Why Look for a Church Center Giving Alternative?
Planning Center Giving, accessed through the Church Center app, delivers the lowest transaction fees in the church giving market with a clean interface that reflects Planning Center's design philosophy. For churches already in the Planning Center stack, adding Giving feels effortless. But several limitations push churches toward alternatives that fill gaps Planning Center deliberately leaves open.
No text-to-give. Despite being one of the most requested features, Planning Center Giving does not offer SMS text-to-give. Churches that promote giving during services via "Text GIVE to..." need a different platform or a supplementary service for this common giving channel.
stack dependency. Planning Center Giving's greatest strength is its integration with Planning Center People, Groups, Services, and Check-Ins. But this integration becomes a limitation for churches not fully committed to the Planning Center stack. As a standalone giving tool, Church Center Giving lacks the features and flexibility that dedicated giving platforms provide.
No custom branded app. Church Center is a shared app where your church appears alongside thousands of others. While the experience is clean, churches wanting their own branded presence in the App Store and Google Play need a different platform. The shared app model limits how deeply your church's identity shows in the mobile giving experience.
Limited donor development tools. Planning Center Giving tracks donations and generates statements, but it lacks advanced donor analytics. No lapsed donor identification, no generosity benchmarking, no giving trend predictions, no donor conversion optimization. Churches focused on growing their giving culture intentionally need deeper insights.
Basic giving customization. The donation forms are clean but offer limited customization compared to platforms that let churches control every aspect of the giving experience, from visual design to engagement sequences to post-donation communication flows.
If your church needs text-to-give, a custom branded app, advanced donor analytics, or a platform that works independently of Planning Center, these alternatives provide capabilities that Church Center Giving was not designed to deliver.
What to Consider When Switching from Church Center Giving
Planning Center's stack integration means switching the giving module affects how data flows across your church operations.
stack impact assessment. If your church uses Planning Center for People, Services, Groups, and Check-Ins, switching Giving to an external platform breaks the unified data model. Donor records will no longer automatically connect to attendance, group membership, and service involvement. Evaluate whether the benefits of a new giving platform outweigh the loss of integrated data. A structured onboarding process helps staff adapt to managing data across two systems.
Transaction fee comparison at volume. Planning Center Giving's 2.15% plus $0.30 card rate and 0.80% plus $0.05 ACH rate are the lowest in the market. Any replacement platform with higher rates will cost more per transaction. Model the total annual cost difference at your actual giving volume before switching.
Recurring donor migration. Export recurring donor schedules and giving history from Planning Center. Communicate the transition to donors and provide clear instructions for re-establishing recurring gifts on the new platform. Use an evaluation checklist to ensure complete data migration.
Statement continuity. Planning Center generates automated year-end giving statements. Verify your replacement platform handles statement generation or plan to maintain Planning Center records for historical statements.
Partial versus full migration. Some churches keep Planning Center for management and switch only the giving component. Others switch everything at once. Evaluate which approach minimizes disruption for your staff and congregation.
10 Best Church Center Giving Alternatives
These platforms serve churches that need text-to-give, branded apps, advanced analytics, or independence from the Planning Center stack.
Tool Pricing Best For Tithe.ly Free plan available; paid from $49 to $99/mo Small to mid-size churches (50 to 500 members) wanting an affordable all-in-one Pushpay No free plan; paid from $199 to $799 Mid-size to large churches (500 to 10,000+ members) willing to invest premium Subsplash Giving Contact for pricing Mid-size to large churches (300 to 5,000+ members) that want a premium branded Givelify Contact for pricing Small to mid-size churches that prioritize the simplest possible donor EasyTithe From $0 to $49/mo Small to mid-size churches (under 500 members) wanting text-to-give at a budget Vanco Giving Contact for pricing Mid-size to large churches with high ACH giving volume, mainline denominations Donorbox Free plan available; paid from $1,000/mo Churches running capital campaigns, mission projects Breeze ChMS (Giving) From $72 to $100/mo Small to mid-size churches (50 to 500 members) that want giving with Stripe (for Churches) Contact for pricing Technically capable churches with development resources wanting Church PayPal (for Churches) Contact for pricing Churches prioritizing donor convenience, international congregations
Tithe.ly
Overview
Tithe.ly provides the broadest all-in-one church technology platform at budget pricing, covering giving, church apps, websites, ChMS, and streaming under one roof. For churches that found Church Center Giving's limited scope frustrating, Tithe.ly delivers text-to-give, a custom app builder, and church management tools that Planning Center's giving module does not include.
The free giving tier provides a zero-cost entry point comparable to Planning Center Giving's free module, while paid tiers enable capabilities that Planning Center requires separate vendors to address.
Core Capabilities
- Online giving with embeddable donation forms
- Mobile giving app (branded or Tithe.ly-branded)
- Text-to-give via SMS keywords
- Recurring giving with automated scheduling
- In-lobby giving kiosk mode
- Custom church app builder
- Church website builder with integrated giving
- Church management (ChMS) with people database
- Streaming and media tools
- Donor management with giving reports and engagement scoring capabilities
Standout Strength
Broadest all-in-one stack at budget pricing, with SMS giving included. App builder, website, ChMS, and media tools are available under one subscription at a total cost comparable to what Planning Center charges for individual modules.
Best For
Small to mid-size churches (50 to 500 members) wanting an affordable all-in-one platform with text-to-give and app builder that Church Center Giving does not provide.
Pricing Overview
- Free tier for giving only (transaction fees apply)
- Plus plans at $49 to $99 per month
- Pro plans at $149 to $199 per month for the full suite
- Card transaction fees: 2.9% plus $0.30
- ACH at reduced rates (1%)
Limitations
- Higher transaction fees than Church Center Giving (2.9% vs 2.15% for cards).
- Individual features lack the polish of dedicated platforms.
- Customer support consistency is a frequent concern.
Quick Comparison Insight
More features and text-to-give versus Church Center Giving, but higher transaction fees and less polished design.
Pushpay
Overview
Pushpay sits at the premium end of the church giving market, built around recurring donation adoption. Its donor development layer goes beyond transaction processing: lapsed donor identification flags members whose giving has dropped off, giving analytics surface trends over time, and conversion flows are designed to move one-time givers toward recurring schedules. These capabilities generate real return at sufficient giving volume, but the pricing model reflects that ambition.
The custom branded church app provides a complete mobile experience under your church's brand, addressing Church Center's shared app limitation.
Core Capabilities
- Mobile-first giving with optimized donor conversion flows
- Custom branded church app with full engagement features
- Recurring giving management with retention optimization
- Text-to-give via SMS keywords
- Donor development tools with lapsed donor identification
- Generosity benchmarking and giving analytics
- In-venue giving kiosks
- Push notifications for targeted community engagement campaigns
- Batch processing with detailed financial reporting
- CCB ChMS integration for unified member and donor data
Standout Strength
Highest recurring giving adoption rates in the industry. Pushpay's donor conversion engineering produces 60 to 80%+ recurring giving rates versus Church Center Giving's standard experience. For large churches, the advanced analytics and donor development tools deliver ROI that Church Center's basic reporting cannot match.
Best For
Mid-size to large churches (500 to 10,000+ members) willing to invest premium pricing for measurable giving growth and advanced donor analytics.
Pricing Overview
- Custom contract-based pricing starting at $199 to $799+ per month
- Transaction fees typically 1.5% to 2.5% depending on contract
- Multi-year contracts (2 to 3 years) are standard
- No free tier or trial available
Limitations
- Dramatically more expensive than Church Center Giving's free module.
- Multi-year contracts versus Church Center's month-to-month model.
- Advanced features only generate ROI at scale (500+ members).
Quick Comparison Insight
Premium donor analytics and branded apps that Church Center Giving does not offer, but at exponentially higher cost with contract commitments.
Subsplash Giving
Overview
Subsplash specializes in custom-branded church apps, with giving built directly into the mobile experience alongside sermons, groups, and events. Churches get their own presence in the App Store and Google Play rather than appearing as one listing inside a shared platform. The giving flow inside that app matches the polish of the overall experience.
The giving experience rivals Church Center's clean design while the app quality provides the branded presence that the shared Church Center app cannot deliver.
Core Capabilities
- Custom branded church app (iOS and Android) with integrated giving
- Online giving with custom branded donation pages
- Text-to-give via SMS keywords
- Recurring giving with flexible scheduling
- In-app giving with smooth donor experience
- Media hosting for sermons and video content
- Push notifications for engagement and giving campaigns
- Giving kiosk support for in-venue donations
- Donor management with giving analytics
- Website integration with embeddable giving widgets
Standout Strength
leading custom church app with giving and SMS giving built in. The branded mobile presence and app quality are the headline differentiators here, the giving features are strong, but they serve the broader app experience rather than standing alone.
Best For
Mid-size to large churches (300 to 5,000+ members) that want a premium branded mobile app with giving, text-to-give, and media in one polished experience.
Pricing Overview
- Giving-only plans available at lower cost tiers
- App plus giving bundles at $99 to $399+ per month
- Card transaction fees: 2.3% to 2.9% plus $0.30
- ACH at 1% or lower
- Typically annual contracts for app plans
Limitations
- Higher transaction fees than Church Center Giving.
- Premium pricing exceeds Planning Center's free giving module.
- Value proposition strongest with the app bundle, not giving alone.
Quick Comparison Insight
Branded apps and text-to-give that Church Center lacks, with comparable design quality, but at premium pricing versus Planning Center's free module.
Givelify
Overview
Givelify operates as a donor-facing giving marketplace. Donors download a single app, search for any church in the directory, and give in a few taps, no church-specific app or link required. The directory model creates a passive discovery channel: new donors browsing nearby churches can find your congregation without a direct referral.
The zero monthly fee model provides a risk-free alternative that costs nothing until donations are processed, matching Church Center Giving's free module economics.
Core Capabilities
- Donor-facing mobile app with church search and discovery
- Online giving through web portal
- Recurring giving with automated scheduling
- Virtual giving envelopes for designated funds
- Real-time giving dashboard for administrators
- Donor giving history and personal tax receipts
- QuickBooks integration for accounting
- Near-instant setup with minimal configuration
- Multi-faith support across denominations
- Next-business-day deposit processing
Standout Strength
A donor marketplace with minimal setup friction. Givelify provides a discovery channel where new donors can locate your church without a direct link or referral, which no other platform on this list offers.
Best For
Small to mid-size churches that prioritize the simplest possible donor experience, diverse congregations, and churches wanting zero monthly fees with zero commitment.
Pricing Overview
- Zero monthly subscription fee
- Card transactions: 2.9% plus $0.30
- ACH: 1% plus $0.30
- No contracts, cancel anytime
- Donor-covers-fees option available
Limitations
- Higher transaction fees than Church Center Giving.
- No church management integration.
- Church branding is subordinate to the Givelify brand.
Quick Comparison Insight
Simpler donor experience and discovery marketplace versus Church Center's stack approach, but higher fees and no management integration.
EasyTithe
Overview
EasyTithe delivers straightforward online giving with text-to-give in under 30 minutes. For churches whose primary frustration with Church Center Giving is the lack of text-to-give, EasyTithe provides that specific capability at a budget price point without requiring a full platform switch.
As part of the Ministry Brands stack, EasyTithe integrates with ShelbyNext and CCB, offering churches an alternative management integration path outside Planning Center.
Core Capabilities
- Customizable online giving pages
- Mobile-optimized giving experience
- Text-to-give via SMS keywords
- Recurring giving with automated scheduling
- In-lobby giving kiosk support
- Embeddable giving widget for existing websites
- Donor management with giving statements
- Ministry Brands stack integration
- Batch processing for cash and check donations
- Year-end tax statement generation
Standout Strength
SMS giving at the lowest setup complexity and most accessible price on this list. EasyTithe is designed for churches that want text-to-give running in an afternoon without committing to a broad platform change.
Best For
Small to mid-size churches (under 500 members) wanting text-to-give at a budget price, especially those using Ministry Brands management products.
Pricing Overview
- Basic plans starting at $0 to $49 per month
- Standard plans at $59 to $99 with text-to-give
- Card transaction fees: 2.9% plus $0.30
- ACH at reduced rates
- Donor-covers-fees option available
Limitations
- Higher transaction fees than Church Center Giving.
- Giving-only platform with no management stack.
- Basic reporting compared to Planning Center's integrated analytics.
Quick Comparison Insight
Text-to-give that Church Center lacks at budget pricing, but higher fees and no stack integration.
Vanco Giving
Overview
Vanco provides the only ACH processing fees in the church giving market that compete with Planning Center Giving's rates. For churches where bank transfer donations represent the majority of giving, Vanco's ACH-optimized pricing delivers comparable or lower total cost despite higher card rates.
Traditional and mainline denominations with established ACH giving programs find Vanco's fee structure matches Church Center Giving's cost efficiency for their specific giving mix.
Core Capabilities
- Online giving with web-based donation pages
- Mobile giving through Vanco Mobile Faith app
- Text-to-give via SMS keywords
- Recurring giving with flexible scheduling
- ACH and electronic fund transfer processing (core strength)
- In-venue giving kiosks and card terminals
- Batch processing for cash and check deposits
- GivePlus branded giving stack
- Detailed financial reporting and fund tracking
- Year-end giving statements with learning analytics for giving patterns
Standout Strength
Competitive ACH processing with text-to-give included. Vanco charges 0.75% plus $0.25 for bank transfers and includes text-to-give, addressing Church Center Giving's two biggest gaps: SMS giving and competitive ACH rates for high-volume churches.
Best For
Mid-size to large churches with high ACH giving volume, mainline denominations, and finance teams prioritizing low transaction costs with text-to-give.
Pricing Overview
- Monthly fees: $0 to $50 depending on plan
- Card processing: 2.75% plus $0.45 per transaction
- ACH processing: 0.75% plus $0.25
- Volume-based rate reductions available
- Some plans have annual contracts
Limitations
- Card processing fees are significantly higher than Church Center Giving.
- User interface feels dated compared to Planning Center's clean design.
- No stack integration comparable to Planning Center's unified platform.
Quick Comparison Insight
Competitive ACH rates and text-to-give versus Church Center's lower card rates and no text-to-give. Best for ACH-heavy churches needing SMS giving.
Donorbox
Overview
Donorbox provides flexible donation tools extending beyond standard church tithing into peer-to-peer fundraising, crowdfunding, and campaign-based giving. Where Church Center Giving handles regular weekly donations, Donorbox supports building campaigns, mission trip fundraising, and capital campaigns alongside everyday giving.
The platform provides fundraising versatility that Church Center Giving's tithing-focused design does not offer, serving churches with fundraising needs beyond the collection plate.
Core Capabilities
- Embeddable donation forms with custom branding
- Recurring giving with flexible scheduling
- Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns
- Crowdfunding pages for special projects
- Text-to-give functionality
- Multiple payment processor options (Stripe, PayPal)
- Donor management with CRM features
- Customizable giving pages and pop-up forms
- Multi-currency international giving support
- Automated tax receipts and statements
Standout Strength
Fundraising versatility beyond standard weekly giving, with SMS giving included. Donorbox handles capital campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising, and crowdfunding alongside recurring tithing, giving patterns that a standard church giving platform is not built to support.
Best For
Churches running capital campaigns, mission projects, or community fundraising alongside regular giving, and organizations needing flexible fundraising beyond standard weekly tithing.
Pricing Overview
- Free plan for basic features (up to $1,000 per month)
- Standard plan at $45 per month
- Pro plan with advanced features at higher tiers
- Transaction fees via Stripe or PayPal rates
- No long-term contracts
Limitations
- Higher transaction fees than Church Center Giving.
- Not designed specifically for church giving workflows.
- No ChMS or stack integration.
Quick Comparison Insight
Fundraising flexibility and text-to-give that Church Center lacks, at higher transaction costs with no stack integration.
Breeze ChMS (Giving)
Overview
Breeze includes giving alongside church management at a predictable flat rate. For churches that want Planning Center's integrated giving-plus-management approach but find Planning Center's module pricing complex or the stack too extensive, Breeze provides the same concept with dramatically simpler pricing and the most user-friendly interface in church technology.
The giving module includes text-to-give, addressing Church Center Giving's most notable gap, while the flat rate eliminates training costs associated with understanding complex pricing models.
Core Capabilities
- Online giving with branded donation forms
- Text-to-give functionality
- Recurring donations with automated scheduling
- Contribution tracking with fund management
- Batch entry for cash and check donations
- Donor statements and year-end tax receipts
- Giving reports and analytics dashboards
- Integrated with Breeze member database
- Mobile-responsive giving experience
- Donor-covers-fees option
Standout Strength
SMS giving and full church management under one flat-rate subscription. Breeze bundles the giving module with a member database, contribution tracking, and reporting at a single predictable monthly price, no per-module charges, no usage tiers.
Best For
Small to mid-size churches (50 to 500 members) that want giving with text-to-give and management in one simple, affordable platform.
Pricing Overview
- Flat rate at $72 to $100 per month (includes all features)
- Standard processing fees apply
- No module charges or per-feature pricing
- No long-term contracts
- Unlimited users and records
Limitations
- Higher transaction fees than Church Center Giving.
- Less capable ChMS than Planning Center for larger churches.
- No custom church app or media hosting.
Quick Comparison Insight
Text-to-give and simpler pricing versus Church Center Giving's lower fees and deeper stack. Better for small churches wanting straightforward integrated management.
Stripe (for Churches)
Overview
Stripe provides the payment infrastructure that powers many church giving platforms including elements of Tithe.ly and others. Using Stripe directly gives churches the lowest possible ACH processing costs, matching Church Center Giving's competitive rates without being tied to any church platform stack.
For technically capable churches wanting Church Center-level fees without the Planning Center dependency, Stripe direct implementation provides comparable cost efficiency with complete data privacy control and customization freedom.
Core Capabilities
- Payment processing for cards and ACH transfers
- Recurring payment scheduling via Stripe Billing
- Custom donation forms through Stripe Elements
- Invoicing for pledge management
- Detailed financial reporting and analytics
- Webhook integrations for automated workflows
- Multi-currency international payment support
- PCI-compliant payment infrastructure
- Developer API for custom integrations
- Volume-based pricing for high-volume processors
Standout Strength
Comparable ACH rates to Church Center Giving with complete independence from any church platform. Stripe's 0.80% ACH rate matches Planning Center's, while giving churches full control over their giving experience design.
Best For
Technically capable churches with development resources wanting Church Center-level rates without the Planning Center stack requirement.
Pricing Overview
- No monthly subscription fee
- Standard card processing: 2.9% plus $0.30
- ACH processing: 0.80% with $5 cap per transaction
- Volume discounts available
- Custom pricing for large organizations
Limitations
- No church-specific features, donor management, or giving statements.
- Requires technical implementation.
- No text-to-give, church app, or branded giving experience.
Quick Comparison Insight
Comparable ACH rates to Church Center Giving with no stack dependency, but requires technical capability and provides zero church-specific functionality.
PayPal (for Churches)
Overview
PayPal provides universal donor recognition that eliminates the setup friction associated with any new giving platform. Nearly every potential donor already has a PayPal account. Combined with Venmo integration for younger donors and QR code giving for in-service donations, PayPal offers a supplementary giving channel that works alongside or instead of Church Center Giving.
Staff onboarding is minimal because most donors and administrators already use PayPal in their personal finances. No new account creation, no unfamiliar interface, no training materials required.
Core Capabilities
- Donation buttons and embeddable giving forms
- PayPal Checkout with familiar donor experience
- Recurring donation scheduling
- PayPal.me links for simple sharing
- Venmo integration for younger donors
- QR code giving for in-service donations
- Donor email receipts and records
- Multi-currency international payment support
- Mobile and desktop payment processing
- Universal website platform compatibility
Standout Strength
Universal brand recognition with zero learning curve for donors and staff. PayPal provides a giving channel that requires no new app download, no new account creation, and no training for anyone involved.
Best For
Churches prioritizing donor convenience, international congregations, and churches wanting supplemental giving alongside a primary platform.
Pricing Overview
- No monthly subscription for basic donation features
- Standard processing: 2.89% plus $0.49 per transaction
- Nonprofit rates: 1.99% plus $0.49 for qualified organizations
- PayPal Giving Fund: 0% fees for registered charities
- No contracts required
Limitations
- Higher transaction fees than Church Center Giving.
- No church-specific donor management or giving statements.
- No recurring giving optimization tools.
Quick Comparison Insight
Zero learning curve and universal familiarity versus Church Center's lower fees and stack integration. Best as a supplemental giving channel.
Where Teachfloor Fits
The tools above handle Church Center Giving. To actually build, deliver, and manage the courses or training programs around them, you need a learning platform. Teachfloor is a flexible course and training platform: run programs self-paced, social, live, or in cohorts, with built-in community, peer review, AI course creation, certificates, and white-label branding on your own domain. It pairs well with the tools on this list, hosting and structuring the learning experience around them.
If you are choosing a home for your courses rather than a single-purpose tool, Teachfloor is worth a look. It starts at $89 per month with a 14-day free trial.
How to Choose the Right Church Center Giving Alternative
Match your selection to the specific gap in Church Center Giving that matters most.
If SMS giving is the primary gap, Tithe.ly covers it with the broadest feature set at budget pricing. EasyTithe is the fastest to set up. Breeze pairs it with integrated church management at a flat rate.
If a branded app matters, Subsplash delivers the most polished custom church app with giving. Pushpay provides premium branded apps with advanced donor analytics.
If donor development matters, Pushpay provides the deepest analytics and highest recurring giving conversion rates.
If lower ACH costs matter, Vanco provides the lowest ACH fees with text-to-give included.
If fundraising flexibility matters, Donorbox offers peer-to-peer and crowdfunding tools that Church Center does not support.
If all-in-one simplicity matters, Tithe.ly or Breeze replace Church Center plus additional vendors with one platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth switching from Church Center Giving when the fees are already the lowest?
Only if a missing feature matters enough to justify higher processing costs. Text-to-give, branded apps, and advanced donor analytics have real value, but the fee difference compounds at scale. A church processing $500,000 annually pays approximately $3,750 more per year switching from Church Center Giving's rates to a 2.9% platform.
Can I add text-to-give without replacing Church Center Giving entirely?
Yes. Some churches use a separate text-to-give service alongside Church Center Giving. However, this creates fragmented donor data and requires reconciling records between systems. Switching to a platform with native text-to-give provides a cleaner experience.
Which alternative has the closest design quality to Church Center?
Subsplash matches Church Center's design polish in the app experience. Pushpay provides comparable UX quality in the giving flow. Most other alternatives do not match Planning Center's design standards.
Should I keep Planning Center for management and only switch giving?
This is viable but creates data fragmentation. You lose the unified view of giving linked to attendance, groups, and volunteering. Many churches that switch giving find it simpler to eventually switch everything.
