Pushpay vs Planning Center: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
Pushpay
Premium church giving and engagement platform with app builder, donor management, and integration with Church Community Builder.
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 | Pushpay | Planning Center |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Large churches with 500+ weekly attendance wanting premium giving tools | Churches of any size wanting modular, pay-for-what-you-use software |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $199/mo | Free |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| Platforms | WEB, IOS, ANDROID | WEB, IOS, ANDROID |
| Rating | 7.6/10 | 8.8/10 |
Pros & Cons
Pushpay
Pros
- One-tap mobile giving consistently increases digital donations 15-30% in year one
- CCB integration provides a complete ChMS + giving ecosystem
- Church app builder creates custom-branded apps with your identity
- Multi-campus giving with fund accounting handles complex church structures
- Premium donor analytics help optimize giving campaigns and stewardship
Cons
- Expensive — $199-$999+/month puts it out of reach for smaller churches
- CCB interface feels dated compared to Planning Center
- Long-term contracts are common — limited flexibility to cancel or downgrade
- Transaction fees are in addition to the monthly subscription
- Overkill for churches under 300 weekly attendance
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pushpay | subscription | $199/mo |
| Planning Center | freemium | Free0 |
Our Verdict
Choose Pushpay if...
Large churches with 500+ weekly attendance wanting premium giving tools
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.