Growth is indeed a blessing for any church, but it also presents unprecedented challenges. So many quiet members get lost in the sea of work. This typically leaves pastors clueless about the solution. However, church leaders don’t miss them because they don’t care; they miss them because they don’t have the right tools to see what’s happening in time.
This is where a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system comes in. When we see through the lens of church nomenclature, it's the Church Management Software (ChMS). Such a platform dramatically reduces the time spent on administration, communication, and scheduling. Provided the ease, about 350,000 churches globally use management tools in some form. So, while you take care of the prayers and discipleship, the CRM ensures effective management of volunteers, members, and donors.
But with hundreds of available software options, it’s a headache to find the right CRM that fits the needs of your organization. To ease that, we have come up with a list of the top seven best CRMs for churches that actually support your mission.
CRM | Key Features | Starting Price | Deployment |
ChMeetings | Member management, event planning, pledge tracking | Free (up to 50 people) | Cloud-based |
Tithe.ly | Mobile giving app, website builder, worship/service planning | Free Giving ($0/ 0/month) | Cloud + Mobile |
ChurchTrac | Church Connect website/app, accounting and budgeting, admin automation | Free | Web + Mobile (PC, Mac, iOS, Android) |
ParishSOFT | Faith Formation, ministry scheduler, smart reporting | $250 (Giving Consulting) | Cloud-based |
ChurchWindows | Membership, donations, accounting, payroll, scheduler | $19/month (1 desktop module) | Desktop + Web |
Elvanto | Member and group management, built-in check-in, multi-language support | $19/month (50 Plan) | 100% Cloud |
Donor Tools | Donation tracking, donor insights, branded giving page | $39/month | Web-based |
Designed specifically for small churches, ChMeetings is a cloud-based software that helps churches grow and thrive by providing them with the needed tools to manage communities. Since it provides flexible administration and scalable solutions, medium and large-sized churches can also make the most out of it.
From organizing member records to planning events and providing ready-made reports, it brings everything under one roof. What stands out is how intuitive it feels, making it especially suitable for churches that are looking for a customized digital solution.
Key Features:
- Church Member Management: Keep all member and family details organized in one place. Track profiles, groups, attendance, giving, and more with ease
- Event Management: Create and oversee both free and paid events. Handle registrations, check-ins (even via QR codes or kiosks), manage volunteers and service planning, share events via calendars, and more
- Manage Pledges: It lets organizations set up pledge campaigns and easily track contributions against pledged amounts
Pros And Cons
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Pricing
ChMeetings offers the following pricing plans:
- Free Plan: $0/month (up to 50 people)
- Basic Plan: $12/month (up to 100 people)
- Growth Plan: $25/month (up to 250 people)
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing (for 5,000+ people)
The Basic and Growth plans include a 30-day free trial, allowing you to try out the features before committing.
Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.
When you can order a coffee at Starbucks using a smartphone, why not give to your church the same way? This was the thought that led to the beginning of Tithe.ly. It is a popular, all-in-one giving platform for churches that comes with a ministry-first mindset. Using it, churches and nonprofits can connect with their communities and manage a seamless membership experience without spending much time maintaining it.
The best part is that users can create custom church apps and websites using all their brand colors, logos, and graphics. The option of setting up a mobile kiosk makes it even easier for visitors to donate funds.
Key Features:
- Mobile Giving App: This free app lets the donor give (one-time or recurring gifts) from anywhere in just a few taps. Methods like credit, debit, ACH, and more make giving a lot easier
- Built-in Website Builder (Tithe.ly Sites): Create a mobile-friendly, responsive church website with drag-and-drop editing, templates, event calendars, sermon/media players, livestream embedding, and no coding required
- Service And Worship Planning: Tithe.ly’s Service Planning tool lets churches structure every detail of services (songs, sermon notes, transitions). Rehearsal tools, song library (with lyrics and chord charts), automatic reminders, and help with smooth worship preparation
Pros And Cons
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Pricing
The following four pricing plans are available for Tithe.ly:
- Free Giving: $0/month
- Giving + Church Management: $72/month
- All-Access: $228/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
The Church Management and All-Access bundles come with a 30-day free trial.
Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.
ChurchTrac aims to help nonprofits overcome ministry challenges. With the goal to EQUIP churches to build the body of Christ, this cloud-based software provides great value for small congregations and those that are just starting out.
As the platform combines multiple apps into one simple platform, it becomes easier to manage different aspects of church management from a unified space. The good thing is that it can be accessed from any device (PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Android), which makes it easier to manage things on the go. Weekly live training workshops and regular new features releases make ChurchTrac worth the investment.
Key Features:
- Church Connect: It lets you build a free church website and an online app. This way, you can manage giving and access to the secure member portal
- Accounting And Budgeting: Churches can sync with their bank, create budgets, and even print checks for more transparent finances
- Automate Admin Tasks: Say goodbye to the manual hassle of routine admin tasks. Automation takes care of reports and messages the entire church from one place
Pros And Cons
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Pricing
ChurchTrac provides the following pricing plans for up to 75 members, each with a 30-day free trial.
- Free: $0/month
- Standard: $9/month
- Plus: 24/month
Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.
Built by Catholics for Catholics, this church management software helps parishes and dioceses of all sizes manage campaigns, maintain records, and track contributions. Be it monitoring accounting data, scheduling volunteer activities, or tracking religious holidays, the software takes care of all these tasks, so administrators can focus on what needs more human attention.
What’s more, ParishSOFT offers API integration that allows churches to connect with tools like Intelligent Query for tailored data reporting from the Family Suite. Comprehensive support through guides, FAQs, training videos, and community forums adds further value, ensuring ministries have the resources they need at every step.
Key Features:
- Manage Religious Information: With ‘Faith Formation,’ it’s easier to organize leaders and schedule classes. The built-in calendar helps with planning national and religious holidays
- Ministry Scheduler: This feature helps churches organize volunteers for services, ministries, and events. The accurate online schedules save a lot of time for staff
- Smart Reporting: Churches can make the most out of this feature to create custom reports and pull the exact data they need. The clear and easy-to-use insights help leaders with decision-making
Pros And Cons
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Pricing
ParishSOFT offers multiple pricing tiers designed to fit churches of different sizes and needs. Here’s a breakdown of available plans and their costs.
Family Suite Consulting Plans
- Family Suite Guided Consulting Plan: 4 hours consulting — $900 US
- Family Suite Basic Consulting Plan: 8 hours consulting — $1,700 US
- Family Suite Standard Consulting Plan: 16 hours consulting — $3,200 US
Accounting Consulting Plans
- ParishSOFT Accounting Guided Consulting Plan: 4 hours consulting — $900 US
- ParishSOFT Accounting Basic Consulting Plan: 8 hours consulting — $1,700 US
- ParishSOFT Accounting Standard Consulting Plan: 16 hours consulting — $3,200 US
Giving Consulting
- ParishSOFT Giving Consulting Plan: 2 hours consulting — $250 US
Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.
Developed by Computer Helper Publishing, ChurchWindows provides an easy way for administrators to manage day-to-day activities and track the congregation. You can find it both via remote web access and web installation. In addition to four main modules (Membership, Scheduler, Donations, Accounting, and Payroll), the software partners with various third-party tools to give you a complete management solution.
As an open-source solution, this software also provides flexibility for customization and benefits from continuous updates by an active developer community. This is done to ensure it remains a versatile and evolving tool.
Key Features:
- Event And Duty Management: Sharing event calendars online, assigning tasks is made easier with the ‘Scheduler Module.’ It makes event planning smoother by allowing for location and equipment tracking
- Staff Payment And Tax Handling: The software’s ‘Payroll Module’ makes it easy to pay employees, create reports, and manage taxes. As it integrates well with accounting, users can stay updated on tax rules
- Track Giving And Pledges: Record member pledges and gifts, create clear reports, and email donation statements without much manual effort
Pros And Cons
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Pricing
Here’s how ChurchWindows prices its software across different plan levels.
Standard (1 Module)
- Desktop: Starts at $19/month
- Web: Starts at $69/month
Deluxe (1 Module)
- Desktop: Starts at $29/month
- Web: Starts at $79/month
Elite (1 Module)
- Desktop: Starts at $59/month
- Web: Start at $109/month
Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.
Elvanto packs in a wide range of tools that help admin teams stay effective and organized. All the provided advanced features are all-inclusive, which means there are no extra charges or hidden modules. It is a completely cloud-based system that hosts all accounts securely to ensure they comply with local security and privacy laws.
From managing members and groups to printing reports and beyond, it provides a complete toolkit to help with church management.
Key Features:
- Built-In Check-In: Managing children, adults, and volunteers across multiple rooms is no longer a hassle. The software’s built-in check-in system ensures safe and efficient management
- Multi-Language Support: Elvanto supports multiple time zones and languages. This makes the software accessible to all the churches worldwide. Adjusting dates and times to local settings is a matter of seconds with this software
- Online Giving Integrations: The software supports integrations with popular giving partners to make it easier for members and guests to give online from any device
Pros And Cons
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Pricing
You can choose from these pricing packages offered by Elvanto, each requiring a one-time setup fee of US $149:
- 50 Plan: US $19/month
- 100 Plan: US $39/month
- 200–Unlimited Plans (covers up to 2,500 active adults): US $78/month
Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.
Nonprofits and NGOs looking to streamline their donations and fundraising activities will find Donor Tools to be a goldmine. This cloud-based software, developed by Higher Pixels, allows users to create online fundraising pages with donation forms.
Instead of trying to be an all-in-one system, it zeroes in on streamlining online giving, pledge tracking, and detailed donor records. Its web-based design makes it easy for multiple team members to access data anywhere. At the same time, the emphasis on simplicity and transparency ensures churches can keep financial stewardship at the forefront.
Key Features:
- Unified Donation Capture: Have an accurate record of all types of donations (online, checks, cash, in-kind) in one place with Donor Tools
- Donor Insight Tools: Use these tools to easily filter “who gave what, when, and how.” Users can see donors who contributed over a specified amount in a given period
- Branded Web Page: Organizations can build their customized donation page with their logos. So, they can instantly start accepting donations from mobile, desktop, or kiosk
Pros And Cons
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Pricing
Donor Tools makes its software available through one clean and straightforward pricing plan.
- Basic Plan: $39/month, flat-rate
It includes a free 30-day trial, giving you time to see what works best for your church.
Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.
Given the rise in hybrid and online church services, the need for effective management software is greater than ever. Even the everyday challenges of onsite church services call for automation in some form. By implementing a CRM in your church, you will see a noticeable difference in ministry impact.
The best CRMs for churches listed above cater to churches of different sizes and needs. Each one of them brings unique features to the table, so you can choose the one that fits your needs.
All set to find a CRM? Explore our top picks and see which one works best for you.