Fellowship One vs Planning Center: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
Fellowship One
6.4(480 reviews)
Church management platform from Ministry Brands focused on member engagement, giving, and multi-campus church operations.
Planning Center
8.8(4,200 reviews)
Modular church management platform with per-app pricing for worship, groups, giving, check-in, and people management.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Fellowship One | Planning Center |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Existing Fellowship One churches where migration cost is prohibitive | Churches of any size wanting modular, pay-for-what-you-use software |
| Pricing Model | Contact Sales | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $150/mo | Free |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| Platforms | WEB, IOS, ANDROID | WEB, IOS, ANDROID |
| Rating | 6.4/10 | 8.8/10 |
Pros & Cons
Fellowship One
Pros
- Multi-campus support was an early differentiator and remains solid
- Comprehensive member profiles with detailed family relationship tracking
- Established platform with years of stability for existing customers
- Ministry Brands ecosystem connects with other church tech products
- Check-in system is reliable for children's ministry security
Cons
- Interface feels dated — early 2010s design language
- Development pace has slowed under Ministry Brands ownership
- New features and improvements come slowly compared to Planning Center
- Migration to/from Fellowship One can be complex due to data structure
- Pricing requires contacting sales and is generally higher than modern alternatives
Planning Center
Pros
- Modular pricing means you only pay for the apps you actually use
- Church Center member app is the best-designed church app on any platform
- Worship planning in Services is unmatched — scheduling, music, rehearsal management
- Free tier supports small churches with up to 75 profiles at zero cost
- Over 70,000 churches use it — massive community for support and best practices
Cons
- Per-app pricing adds up for churches using all modules — $140+/month for full suite
- Giving transaction fees (2.6% + $0.30) are standard but not the lowest available
- Limited customization for reports — can be frustrating for data-driven church admins
- No built-in accounting or finance management beyond giving tracking
- Less suitable for non-English-speaking churches — limited language support
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Fellowship One | contact sales | $150/mo |
| Planning Center | freemium | Free0 |
Our Verdict
Choose Fellowship One if...
Existing Fellowship One churches where migration cost is prohibitive
Choose Planning Center if...
Churches of any size wanting modular, pay-for-what-you-use software
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.