Softwr

Software · head to head

Rock RMS vs ChurchPlanner

Rock RMS logo

Rock RMS

Software

Comprehensive relationship and resource management system for churches

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
C

ChurchPlanner

Software

Integrated church service and ministry planning platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Rock RMS pricing not published on website; requires contacting sales for quote, preventing transparent cost comparison; ChurchPlanner limited to basic church management functions; lacks financial/giving analysis compared to full suites
  • They diverge on capability: Rock RMS covers Member Management, ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rock RMS and ChurchPlanner actually diverge.

Attributes where Rock RMS and ChurchPlanner differ
AttributeRock RMSChurchPlanner
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile apps, TV appsWeb, Android mobile app
Founded20082020

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 Rock RMS

  • Member Management
  • Giving & Finances
  • Group Management
  • Event Planning
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Marketing
  • Accounting Software
  • Custom APIs

Only in ChurchPlanner

  • Service Planning
  • Team Collaboration
  • Volunteer Scheduling
  • Song Selection
  • Planning Center
  • Music Databases
  • Calendar Systems
  • Email Notifications

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Rock RMS

  • Churches managing 10M+ people records with integrated giving and event systemsnot ChurchPlanner
  • Organisations needing offline-first workflows with eventual replicationnot ChurchPlanner
  • Tech-enabled churches seeking customisable digital engagement and mobile appsnot ChurchPlanner

ChurchPlanner

  • Member managementnot Rock RMS
  • Donation trackingnot Rock RMS
  • Event planningnot Rock RMS
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Rock RMS
  • Communicationnot Rock RMS

Where each one falls short

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

Rock RMS

  • Pricing not published on website; requires contacting sales for quote, preventing transparent cost comparison
  • Self-hosted deployment requires 'technical experience'; non-technical churches limited to managed hosting options
  • Managed hosting through third-party providers (Rock Cloud, Cloud 9); switching providers involves vendor lock-in complexity

ChurchPlanner

  • Limited to basic church management functions; lacks financial/giving analysis compared to full suites
  • No built-in website or membership portal included in pricing
  • Mobile app limited to Android; limited iOS functionality

Pricing, plan by plan

Rock RMS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Rock RMS review.

ChurchPlanner

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 15 contacts
    • Unlimited trial period
    • No credit card required
  • Premium$9.99/month
    • Up to 80 contacts
    • Service planning and volunteer scheduling
    • Attendance tracking
  • Pro$19.99/month
    • Unlimited contacts
    • All Premium features
    • SMS and email reminders

Which should you pick?

Choose Rock RMS if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile apps, TV apps.
  • You also want giving & finances.
Rock RMS review

Choose ChurchPlanner if

  • You need service planning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android mobile app.
  • You also want team collaboration.
ChurchPlanner review

Questions people ask

Is Rock RMS or ChurchPlanner better?
Neither clearly leads. Rock RMS starts at On request and ChurchPlanner at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rock RMS or ChurchPlanner?
ChurchPlanner has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Rock RMS and Free for ChurchPlanner.
Does Rock RMS or ChurchPlanner run on more platforms?
Rock RMS runs on Web, Mobile apps, TV apps. ChurchPlanner runs on Web, Android mobile app.
Can I use ChurchPlanner for free?
Yes. ChurchPlanner has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rock RMS starts at On request.
What is Rock RMS best used for?
Rock RMS is most often used for churches managing 10m+ people records with integrated giving and event systems, organisations needing offline-first workflows with eventual replication, tech-enabled churches seeking customisable digital engagement and mobile apps. Of those, churches managing 10m+ people records with integrated giving and event systems and organisations needing offline-first workflows with eventual replication are not what ChurchPlanner is typically brought in for.
What can Rock RMS do that ChurchPlanner cannot?
Rock RMS covers Member Management, Giving & Finances, Group Management, Event Planning. ChurchPlanner covers Service Planning, Team Collaboration, Volunteer Scheduling, Song Selection. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ChurchPlanner: How much does ChurchPlanner cost?

ChurchPlanner has a free tier with up to 15 contacts indefinitely (no credit card required), Premium at $9.99 CAD/month (up to 80 contacts), and Pro at $19.99 CAD/month (unlimited contacts with SMS reminders).

Source
ChurchPlanner: Does ChurchPlanner include worship planning?

Yes. ChurchPlanner includes worship planning with service order building, ministry team scheduling, and support for chord charts in ChordPro format.

Source
ChurchPlanner: Can volunteers get automated reminders?

Yes. ChurchPlanner sends automated SMS and email reminders to volunteers before services, reducing no-shows on the Pro plan.

Source
ChurchPlanner: Is attendance tracking included?

Yes. ChurchPlanner includes attendance tracking from any device with trend analysis and follow-up flagging capabilities.

Source
ChurchPlanner: Can I export my church data?

Yes. ChurchPlanner emphasizes data ownership and allows users to export their information anytime without restrictions.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Rock RMS

More on ChurchPlanner

Keep looking

Other head to heads