FellowshipOne vs ShelbyNext Financials

Clearstream

Tithely Church Management

ChurchTrac

Send mass texts and emails, have two-way conversations, follow up with workflows, and create text-to-join keywords, QR codes, and more.


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

Office Manager

I hate calling support because it's so frustrating.   Unless you have someone in your office who understands databases, then don't waste your time and money.   And never ask your secretary to take on this program.  

Church management software by FellowshipOne is designed to assist churches and other related organizations with structuring and managing all aspects of daily operations, all in one cloud-based, integrated platform.

Accounting

Accounting Integration

Accounts Payable

Accounts Receivable

ACH Payment Processing

Activity Dashboard

Activity Tracking

Ad hoc Reporting

Alerts/Notifications

Asset Tracking

Attendance Management

Attendance Tracking

Bank Reconciliation

Billing & Invoicing

Budgeting/Forecasting

Built-in Accounting

Campaign Management

Campaign Planning

Cash Flow Management

Cash Management

Child Check-in

Communication Management

Compliance Management

Contact Database

Contact Management

Credit Card Processing

Customizable Branding

Customizable Fields

Customizable Forms

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Donation Management

Donation Tracking

Donor Management

Electronic Payments

Email Management

Email Marketing

Email Templates

Event Management

Event Scheduling

Event Ticketing

Financial Analysis

Financial Management

Financial Reporting

Forms Management

For Nonprofits

For Religious Organizations

Fund Accounting

General Ledger

Invoice Management

Invoice Processing

Member Communication

Member Directory

Member Portal

Membership Management

Mobile Access

Mobile Giving

Multi-Location

Online Calendar

Online Giving

Payment Processing

Payroll Management

Personalization

Pledge Management

Purchase Order Management

Real-Time Data

Real-Time Reporting

Receipt Management

Recurring Giving

Recurring/Subscription Billing

Registration Management

Reminders

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

Role-Based Permissions

Small Group Management

SMS Messaging

Social Media Integration

Summary Reports

Third-Party Integrations

Time & Expense Tracking

Transaction History

Visitor Tracking

Volunteer Management

Website Management

Worship Planning

FellowshipOne

Web-based

Android

iPhone

iPad

Planning Center

Servant Keeper

Subsplash

Basic

Outdated and unintuitive interface

85% of reviewers feel negative about Fellowship One’s user interface. Users think the interface is cluttered, outdated, and difficult to navigate, which leads to frustration when trying to accomplish basic tasks. Reviewers indicate that the system is not intuitive, making it hard for both new and experienced users to find features or complete actions efficiently. Some users say the language and design are confusing, and they feel the platform is not mobile-friendly. They report that the overall experience is cumbersome, with too many steps required for simple processes and a lack of modern usability.

Complex and confusing reporting

71% of reviewers feel negative about Fellowship One’s reporting functionality. Users say the abundance of report options makes it difficult to locate or generate the specific information they need. Reviewers indicate that creating or customizing reports is often a complicated, multi-step process that is not intuitive, requiring frequent assistance from customer support. Some users report that formatting and printing reports is frustrating and time-consuming, and they find the report writer lacks flexibility for their needs. They feel the reporting system is overwhelming, with too many confusing choices and limited user-friendliness.

Comprehensive church management tools

83% of reviewers feel positive about Fellowship One’s church management capabilities. Users think the system provides a centralized database that streamlines communication, tracks attendance, and manages volunteers and ministries efficiently. Reviewers appreciate being able to organize groups, access member information from anywhere, and customize access for staff. They say features like check-in and email newsletters enhance safety and targeted communication. Some users report that the software adapts well to churches of various sizes and supports growth by reducing administrative burdens, allowing them to focus more on ministry and less on manual processes.

HR Manager

Staff Accountant

The reporting function although the best is very cumbersome to use and it takes someone skilled in data and databases to create accurate reporting.

Fellowship one is a good experience for the data manager but for the users and lay leaders in our organization it proved to be too difficult and time consuming.

Fellowship one is completely customizable and you can run reports any way you need to.

Pastor

The interface is simple but it looks ok and the information displayed after you log in is helpful since it provides a snapshot of what's going on in your congregation.

Any F1 announcements or any other communications that are not strictly related to the customer's business should take place outside of this software (i.e. by mail, text, etc.).

Using the search function could be somewhat difficult (or not intuitive).  

In fact, it's creating problems for those of us who have to work with the program.  

Director of Operations

No one on our team likes anything about FellowshipOne.

Database

Data Management

Reporting

Navigation

Among reviewers who comment on FellowshipOne's navigation, 85% feel negative. Users say the interface is cluttered, outdated, and not intuitive. They find it difficult to locate features and understand terminology. Despite this, some note improvements in reliability and user experience, and a few find check-in features easy to use.

Contact Information

Customer Support

Bugs and Issues

Form Customization

Team Collaboration

Mid-size Business

Large Enterprises

Small Business

Ministry Brands

ExpensePlus

ExpensePlus is a cloud-based fund accounting software meticulously designed for churches, charities, and community groups. It offers efficient expense management, donation tracking, and comprehensive financial reporting, tailored to simplify and enhance financial processes.

Aplos

Aplos provides the robust accounting framework necessary to track restricted vs unrestricted funds and generate comprehensive, auditor-friendly reports. Our features are crafted to aid budgeting, automate complex allocations, and provide real-time insights into your financial health.

Treasurer

You call to talk to an account manager and they say send an email, but no one responds.

Finance Director 

While it was definitely a step back from QBO, what I admired the most about Shelby is that offers so many services in one without having to bounce back and forth between various platforms.

Finance Manager

Hold times for support are often ridiculous and I have fixed the problem myself on several occasions (after waiting on hold) because I know more about the software than their techs.

ShelbyNext Financials is a cloud-based accounting and financial management software designed for churches, non-profits, ministries, and other religious organizations. Key features include general ledger, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable and more.

Audit Trail

Expense Tracking

Fixed Asset Management

Purchasing & Receiving

Proprietary

ShelbyNext Financials

Windows

Linux

Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT

Sage Intacct

QuickBooks Online Advanced

Limited and inflexible reporting

56% of reviewers feel negative about ShelbyNext’s reporting capabilities. Reviewers indicate that generating custom or ad hoc reports is difficult and the process is not user-friendly. Some users report frustration with the lack of flexibility in report formatting and challenges in finding or printing the information they need. They say the system does not retain report settings, making repetitive tasks cumbersome. Some reviewers feel that the reporting module lacks robust options and does not meet their needs for detailed or multi-year reports.

Remote work flexibility

93% of reviewers feel positive about the cloud access provided by ShelbyNext. Reviewers appreciate being able to work remotely from any location with internet access, which they say is especially helpful during power outages or when away from the office. They indicate that the web-based system allows them to stay productive from home or while traveling. Some users report that the cloud-based nature ensures they can always access up-to-date records and manage tasks outside of traditional work hours, making their workflow more flexible and reliable.

Easy onboarding and training

82% of reviewers feel positive about ShelbyNext’s training and learning curve. Reviewers appreciate that the software is user-friendly and intuitive, requiring minimal training to become proficient. Some users say that after an initial learning period, they find the system easy to navigate and train others on. They indicate that support resources and responsive help lines make the learning process smoother. Some reviewers find that the transition from previous versions is manageable, and they value the efficiency gained once they are familiar with the platform.

Accountant/Consultant

Nothing, too many other options that are far easier to use and more intuitive.

Also, I hated the fact that when looking at a report online (like the GL which could be 100 pages), when you reach the bottom of a page, you had to scroll back  to the top to go to the next page - very annoying.

Director of Finance

Oh, you want that feature, then you need to get the xxxx module too."

Customer support is nearly always sterling and most reps know their software.

Their often times where updates don’t get made properly because of the excessive amount of click throughout.

I will say the biggest area that is lacking in Shelby is a better credit card management system.

Having the PO Management system has been one of the most cost beneficial additions to our organization.

FellowshipOne vs ShelbyNext Financials Comparison (2026)

FellowshipOne

ShelbyNext Financials

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives