# Planning Center Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra

> With the help of Capterra, learn about Planning Center Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Church Management products and more.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/76708/Planning-Center

---

# 

 Planning Center Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons

Last updated on March 13, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.

[Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Users](#users)[Pros and Cons](#pros-cons)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews)

Planning Center

## What is Planning Center?

Planning Center’s the all-in-one church management software that helps churches help people. It gives leaders, teams, and congregants a single place to organize, connect, and get involved. No matter your size, Planning Center’s the easy-to-use platform for: - Scheduling volunteers - Accepting online donations - Creating event signups - Establishing safe and secure family check-ins And so much more! Find out all you can do from the freedom of a 30-day trial. No credit card needed! And, when you’re ready to upgrade, you only pay for what you need, when you need it, and cancel whenever you want.

## What is Planning Center used for?

[Church Management](https://www.capterra.com/church-management-software/)[Worship](https://www.capterra.com/worship-software/)[Donation Management](https://www.capterra.com/donation-management-software/)

Overall rating

Based on 1,138 user reviews

Reviews sentiment

Positive

96%

Neutral

3%

Negative

0%

Pros & cons

Comprehensive volunteer coordination platform

Streamlined worship team organization

Frequent bugs and inconsistencies

Limited mobile app functionality

Starting price

Free trial  
available

Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products...

Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings...

Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings...

## Planning Center alternatives

Highest Rated

[4.9 (162)](https://www.capterra.com/p/184192/Chmeetings/reviews/)

Starting price

$12.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

99%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[4.8 (681)](https://www.capterra.com/p/158103/Clearstream/reviews/)

Starting price

$29.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

99%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[4.8 (23)](https://www.capterra.com/p/10008520/Gracely/#reviews)

Starting price

$19.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

100%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[4.5 (187)](https://www.capterra.com/p/118759/Aplos-Accounting/reviews/)

Starting price

$79.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

90%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/76708/Planning-Center/alternatives/)

## FAQs about Planning Center

Overview

### What problems does Planning Center solve?

Planning Center solves scattered church operations by centralizing volunteer scheduling, worship planning, member records, attendance, children’s check-ins, event registrations, and team communication. It reduces double-booking, no-shows, spreadsheet chaos, and missing rehearsal materials. Worship leaders, pastors, ministry coordinators, children’s teams, and multi-campus church staff benefit most.

Answer based on 760 reviews

Overview

### Which roles and teams benefit most from Planning Center?

Planning Center is most used by church leadership, worship teams, and administrative staff who need to coordinate ministries, services, and volunteers. Pastors and ministry leaders manage schedules and communication, worship leaders organize musicians and service plans, while administrators streamline registrations, attendance tracking, donations, and day-to-day church operations.

Answer based on 1111 reviews

Overview

### What company size and industries is Planning Center built for?

Planning Center is designed for churches of every size, with strongest use among small businesses at 88% and Religious Institutions at 57%. It also serves midsize organizations at 7% and enterprises at 5%, plus Non-Profit Organization Management at 12% and Education Management at 3%, primarily for church management.

Answer based on 1138 reviews

Features and Usability

### What are the key features of Planning Center?

Planning Center includes core church management features like volunteer scheduling, service planning, member management, child check-in, and online giving. Its differentiators are worship team management and song and music management, with service plans, attachments, reminders, availability blocking, and mobile app access supporting rehearsals, events, and multi-team coordination.

Answer based on 586 reviews

Integrations

### Which third-party tools and platforms does Planning Center integrate with?

Planning Center integrates with ProPresenter, Mailchimp, Clearstream, Checkr, and Stripe, with additional connections to Breeze ChMS, PastorsLine, and MediaShout. These integrations span worship presentation, email and text communication, background checks, payments, and church management, giving churches 8 third-party tools commonly connected to Planning Center.

Answer based on 100 reviews

Getting Started and Support

### How easy is it to onboard and train a team on Planning Center?

Planning Center is generally quick for staff and volunteers to learn, with webinars, videos, and documentation that help teams get started. Reviewers say nontechnical users and first-time admins may need more guided setup time, especially across modules, while everyday users often become productive quickly once shown the basics.

Answer based on 126 reviews

Getting Started and Support

### What customer support options does Planning Center offer, and how do users rate the experience?

Planning Center offers email/help desk, FAQ/forum, a knowledge base, and phone support. Users often describe support as quick, helpful, and well trained, with useful tutorials and articles. Some report limits around phone access, ticket permissions, and occasional unanswered bugs or less helpful experiences in specific modules.

Answer based on 44 reviews

Security

### How does Planning Center handle data security and access control?

Planning Center uses graded user permissions, view-only versus editing access, account sign-ins, and child check-in safeguards like matching pickup codes, separate room check-ins, labels, and scanners. Reviewers also note limits: permissions can be confusing or not granular enough, security settings are hard to find, and stronger options like enforced passwords or 2FA are missing.

Answer based on 32 reviews

## Who uses Planning Center?

Based on Capterra reviews from the past 4 years

Talk to a software expert

to get a free software list  
tailored to your business needs

Company size

Based on 163 reviews

100%

75%

50%

25%

Smallbusiness

Midsizebusinesses

Enterprise

Top job functions

Based on 163 reviews

Administrative

31%

Administrative

31%

Creative & Design

13%

Marketing

6%

Education & Learning

5%

Others

44%

Top industries

Based on 163 reviews

Religious Institutions

67%

Non-Profit Organization Management

19%

Education Management

6%

Marketing and Advertising

5%

Other

3%

## Pros and Cons

Comprehensive volunteer coordination platform

96% positive reviews out of 449

Most reviewers describe church volunteer management as highly effective for scheduling, tracking, and communicating with volunteers across multiple teams and services, preventing double-booking and streamlining church operations.

Robert B

Pastor, 2 - 10 employees.

"Service planning, giving, small groups, registrations, church calendar, church app, people, child check in... all working together, amazing!"

Frequent bugs and inconsistencies

57% negative reviews out of 127

Most reviewers report recurring bugs, slow file loading, occasional crashes, and inconsistent experiences across modules and devices.

Streamlined worship team organization

95% positive reviews out of 130

Most reviewers find worship team management simplifies scheduling, song sharing, and communication, enabling efficient rehearsal planning and keeping all team members informed for each service.

Andy H

Associate Pastor of Worship, 11 - 50 employees.

"Planning Center is the most robust, powerful, intuitive, and helpful way to plan worship services, organize team members, and communicate across ministries in our church."

Limited mobile app functionality

46% negative reviews out of 90

Some users report mobile access lacks key features, is less intuitive, and experiences occasional glitches compared to the desktop version.

Integrated ministry management tools

95% positive reviews out of 59

Most reviewers indicate ministry management unifies communication, scheduling, and event planning, reducing administrative workload and supporting collaboration across diverse church ministries.

Lauren F

President and Director, 1 employee.

"There are so many features you can customize for your own ministry situation."

Challenging software navigation

62% negative reviews out of 52

Most reviewers describe navigation as confusing, with clunky menus and difficulty locating features, especially for new users.

Harrison K

Communications Director, 2 - 10 employees.

"At times, the menus can be a little clunky, and I find myself having to hunt for specific features."

## Features

Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically.

Worship Planning

4.8 (108)

83.33% of 108 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

With this capability, you can organize every aspect of worship services, from scheduling teams to structuring music and sermon flow. Reviewers appreciate the flexibility, ease of use, integrated music database, and seamless coordination, especially with integrations like ProPresenter and CCLI.

Member Communication

4.5 (82)

71.95% of 82 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

You can easily send mass emails, texts, and notifications to members. Reviewers appreciate the built-in templates, group messaging, and integrations with MailChimp and Clearstream, but some feel the email and texting tools could be more robust and allow replies.

Volunteer Management

4.7 (71)

77.46% of 71 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

It gives you powerful tools to schedule, track, and communicate with volunteers. Users think the system’s scheduling, availability tracking, and bulk communication make managing large teams efficient, though some wish for improved tracking of service frequency across roles.

Mobile Access

4.6 (70)

62.86% of 70 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

This aspect helps you access schedules, music, and member info from any device. Some reviewers find the mobile apps convenient and regularly updated, though others mention occasional bugs, limited functionality compared to desktop, and a desire for a unified app.

Member Directory

4.6 (57)

64.91% of 57 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Planning Center offers a straightforward way to manage and search member information. Reviewers indicate it’s easy to update, find, and organize member and household data, though some mention access control could be simpler for sharing contact details.

For Religious Organizations

4.8 (107)

75.70% of 107 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Primarily serving churches and religious organizations

Planning Center 75 features

Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems

Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities

Track and document all activities across devices, networks, and other systems

Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges

Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases

Manage attendance for classes, shifts, meetings, or events

Track the attendance of specific individuals or groups

Plan and strategize marketing campaigns

Create and manage digital catalog of products/services with their details, specifications, and price

Secure process of tracking children during activities

Provides a channel for team members to share media files, communicate, and work together

Manage and track all internal and external communication conducted via calls, email, text, or chat

Configure existing workflows to meet your organization's needs

Centralized database of stakeholders and their contact information such as names, address, phone number etc.

Manage, organize, and store contact information

Centralized repository to store content and assets

Handles digital content throughout its lifecycle, from creation and storage to distribution and archiving

Accept and process credit card transactions

Customize data fields to support various needs and use cases

Customize contracts and forms to collect specific information

Alter the layout and content of reports

Pre-designed layouts that can be customized to match preferences and requirements

Import and export data to and from software applications

Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location

Store and organize documents in a centralized system

Track/record financial donations made by members, along with the issuance of tax receipts/documents

Track and view detailed financial donation history made by contacts and members

Track and maintain donor relationships throughout various stages/activities including contact information and previous outreach

Assemble applications and processes by dragging over and arranging pre-built components

Electronically collect payments for goods or services

Manage, store and organize emails within the system or via third-party apps

Pre-made examples and templates for emails

Schedule and manage the logistics of activities and other gatherings

Plan an event's time and location

Manage tickets for specific events

Software specialized for non-profit organizations

Primarily serving churches and religious organizations

Store, manage and track all forms in a centralized location

Ability to match gifts through the system

Review data from past periods to reveal recurring tendencies

Store and manage images

Collection of images, videos and other digital content that can be used

You can easily send mass emails, texts, and notifications to members. Reviewers appreciate the built-in templates, group messaging, and integrations with MailChimp and Clearstream, but some feel the email and texting tools could be more robust and allow replies.

Planning Center offers a straightforward way to manage and search member information. Reviewers indicate it’s easy to update, find, and organize member and household data, though some mention access control could be simpler for sharing contact details.

Online gateway through which members can access/update personal information

Database of members to track personal information of individuals and families

This aspect helps you access schedules, music, and member info from any device. Some reviewers find the mobile apps convenient and regularly updated, though others mention occasional bugs, limited functionality compared to desktop, and a desire for a unified app.

Access the system via a mobile application

Ability to make a donation from a mobile device/app

Manage and support multiple locations

Online calendar of upcoming events/activities viewable to members and visitors

Outlet for members and visitors to submit donations electronically

Accept, record, and reconcile financial transactions

Adjust communications based on previous interactions or personal preferences

Create playlists of content and media types & manage the distribution of those playlists to display screens

Track commitments to donate in the future

Upload, track, and submit receipts in a central database

Manage and track recurring gifts

Automated process of charging customers at regular intervals for repeated access or use of a product or service

Oversee and coordinate the registration of attendees, visitors, customers, events, activities, etc.

Timed notification for any upcoming task, deadline, appointment, or activity

Collection, analysis, and representation of numerical data and generation of reports to understand various patterns

View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data

Set & manage permission levels based on user roles and restrict access to only authorized individuals

Plan availability and assign specific time slots for tasks and resources

Search and filter data across systems to locate required information by entering keywords or certain criteria

Organize members and schedule recurring small group meetings

Send messages via SMS

Create, save, and re-purpose templates for emails, forms, etc.

Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes

Track and interpret metrics on the usage of company resources

Track visitors and purpose of visits

It gives you powerful tools to schedule, track, and communicate with volunteers. Users think the system’s scheduling, availability tracking, and bulk communication make managing large teams efficient, though some wish for improved tracking of service frequency across roles.

Built-in website builder or integration with third-party site

With this capability, you can organize every aspect of worship services, from scheduling teams to structuring music and sermon flow. Reviewers appreciate the flexibility, ease of use, integrated music database, and seamless coordination, especially with integrations like ProPresenter and CCLI.

Get Advice

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Features

4.5 (1,135)

4.5

Based on 1,135 reviews

## Pricing

Value for money

4.5 (795)

Free Trial

Free Version

[View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/76708/Planning-Center/pricing/)

Services

$0.00

It includes:

-   Calendar Subscription
-   Household Scheduling
-   Integrations
-   Latest Product Update
-   Media Library
-   Mobile App
-   Permission Levels
-   Rehearsal Tools
-   Reporting
-   Stage Layouts
-   Volunteer Scheduling
-   Worship Planning

Check-ins

$0.00

It includes:

-   Checkistrations
-   Communication
-   CSV Import
-   Fast and Smooth
-   Flexible Setup
-   Latest Product Update
-   Promote Grades
-   Reports
-   Safe and Secure
-   Safe Volunteers
-   Volunteer Check-in

Giving

$0.00

It includes:

-   Connected Donor Profiles
-   Cover Processing Fees
-   Deposit Checks Remotely
-   Disable Credit Card
-   Export Data
-   Flexible Donation Options
-   Insightful Donation Data
-   Integrations
-   Latest Product Update
-   Protect Donor Data

Groups

$0.00

It includes:

-   Create Opportunity
-   Cultivate Commitment
-   Group Photos
-   Latest Product Update
-   Open Signups
-   Private Groups

Registrations

$0.00

It includes:

-   Collect and Organize the Information You Need From Attendees.
-   Coordinate Attendees
-   Early Bird Discounts
-   Latest Product Update
-   Permission Levels
-   Reports
-   Simplify Signups

Value for money

4.5 (795)

4.5

Based on 795 reviews

## Integrations

[

Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/)[

Stripe](https://www.capterra.com/p/123889/Stripe/)[

ProPresenter](https://www.capterra.com/p/170172/ProPresenter/)[

Clearstream](https://www.capterra.com/p/158103/Clearstream/)[

Aware3](https://www.capterra.com/p/143192/Aware3/)[

MediaShout](https://www.capterra.com/p/140318/MediaShout/)[

Checkr](https://www.capterra.com/p/177814/Checkr/)[

Text In Church](https://www.capterra.com/p/142758/Text-In-Church/)

Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation

Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs.

## Support, customer service and training options

Customer Service

4.6 (728)

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Deployment

-   Web
-   Android
-   iPhone/iPad

Typical users

-   Freelancers
-   Small businesses
-   Mid size businesses
-   Enterprises

Customer Service

4.6 (728)

4.6

Based on 728 reviews

## User reviews

Overall rating

4.7

Based on 1,138 reviews

Filter by rating

5(848)

4(249)

3(39)

2(2)

1(0)

Mentioned topic

Sorted by most recent

PG

Paula G.

Admin

Religious Institutions

### "Highly Recommend Planning Center"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

May 14, 2026

Overall, my experience with Planning Center has been very positive! It allows me to complete administrative tasks in a timely, organized way, allowing me to be most effective. When I've encountered issues, they respond quickly and thoroughly.

Pros

Planning Center has a very user-friendly interface. It integrates well with other programs (i.e. MailChimp), which enables users to be more effective in administrative tasks. There are several modules in Planning Center, which allows users to pick and choose what they desire to utilize the program for, including donations, emails, CRM database + member management, scheduling events (including volunteer schedule/event timeline and room/resource requests), and event registration for attendees. They have great customer support, providing timely answers to specific questions, as well as a database of videos and articles on specific topics. There is even an app for the admin-side of the program, as well as an app for the customer-side (event signup, etc.). It's primarily designed for churches, although I'm sure other non-profits could utilize it as well. When a user understands the options available, it can be a powerful program in comparison to the monthly cost. When compared with other programs, Planning Center seems to have great value for the cost, with the abilities it includes. It's also great because users can customize which level they want for each module of Planning Center, giving a greater ability to cut back on potential product costs.

Cons

Sometimes specific features aren't available that I would like. They are open to feedback for future updates, but don't always incorporate feedback. For instance, I've asked about including a "signature" feature on their forms (for parental consent, for example), but the still haven't updated for this feature. Also, while the cost is not unreasonable, each module only has specific levels available for each cost. Moving from the each level seems to have a large increase in capacity (i.e. number of attendees allowed) and somewhat high jump in cost. For instance, the Registration Module allows for 150 registrants at $69/month, but then jumps to 400 registrants at $115/month. It would be helpful to have more options in-between 150 and 400.

Switched from

[ACTIVE Network](https://www.capterra.com/p/221947/ACTIVE-Network/)

[FellowshipOne](https://www.capterra.com/p/230779/Fellowship-One/)

Previous products were outdated, not user friendly, and segmented. Planning Center integrated across ministries and the abilities were much more user friendly and powerful.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Amber M.

Owner

Design

### "The GOAT of Church Management Software!"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

March 6, 2026

Planning Center is a highly effective tool for church management. It is easy enough that attendees can use it, while also being complex enough that the administrative team can do many things with it.

Pros

Planning Center is the GOAT of all church administration software. There is a reason nearly every church or ministry uses them, and it's because it's highly functional, has many useful add-ons, and keeps things organized. On another note, the customer service team has always been helpful and kind in my experience. That goes a long way when you're stuck on a problem!

Cons

Would love to see more forward-thinking design. It is hard to find where you're scheduled to serve in the Church Center app/website. That design could be more effective, as well, having a calendar showing or something. I'd like to see my confirmed dates more prominently displayed.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AH

Andy H.

Associate Pastor of Worship

Religious Institutions

### "This is the worship planning software you are looking for."

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

February 25, 2026

I have been a faithful customer since 2011. Several companies have tried to duplicate what Planning Center does, and no one can come close in my opinion. Design is top notch, customer service is responsive, and the features are so very helpful to me. This software is the lifeblood behind the administrative tasks in the ministry I oversee.

Pros

Planning Center is the most robust, powerful, intuitive, and helpful way to plan worship services, organize team members, and communicate across ministries in our church. I love how the team is always innovating and listening to customers!

Cons

There is honestly not much to dislike! Of course, we all wish everything was cheaper. There may be a few UI things that could improve on their apps, but for the most part, this is some of the best software I engage with daily.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

RT

Robert T.

Pastor

Religious Institutions

### "Church-wide rollout is a success...mostly."

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

3.0

3.0

Features

3.0

3.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

February 9, 2026

On the whole, this is still a good product that allows for a lot of leadership and administrative tasks. We've found usage for lots of tasks.

Pros

Since my original review, we've rolled out Planning Center church-wide (previously, we'd only used it for leadership tasks). Overall, this has been good and helpful for our congregation; we can communicate easily with the whole church, online giving, event planning, and other activities are beneficial. The program is intuitive - to a point. Some of the back-end work takes some effort to figure out, but there are good resources available to help learn the product.

Cons

The biggest drawback we've found is the directory. Every person must opt-in to have their information public, and there is no option to change that. This has proven to be difficult - we've gotten a lot of people to adopt this, but it's not always been easy. And, for some users it's proven too technically difficult. There are a few glitches that we've noticed among users, depending on which OS they use. So church-wide rollout wasn't quite as smooth as I would have liked.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

MB

Matt B.

Interim Worship Leader

Religious Institutions

### "The Obvious Choice for Sunday Morning Team Planning"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

January 2, 2026

There's a reason Planning Center Services is so ubiquitous in the church world. It's extremely effective in helping to organize your teams and help them prepare each week. They've continued to add more features over the years, and it's only gotten better with each new release.

Pros

It's extremely effective in scheduling volunteers for Sunday mornings and for equipping them with the resources they need to prepare the week before.

Cons

While it's a very capable and powerful platform, this can also be a little overwhelming for a first time user in regards to choice fatigue.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

IS

Isaac S.

Communications Director

Religious Institutions

### "Planning Center is Highly Effective, but Highly Expensive"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

October 2, 2025

It's occasionally confusing to set up certain steps/flows, but once the initial startup process is done, it's fairly hands-off to allow the forms and flows to run themselves week in and week out. Reliable software for managing members.

Pros

Helps us track our attendees, schedule volunteers and service positions, and allows us to safely and effectively sign-in children and students in-lieu of a headcount.

Cons

Price is significantly higher than it ought to be, simply because they can get away with it. There isn't a ton of high-quality competition in this space, so P.C. can get away with charging what it does.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Response from Vendor

October 7, 2025

Hi Isacc, Thank you for the review. I understand you have some reservations about our pricing. We shared a bit more here as to why our pricing did increase, and we are happy to discuss it. Click the '?' icon in the upper-right corner of the screen when you are viewing your List. Send us a message, and our team will be sure to share more. Thank you!

DD

Duane D.

Pastor

Religious Institutions

### "Excellent Church Software"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

September 18, 2025

A wonderful cloud-based software that accurately keeps all records of our church membership. Our staff love it and use it regularly at church or on the go!

Pros

Planning Center is a great resource for our church. It is easy to use, has many great features, and is cloud based meaning it can be used anywhere. The apps that accompany it are just as intuitive and user friendly!

Cons

Planning Center sometimes doesn’t recognize a name or email and will create a new profile. We’ve had several duplicates - some are easy fixes and others are more complicated if they are using the giving feature.

Switched from

[Shepherd's Staff](https://www.capterra.com/p/10027639/Shepherds-Staff/)

The other software just wasn’t doing all we needed it to do

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Response from Vendor

September 30, 2025

Hi Duane! Thank you for your kind words! You mentioned having a bit of trouble with logs in and duplicate profiles. Our Support Team is a great resource for help in that area. Hit the '?' icon in the upper-right of the screen when you are looking at your List. Please send us a message and our team will jump in to help!

Jennifer A.

Connections Pastor

Religious Institutions

### "Planning Center Highly Recommend"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

August 7, 2025

Excellent overall experience in tracking attendance, visitors, and check-ins. The workflows help keep me on track with activities that need to be done.

Pros

Planning Center is a All In One Church Management System - it does so many things but it can do it all in one spot

Cons

It does so much that you almost do not know where to begin - the training videos are useful to help navigate

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AN

Alicia N.

Teacher

Education Management

### "Good outweighs bad!!"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

August 3, 2025

The good experiences definitely outweigh the bad. It’s a great app that makes things much easier in life!!

Pros

It’s very helpful for our church worship band! We have loved how it helps us manage schedules and team organization! Even just simply for just to have songs on planning center is helpful!

Cons

Probably how inconsistent song edits can be. If I want to change a key of a song, it is sometimes more of a hassle to even try. Maybe it’s improved lately but last I used it, it would just not update my changes. Also, using 2 apps in one can be a pain. Music stand and planning center. It would be nice to have everything work together.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

KA

Kylee A.

Communications Director

Religious Institutions

### "A GREAT resource for small-medium sizes Churches"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

August 3, 2025

Overall it’s a helpful tool for our church with a lot of great features. It’s much more user friendly than other software’s we’ve tried. The database includes more profiles than we would like.

Pros

I like how many features it has to be fully customizable for your church’s needs. Every staff members can find it helpful in their area of ministry.

Cons

It is difficult to keep the people database under control due to the automatic creation of profiles anytime anyone downloads the app, fills out a form, registers for an event, etc.

Switched from

[Pushpay](https://www.capterra.com/p/142580/Pushpay/)

We switched from CCB (church community builder) to Planning Center because it’s more user friendly and provides more features

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

[View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/76708/Planning-Center/reviews/)

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