Elvanto vs Planning Center

Daxko Operations

StarChapter

Mindbody

Complete operations software for member-based nonprofits - integrating programs, billing, and check-ins in one secure system.

StarChapter is an association management software for local chapters, combining membership management, website content, event registration and email marketing

Mindbody offers business management software for spas, salons, gyms, wellness practitioners and other class and appointment-based businesses.

Teacher

We no longer promote this as a main method to tithe remotely, but still have it as an option for those that choose.

Elvanto is an easy-to-use cloud-based church management software and service planning solution for churches of all sizes, all for one simple price.

Access Controls/Permissions

Accounting Integration

Activity Dashboard

Alerts/Notifications

Application Management

Attendance Tracking

Child Check-in

Committee Management

Communication Management

Contact Database

Contact Management

Credit Card Processing

Customizable Branding

Customizable Forms

Customizable Reports

Data Import/Export

Donation Management

Email Management

Email Marketing

Event Calendar

Event Management

Event Scheduling

Forms Management

For Religious Organizations

Member Communication

Member Database

Member Directory

Member Portal

Membership Management

Membership Renewals

Member Types

Mobile Access

Mobile App

Multi-Location

Online Calendar

Online Giving

Payment Processing

Pledge Management

Registration Management

Reminders

Reporting & Statistics

Role-Based Permissions

Search/Filter

Small Group Management

SMS Messaging

Third-Party Integrations

Visitor Tracking

Volunteer Management

Website Management

Worship Planning

Elvanto

Web-based

iPhone

Android

iPad

Tithely Church Management

Planning Center

Church Management + Giving

Church Management + Giving + Custom App

Lead Pastor

Very positive; we originally moved to Elvanto from another church database management system because of cost and the excellent customer service Elvanto provided; this was in the early years of Elvanto starting up.

You have to get a third party messaging system in order to send text messages in Elvanto.

Treasurer

The giving integration with Tithe.ly that was only one-way was a source of irritation.

The messaging is not compatible with its partner software tithe.ly.

Bookkeeper 

You can plan your worship service. And so much more.

Office Administrator and Bookkeeper

It seems as though, since being purchased by Tithe.ly that the suite is being put on the back burner in terms of development.   

Attendant

I don't like that it's a little bit difficult to understand, in some cases you don't know what you need to do to use in a right way the functions or the tools that the software provides you

It's a massive suite that does a whole lot and it works for the most part, but it has some quirks.  

IT Director

Every time, I’ve been able to adjust the program to match what was requested.

It’s been fun to dig into the product and feel like we got a custom setup for our church.

Administrator

I wish that the login process was more clear, especially coming from an outside source like Tithely.).

This is not the product for you if you need a simple deployment or don’t like software.

I wish it had a more modern looking/feeling interface.

I like Elvanto and have become accustomed to it's size and quirks.  

Associate Pastor

It helps us to keep track of forms, statistics and contact information.

Vice President 

Our congregation uses it weekly. Once you download the app on your phone, it is a fast and convenient way to make an offering.

Fees. When giving to the church should be from the heart, yet planned out within your budget, it stinks that you pay 2.9% + $.30 per transaction?!

Members of our congregation have been given this option for their offerings for over a year.

So either the church gets duped or the giver.

Communications Director

It's been a great experience for our church.

Church Management

Email and SMS

Customization

Bugs and Issues

Contact Tracking

Congregation Management

Integrations

Team Management

Child Check-In

Ease of Use

Small Business

Large Enterprises

Freelancers

Mid-size Business

Tithe.ly

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.



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 

Activity Tracking

Attendance Management

Campaign Planning

Catalog Management

Collaboration Tools

Configurable Workflow

Content Library

Content Management

Customizable Fields

Customizable Templates

Document Management

Document Storage

Donation Tracking

Donor Management

Drag & Drop

Electronic Payments

Email Templates

Event Ticketing

For Nonprofits

Gift Matching Management

Historical Trend Analysis

Image Library

Media Library

Mobile Giving

Personalization

Playlist Management

Receipt Management

Recurring Giving

Recurring/Subscription Billing

Reporting/Analytics

Scheduling

Summary Reports

Template Management

Usage Tracking/Analytics

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).

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.

ChurchStaq

Realm

WorshipPlanning.com

FellowshipOne

Pushpay

ShelbyNext Membership

Rock RMS

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.

Elvanto vs Planning Center Comparison (2026)

Elvanto

Planning Center

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives