Pricing
freemium
Best For
Churches of any size wanting modular, pay-for-what-you-use software
Rating
8.8/10
Last Updated
Mar 2026
TL;DR
Planning Center is the gold standard for church management software. The modular approach lets you buy only what you need — People (database), Services (worship planning), Giving, Groups, Check-Ins, Registrations, and Publishing. Each app is priced separately starting from free for small churches. The Church Center member app is excellent. Over 70,000 churches use it, from 50-member congregations to megachurches.
What is Planning Center?
The Church Tech Standard
Planning Center has been building church software since 2006. With over 70,000 churches on the platform, it's the most widely adopted ChMS in North America. The company is privately held, profitable, and takes a long-term view — no venture capital pressure to add unnecessary features or raise prices.
Modular Architecture
Instead of one monolithic platform, Planning Center offers seven distinct apps. People for member management. Services for worship planning and volunteer scheduling. Giving for online donations. Groups for small group management. Check-Ins for children's ministry. Registrations for event signups. Publishing for church-wide communication. Buy one, buy all, or anything in between.
The Church Center App
The member-facing Church Center app is where Planning Center really shines. Members check in families, give donations, join groups, RSVP to events, and access the church directory — all from one polished app. The experience is clean enough that even tech-resistant congregation members use it comfortably.
Why Churches Choose It
The worship planning in Services is unmatched. Drag-and-drop service order, sheet music attachments, musician scheduling with automated reminders, rehearsal notes, and setlist management. If you run a worship team of any size, Services alone justifies the platform.
Pros and Cons
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
Planning Center Pricing
Free
- People (up to 75 profiles)
- Services basic
- Check-Ins basic
- Church Center app
- Basic giving
Growth
- People + Services
- Giving
- Groups
- Check-Ins
- Church Center app
- Email & SMS
- Up to 300 profiles
Full Suite
- All 7 apps
- Registrations
- Publishing
- Advanced reporting
- Up to 1,000 profiles
- Priority support
Pricing last verified: March 26, 2026
Who is Planning Center Best For?
- Churches of any size wanting modular, pay-for-what-you-use software
- Worship teams needing the best planning and scheduling tool available
- Children's ministry programs requiring secure check-in systems
- Churches that want an excellent member-facing app experience
Technical Details
The Bottom Line
Planning Center scores 8.8/10. It stands out for modular pricing means you only pay for the apps you actually use. Best suited for churches of any size wanting modular, pay-for-what-you-use software. Keep in mind that per-app pricing adds up for churches using all modules — $140+/month for full suite. There is a free plan to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on editorial analysis