More and more church teams are “going digital.” This could be as simple as building a website or having a regular online social media presence. Some church leaders are taking it a step further and are employing church management apps to modernize their day-to-day functions and ease some of the administrative burden typically associated with church management.
If you are looking for the best church management app for your church, here are some of the software solutions you can choose from.
If you have more general questions about church presentation software, you can skip to the People Also Ask section at the bottom of the page. Or, you can jump right to the Best Church Management App Overviews if you're ready to start comparing.
The Best Church Management App Shortlist
Here’s a shortlist of the best church management app:
- Subsplash
- Wild Apricot
- Elvanto
- Breeze
- Chmeetings
- TouchPoint
- Blackbaud
- Simplechurch CRM
- Church App by Pushpay
- FlockBase
What is a Church Management App?
A church management app is a software tool designed to help church administrators and leaders manage various aspects of their organization, such as member databases, communication, event planning, donation tracking, and volunteer management. These apps typically provide a centralized platform where church leaders can store and access important information, communicate with members, and streamline administrative tasks to improve efficiency and productivity. By using a church management app, leaders can free up more time to focus on serving their congregation and fulfilling their mission.
Overviews Of The 10 Best Church Management Apps
Here’s a brief description of each church management app to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the interface.
1. Subsplash – Best all-in-one church management app
Subsplash is a comprehensive church management app that emphasizes great media and mobile experiences with branded apps, content curation, and audio/video content hosting to help churches of all sizes reach their congregants on their phones and smart devices. Subsplash enables media-savvy churches to better reach their congregants online with blog posts, podcasts, videos, and even live-streamed services.
Outside their stellar mobile media offerings, Subsplash is noteworthy because they quite literally "do it all." You'll find that this feature-packed ChMs can serve everyone—from new plants to mega- and multi-site churches—with their robust blend of facility and people management functions. You can plan events, build a drag-and-drop website, and set up recurring gifts within one church management solution. Plus, Subsplash just released its Volunteer Schedules feature, which allows your volunteers to accept or decline volunteer requests, see their volunteer schedule at a glance, and set their volunteer availability—all within your church’s app.
Subsplash One offers pricing upon request. Subsplash Giving has no monthly fee, but instead charges you a percentage of what you collect (a fee that can be absorbed by donor, if they opt-in).
2. Wild Apricot – Best for website creation
WildApricot is an affordable church management software that you can use to simplify and manage your church’s membership administration using an automated application process. You can use WildApricot to create events that automatically sync with your calendar for easier viewing by your members. It also has an event registration feature to track the number of attendees at your event, even if you don’t have a physical registration table.
WildApricot is best for a church that wants to build a new website because it provides users with user-friendly customizable templates that make website building easy. You can use WildApricot to create a website with all the features you need in serving your congregation. If you have an existing website, you can use WildApricot to add useful widgets such as event calendars and giving forms to make your website more functional.
WildApricot has a free plan for churches with a maximum of 50 members. Paid plans start at $48/month for churches with 100 members. WildApricot offers a free trial for 30 days.
3. Elvanto – Best for organizing small groups
Elvanto is a cloud-based church management solution with features for administration support, pastoral communication, worship coordination, children and youth group check-in, and financial planning.
Elvanto works best for church administrators who need an app they can use to organize the volunteers of their church. Elvanto lets you create schedules and assign tasks, ensuring that projects have the necessary manpower backing them.
Use Elvanto to create themed groups, add members to your service, and create event schedules that your whole congregation can access. You can use Elvanto to schedule meetings and send reminders for team members so they can block off their calendars and avoid conflicts.
Elvanto integrates with tithe.ly, MailChimp, PayPal, PushPay, and many other useful apps.
Elvanto pricing starts at $50/month.
4. Breeze – Best for workflow automation
Breeze is a user-friendly church management software adopted by over 9,000 churches and counting for membership data, event management, donation tracking, and basic task automation.
Breeze lets you add as many members as you want into your system, so there’s no need to switch to a new one as your church membership grows. Breeze also allows you to compose and send personalized text messages and emails to individuals and groups, making it easier for you to send reminders or update them about church activities or events. During events, you can use Breeze as an adult and child check-in tool and print name tags for attendees.
Breeze is best for basic workflow automations that can support church management and administration. With Breeze, you can automate simple tasks so you can devote more time attending to your congregants. You can automate schedule-based communications (anniversaries, birthdays, holidays), project task assignment, filter-based user grouping (leaders, volunteers, families with children in Sunday school), and follow-up check-ins for unfinished work.
Breeze costs $50/month.
5. ChMeetings – Best for event management
ChMeetings is a church management app you can use to manage a database of members, create and update their profiles and assign roles when needed. It is available in several languages, including English, French, Chinese, and Spanish, making it ideal for churches with different nationalities. ChMeetings has dashboards you can customize with widgets, view reports, and retrieve data according to your church’s needs.
ChMeetings is best for churches that hold recurring events because it allows users to record and analyze said events. You can use ChMeetings to track attendance and look at trends to formulate action plans to improve attendance and reception. You can also use ChMeetings to create post-event survey forms to receive valuable feedback from attendees and alter a program’s flow to address the needs of attendees.
ChMeetings is free church software with up to 100 members and while paid subscription starts at $100/year for churches with up to 250 members.
6. TouchPoint – Best for member database
TouchPoint is a church management system with volunteer scheduling functionality to increase efficiency during church events and prevent scheduling conflicts. Use TouchPoint as a communications center to send messages and updates and promote events to your church members. You can also use TouchPoint to raise awareness and funds if your church has outreach programs or fundraising events for special causes.
TouchPoint is best for managing a congregation’s database because it allows church leaders an updated view of their members’ profiles. Members can also update their status, like indicating if they are sick or have a neighbor who plans to join the church so you can attend to their special needs immediately. TouchPoint also allows you to indicate in members’ profiles distinctive information like their wedding dates, other family members, and even extended family members so you can get a better grasp of who your members are.
TouchPoint costs $3/active record/year.
7. Blackbaud – Best for financial management
Blackbaud is a church management program you can use to manage small groups through email and text messages to ensure all activities get properly manned. You can also use Blackbaud in volunteer management and assigning specific roles to prevent overlaps and promote accountability. It also has reporting and analytics functionalities to gain insights on how you can manage your congregation better.
Blackbaud is best for churches that need an effective fund management system to safeguard the ministry’s financial health. Blackbaud lets you see how much fund your church has and how money gets spent. It also has a reporting functionality that you can use to fulfill budgeting and reporting requirements.
Blackbaud’s pricing is available upon request.
8. SimpleChurch CRM – Best for calendar management
SimpleChurch CRM is a church management app useful in keeping a record of church members, their contact information, important dates, pictures, and documents. You can also use the program to maintain a history of your interactions with church members for future reference. The program also allows users to conduct background checks on new members to ensure the safety and welfare of young members.
SimpleChurch CRM is best for churches looking for a powerful calendar management tool because SimpleChurch CRM’s calendar management feature allows users to manage the schedule of the entire congregation to avoid conflicts. SimpleChurch CRM’s calendar management feature also allows users to schedule facilities and equipment to ensure that all activities and events have the required resources. SimpleChurch CRM allows users to send schedules to all concerned individuals to ensure that participants can block their schedules ahead of time and avoid accepting conflicting commitments.
SimpleChurch CRM’s pricing starts at $35.13/month.
9. Church App by PushPay – Best for online giving
Church App is a church management solution that also has a mobile version that you can use on Android and iOS mobile devices to access crucial information remotely. It has integrated communication tools to keep in touch with the church community via emails and text messaging. You can use Church App in scheduling volunteers and church workers to ensure the prioritization of administrative tasks and church needs.
Church App is the best software solution for churches looking for an intuitive and efficient way of managing online donations because it has PushPay integrated. Religious organizations can use Church App to provide members with a safe and secure way of donating by ensuring that their credit card and debit card information are secure. Church App provides users with different methods of giving depending on their preference, like text giving or check giving. Users can also choose one-time or recurring donations, whichever they prefer.
Church App integrates with Church Community Builder, Planning Center, Ministry Platform, as well as church accounting software like Intuit QuickBooks.
Church App pricing is available upon request.
10. FlockBase – Best for small large churches
FlockBase is a cloud-based solution for church management with attendance tracking capabilities, making it easier for church members to check-in during events and services. It can also make church administration easier with its built-in accounting software that helps church leaders maintain positive financial health and ensure that church needs have the necessary funding. FlockBase allows users to assign users roles and permissions, ensuring that church workers have access to complete administrative tasks.
FlockBase is the best software solution for churches of all sizes because it only has one pricing, no matter how many members a church has. This allows church leaders to add an infinite number of records and information without worrying about going over their program’s limits. The single pricing model allows churches to save money that they can use for other pressing needs of their congregants.
FlockBase pricing starts at $16/month (cloud) or $199/license (desktop) and provides a 14-day free trial.
Other Church Management App Options
Here’s a few more that didn’t make the top list.
- Subsplash - Best apps for pastors who want media delivery
- Fellowship One - Best church management software for background checks
- Shelby Systems - Best apps for pastors of large churches
- Servant Keeper - Best ChMs for child check-in and security
- ChurchInfo - Best open source church management app
- Simple Church CRM - Best apps for pastors with detailed membership data
- Aplos - Best donation management for mid-sized churches
- ACS Church Technologies - Best church management software solution for Catholic churches
- ChurchTrac - Cloud-based church management software that is user-friendly and affordable
Other Church Apps Reviews
Church management apps aren't the only apps that churches are using these days. Make sure you are keeping up with the digital age and check out these other church app reviews that I've compiled here.
How I Selected the Best Church Management App
If you're wondering how I selected the best church management app, here's where I'll break it all down for you. First of all, I started with church management app that have high user review and satisfaction ratings. Then, using my experience in church management, I discerned what key criteria were most important for church management app and compared how each of them stacked up against the rest.
I empathize with how much time it takes to source the right software for a job. I do this work so that you don't have to. I've been using and reviewing church management app for years so you can trust me to do the heavy lifting and compile all the facts you need to make your final decision.
Selection Criteria
After careful consideration, I've determined that these are the most important criteria when selecting the best church management app. Here's a brief list outlining the whats and whys of my selection.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is an important factor to consider when selecting a church management app because it impacts the efficiency and productivity of any non-profit organizations. If the app is difficult to use, it may discourage users from adopting it fully, leading to errors and data inconsistencies. On the other hand, if the app is intuitive and user-friendly, users can quickly learn how to use it and incorporate it into their daily tasks. This can lead to improved collaboration, better communication, and more streamlined workflows.
Customer Service
Customer service is an important factor to consider when selecting a church management app because it ensures that the organization has access to the support and resources they need to use the software effectively. If users encounter technical issues or have questions about the app's functionality, a responsive customer support team can help them troubleshoot problems and provide guidance. This can prevent frustration and delays in completing tasks. Additionally, a good customer service team can provide training and educational resources to help users make the most of the app's features and capabilities.
Software Integrations
Software integrations are an important factor to consider when selecting a church management app because they allow the app to work seamlessly with other tools and systems that the organization may already be using. By integrating with existing software, such as accounting or communication tools, the app can provide a more comprehensive view of the organization's operations and improve efficiency by reducing the need to switch between multiple applications.
Pricing
Pricing is an important factor to consider when selecting a church management app because it impacts the organization's budget and resources. Different apps may have different pricing models, such as subscription-based or one-time payment, with varying features and limitations. It's important to choose the church app pricing that fits within the organization's budget and provides the necessary features and functionality for the organization's needs. Additionally, some apps may offer free trials or demo versions to allow users to test the software before committing to a subscription or purchase.
Key Features
- Membership Management: Gives you the ability to maintain an accurate record of members
- Group Management: Allows you to manage groups and volunteers to ensure they are aware of their roles and schedules.
- Online Giving: Allows members to donate to the church using online giving, text giving, or donating using checks.
- Communication Tools: Allows church leaders to maintain contact with flock members through text messages, emails, and newsletters.
- Church Project Management: Track calendars and tasks related to day-to-day workflows
- Church finances: Manage basic finances like budget tracking and financial reports
People Also Ask
Here are a few questions I wanted to cover before I let you go. Hopefully they help you get oriented when researching and selecting online church management tools.
How Do You Choose a Good Church Management App?
What are the Benefits of Using a Church Management App?
Church Management Apps for Modern Churches
A church management app is an essential program that can help your church deliver optimum services to its members, and getting one can help you streamline processes to spend more time ministering to your flock. If you want to know more about software that can help your church grow and deliver excellent services, sign-up for The Lead Pastor newsletter today!
Related Read: Young Disciples: Turning A Youth Group Into A Youth Church