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Religion · head to head

Planning Center vs Tithe.ly

Planning Center logo

Planning Center

Religion

Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tithe.ly logo

Tithe.ly

Religion

Complete giving and church management solution

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; Tithe.ly card giving carries a 2.9% plus $0.30 fee, so every donation is reduced before it reaches the church
  • They diverge on capability: Planning Center covers Service Planning, Tithe.ly covers Online Giving.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Planning Center and Tithe.ly actually diverge.

Attributes where Planning Center and Tithe.ly differ
AttributePlanning CenterTithe.ly
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (Church Center app)Web, IOS, Android
Founded20032013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Planning Center

  • Service Planning
  • Volunteer Management
  • Check-in System
  • Pushpay

Only in Tithe.ly

  • Online Giving
  • Membership Management
  • Attendance Tracking
  • Planning Center

Both cover

  • Accounting Software
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • 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 Tithe.ly
  • Volunteer coordination and event managementnot Tithe.ly
  • Worship service planning and schedulingnot Tithe.ly
  • Online giving and donation trackingnot Tithe.ly

Tithe.ly

  • Church online giving and donation managementnot Planning Center
  • Religious organization membership trackingnot Planning Center
  • Volunteer management for congregationsnot Planning Center
  • Service planning and worship coordinationnot Planning Center
  • Church website hosting and custom appsnot 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

Tithe.ly

  • Card giving carries a 2.9% plus $0.30 fee, so every donation is reduced before it reaches the church
  • American Express is charged at 3.5% plus $0.30
  • ACH at 1% plus $0.30 makes small bank transfers proportionally expensive
  • Church management is $72 a month and the mobile app $89, sold separately from the free giving product
  • Bundling everything is $119 a month, so a church wanting app, website and management pays regardless of donation volume

Pricing, plan by plan

Planning Center

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.

Tithe.ly

Free
  • Giving ToolsFree
    • Online giving
    • Mobile giving
    • Text-to-give
  • Church Management$72/month
    • Digital giving solution
    • Membership management
    • Event management
  • All Access$119/month
    • Giving platform
    • Church management
    • Custom apps

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 Tithe.ly if

  • You need online giving.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want membership management.
Tithe.ly review

Questions people ask

Is Planning Center or Tithe.ly better?
Neither clearly leads. Planning Center starts at Free and Tithe.ly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Planning Center or Tithe.ly?
Planning Center starts at Free and Tithe.ly at Free.
Does Planning Center or Tithe.ly run on more platforms?
Planning Center runs on Web, Mobile (Church Center app). Tithe.ly runs on Web, 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 Tithe.ly is typically brought in for.
What can Planning Center do that Tithe.ly cannot?
Planning Center covers Service Planning, Volunteer Management, Check-in System, Pushpay. Tithe.ly covers Online Giving, Membership Management, Attendance Tracking, Planning Center. Both handle Accounting Software, PayPal, Stripe, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Tithe.ly: Does Tithely offer a free giving option?

Yes, Tithely's Giving Tools tier is completely free with no monthly or setup fees. Donations via credit/debit card are charged 2.9% + $0.30, ACH transfers are 1% + $0.30, and American Express is 3.5% + $0.30.

Source
Tithe.ly: What is included in Tithely's All Access plan?

The All Access plan at $119/month includes all products: giving, church management, custom apps, websites, service planning, volunteer management, background checks, kids check-in, and email/text messaging. The price is a flat rate regardless of church growth.

Source
Tithe.ly: Do Tithely's paid plans include a trial period?

Yes, all paid plans include a 30-day free trial. No credit card is required to start with the free giving tier.

Source
Tithe.ly: What are Tithely's individual product prices?

Individual products available separately: Website at $19/month, Mobile Church App at $89/month, and Service Planning/Worship Tools at $29/month. The All Access plan at $119/month bundles all products for significant savings.

Source
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