Pricing
freemium
Best For
Churches where online giving is the primary technology need
Rating
8.0/10
Last Updated
Mar 2026
TL;DR
Tithe.ly started as a giving platform and grew into a full church ecosystem. The ChMS is free. The giving platform charges standard transaction fees. The church app, website builder, and streaming tools are paid add-ons. For churches where online giving is the primary need, Tithe.ly's integrated approach makes sense. The free ChMS is genuinely usable, not a stripped-down demo.
What is Tithe.ly?
From Giving to Everything
Tithe.ly launched in 2014 focused on making church giving easy. Since then, they've expanded into a full suite: ChMS (free), church app, website builder, worship media, and live streaming. The strategy is clear — give away the database management and make money on giving transactions and premium tools.
The Free ChMS
Tithe.ly's ChMS includes member management, groups, check-in, communication tools, and basic reporting at $0/month. It's surprisingly capable for free software. The catch is that it works best when paired with Tithe.ly Giving, creating an integrated experience. Using the free ChMS with a different giving platform is possible but loses the tight integration.
Giving Strength
The giving platform is Tithe.ly's core. Text-to-give, online giving, giving kiosks, mobile app giving, and recurring donation management. Transaction fees are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Giving statements, tax reporting, and donor management are built in. For churches where 40-60% of giving happens digitally, this is the foundation.
The Ecosystem Play
Tithe.ly wants to be your entire church tech stack. ChMS + Giving + App + Website + Streaming. Each piece works better together, but you can mix and match. The risk is vendor lock-in — once you're using 3-4 Tithe.ly products, switching any single one becomes complicated.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free ChMS is genuinely usable — not a stripped-down demo or trial
- Giving platform supports text-to-give, online, kiosk, and recurring donations
- Integrated ecosystem means giving, ChMS, app, and website all work together
- Transaction fees (2.9% + $0.30) are competitive with industry standard
- Modern interface that younger church staff appreciate
Cons
- Free ChMS is strategically tied to Tithe.ly Giving — vendor lock-in risk
- Advanced features (app, website, streaming) add up to $199+/month total
- Giving transaction fees take 2.9% + $0.30 from every donation
- Worship planning lacks the depth of Planning Center Services
- ChMS reporting is less customizable than Realm or Planning Center
Tithe.ly Pricing
Free ChMS
- Member database
- Groups management
- Check-in
- Communication tools
- Basic reporting
- Giving integration
Tithe.ly Plus
- Everything Free
- Church app builder
- Custom branding
- Advanced giving tools
- Website builder
- Priority support
Tithe.ly All Access
- Everything in Plus
- Live streaming
- Worship media library
- Advanced analytics
- Multi-campus
- Dedicated support
Pricing last verified: March 26, 2026
Who is Tithe.ly Best For?
- Churches where online giving is the primary technology need
- Small churches wanting a free ChMS with room to grow
- Churches wanting an integrated tech stack from one provider
- Modern churches that want app, website, and streaming from one platform
Technical Details
The Bottom Line
Tithe.ly scores 8/10. It stands out for free chms is genuinely usable — not a stripped-down demo or trial. Best suited for churches where online giving is the primary technology need. Keep in mind that free chms is strategically tied to tithe.ly giving — vendor lock-in risk. There is a free plan to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on editorial analysis