DONATION vs Planning Center

DonorPerfect

Givebutter

Tithe.ly

DonorPerfect helps nonprofits of every size streamline fundraising and centralize donor data in one flexible, all-in-one platform.
A CRM that empowers teams to collaborate, stay organized, and make data-driven decisions from anywhere, so your mission keeps moving forward.

Givebutter is a cloud-based, all-in-one fundraising platform for student organizations, sports teams, companies, and nonprofits which offers a range of tools for collecting donations online, running social peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, selling tickets to fundraising events, and more

Tithe.ly is a web & mobile based donation platform providing digital giving tools & event management features for ministries & churches of all sizes

DONATION is used by small to mid-sized churches and charities to track their donors and donations and issue receipts. With over 5,000 registered users in the USA and Canada (and fully compliant with the complex Canada Revenue Agency receipting requirements)

Contribution Tracking

Donation Management

Donation Tracking

Donor Management

Membership Management

Pledge Management

DONATION

Windows

Planning Center

Standard

Online Version

Finance Administrator

We only stopped using it because we got very large and needed to interface with Planning Center.

Envelope secretary

We get a monthly remittance from head office and all 95 donations are added seamlessly with one command.

The modification of the existing templates for receipts and letters requires a little getting used to, but is not really a major hindrance

Executive Director

Finance Manager

Maybe just add some auto formatting in the Postal Code and Phone number fields but not a big deal.

It has all the reporting features I need and comes with outstanding customer support.

Every feature it offers is reliable, updates are smooth.

I have already recommended Donation to another non-profit, which they  ultimately transitioned to.

Pastor/president 

Secretary/Treasurer

This software is so easy to use making recording and reporting tithes and offerings so quick and accurate!  

Owner

I use this program for all of my non-profit clients.

Secretary

The DONATION software is reliable, does the job it was designed for, with ease.

Bugs and Issues

Reporting

Ease of Use

Non-Profit Use

Computer Compatibility

Tax Reporting

Receipt and Tax Management

Quarterly Statements

Updates

Setup

Freelancers

Small Business

Most reviewers indicate that DONATION offers excellent value for money, highlighting its affordability and cost-effectiveness compared to other similar programs. They find the software very reasonably priced, especially for small organizations, and appreciate that it delivers essential features without high costs. Reviewers appreciate the generous licensing and say the program is both easy to use and economical. Some users report that, unlike other software that becomes expensive with upgrades, DONATION remains inexpensive while still meeting their needs. Users think the low price does not compromise the quality or usefulness of the software.

Software4Nonprofits

Clearstream

Two-way enabled mass texting, integrations with popular ChMS and other 3rd party apps, multi-management capabilities, text-to-join keywords, automated workflows with conditional logic, native apps, live polls, and dedicated short codes.



Tithely Church Management

Breeze is a cloud-based church management software designed to assist small & mid-sized churches in managing events, donations, follow-ups, volunteers, and more.

Try a free 30-day trial of Breeze today and see why more than 11,000 churches love Breeze!

ChurchTrac

ChurchTrac is a church management software with features for membership management, donation tracking, accounting, reporting and attendance management

Elder

Customer support is fast but it's hard to talk to a real person over the phone (email is their preferred support, but I would rather talk to a person personally).

Associate Pastor of Worship

Design is top notch, customer service is responsive, and the features are so very helpful to me.

Planning Center Giving helps you accept and process all donation types, track trends, and issue statements.

If your church is stuck in a contract with another provider, we'll cover your subscription for FREE for up to 12 months. Apply now at: https://www.planningcenter.com/giving/free 

Access Controls/Permissions

Activity Dashboard

Activity Tracking

Alerts/Notifications

Attendance Management

Attendance Tracking

Campaign Planning

Catalog Management

Child Check-in

Collaboration Tools

Communication Management

Configurable Workflow

Contact Database

Contact Management

Content Library

Content Management

Credit Card Processing

Customizable Fields

Customizable Forms

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Document Management

Document Storage

Drag & Drop

Electronic Payments

Email Management

Email Templates

Event Management

Event Scheduling

Event Ticketing

Forms Management

For Nonprofits

For Religious Organizations

Gift Matching Management

Historical Trend Analysis

Image Library

Media Library

Member Communication

Member Directory

Member Portal

Mobile Access

Mobile App

Mobile Giving

Multi-Location

Online Calendar

Online Giving

Payment Processing

Personalization

Playlist Management

Receipt Management

Recurring Giving

Recurring/Subscription Billing

Registration Management

Reminders

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

Role-Based Permissions

Scheduling

Search/Filter

Small Group Management

SMS Messaging

Summary Reports

Template Management

Third-Party Integrations

Usage Tracking/Analytics

Visitor Tracking

Volunteer Management

Website Management

Worship Planning

By industry, Planning Center reviewers are most commonly professionals in religious institutions (57%). The most frequent use case cited by reviewers is church management (86%).

Users and use cases

Reviewers appreciate Planning Center’s modular pricing and flexibility, and they value free core features and ongoing updates. However, some users report that costs rise quickly with more modules, and they find tiered pricing and add-on fees burdensome.

Value for money

The Planning Center integrations most frequently cited by reviewers are: ProPresenter (a church presentation product rated 4.6 out of 5 for its integration with Planning Center), Clearstream (a church management product, 5.0), and Mailchimp (an email marketing product, 4.6).

Integrations

Planning Center is a church management program with key features that include worship planning, volunteer management, mobile access, member directory, member communication, online giving, and more.

Web-based

Android

iPad

iPhone

ChurchStaq

Realm

WorshipPlanning.com

FellowshipOne

Pushpay

ShelbyNext Membership

Rock RMS

Elvanto

Servant Keeper

MinistryPlatform

Text In Church

MediaShout

Church Windows

People

Services

Check-ins

Giving

Groups

Registrations

Cumbersome navigation experience

Senior Pastor

Sometimes the navigation gets a littel cumbersome and it's hard to find exactly what you are looking for

62% of reviewers feel negative about Navigation. Users report that finding specific features or information can be confusing and time-consuming, especially for new or non-administrative users. They say the interface is sometimes clunky, with menus and options that are not always intuitive. Reviewers mention frustration with inconsistent layouts across modules and difficulties moving between sections, which can hinder productivity and require extra effort to learn.

Email communication shortcomings

Volunteer

There are times where emails notifications don't go through and then you don't know if it was the software or the person using the software.

User

Planning Center gets weird when you have the same email address associated with multiple churches.

39% of reviewers feel negative about Email Communication. Users report unreliable message delivery, limited built-in email features, and confusing formatting requirements. They mention issues with notifications not reaching recipients, difficulty managing multiple email addresses, and lack of robust tools for mass communication. Reviewers say these shortcomings can complicate coordination and sometimes require reliance on external email platforms for effective communication.

Limited mobile functionality

46% of reviewers feel negative about Mobile Access. Users say the mobile app lacks many features found in the desktop version and can be difficult to navigate. They report glitches, slow performance, and confusing layouts, making it challenging to complete tasks on the go. Reviewers indicate that some modules are not fully supported on mobile, and accessing certain settings or information can be cumbersome, especially for less tech-savvy members.

Costly tiered pricing

Pastor

The second problem is that the price can be a little daunting and can start to add up quickly when choosing different apps at their various capacities which can limit some of the churches who might have interest.

41% of reviewers feel negative about Pricing. Users express concern over the cumulative cost as additional modules and features are added, noting that the tiered pricing structure can become expensive for growing churches. They mention frustration with having to pay separately for each function, which can limit access to desired features. Reviewers feel that the pricing may be prohibitive for smaller organizations or those with fluctuating attendance.

Frequent bugs and glitches

Director, Digital Media

There is no easy way to log into Planning Center and delete multiple, old files in the system.

57% of reviewers feel negative about Bugs and Issues. Users frequently encounter slow file loading, app crashes, and system glitches, particularly during peak times like Sunday mornings. They mention problems with syncing between devices, issues with deleting or editing files, and occasional miscommunication due to errors. Reviewers find these technical problems disruptive and say they can impact the reliability of the platform during critical moments.

All-in-one church hub

General Manager

The ease of use, and all of the information in one place

100% of reviewers feel positive about Centralized Management. Users appreciate having all church operations, information, and planning consolidated in one accessible platform. They say this centralization streamlines workflows, reduces confusion, and makes it easier to coordinate across teams and locations. Reviewers indicate that keeping everything in one place enhances organization and efficiency, allowing staff and volunteers to stay aligned and prepared for services and events.

Robust attendance tracking

Assistant Director

Love all the functionalities and how you can track and keep a record of meetings, attendance, planning, etc.

94% of reviewers feel positive about Attendance and Tracking. Users find it easy to monitor attendance, manage volunteers, and keep records for events and services. They appreciate features that allow for quick check-ins, secure tracking of children, and efficient reporting. Reviewers say these tools help them stay organized, ensure everyone is accounted for, and support better planning for future activities.

Comprehensive ministry oversight

Kids Director

This product allows our church to successful run ministries, track member engagement, steward relationships and connection with people, among many other capabilities.

95% of reviewers feel positive about Ministry Management. Users report that the platform connects different ministries, facilitates communication, and reduces administrative workload. They value the ability to schedule, track engagement, and manage documents for various teams. Reviewers indicate that having customizable tools for each ministry area helps them stay organized, collaborate effectively, and focus more on ministry work rather than administrative tasks.

Communications Director

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.

Interim Worship Leader

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

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.

The user interfaces for all of their apps are intuitive, and it makes managing and communicating with our members quick and easy.

I do enjoy the customization opportunities to use specific church language, as well as the ability to use other supported platforms in combination.

DONATION vs Planning Center Comparison (2026)

DONATION

Planning Center

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives