Planning Center vs Realm: Complete Comparison 2026

An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.

Planning Center

8.8(4,200 reviews)

Modular church management platform with per-app pricing for worship, groups, giving, check-in, and people management.

7.4(1,100 reviews)

Modern church management system from ACS Technologies with integrated giving, groups, accounting, and a polished mobile app.

Aspect	Planning Center	Realm
Best For	Churches of any size wanting modular, pay-for-what-you-use software	Mid-sized churches wanting ChMS with integrated fund accounting
Pricing Model	Freemium	Subscription
Starting Price	Free	$80/mo
Deployment	cloud	cloud
Platforms	WEB, IOS, ANDROID	WEB, IOS, ANDROID
Rating	8.8/10	7.4/10

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

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

Integrated church accounting eliminates need for separate QuickBooks or financial software
Realm Connect app creates social-media-style community engagement between services
45+ years of church expertise means financial reporting and compliance are rock-solid
Migration path from legacy ACS products is well-documented and supported
Fund accounting handles designated giving, restricted funds, and denominational reporting

Accounting module adds complexity — overkill for churches that just need basic giving tracking
Interface is improved but still not as polished as Planning Center
Pricing at $80-$300/month is mid-to-high range for the features offered
Learning curve for the accounting features requires some bookkeeping knowledge
Customer support quality varies — some users report slow response times

Product	Pricing Model	Starting Price
Planning Center	freemium	Free0
Realm	subscription	$80/mo

Choose Planning Center if...

Churches of any size wanting modular, pay-for-what-you-use software

Choose Realm if...

Mid-sized churches wanting ChMS with integrated fund accounting

Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.