TL;DR: Most “best church software” lists recommend tools built for American churches at American prices. For Nigerian churches, ChurchPlus is the most established local option. Asoriba covers West Africa broadly. But if you need WhatsApp-first communication, regional pricing, and Paystack/Flutterwave support without compromise, Gathrik (launching March 2026) is purpose-built for this market.
The Problem No One Talks About
Nigeria has over 100 million Christians, one of the largest Christian populations on earth. The Redeemed Christian Church of God alone runs 14,000 churches. Nigerian Baptists have 10,000+. Assemblies of God: 16,300.
Yet when you Google “best church management software,” every result recommends Planning Center, Breeze, and Tithe.ly: tools designed for churches in Texas, not Lagos.
Here’s what happens when a Nigerian church tries to use American software:
- Planning Center at full features costs $1,000+/month (that’s over ₦1.3 million/month at current rates)
- Tithe.ly at $99/month = ₦135,000/month, more than many junior pastors earn
- Neither supports Paystack or Flutterwave for member donations
- Neither has WhatsApp integration, the channel 95% of your members actually use
- You’re paying international transaction fees (3.8-3.9%) on top of everything
Meanwhile, most Nigerian churches are managing with a patchwork of Excel spreadsheets, paper records, and WhatsApp groups. It works until it doesn’t. Members fall through the cracks, financial records get messy, and communication becomes chaotic across multiple group chats.
There’s a better way. Let’s look at what actually works for Nigerian churches.
What Nigerian Churches Actually Need
Before comparing tools, let’s be honest about what matters in this market. It’s different from what American review sites prioritize.
1. WhatsApp Integration (Not Optional)
WhatsApp has a 95% adoption rate in Nigeria. Open rates hit 98% compared to 20% for email. If your church management software can’t send messages via WhatsApp, it’s already broken for your context.
SMS works too, but costs add up quickly (₦1.80 to ₦6.20 per message depending on the network and provider). WhatsApp messages cost essentially nothing beyond data.
2. Local Payment Methods
Your members aren’t paying tithes with American credit cards. You need:
- Paystack (1.5% + ₦100, capped at ₦2,000 per transaction)
- Flutterwave (1.4%, capped at ₦2,000 per transaction)
- Bank transfers for larger amounts
- USSD payments for members without smartphones or stable internet
3. Pricing in Naira
A small Nigerian church (50-200 members) can realistically budget ₦5,000 to ₦30,000/month for software. Medium churches (200-500 members) might stretch to ₦100,000/month. Any tool priced in dollars at American SaaS rates is out of reach for the vast majority.
4. Mobile-First (Android-First)
87% of Nigerians access the internet via mobile. Android drives 74% of all internet traffic. Your church software needs to work perfectly on a mid-range Android phone, not just look nice on a MacBook.
5. Works on Low Bandwidth
Not every church is in Lekki or Victoria Island. Software that chokes on a 3G connection or requires constant high-speed internet will fail in many Nigerian contexts.
The Best Church Management Software for Nigerian Churches
1. ChurchPlus
Best for: Established Nigerian churches that want a local, full-featured solution.
ChurchPlus is the most established church management platform built in Nigeria, for Nigeria. They serve 7,000+ churches including Winners Chapel, Assemblies of God, and RCCG congregations. Their office is in Surulere, Lagos, so you can actually walk in and talk to someone.
Pricing: Subscription-based, varies by membership size (contact for quote, as pricing is not publicly listed)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Built in Nigeria, understands the market | Pricing not transparent (must request quote) |
| WhatsApp, SMS, email, and voice messaging | Can feel complex for very small churches |
| Paystack and Flutterwave integration | Mobile app experience could be smoother |
| Multi-branch management | Feature depth means a learning curve |
| First-timer follow-up workflows | Limited presence outside Nigeria |
| 24/7 local support with phone number |
Key Features:
- Member management with detailed databases
- Multi-channel communication (WhatsApp, SMS, email, voice)
- Financial management and accounting
- Automated first-timer follow-up
- Multi-branch support for denominations
- Custom mobile apps
- Event planning and attendance tracking
Verdict: If you’re an established Nigerian church, especially one with multiple branches, ChurchPlus is the strongest local option today. The lack of transparent pricing is frustrating, but the feature set is built for your reality.
2. Asoriba
Best for: West African churches, especially in Ghana and Nigeria.
Asoriba was founded in Ghana in 2015 and has expanded across West Africa, including a Lagos office. They’ve been called the “best startup in Africa” in the church tech space. Their mobile app is a particular strength.
Pricing: Free for churches with 50 members or below. Larger churches must request a quote.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free tier for small churches (under 50 members) | Feature set is more limited than ChurchPlus |
| Strong mobile app (Android + iOS) | Pricing for larger churches not transparent |
| Digital giving with real-time confirmations | Primarily Ghanaian (Nigeria is secondary market) |
| Offices in Lagos, Accra, Cape Town, Nairobi | Fewer Nigerian-specific integrations |
| Push notifications for events | Smaller team overall |
Key Features:
- Member and attendance management
- Financial tracking (tithes, offerings, pledges)
- SMS and email communication
- Digital giving with real-time confirmations
- Devotional content distribution
- Prayer request submission through app
- Group and cell management
Verdict: Asoriba is a solid choice, especially for smaller churches that can use the free tier. The mobile app experience is genuinely good. But it’s built with Ghana as the primary market, so some Nigeria-specific features (like Paystack integration and WhatsApp) may lag behind ChurchPlus.
3. Gathrik (Launching March 2026)
Best for: Nigerian churches that want WhatsApp-first communication, transparent pricing, and global-quality software at local prices.
Gathrik is being built specifically because the options above, while good, still leave gaps, especially around WhatsApp-first communication and fair local pricing.
Pricing: Fair pricing designed for your market, not US prices converted to Naira
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp integration built-in (Phase 2) | New (launching March 2026) |
| Fair pricing designed for your market | Feature set still growing |
| Paystack and Flutterwave support | Smaller team than ChurchPlus |
| Built for mobile-first, low-bandwidth contexts | Mobile app coming post-launch |
| Multi-currency giving for diaspora churches | Less proven track record |
| Modern, clean interface |
Why We Built Gathrik:
The Nigerian church deserves software that doesn’t treat it as an afterthought. Not a US product with “Nigeria support” bolted on, but a platform where the Lagos church administrator and the London diaspora pastor are both first-class users.
Verdict: If you can wait until March 2026, Gathrik is designed from day one for your context. If you need something right now, ChurchPlus is your best bet.
What About US Tools?
We need to be honest: most American church software is not a good fit for Nigerian churches. Here’s why:
| Factor | Planning Center | Breeze | Tithe.ly | What You Need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | ₦135K-₦1.3M+ | ₦98K-₦184K | ₦135K+ | ₦5K-₦30K |
| No | No | No | Yes (95% of members use it) | |
| Paystack/Flutterwave | No | No | No | Yes |
| USSD Payments | No | No | No | Ideally |
| Pricing Currency | USD | USD | USD | NGN |
| Local Support | US timezone | US timezone | US timezone | Nigerian hours |
The only scenario where a US tool makes sense for a Nigerian church is if you’re a large, well-funded congregation (think 1,000+ members with significant diaspora giving) and your leadership is already comfortable with American software from personal experience.
Even then, you’ll need a separate solution for WhatsApp communication and local payment collection.
How to Choose: Decision Guide
You have under 50 members and zero budget:
Start with Asoriba’s free tier. It covers the basics.
You’re an established church with 200+ members:
ChurchPlus is your strongest option today. Request a demo, visit their Lagos office if you can. The multi-branch support matters if you’re growing.
You’re a growing church that needs WhatsApp-first communication:
Wait for Gathrik (March 2026) or use ChurchPlus now and evaluate Gathrik when it launches.
You’re a diaspora church (members in Nigeria AND abroad):
This is the hardest use case. You need software that handles both Naira and Pounds/Dollars, communicates via WhatsApp AND email, and lets your London members give in GBP while your Lagos members give in NGN. Gathrik is being built specifically for this. No other tool handles it well today.
You have a large budget and prefer American software:
Planning Center is the most complete, but budget for the exchange rate shock and plan to use a separate tool for WhatsApp and local payments.
Comparison Table
| Platform | Built For | Starting Price | Paystack/Flutterwave | Free Tier | Mobile App | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChurchPlus | Nigeria | Contact for quote | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Asoriba | West Africa | Free (under 50) | Limited | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Gathrik | Global (Africa priority) | Fair regional pricing | Yes (Phase 2) | Yes | Coming | Coming |
| Planning Center | USA | Free-₦135K+/module | No | No | Partial | Yes |
| Breeze | USA | ₦98K/month | No | No | No | Yes |
| Tithe.ly | USA | ₦135K/month | No | No | Giving only | Yes |
The Bigger Picture
Nigeria’s church landscape is undergoing a digital transformation, but slowly. Research shows the main barriers aren’t technology. They’re cost, training, and resistance to change.
The solution isn’t to throw expensive American software at the problem. It’s to build and support tools that:
- Cost what Nigerian churches can actually pay
- Work on the devices people actually use (Android phones on mobile data)
- Communicate on the channels people actually check (WhatsApp, not email)
- Process payments the way people actually give (Paystack, bank transfer, not Stripe)
The tools are getting better. And the churches that adopt them early will have a real advantage in organization, follow-up, and member care.
FAQ
What is the best free church management software in Nigeria?
Asoriba offers a free tier for churches with 50 members or fewer. ChurchTrac also has a free tier for up to 75 members, though it’s US-built and lacks Nigerian payment integrations. For most Nigerian churches, Asoriba’s free plan is the better starting point.
Can I use Planning Center in Nigeria?
Technically yes, but practically it’s difficult. The pricing is in USD (expensive after conversion), there’s no Paystack/Flutterwave integration for member giving, no WhatsApp support, and customer support operates on US timezones. It’s designed for American churches.
How do Nigerian churches collect tithes digitally?
Most use Paystack or Flutterwave, either through a church management platform that integrates with them, or directly via payment links shared on WhatsApp. Some churches also use bank transfers and are beginning to explore USSD payments for members without smartphones.
Is WhatsApp integration important for church management software?
In Nigeria, absolutely. With 95% WhatsApp adoption and 98% message open rates, it’s the most effective communication channel available. Email open rates are around 20% by comparison. Any church management tool without WhatsApp support is ignoring how Nigerian churches actually communicate.
How much should a Nigerian church budget for management software?
Small churches (under 200 members) should budget ₦5,000 to ₦30,000/month (~$4-$22 USD). Medium churches (200-500 members) can budget ₦20,000 to ₦100,000/month. Avoid tools that cost more than 5-10% of your non-salary budget. The software should save time, not strain finances.
This article is part of our series on church management software for churches worldwide. See our guides for Kenya, the UK, and our global overview.