Overview

Planning Center is a suite of church ministry tools covering people records, worship planning, events, donations, groups, and church apps. It suits congregations that want several ministry workflows in one platform, especially those able to start with free product plans. Services pricing scales with the number of people who access it, and its mobile app does not support Windows devices.

Formed in 2006 by Jeff Berg and Aaron Stewart, Planning Center is based in Carlsbad, California. Its products are intended for churches ranging from small neighborhood congregations to multi-campus organizations, though the mix of products and plan limits means each church should assess its own needs before choosing a package.

Key features

People and ministry records

People centralizes membership details alongside attendance, giving, and volunteering activity. That makes it a practical starting point for churches seeking a shared record of participation rather than separate lists for each ministry. Its free plan includes an unlimited database and reporting, a notable advantage for organizations that need robust records without paying for that product.

Worship planning and coordination

Services brings worship planning together with volunteer scheduling, team communication, and rehearsal tools. Its plans include unlimited features, teams, service types, and plans; the price instead depends on how many people access the system. That structure avoids feature-based restrictions within the plan, but growing teams should account for the access-based pricing.

Connected tools and safeguards

Integrations include SongSelect, PraiseCharts, Checkr, Mailchimp, Zapier, and third-party tools, with an open API for additional connections. Planning Center states that it is SOC 2 Type 2 certified and PCI Level One compliant, encrypts data in transit and at rest, and uses a multilayered backup strategy. Support is free for customers and noncustomers, with a stated response time of about one business hour on weekdays and a weekend crew for emergencies.

Pricing

Planning Center uses a freemium model, with a free plan, paid plans from $5/mo, and a 30-day trial. The free product plans have distinct limits: Calendar includes one room; People includes an unlimited database and reporting; and Services allows five team members and 100MB of storage. These entry points can serve churches with focused or modest needs, but the Services member and storage caps may be restrictive for larger teams or more extensive use.

Services pricing is based on the number of people accessing the system, not the number of teams, service types, plans, or features. The listed member limit is 75 members. If an account exceeds a plan limit, it continues to work; after repeated overages, Planning Center suggests an upgrade. That avoids an immediate interruption, but does not remove the need to move to a suitable plan as use grows. Paid plans start at $5/mo; the relevant access level and plan limits should guide budgeting.

Platforms

Planning Center is available on web, iOS, Android, and through an API. The Services mobile app supports iOS and Android phones and tablets, but not Windows devices. Churches relying on Windows mobile devices should account for that limitation before adopting its worship workflow.

Who it's for

Planning Center is a strong fit for churches that want to connect membership records with worship planning and other ministry tasks, and for organizations that can make use of separate free products before expanding. Its stated suitability across church sizes is tempered by product-specific caps and Services pricing based on system access. Churches seeking only one specialized tool, or requiring Windows compatibility for Services, may be better served by a narrower option.

Pros and cons

Pros: People provides an unlimited database and reporting at no cost, useful for churches that need substantial recordkeeping without a People subscription.
Pros: Services includes unlimited features, teams, service types, and plans, so its pricing distinction is based on system access rather than those workflow elements.
Pros: Free support is available to customers and noncustomers, with a stated weekday response time of about one business hour and weekend emergency coverage.
Cons: The free Services plan is capped at five team members and 100MB of storage, which may not suit larger or more active worship teams.
Cons: Services costs depend on the number of people accessing the system, so a growing access base can affect the plan that fits.
Cons: The Services mobile app does not support Windows devices, limiting its suitability for churches that depend on them.

Alternatives

For a church website rather than a broad ministry platform, compare Church Website Builders. Churches prioritizing screening can browse Church Background Check Software, while those focused on groups can compare Small Group Management Software. For member records, see Church Directory Software; for child check-in, compare Church Check-In Software; and for worship-focused tools, see Worship Planning Software.

Mainfolk is another freemium option with Android, iOS, and web support; its free plan includes a custom subdomain address, unlimited edits, about 10 AI assists per month, community help, and a footer note. Subsplash Church App offers a free Giving plan with no setup costs, though card and ACH processing fees apply, and has a paid enterprise option with custom pricing. The Church Co is a paid option with a free trial and includes a Simple setup plan with up to nine pages, no revisions, and a three-week average turnaround when paired with a yearly subscription.

Tithely Giving offers free giving with no monthly fees and unlimited donations, with transaction fees applying; its Giving + Church Management plan costs $72.00 USD per month. GrowMyWebsite is another freemium option available on Android, iOS, and web. ChurchDev has a paid Membership Directory plan at $10.00 USD per month plus a $99 setup fee, including custom fields, groups, admin tools, and an initial member import. Congregate is a paid option with a free trial; its Economy plan costs $20.00 USD per month and includes 5 GB of storage, 15 email accounts, a public website and mobile app, and all features. ChurchSpring Live Streaming is a paid, trial-eligible option for churches focused on streaming, with a Grow annual plan at $116.00 USD per year that includes 25 GB of storage and a live-streaming integration.

Verdict

Choose Planning Center if your church wants member records and worship coordination alongside other ministry products, with useful free starting plans and room to organize Services without feature-based limits. Look elsewhere if Windows mobile support is essential, or if access-based Services pricing and the free plan's team and storage caps do not fit your operation.

	Planning Center	Volgistics
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$239/mo	$9/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, Web	Android, iOS, Web
Free plan	Yes	No

Planning Center vs Volgistics

Planning Center

Volgistics