACH payments (1.0% + $0.25)
  • Premium$149/month
    • Advanced tools
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Realm if

  • You need member directory.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want group management.
Realm review

Choose Vanco if

  • You need ach giving.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app.
  • You also want credit card processing.
Vanco review

Questions people ask

Is Realm or Vanco better?
Neither clearly leads. Realm starts at On request and Vanco at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Realm or Vanco?
Realm starts at On request and Vanco at On request.
Does Realm or Vanco run on more platforms?
Realm runs on Web, IOS, Android. Vanco runs on Web, Mobile app.
What is Realm best used for?
Realm is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling. Of those, member management and donation tracking are not what Vanco is typically brought in for.
What can Realm do that Vanco cannot?
Realm covers Member Directory, Group Management, Online Giving, Communications. Vanco covers ACH Giving, Credit Card Processing, Text-to-Give, Church Management Systems. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Realm: Is Realm still available?

Realm appears to be deprecated or consolidated into MongoDB's other offerings. Documentation pages redirect to MongoDB Atlas without specific Realm information.

Source
Vanco: Is there a monthly fee to use Vanco's online giving platform?

No monthly fee is required for the GROW plan, which is free. The THRIVE plan costs $54/month and includes lower transaction fees and additional features.

Source
Realm: What happened to Realm pricing?

Realm no longer has published pricing. The product was MongoDB's mobile and edge database platform but has been discontinued or merged into other MongoDB services.

Source
Vanco: What are the processing fees on Vanco's THRIVE plan?

THRIVE plan charges 2.65% plus $0.39 per transaction for debit/credit cards, and 0.90% plus $0.39 per transaction for ACH transfers.

Source
Vanco: Are there any contracts or cancellation fees with Vanco?

No contracts or cancellation fees apply to either the GROW or THRIVE plans.

Source
Vanco: What happens if a church on the GROW plan doesn't go live within 30 days?

A $10 monthly fee is charged if the organization does not go live within 30 days on the GROW plan.

Source
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