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Planning Center Alternatives: 12 Options Compared, Including Free (2026)

Explore 12 alternatives to Planning Center — vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

The 12 best free Planning Center alternatives, summed up

Quick answer

If you're after a Planning Center alternative, start with Flocknote, iKnow Church and Faith Teams. Flocknote leads on SpotScore (9.2), backed by a 4.76★ rating. See how all 12 compare on score, rating, and price below.

Not every team clicks with Planning Center, and that's fine. These 12 church management software free alternatives give you real choices on price, features, and usability. We rank them by SpotScore, which combines real-user satisfaction with market presence, then layer in ratings and pricing. Scan the comparison table first, then read the detail for each pick.

ProductSpotScoreRatingPricingBest for
FlocknoteEffortless church management at your fingertips.9.2★★★★★ 4.76(264)Freefrom $8/moteams of all sizes
iKnow ChurchUnify, organize, and connect your church community.8.5★★★★★ 5(1)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
Faith TeamsEffortlessly manage your church with ease.8.4★★★★★ 5(1)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
grplifeEffortlessly manage your church with grplife.8.3★★★☆☆ 2.5(1)Freefrom $40/moteams of all sizes
Church WindowsStreamline church administration with ease.8.2★★★★☆ 3.61(10)FreeFree Trial · One-time licenseteams of all sizes
IconCMOStreamline church operations with ease and security.9.2★★★★★ 4.58(19)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
Elexio CommunityUnleash your church's potential with Elexio Community.9.2★★★★☆ 4.23(11)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
easyTitheStreamline church finances with easyTithe.9.1★★★★★ 4.6(5)FreeFree Trial · Freemium · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
Shelby SystemsEfficiently manage your church with ease.9.1★★★☆☆ 2.9(16)FreeFreemium · Subscription · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
ChurchteamsEmpowering churches to connect and grow.9.1★★★★★ 4.9(46)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
Text In ChurchEmpowering churches with modern communication solutions.8.9★★★★★ 4.76(23)FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
FellowshipOneMaximize church productivity with personalized management.8.7★★★★☆ 4.16(48)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes

9.2

SpotScore

Flocknote - Church Management Software

Flocknote

Effortless church management at your fingertips.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

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What is Flocknote?

Flocknote is church management software that makes it simple to communicate with members and non-members, track attendance and participation, send out event reminders, and much more. The app is available for the iPhone and iPad. Setup takes just minutes thanks to embedded imports for services, ...

Read more about Flocknote
Free TrialTry Free →·

Flocknote offers custom pricing plan

8.5

SpotScore

iKnow Church - Church Management Software

iKnow Church

Unify, organize, and connect your church community.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

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What is iKnow Church?

iKnow Church is platform independent and unique in that it allows churches to handle all their members and marketing needs from a single integrated database. Churches can use it to learn more about the people in their congregation, track attendance, send bulk mailings, teach any class online or ...

Read more about iKnow Church
Free TrialTry Free →

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Reach in-market buyersRank above rivals2M+ buyers a year

8.4

SpotScore

Faith Teams - Church Management Software

Faith Teams

Effortlessly manage your church with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Faith Teams?

Faith Teams is a church management software package for Windows based computers. It can be used for recording membership and attendance as well as tracking state and federal financial support. It includes all the features user will need to track members, record pledges and offerings, send ...

Read more about Faith Teams
Free Trial

8.3

SpotScore

grplife - Church Management Software

grplife

Effortlessly manage your church with grplife.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is grplife?

grplife is an easy-to-use church management software that makes church accounting a breeze and automates many routine tasks. It keeps track of member information, attendance and group meetings, contributions and pledge payments, disbursements to several accounts, budgets and pledges made for ...

Read more about grplife
Free TrialTry Free →

8.2

SpotScore

Church Windows - Church Management Software

Church Windows

Streamline church administration with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Church Windows?

Church Windows is a flexible, customizable, web-based software program that helps churches and other non-profit organizations with maintenance of their membership and attendance records, reporting and analysis, budgeting and accounting. Although this program is designed primarily for use by one ...

Read more about Church Windows
Free Trial

9.2

SpotScore

IconCMO - Church Management Software

IconCMO

Streamline church operations with ease and security.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is IconCMO?

IconCMO is church management software that helps to manage all the congregation's information in one organized place, including financials and contributions. IconCMO is a software specifically built for churches to adapt to the ever-changing world. For Church staff, volunteers, and members to ...

Read more about IconCMO
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $36/month when monthly

9.2

SpotScore

Elexio Community - Church Management Software

Elexio Community

Unleash your church's potential with Elexio Community.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Elexio Community?

Elexio Community is a church management software system designed to empower churches to organize, manage and grow their church. In an increasingly complex world, Elexio Community simplifies a church's ministry by providing customized tools, streamlined processes and insightful reports that make ...

Read more about Elexio Community
Free Trial·

Starts from $35.13/User/Month

9.1

SpotScore

easyTithe - Church Management Software

easyTithe

Streamline church finances with easyTithe.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is easyTithe?

easyTithe Church Software manages the flow of money through the church, tracks donations, allows members to fulfill pledges, monitors pledges and donations, tracks member data and many more tasks a church needs to efficiently manage money. It is a cloud based cashless system and web application ...

Read more about easyTithe
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $49/Month, also offers free forever plan

9.1

SpotScore

Shelby Systems - Church Management Software

Shelby Systems

Efficiently manage your church with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Try for Free

Add to compare

What is Shelby Systems?

Shelby is a web-based church management software. Shelby comes with a task and contact manager, donation and tithe tracking, and a searchable database to help user find member information quickly. It also has a comprehensive set of reports that can be used for any organization. The church ...

Read more about Shelby Systems

Starts from $39/Month, also offers free forever plan

9.1

SpotScore

Churchteams - Church Management Software

Churchteams

Empowering churches to connect and grow.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Churchteams?

Churchteams makes church management software that is designed to make it easy for user to run the church and manage members. Its goal is to help churches do more and communicate better. With Churchteams, user can create everything needed: websites, email database, reports, event calendars, ...

Read more about Churchteams
Free Trial·

Starts from $37/Month

8.9

SpotScore

Text In Church - Church Management Software

Text In Church

Empowering churches with modern communication solutions.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Text In Church?

Text In Church is an easy-to-use church database that runs on the Android phone. It allows user to send text alerts, polls, and emails. Plus, user can also manage the church's members with the ability to add new members, edit information, and much more. It's a cloud-based church management ...

Read more about Text In Church
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $31/Month when Billed Yearly

8.7

SpotScore

FellowshipOne - Church Management Software

FellowshipOne

Maximize church productivity with personalized management.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is FellowshipOne?

FellowshipOne is church management software that tracks visitors, members, and leaders while centralizing events, communications, and resources. It is highly customizable, letting churches configure workflows to match their specific operational needs.

Read more about FellowshipOne
Free Trial·

FellowshipOne offers custom pricing plan

The main Planning Center competitors

Buyers comparing Planning Center usually weigh it against these 12 church management software competitors, starting with Flocknote, iKnow Church and Faith Teams. Each is compared against Planning Center on rating, pricing and feature coverage below.

Sites and apps like Planning Center

Searches for "sites like Planning Center" and "apps like Planning Center" land on the same set of options as "Planning Center alternatives" — the 12 options below cover both, whether you want a like-for-like replacement or something lighter.

Why each earned a place here

Flocknote9.2Best for teams of all sizes

Supports comments on notes and flexible communication via text or email.

Watch for: Mobile app experience needs improvement.

iKnow Church8.5Best for teams of all sizes

Platform independent

Watch for: Complex setup process

Faith Teams8.4Best for teams of all sizes

Windows-based platform

Watch for: Limited customization options

grplife8.3Best for teams of all sizes

Easy to use

Watch for: Limited advanced features

Church Windows8.2Best for teams of all sizes

Customizable software

Watch for: Complex setup process

IconCMO9.2Best for teams of all sizes

Church management software that requires little training to get started.

Watch for: New users may find the richness of features complex without adequate training or support.

Elexio Community9.2Best for teams of all sizes

Intuitive and user-friendly interface for efficient data management and task tracking.

Watch for: Learning curve for newcomers transitioning to the online version.

easyTithe9.1Best for teams of all sizes

Tracks donations efficiently

Watch for: Limited reporting capabilities

Shelby Systems9.1Best for teams of all sizes

Integrated modules that work together effectively, allowing for customizable reports which are very helpful.

Watch for: Overly complex features and customizations may pose a challenge for new users without adequate support.

Churchteams9.1Best for teams of all sizes

Cloud-based platform accessible from anywhere, ensuring ease of use and quick access to help.

Watch for: Reports may require improvement for better data analysis.

Text In Church8.9Best for teams of all sizes

Enables connection via text without revealing personal cell numbers, enhancing privacy.

Watch for: Some users find the Marketplace for additional apps and connectors limiting.

FellowshipOne8.7Best for teams of all sizes

Manages contact and information databases, improving communication and workflow.

Watch for: Occasional glitches when syncing with other programs, affecting performance.

Why teams look for a Planning Center alternative

Switching away from Planning Center is usually triggered by one or more of these sticking points:

  • Mobile app glitches.
  • Requirement for registering users to have an account.
  • Lack of personalization options for fields.
  • Inability to track attendees who registered but did not attend events.

What to focus on in a Planning Center alternative

The hard numbers across these 12 church management software free alternatives: 12 offer a free tier; paid plans run $8–$40, with Flocknote the cheapest entry point; and iKnow Church is the highest rated at 5★ across 1 reviews.

The logic behind the ranking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

The top-rated alternatives to Planning Center are iKnow Church (5.0★), Faith Teams (5.0★), Churchteams (4.9★). Compare all 12 alternatives side-by-side above.

When evaluating alternatives to Planning Center, prioritize: Worship Planning, Volunteer Management, Small Group Management, Pledge Management, Online Giving, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with your existing tools. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Planning Center is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend narrowing to 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.

Deciding on the right Planning Center alternative

  • On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — Flocknote, iKnow Church and Faith Teams let you evaluate without paying upfront.
  • If real-user ratings matter most: iKnow Church has the strongest star rating (5★) among the options with verified reviews.
  • Want the safest pick: Flocknote has the highest Spotsaas Score (9.2) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

Switching from Planning Center

Replacing Planning Center is easiest when you plan the data move first. Export your records, confirm the new tool imports them, and verify your key workflows hold. Pilot the switch free, then migrate fully, keeping Planning Center open as backup until you're settled.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].