21 Best Church Membership Software Reviewed For 2024
10 Church Membership Tool Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 23 tools reviewed.
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
Managing a church without the right tools can feel overwhelming. That’s why so many pastors and ministry leaders turn to church membership software—a tool designed to make the behind-the-scenes work of ministry so much easier.
Keeping up with the details of church life can feel like an impossible puzzle. One week, you’re wondering if everyone got the email about that big event. The next, you’re scrambling to remember the name of a new member you just met. Then there’s that moment in the middle of a sermon when you realize, Wait—are we growing, or do things just feel busier than ever?
Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone.
That’s where the right church membership software comes in—it helps you:
- Maintain an accurate, always-updated directory of your members.
- Communicate with your congregation at the click of a button.
- Plan events and track attendance.
- Keep volunteers organized and engaged.
- Easily measure growth and ministry impact.
In this post, I’ll break down what to look for in church membership software and how to choose the best option for your ministry. Let’s take the guesswork out of staying connected with your church family.
Why Trust Our Church Membership Software Reviews
As someone who has served in churches of all sizes and in a variety of leadership roles, I understand the vital role a robust, flexible administrative support system plays in building a healthy, growing church. Currently, I serve as a lay pastor for a thriving congregation, and I’ve seen firsthand how the right tools can make or break ministry effectiveness.
Since 2019, my team and I have been dedicated to testing and reviewing church membership software. As pastors and church leaders ourselves, we know how challenging it can be to choose the right solution. That’s why we invest in extensive research and hands-on testing to ensure you can make well-informed decisions.
To date, we’ve tested over 2,000 tools for a wide variety of church needs and written more than 1,000 in-depth reviews. Our mission is simple: to help you find the best software to support your ministry and your church family.
Learn how we stay transparent and about our church membership software review methodology.
How to Choose Church Membership Software
Every church’s decision-making process is unique, but a few key factors can guide you toward the best choice for your ministry. As you and your team evaluate options, keep these priorities in mind:
- Scalability: Choose church membership software that grows with your congregation. As your church expands, your needs will evolve—more profiles, more complex data, and more frequent interactions. Your software must be able to handle it all without slowing down.
- Look for options with tiered services or modular features. For example, you might start with a basic database and later add event planning or communication tools as your church grows.
- User-Friendliness: The software should be simple enough for volunteers with varying tech skills to use effectively. Easy data entry, streamlined updates, and clear reporting tools are a must.
- A clean interface, strong customer support, and robust training resources are key. These features minimize frustration and encourage widespread adoption among your team.
- Integration Capabilities: Your software should work seamlessly with other tools your church already uses, such as accounting systems, email marketing platforms, or social media scheduling tools. This ensures smoother workflows and eliminates redundant data entry.
- For example, when a new member is added to the system, their information should sync across platforms, making admin tasks and communication easier.
- Data Security and Compliance: Handling sensitive personal information requires careful attention to security and legal compliance. Ensure your software adheres to data protection standards like GDPR or CCPA.
- Look for features such as encrypted data storage, regular backups, and strong user access controls to protect your congregation’s privacy and build trust.
By keeping these factors in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to choose software that meets your church’s needs today and in the future.
The 10 Best Church Membership Software Solutions Summary
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Gracely | From $19/month (billed annually) | Website |
| ChMeetings | From $12/month | Website |
| Planning Center | From $14/month/up to 75 group members | Website |
| ChurchSuite | From $15.50/month/account | Website |
| ACS Realm | No details | Website |
| Churchteams | No details | Website |
| Sunergo | No details | Website |
| DonorPerfect | From $99/month for up to 1,000 records | Website |
| Hivebrite | Custom pricing upon request | Website |
| Neon Membership | From $99/month | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareOverviews Of The 10 Best Church Membership Software Solutions
Here’s a brief description of each church membership app to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the user interface.
Gracely is an intuitive church management software designed to help churches of all sizes manage people, events, and resources. With a free plan available, its platform is accessible to even the smallest churches with minimal resources. Its features include member management, communication tools, donation management, and event management.
Gracely stands out for its people management capabilities. The platform allows churches to create detailed member profiles and track attendance, participation in church activities, and donations. The platform also facilitates communication with both individuals and groups through its integrated messaging system.
Beyond people management, Gracely offers a range of additional features like the customizable church portal to create a personalized online presence. Additionally, it provides a free migration service to help churches transition from their existing systems to the Gracely platform.
ChMeetings is a user-friendly and affordable church management software that simplifies church administration by organizing members, events, and donations, tracking and scheduling volunteers, and facilitating accounting processes.
The software offers a comprehensive people directory where you can centralize information, create groups, and communicate in one place. This feature also includes custom fields, mapping of addresses, country profiles, bulk profile updates, and automatic grade level updates for those who are still in school.
Additionally, ChMeetings encourages engagement online with a member portal that provides access to the platform. This space allows individuals to manage their own profiles, access events, receive notifications, and more.
Make your church attendees’ profiles as detailed as you want with custom fields
Planning Center is a service planning and scheduling platform with good membership management capabilities. The platform is easy to use, and both its desktop and mobile versions have nice interfaces that are friendly to people who are not tech-savvy.
This software’s contact database allows you to create custom fields for every profile you create. This helps you keep track of your attendees’ baptism dates, completed classes, or gift assessments, making it easier to build meaningful relationships with them.
Planning Center keeps accurate records of the activity of your members and their communication, and you can use the platform to search for information when needed.
ChurchSuite is a contact management software that was designed to help church leaders of both small and large churches create detailed contact lists of worshipers. The tool has a clean interface that’s easy to navigate and offers a great variety of helpful functionalities.
This solution makes it easy to communicate with your community. You can contact churchgoers directly from the tool’s address book, eliminating the need for an external communication tool. In addition, the Small Groups feature enables you to segment church members into multiple categories and communicate with one or multiple groups at once.
ChurchSuite also produces helpful reports that enable you to determine how your church is doing and plan ahead.
Realm is an online church management solution that can help you build an engaged community. The platform creates a directory for all your contacts, and you can segment your church members based on different criteria. Realm also creates a central location for all your communications, so you can easily track different conversations.
The software allows you to create multiple users with different permissions, so church leaders can ensure that staff members don’t stumble upon private information when operating the tool. Even though this tool is cloud-based, it stores contact information on your device, so you can access your attendees’ profiles when you’re not online.
One of the good things about this platform is that it helps with online giving. The friendly interface makes it easy for your congregation to make a digital donation when they cannot attend service.
Oversee the activity of your attendees with the help of detailed reports
Churchteams is a church membership software that’s optimized for mobile devices. The platform enables community leaders to create in-depth contact databases that include everyone’s information, family structure, church involvement, and attendance over time.
This solution makes it easy to coordinate your staff, attendees, and volunteers. Everyone can text a local number to contact your church for everything they need, from information about church service to registration or giving for church events.
One of the things that make this solution stand out is its reporting dashboard. This dashboard helps pastors and staff members discover how their church is doing by comparing year-to-year giving, year-to-date (YTD) giving by method, year-to-year worship, and attendance.
Sunergo is an all-in-one church management system with strong church members management features. The platform helps you create a central location for all your staff and attendees’ profiles, so you can collect information and find it when needed.
This solution helps you track your congregation’s attendance and event participation, and it sends you custom reminders for birthdays, anniversary dates, or specific achievements.
One of the nice things about this platform is that it enables you to monitor individual or household attendance trends, helping you plan your church events accordingly.
Keep accurate records of volunteers and send automated emails for events
DonorPerfect is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform designed for non-profits that’s suitable for any religious organization. The software helps you manage contacts, send emails and other communications, organize fundraising events, and manage donations.
This solution helps you build a contact database that’s rich in data and includes personal details as well as a history of giving and donations. The tool’s automation features help you send out scheduled emails to let your congregation know about events, volunteer schedules, or Sunday school.
DonorPerfect integrates with accounting solutions such as QuickBooks.
Use automation and personalized messaging to invite your congregation to service
Hivebrite is a popular community management solution that’s popular with non-profit organizations. The platform's features and simple interface make it perfect for church and community leaders.
This solution helps you engage with your congregation with personalized messaging so you can prevent them from lapsing. The tool’s analytics features are top-notch and help you identify which members of your community are active and engaged, and which could benefit from your support.
Hivebrite’s communication features enable you to send the right emails to the right churchgoers. You can set up email campaigns and use dynamic filters to customize your audience for each message. You can also create automated weekly email campaigns to invite your congregation to service.
Hivebrite integrates with multiple tools, including social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter.
Neon Membership is a membership management software that’s suitable for church administration. The solution helps you organize your contacts and leverages intelligent marketing tools to help you plan events, deliver personalized communications, and manage donations.
This platform’s automation features can help you develop personalized workflows to save time and increase membership engagement. You can create automated sequences to greet new members via email or to invite regular attendees to fundraisers or events.
Neon Membership integrates with popular accounting software, such as QuickBooks.
Additional Church Membership Software Options
In addition to the top 10 above, my team and I recommend checking out these additional options:
- Church Windows
Keep track of congregation members and run payroll with a single solution
- One Church Software
All-in-one church management solution that helps you keep accurate records of your staff, volunteers, and members.
- SimpleChurch CRM
Church management software that helps you reach out to members.
- PowerChurch Plus
Church management platform that helps you keep all your church’s information in one place.
- Fellowship One
Church management platform that helps with payment systems, payroll, and accounting.
- MinistryPlatform
Customizable church software that helps you interact with your community online.
- MembershipWorks
Complete church solution that allows you to reach out to your congregation and create job boards.
- Member Clicks
Membership management platform that enables you to keep in touch with your attendees and share lectures.
- FaithLife
All-in-one church software that helps you automate tedious tasks and facilitate online giving.
- Tithe.ly
Giving platform that makes it easy for your community to donate.
- ShelbyNext
Church members management solution that helps you nurture relationships with mass emails and online interactions.
- Wild Apricot
Membership management software that helps you create contact lists and plan events.
- ChurchTrac
Text or email your contacts directly from the app
Our Church Membership Software Selection Criteria
When my team and I set out to create this list, we approached it with great care, analyzing both the general functionality and specific use cases of each software option. Every tool included here was chosen to meet a wide variety of church needs, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic goals.
Our evaluation process focused on identifying software that not only delivers on essential functionality but also stands out in areas that truly matter to churches. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how we assessed and scored each option:
Core Church Membership Software Functionality (25%)
We started by ensuring each software solution covered the fundamental features churches rely on:
- Member Directory Management: Keeping an up-to-date and searchable list of church members.
- Donation and Pledge Tracking: Simplifying the process of monitoring and managing financial contributions.
- Event Scheduling and Management: Making it easy to plan and execute church events.
- Volunteer Coordination: Assigning roles and managing schedules for church activities.
- Communications: Sending newsletters, emails, and texts to keep the congregation informed.
If a platform couldn’t meet these core use cases, it didn’t make the list.
Additional Standout Features (25%)
We also prioritized unique features that elevate certain tools above the rest:
- Innovative Reporting: Advanced analytics and custom reports for tracking trends in membership and financial health.
- Social Media Integration: Seamless connections to social platforms for improved engagement and reach.
- Enhanced Security: Top-tier measures to safeguard sensitive member data.
- Multi-site Management: Tools to manage data across multiple church locations efficiently.
- Language Support: Multilingual options to serve diverse congregations.
Usability (10%)
The best tools should feel intuitive and user-friendly for leaders and volunteers alike:
- Clean, Intuitive Interface: Simplifying complex tasks with a straightforward design.
- Mobile Optimization: Fully functional mobile access for ministry on the go.
- Drag-and-Drop Functionality: For scheduling, content updates, and other management tasks.
Onboarding Experience (10%)
We assessed how easily new users can get up and running:
- Comprehensive Training Materials: Video tutorials, user guides, and FAQs to support learning.
- Interactive Product Tours: Built-in walkthroughs to guide users through key features.
- Responsive Onboarding Support: Quick, helpful support during setup and beyond.
Customer Support (10%)
Churches need reliable support when challenges arise:
- 24/7 Availability: Accessible anytime to address urgent issues.
- Multiple Channels: Support through live chat, phone, and email.
- Proactive Problem Solving: A team that not only resolves problems but actively enhances the user experience.
Value for Money (10%)
We considered the cost-effectiveness of each platform:
- Transparent Pricing: Clear structures with no hidden fees.
- Flexible Plans: Scaled pricing tiers to fit churches of all sizes and budgets.
- Cost Efficiency: Features that justify the price point.
Customer Reviews (10%)
Lastly, we turned to user feedback to ensure real-world satisfaction:
- User Ratings: High satisfaction scores from churches of various sizes.
- Testimonials: Positive feedback highlighting reliability and usefulness.
- Consistency: Consistently strong reviews across a range of use cases.
At the heart of our evaluation is a simple goal: finding tools that help churches thrive. These software options don’t just meet standard requirements—they offer additional value to help your ministry flourish. After all, we’re working to transform our communities with the grace of God. The right tools allow us to focus on what matters most: serving Him and His people.
Pastor Streamlines Operations and Organizes Church Records
"Church membership software has been a game-changer for our congregation. We needed a reliable system to manage our membership and finances, and this software delivered exactly what we needed. It allows us to track detailed member information, including family records and ministry involvement, which has been helpful. The secure login and customizable user access controls ensure that our data is safe and only accessible to those who need it.
The financial reporting features are outstanding. We can easily generate remittance reports and statistical financial reports with our church giving software, making our administrative tasks much simpler. The ability to import membership data from Excel has saved us countless hours. This software is an invaluable tool for any church looking to streamline their operations and keep their records organized."
Pastor Damian C.
Trends in Church Membership Software
As we progress through 2024, church membership software continues to undergo significant transformations. Modern church communities especially feel the need for more efficient, integrated, and user-friendly solutions. There are a handful of trends worth keeping an eye on:
Prominent Trends in Church Membership Software
- Enhanced Integration Capabilities: Modern church membership software is increasingly integrated with social media, financial management tools, and email marketing services. I expect that this trend is driven by a need to streamline administrative tasks and ensure that all church operations can be managed through a unified cohesive system, thereby improving efficiency and reducing the likelihood of data errors.
- Advanced Data Analytics: There is a significant push towards incorporating sophisticated analytics and reporting features. This provides access to deeper insights into membership dynamics, donation patterns, and event attendance - giving you and your leadership a wide base of knowledge for making wise decisions.
- Mobile Accessibility: Church membership software developers are prioritizing mobile optimization (ie: apps, responsive web design, etc) to ensure. This includes the development of mobile apps and responsive web designs that ensure members and staff can access the software from anywhere, enhancing communication and participation within the church community.
- Customization and Personalization: As churches vary greatly in their needs and operations, software that offers extensive customization and personalization features is becoming more popular. This trend caters to the need for software that can adapt to specific church workflows, member management styles, and communication strategies, providing a more tailored user experience.
- Security Enhancements:Given the sensitive nature of the data handled by church membership software, there is an ongoing emphasis on improving security measures. This includes advanced encryption techniques, regular security audits, and compliance with global data protection regulations, ensuring that member information is safeguarded against potential threats.
Cutting-Edge Advancements:
- Some of the most innovative features include virtual reality (VR) environments for remote church services and AI-driven predictive analytics to forecast membership changes and financial contributions. These cutting-edge features are designed to cater to the growing interest in digital-first congregational experiences and data-driven church management strategies.
In Decline: Importance of On-Premise Solutions:
- The demand for traditional on-premise church membership software is diminishing in favor of cloud-based solutions. The shift towards the cloud reflects a broader trend of digital transformation in church management, driven by the need for cost efficiency, better scalability, and improved accessibility.
These trends and features underscore the evolving nature of church membership software in 2024, reflecting a move towards more interconnected, data-informed, and user-centric solutions. This evolution is not just about keeping up with technology but is deeply rooted in addressing the unique challenges and opportunities faced by churches today, ensuring they can thrive in an increasingly digital world.
What is Church Membership Software?
Simply stated, church membership software is a category of software that assists lead pastors and church leaders in managing church operations. This can look like a variety of things, including:
- Member databases
- Communication tools
- Event scheduling
- Financial tracking and reporting
By leveraging church membership software, you can spend less time and energy on administrative tasks, and more time and energy doing the work of the ministry.
This type of software helps pastors and church leaders save time and energy by automating administrative tasks. Church membership software can enhance communication efficiency through integrated tools like email newsletters and SMS, ensuring that information reaches all members promptly and reliably.
Church Membership Key Features
Church membership software can improve how we manage and engage our church community. It streamlines administrative tasks and helps build a vibrant, well-connected community. Here’s what good church membership software should offer:
Member Profiles: Keep detailed records of each member's info. This helps personalize communication and understand your community's demographics.
Event Management: Organize and promote church events easily. This boosts participation and ensures events meet the congregation’s interests.
Volunteer Management: Schedule and communicate with volunteers effectively. This ensures events and services run smoothly and keeps volunteers engaged.
Communication Channels: Use email, text messaging, and social media integration to maintain communication with members. This keeps everyone informed and engaged with church activities.
Donation Management: Track and report financial contributions from members. This helps monitor financial health and maintain transparency.
Attendance Tracking: Track attendance at services and events. This provides insights into member participation and helps tailor outreach efforts.
Reporting and Analytics: Measure the effectiveness of church programs and outreach efforts. This helps make informed decisions about investment and engagement.
Mobile Compatibility: Ensure the software works on mobile devices. Members and staff should interact with the church’s systems from anywhere.
Data Security: Protect sensitive member information with strong security protocols. This maintains trust and complies with data protection laws.
Customizable Features: Customize the software to meet your church’s unique needs. This flexibility helps better serve your community.
Choosing the right church membership software is important. Good software supports your efforts to manage church operations and engage members. Each feature above helps achieve your church’s mission.
The right software allows you to focus on the spiritual growth of your community. By choosing a platform with these key features, you set your church up for success.
Benefits of Church Membership Software
As you contemplate the adoption of church membership technology, it's helpful to lay out its primary benefits:
- Simplified, Streamlined, Efficient Communication: This software facilitates easier and more effective communication with the congregation. By using the system, your leaders can send targeted emails, newsletters, and alerts to your community. No members get left behind our left out.
- Effective Administrative Management: Church membership software significantly reduces the workload related to administrative tasks. It automates processes like attendance tracking, record keeping, and scheduling, allowing church staff to focus more on ministry and less on paperwork.
- Financial Clarity and Transparency: With integrated financial tools, the software provides detailed tracking of donations and tithes. This transparency helps in managing church finances more effectively, ensuring accountability and supporting clear financial planning.
- Member Engagement Tracking: The software enables detailed monitoring of member participation in church events and programs. This feature allows pastors to identify and reach out to less active members, fostering a more inclusive and engaged community.
- Data Security and Compliance: Advanced security measures protect sensitive member information and ensure compliance with data protection laws. This reassurance allows pastors to maintain a high level of trust with their congregation, knowing that their personal information is secure.
The adoption of church membership software offers significant advantages for managing church operations efficiently while nurturing a strong, connected community. By leveraging these tools, pastors can enhance their administrative capabilities, engage more deeply with their congregation, and safeguard vital church data, all of which contribute to a thriving church environment.
Costs and Pricing for Church Membership Software
Church membership software plans fit different church sizes and needs, from small community churches to large multi-site ones. Here’s a simple breakdown of the typical plan options you might find:
| Plan | General Price | Plans Typically Include: | Best for... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic member management, limited reporting, email support | Very small or new churches |
| Basic | $10-$25 per month | Member management, event scheduling, basic financial tools, email support | Small churches |
| Standard | $25-$50 per month | Enhanced reporting, email campaigns, financial management, phone support | Small-to-medium churches |
| Premium | $50-$100 per month | Advanced analytics, multi-user access, custom integrations, priority support | Large churches |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Custom features, full integration capabilities, dedicated support, training sessions | Very large or complex churches |
As you consider these options, think about the current and future needs of your church. Opt for a plan that not only fits your budget today but also provides the necessary tools to support effective church management and growth in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions: Church Membership Software
What are the types of Church Membership Software?
What are some great free options for church membership software?
What's the Best Church Membership Software for Large Churches?
What's the Best Church Membership Software for Church Plants?
Additional Helpful Church Software
Church membership software is just one aspect of the various solutions that a well-run church employs:
- Ease financial headaches and stress with our church bookkeeping software recommendations.
- Select quality equipment and software necessary for your church streaming needs.
- Streamline church volunteer management and scheduling with the most effective church management software solutions.
Final Thoughts:
How you manage your church matters to Jesus. But remember - your Father is not up on the porch waiting for you to make a mistake so He can punish you. No. He's working the fields shoulder to shoulder with you. He wants to show you the family secrets, ways to do things better, with more joy and peace. He wants to help you lead your church (His flock) with grace and kindness and effectivenes.
Trust Him above all.
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