Donations and tithe collection are crucial for churches because they are the primary fund source that helps churches operate and serve their members. An excellent way to manage donations is through a church giving app that can make online donations, text giving, and credit card/debit card donations more straightforward and secure for your congregation.
Here are some of the most popular church giving tools available in the market and the features that make them ideal for your church.
The Best Church Giving App Shortlist
Here’s a shortlist of the best church giving apps:
Overviews Of The 10 Best Church Giving Apps
Here’s a brief description of each church giving apps to showcase each giving solution’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the interface.
1. My Well Ministry – Best for donation allocation
My Well Ministry is a church giving app that you can use to receive donations from church members safely and securely with the help of biometric security.
My Well Ministry is accessible via desktop browser or a smartphone app accessible on Android and iOS devices. You can use the app to generate receipts and yearly statements to promote transparency and inspire confidence among donors.
My Well Ministry is the best giving platform for handling multiple fund categories because it allows church members to indicate which pool they want to donate to. Donors can also indicate if their donation to a specific fund is just a one-time donation or a recurring one.
Church leaders can benefit from this feature because they can encourage congregants to donate to causes that matter most to them: the church facility maintenance, non-profit contributions, mission trips for youth, or annual events.
My Well Ministry starts at $49/month for up to 100 gifts.
2. Anedot – Best for multi-church fundraising
Anedot is a mobile giving app that accepts donations using credit cards, debit cards, bank drafts, Apple Pay, and PayPal. Anedot has a reporting tool you can use to assess your fundraising capabilities and improve on fundraising efforts that are not yielding results.
Anedot is the best mobile giving app to partner with another local church or a group on a fundraising activity. As long as the other church or group has an Anedot account, you can raise funds together and increase the likelihood of hitting your goals. Partnering exposes your church to other church’s donors, increases name recall and might help you convert them to your donors too.
Anedot integrates with MailChimp, Google Analytics, Planning Center, and other similar apps.
Anedot doesn’t have a lump-sum monthly cost but uses a per-transaction fee system at 3.0% + 30¢ (Credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal) or 0.3% + 30¢ (ACH/bank draft).
3. DONATION – Best for small churches
DONATION is an online giving app that you can use to track donations to your church and manage your database of donors. This giving platform allows you to send mail correspondence to donors to thank them for their contributions.
DONATION is the best online giving platform for small churches because you can get the program for free for the initial year. The cost for managing less than 100,000 donations a year is just $100 per year, making it competitive in pricing.
DONATION also allows you to send charitable receipts that comply with US and Canadian standards.
DONATION Lite costs nothing during the initial year and $20/year for renewals, while DONATION Standard costs $100/year. DONATION offers a 60-day free evaluation period.
4. GYVE – Best for donation analytics
GYVE is a mobile giving app you can download from Google Play or Apple’s App Store, making it easy to use on any mobile device. It allows you to create personalized text messages, emails, and videos to ensure that you are connecting to your congregation.
You can use GYVE to schedule and automate your communications and create messages in advance, like fundraising campaigns, thank you notes, and donation receipts.
GYVE is a great giving app for donation tracking and analytics with an intuitive dashboard that takes the pain out of accounting. You can use GYVE to sort information by the location of the donors, type of giving, or gift category so you can understand your donors better.
GYVE also lets you generate reports that you can use in formulating action plans that can help improve your fundraisings, like reports on lapsed givers, decreased givers, and transaction detail reports.
GYVE doesn’t charge sign-up or monthly fees, just transaction fees at 2.5% + $0.30 or $1.30 depending on the feature.
5. FlockBase – Best for donor management
FlockBase is an all-in-one church management app with an online giving feature to receive contributions via credit card, debit card, or eCheck. It allows your donors to schedule recurring donations or contribute as a one-time action.
FlockBase’s online giving feature also allows users to choose where they want to allocate their donations, making it ideal for donors who are passionate about a particular project in your church, like choir enthusiasts or Sunday school supporters.
FlockBase is best for maintaining the donation records of church members. You can use FlockBase to track which causes a church member supports and the amount they contribute so you can concentrate on improving fundraising efforts for areas that receive less support.
FlockBase online giving has a monthly fee of $15 per month. You can also get it as a free feature of the Cloud Plus and Cloud Pro versions of the FlockBase church management software.
6. Vanco – Best kiosk and card reader tech
Vanco is a church giving tool with additional features for seating capacity management, in-app communication, and directory administration. The app also acts as a centralized hub for online worship where members can access materials like online bulletins and Zoom links.
Vanco provides church members with a wide variety of options when it comes to modes of giving. Members can use a web-based portal, text-to-give, a Vanco kiosk device (provided by the company), or their mobile accessory for card payments on-the-go.
Vanco is one of the few church giving apps that offers physical solutions for in-person giving, like a kiosk (branded to your church specifications) and a card-reader called GivePlus Swipe that can plug into smart devices and accept ad hoc credit and debit payments. This ensures that your congregation has a variety of ways to donate based on what they find easiest.
Vanco’s pricing starts at $10/month for churches receiving less than $20,000 per month in donations.
7. easyTithe – Best online giving form builder
easyTithe is an online giving and church tithing app that makes donating, contributing, and tithing easier for church members because they can donate through text, using online forms, kiosks, or virtual terminals. It also has reporting functionality you can use to understand your donors and prevailing giving trends better.
easyTithe also provides your church members with the option to automate donations based on their preferred amounts and frequencies, so they don’t need to repeat the process each time.
easyTithe is best for church leaders who need a giving form for their website because it comes with customizable templates or a from-scratch drag-and-drop builder. Using forms can help you organize your fundraising efforts because you can create separate forms for different campaigns. You can also add images, texts, and colors in different forms to make them stand out.
easyTithe costs from 1.99% + 39¢ per debit/credit gift OR 0.75% + 39¢ per ACH gift.
8. Church Windows – Best all-in-one church management
Church Windows is a church giving app that has a donation module with electronic giving that integrates with a variety of online payment sources. You can record donations by individual or family unit, giver name or envelope number, and general fund or campaign-specific pool. It can also help you record pledges to actual received amounts for better future financial planning.
Church Windows’ online giving platform is an integrated feature to the church management software of the same name, making it ideal for those looking for an all-in-one software.
You can use Church Windows to manage your database of members and ensure that all information is up to date. You can also use Church Windows to manage church events and worship services through its calendar management feature.
Church Windows Donations starts at a one-time payment of $303.
9. Pushpay – Best for fundraising events
Pushpay is part of the ChurchStaq family of products for church management, virtual giving, and even service streaming solutions. Pushpay lets members make donations either through mobile app, web browser, or text message, making it possible to give no matter what time of day. Pushpay is available in English and Spanish.
Pushpay is part of ChurchStaq, which means its virtual giving technology integrates with other software solutions for a holistic church management approach. For churches who host online services or events, ChurchStaq can accommodate streaming solutions alongside digital donation and tithe apps. You can manage your whole church community online.
Pushpay integrates with Intuit QuickBooks and a wide range of church management systems such as Elvanto, OneChurch, and Church Community Builder.
Pushpay pricing is available upon request.
10. Tithe.ly – Best for check donations
Tithe.ly church app is a giving platform and church tithing app with a mobile app available for iOS and Android users. You can use Tithe.ly to manage fundraising events and take care of event registration, ensuring that the number of attendees gets appropriately recorded. Tithe.ly also comes with QuickBooks and Planning Center integration making bookkeeping and accounting easier.
Tithe.ly church app is best for churches that receive a lot of check donations because of its check scanning capability. Tithe.ly’s can scan, reconcile, and remotely deposit checks using the app. Check scanning can also help you avoid document loss since you don’t need to keep a physical copy of the check donation.
Tithe.ly church app costs $0 per month, but there is a fee of 2.9% + C$0.30 per trx AMEX: 3.5% + C$0.30 on a per-transaction basis.
Other Church Giving App Options
Here’s a few more that didn’t make the top list.
- One Church - Best for service planning
- Shelby Systems - Best for recurring donations
- Elexio - Best for a long trial
- Church Office Online - Best for kiosks
- grplife Church Edition - Best for newsletter donation solicitation
- Aware3 - Best for multichannel giving
- SimpleChurch CRM - Best for reports generation
- Acts246 - Best for large churches
- Donorbox - Best church website add-on
- Givelify - Best for giving via QR code
Other Church Financial Software Reviews
If you are looking for other financial software for churches, here are a few other but similar lists I've put together on this site.
- Church Finance Software
- Church Accounting Software
- Church Bookkeeping Software
- Church Payroll Software
- Donor Management Software Comparison
How I Selected the Best Church Giving Apps
Perhaps you're wondering how I selected the best church giving apps for this list? To build this list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of church giving apps with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of church leadership experience to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
Comparison Criteria
What do I look for when I select the best church giving apps? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria.
Core Functionality:
Each church giving app will be a bit different when it comes to their key focus and lists of features. To be include on this list, however, they must cover the following at minimum:
- Ability to collect church donations and tithes from congregants, either by wen, by app, or even in person with kiosks, check scanning, or other soluitons
- Provide detailed financial reports and dashboards for church leaders to track donations
Key Features:
Church giving apps typically offer several key features to facilitate online donations and financial contributions. Here are some common features you can find in church giving apps:
- Secure Donations: Church giving apps prioritize the security of financial transactions, employing encryption and other security measures to protect sensitive information.
- Online Giving: These apps enable members of the church community to make donations electronically using various payment methods, such as credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- Recurring Donations: Church giving apps often provide the option to set up recurring donations, allowing individuals to contribute automatically on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, etc.) without manual intervention.
- Designated Funds: They allow donors to specify the purpose or fund to which their donations should be directed. This feature ensures that contributions go towards specific causes, such as mission trips, building projects, or charitable initiatives.
- Pledge Tracking: Some apps enable users to keep track of their pledges or commitments and monitor progress towards meeting their financial goals.
- Event Registration and Ticketing: Church giving apps may include features for event registration and ticketing, enabling members to sign up and pay for church events, conferences, or special services.
- Fundraising Campaigns: These apps often support fundraising campaigns for specific causes or projects, allowing churches to set goals, share progress updates, and collect donations towards those campaigns.
- Customization and Branding: Some apps offer customization options, allowing churches to tailor the app's appearance and branding to align with their unique identity and visual style.
- Communication and Engagement: In addition to facilitating financial contributions, church giving apps may include features for communication and engagement, such as sending notifications, event reminders, or thank-you messages to donors.
It's important to note that the specific features can vary among different church giving apps. Churches often select apps based on their unique requirements and preferences.
Usability:
Church giving apps are meant to be employed by, well, churches, who often don't have a full staff or IT team (duh). This means that any new apps or software being used must be easy to learn, use, and troubleshoot. Additionally, you want the giving experience to be streamlined and intuitive from the end-user's perspective (AKA your donors) because any frustrations they encounter might cause them to leave the app without completing the donation. You'll also want quality-of-life features like multiple ways to pay, app access by web or any smart device, and easy-to-configure recurring donations.
Software Integrations:
Many church giving platforms integrate with church management systems (ChMS), making it easier to synchronize donation records, track giving history, and generate reports for financial management and tax purposes. However, I'd love to see church giving apps that integrate with all sorts of useful software, like accounting software, calendar and event planning software, reporting tools, and membership databases. The more these tools can interconnect, the easier it is to use them together in a unified church leadership strategy.
Value for Price:
Church giving apps help you raise much-needed funds for your church facility and church community. Any online giving app for churches will have maitienece requirements that mean they have to charge for their services, but I tried to pick those that weren't intent on gouging you for every penny they could. Fees and costs should be equivalent to the depth and breadth of features offered. Freemium plans, free trials, and discounts for NGOs are always a nice bonus, too.
People Also Ask
Here are a few questions I wanted to cover in relation to church giving apps.
What are the benefits of a church giving app?
Using a church giving app offers several benefits for both the church and its members. Here are some of the advantages of any church donation app:
- Convenience: Church giving apps provide a convenient way for members to make donations anytime and anywhere. They eliminate the need for physical checks or cash, allowing individuals to give electronically with just a few taps on their mobile devices.
- Increased Giving: By offering digital giving options, churches can potentially increase overall giving. Many people prefer electronic transactions and find it easier to give regularly when they have the flexibility of setting up recurring gifts through an app.
- Financial Stewardship: Church giving apps can help individuals manage their finances more effectively. The apps often include features for tracking giving history, generating contribution statements, and providing financial transparency, enabling donors to have a clear record of their contributions for personal budgeting and tax purposes.
- Enhanced Engagement: Church giving apps can foster greater engagement within the church community. They often include communication features, such as notifications or updates, that keep members informed about events, campaigns, or urgent needs. This increased engagement can strengthen the sense of belonging and connection among churchgoers.
- Streamlined Administration: Using a church giving app can streamline administrative tasks for the church staff. The apps integrate with church management systems, automating the donation recording process, reducing manual data entry, and generating reports for financial management and tracking purposes.
- Expanded Reach: Church giving apps can extend the reach of a church's ministry beyond the physical congregation. They allow people who may not regularly attend services but still want to support the church's mission to contribute remotely. This can be especially beneficial for individuals who have moved away but still wish to maintain their connection and support.
- Targeted Fundraising: Church giving apps often enable churches to run targeted fundraising campaigns for specific causes or projects. These campaigns can help raise funds more efficiently by allowing donors to contribute directly to a particular initiative, such as mission trips, community outreach programs, or building projects.
- Adapting to Digital Culture: Using a church giving app demonstrates a church's willingness to adapt to the digital age and meet the preferences of a tech-savvy generation. It provides a modern and accessible platform for financial transactions, aligning with the way people manage their finances and make payments in various aspects of their lives.
Online giving apps for churches offer convenience, financial transparency, engagement, and administrative efficiency, benefiting both the church and its members in their commitment to supporting the church's mission and ministries.
How much do church giving apps cost?
The cost of church giving apps can vary depending on several factors, such as the features included, the size of the church, and the specific pricing models of the app providers. Some church donation apps offer free basic versions with limited features, while others may charge a monthly or annual subscription fee that can range from $20 to $100 per month. For larger churches or those requiring advanced features like custom branding or extensive integrations, the costs can range from $100 to $300 or more per month.
Additionally, transaction fees are often associated with processing donations, typically ranging from 2% to 3% of each transaction, with additional per-transaction fees ranging from $0.25 to $0.50. It's essential for churches to carefully evaluate pricing structures and consider the specific needs and budget of their congregation when selecting a church giving app.
Are their any free giving apps for churches?
Donation apps are not typically free because sending and receiving donations costs money but here are a few options you can consider. These online giving apps for churches are all free or have free versions/free workarounds.
- Give Lively: Free for non-profits
- PayPal: Send and receive money for free
- Website Tip Jar: Add a tips button to your church website
- E-transfer: Many bank e-transfer services are free to use
What is the easiest church giving app to use?
Determining the easiest church giving app to use depends on individual preferences and needs. I found apps like Tithe.ly, EasyTithe, and Pushpay to be user-friendly and intuitive. These apps offer simple and streamlined interfaces, making it easy for both church administrators and members to navigate and process donations. These church donation apps typically provide straightforward donation options, clear instructions, and convenient features like recurring giving and designated funds. I recommend that you explore different church giving apps, try out their free trials or demos, and assess which app aligns best with the specific requirements and ease of use desired by the church and its members.
Church Giving Apps for Easy Fundraising
Church giving apps can help make donations easy for church administrators and church members because it makes donating easy, convenient, and secure. If you don’t have a church giving app yet for your church, look at the features of the apps listed above so you can choose the app that will suit your church’s needs.
Online giving apps for churches are only one of the many software solutions I recommend for growing churches. If you want to learn more about other software and apps that can help your church grow, be sure to read more informative articles at The Lead Pastor.