ChristianAppReviews.com
+ Submit app
Sign in
P
Church Management · Freemium
Planning Center
Church management you pay for one tool at a time
65
Church Management SoftwarePlanning Center #2 of 6
050100 avg 65
BZ
#1 Ministry Planner
BZ
#1 Ministry Planner P
65by
Nicole M.
Nicole M.The honest take
“Ministry Planner is much easier to use and more intuitive.”
Nicole Magnelli
Tested on Android for Best Church Management Software
Meet the testers
Each used Planning Center side by side with other apps
65
Nicole Magnelli
Mom · Ministry leader · Mixed-media artist · Teacher · Pittsburgh, Pa
65
#2 of 6
Church Management Software
“If you want to manage all aspects of church planning, scheduling and communications without paying for anything at all…”
+
It integrates very well with church website design software, saving time overall.
−
Ministry Planner is much easier to use and more intuitive.
What they’d use instead
Where it ranks
About the app
Summary · not an editor reviewPlanning Center is a set of separate tools for running a church: People (the member database, free), Services, Check-Ins, Giving, Groups, Registrations and Calendar. Each tool has a free starting level and then a monthly price that
grows with use. Members use the free Church Center app to give, sign up for events, join groups and check in.
More church management apps
Church CenterNot yet tested
Rock RMS28/100 · tested
ChurchTrac57/100 · tested
Servant KeeperNot yet tested
No member ratings yet · Used Planning Center? Rate it
Claim or report this listing
Used it? Sign in to share what it’s best for and what to watch out for.
Nicole Magnelli
Church Management Software · #2 of 6 · Android · Oct 15, 2026
65
“If you want to manage all aspects of church planning, scheduling and communications without paying for anything at all, you'll be very limited unless you have a very small congregation and not a lot of events. Also, its analytics of church health aren't great. It only can give you as much as you're inputting about each church member.”
Tested against Ministry Planner, ChurchTrac, Breeze, Rock RMS, Realm
+ Better than the rest
It integrates very well with church website design software, saving time overall.
− Where it loses
Ministry Planner is much easier to use and more intuitive.
From their verdict on the whole list
I can’t say much about ChurchTrac or Breeze because there was no way to trial them, but comparing Planning Center, Rock and Ministry Planner is easy. If you know your way around Planning Center, it can do a lot and works great. I’ve used it for years at my church.
Score breakdown
Core tools 26%7/10
Price 13%5/10
Member app 10%7/10
Easy to start 10%6/10
Texting 6%5/10
Worth using 35%7/10
Field notes
Design
8/10 — It's easy to manage and integrates across the different modules well.
What works free
People: unlimited database and reporting. The church center app and web configuration are also free. There are also free levels of the calendar, check-ins, groups, and registrations.
Paywall
Only if you add or increase each module beyond the free caps. They have a tiered structure, so you only have to pay for as much as you'll need.
Price
It has a free tier, but full operations will require a subscription. However, you can choose a la carte to meet your church's needs.
Free plan or trial
Yes, you get the first 30 days free whenever you apply to a new product for the first time. Planning Center also allows you soft limits if you temporarily exceed your plan's limits.
Setup
You don't have to set up everything at once. You can begin with specific modules and build out as needed. It's best to start by importing your directory into People.
Would keep using
Yes
Screenshots from testing
About Nicole: I’m Nicky Magnelli, a mixed-media artist, ministry coordinator, and high school art teacher. I live near Pittsburgh with my husband and daughter, and faith shapes the way I create, serve my community, and pay attention to everyday life. I’ve used Christian apps for my own spiritual practice, with my daughter, and for ministry work. I share reviews from that personal, real-life perspective.