TL;DR: UK churches have unique needs. Gift Aid reclaim, GDPR compliance, and (for diaspora churches) multi-currency giving and WhatsApp communication. ChurchSuite is the strongest UK-built option. iKnow Church is the Church of England’s official partner. But if you’re running a diaspora church with members in both London and Lagos, nothing on the market handles that well yet. Gathrik (launching March 2026) is built for exactly this.
The UK Church Is Changing Fast
The UK church landscape looks nothing like it did twenty years ago.
Traditional denominations are declining. Methodists are down 50% since 2000, Baptists down 26%. But Pentecostal churches have exploded, growing from 2,500 congregations to 4,200 in the same period. The Church of England saw its fourth consecutive year of attendance growth in 2024, with over 1 million regular worshippers.
The biggest story? African and Caribbean diaspora churches. RCCG (Redeemed Christian Church of God) is now the fastest-growing church in Britain with 870+ parishes. They planted 296 new churches in a five-year period, more than any other single denomination. Winners Chapel, Hillsong, and dozens of other diaspora-rooted churches are reshaping British Christianity.
And yet church management software hasn’t caught up. Most UK options are built for traditional Anglican parishes. Most global options are built for American megachurches. Neither works perfectly for the Pentecostal church in Peckham with members who send tithes from both their Barclays account and their GTBank app.
What UK Churches Need From Software
1. Gift Aid Support (Worth Thousands)
This is the single biggest feature difference between UK and US church software. Gift Aid lets churches reclaim 25p for every £1 donated by UK taxpayers. It’s free money from HMRC, and it adds up fast.
The Church of England alone reclaims £80 million per year through Gift Aid. Nationally, HMRC paid charities £1.7 billion in Gift Aid in the tax year to April 2025.
What your software needs to do:
- Collect and store Gift Aid declarations (must be kept for 6 years)
- Track which donors are eligible
- Generate HMRC-ready claims for submission
- Support the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) for cash and contactless donations under £30
If your church management software doesn’t handle Gift Aid, you’re leaving money on the table. A church with £10,000 in eligible annual giving gets £2,500 extra, easily covering the cost of the software itself.
2. GDPR Compliance
UK churches handle sensitive personal data: names, addresses, giving history, pastoral care notes. Under GDPR, church membership implies religious affiliation, which is classified as “special category data” requiring extra protection.
Your software must support:
- Privacy notices explaining how member data is used
- Consent management for communications
- Data encryption and secure access controls
- Audit trails of who accessed what
- Data export and deletion on request (right to erasure)
- Data Protection Impact Assessments for new systems
This isn’t optional. The PCC (or equivalent leadership) is the data controller under law.
3. Modern Giving Options
UK church giving has gone digital. 80% of all donations are now made by debit or credit card. Contactless giving averages £9.15 per transaction, three times the average cash donation. UK churches received nearly £10 million through digital donations in 2022.
Your software should support:
- Online giving (web forms and giving pages)
- Contactless donations (card readers at services)
- Standing orders and direct debit (still popular for regular givers)
- Card payments including Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Integration with schemes like the Parish Giving Scheme (CofE)
4. Communication That Reaches People
For traditional churches, email works fine. For diaspora churches, WhatsApp is essential. UK bulk SMS costs 2-5p per message, usable but not cheap at scale. WhatsApp is significantly cheaper and has far higher open rates.
The Church of England itself now publishes guides on using WhatsApp Communities for church communication.
The Best Church Management Software for UK Churches
1. ChurchSuite
Best for: UK churches that want a comprehensive, locally-built solution.
ChurchSuite is the leading UK-built church management platform. It’s designed from the ground up for UK legal and financial requirements, including Gift Aid. The feature set is deep: members, events, rotas, small groups, giving, and communications.
Pricing: From approximately £12-14/month (based on number of adult contacts)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Built in the UK, for the UK | Can feel complex for very small churches |
| Full Gift Aid management | Pricing scales with contacts |
| GDPR-compliant data handling | No WhatsApp integration |
| Mobile apps (iOS + Android) | Less suited for diaspora-specific needs |
| Event planning and rotas | |
| Children not counted in billing |
Verdict: If you’re a UK church that needs Gift Aid, rotas, and GDPR compliance out of the box, ChurchSuite is the strongest choice. It’s what Planning Center is to the US: the established, feature-rich default.
2. iKnow Church
Best for: Church of England parishes.
iKnow Church is the Church of England’s official partner software for administration. If you’re an Anglican parish, this is built specifically for your workflows, including Gift Aid collection from HMRC.
Pricing: From £14.30/month (VAT included, all features, priced by church size)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Official CofE partner | Primarily designed for Anglican churches |
| Strong Gift Aid support | Less feature-rich than ChurchSuite |
| All features included (no modules) | Limited information on integrations |
| Mobile app included | May not suit non-Anglican workflows |
| Simple, transparent pricing |
Verdict: If you’re Church of England, this is purpose-built for you. The CofE partnership means it understands parish workflows, diocesan reporting, and Gift Aid inside out. For non-Anglican churches, ChurchSuite is more flexible.
3. ChurchDesk
Best for: European churches, especially those needing a website builder.
ChurchDesk is a European platform supporting multiple languages (English, Danish, Swedish, German). It includes a website builder alongside the standard management features.
Pricing: From approximately £47/month + £545 one-time setup fee (includes training)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Website builder included | High setup fee (£545) |
| Multi-language support | More expensive monthly |
| Calendar with room booking | Gift Aid support unclear |
| European data hosting | Less UK-specific than ChurchSuite |
Verdict: Worth considering if you need a website and management in one platform, especially for churches with European connections. The setup fee is a barrier for smaller churches.
4. Infoodle
Best for: Churches that need strong financial integrations.
Infoodle is New Zealand-based with a UK presence. Its strength is financial management. It integrates with Xero, Stripe, and PayPal, making it suitable for churches with complex financial workflows.
Pricing: From approximately £40/month (scales significantly with users)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Xero and Stripe integration | No free trial |
| Comprehensive financial tools | Price jumps sharply with user count |
| Volunteer and worship planning | Not UK-specific |
| Cloud-based with mobile access | Less intuitive than ChurchSuite |
Verdict: Good if your church needs accounting integrations. But for UK-specific features like Gift Aid and GDPR workflows, ChurchSuite or iKnow Church are better starting points.
5. Gathrik (Launching March 2026)
Best for: Diaspora churches and UK congregations with global connections.
Gathrik is being built for the church that current software ignores. The one in Lewisham with members who give in both Pounds and Naira. The one where WhatsApp is the primary communication channel. The one where the pastor needs to manage a London congregation and stay connected with the mother church in Lagos.
Pricing: Fair pricing for your market
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Multi-currency giving (GBP + NGN, KES, etc.) | New (launching March 2026) |
| WhatsApp integration (Phase 2) | Feature set still growing |
| Built for diaspora church workflows | Gift Aid support in development |
| GDPR-compliant | Smaller team |
| Modern, mobile-first interface |
Verdict: If you’re a diaspora church, Gathrik is being built specifically for your reality. If you’re a traditional UK parish, ChurchSuite or iKnow Church are more mature today.
The Diaspora Church Problem
Here’s the gap nobody talks about.
There are 870+ RCCG parishes in Britain. Thousands more from Winners Chapel, Christ Embassy, Deeper Life, Mountain of Fire, and independent African-led churches. These are the fastest-growing segment of British Christianity.
And none of the current software serves them properly.
The typical diaspora church needs:
| Need | ChurchSuite | iKnow | US Tools | What’s Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gift Aid | Yes | Yes | No | Covered by UK tools |
| GDPR compliance | Yes | Yes | Partial | Covered by UK tools |
| WhatsApp communication | No | No | No | Nobody does this |
| Multi-currency giving (GBP + NGN/KES) | No | No | No | Nobody does this |
| M-Pesa / Paystack for homeland giving | No | No | No | Nobody does this |
| Bilingual communication | Limited | No | No | Nobody does this |
A diaspora church leader today needs three or four separate tools to cover what should be one workflow: ChurchSuite for UK admin and Gift Aid, WhatsApp for communication, a separate giving platform for overseas members, and manual spreadsheets to reconcile it all.
That’s why Gathrik exists. To bring this into one platform. Gift Aid support, WhatsApp integration, multi-currency giving with local payment methods in both the UK and the homeland.
How to Choose: Decision Guide
Traditional Anglican parish:
iKnow Church, the CofE’s official partner. Gift Aid, parish workflows, diocesan compatibility. Done.
Non-Anglican UK church (Baptist, Methodist, independent):
ChurchSuite, the most comprehensive UK-built option. Gift Aid, GDPR, events, groups, giving. The UK equivalent of Planning Center.
Small church, tight budget:
iKnow Church at £14.30/month or ChurchSuite from £12/month. Both are cheaper than most US tools and include Gift Aid, which likely pays for itself.
Diaspora church (African/Caribbean-led):
This is the hardest use case today. ChurchSuite handles the UK admin side well. For WhatsApp and multi-currency giving, you’ll need separate tools until Gathrik launches in March 2026.
Church needing a website too:
ChurchDesk bundles a website builder. Higher upfront cost (£545 setup) but saves running a separate platform.
Comparison Table
| Platform | Built For | Gift Aid | GDPR | Starting Price | Mobile App | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChurchSuite | UK | Yes | Yes | No | ~£12/month | Yes |
| iKnow Church | CofE | Yes | Yes | No | £14.30/month | Yes |
| ChurchDesk | Europe | Unclear | Yes | No | £47/month + setup | Yes |
| Infoodle | NZ/UK | Limited | Yes | No | ~£40/month | Yes |
| Gathrik | Global | In development | Yes | Yes (Phase 2) | Fair pricing | Coming |
| Planning Center | USA | No | Partial | No | Free-£80+/module | Yes |
| Breeze | USA | No | Partial | No | ~£57/month | Yes |
Gift Aid: Are You Claiming Everything You’re Entitled To?
Many churches leave Gift Aid money unclaimed. Here’s a quick check:
Are you claiming on regular giving? Every standing order, direct debit, and one-off donation from a UK taxpayer is eligible. You need a signed Gift Aid declaration on file.
Are you using the Small Donations Scheme? Cash donations under £30 and contactless card donations under £30 are eligible under GASDS. No declaration needed. Many churches don’t know this.
Are you submitting claims regularly? You can claim up to 4 years back. If you haven’t claimed recently, you may be owed thousands.
Is your software generating HMRC-ready claims? Manual Gift Aid tracking in spreadsheets is error-prone. ChurchSuite and iKnow Church both automate this.
The numbers: if your church receives £50,000 in eligible giving per year, Gift Aid is worth £12,500. That’s not a rounding error. It’s a part-time salary.
FAQ
What is the best church management software in the UK?
ChurchSuite is the most comprehensive UK-built option with Gift Aid, GDPR compliance, and a full feature set. iKnow Church is the official Church of England partner. For diaspora churches, no single tool handles everything yet. Gathrik (launching March 2026) is being built for this specific gap.
Does Planning Center work in the UK?
Planning Center works technically, but it doesn’t support Gift Aid (which could be worth thousands to your church), has limited GDPR tooling, and is priced in USD. UK churches are better served by UK-built tools like ChurchSuite or iKnow Church.
How does Gift Aid work for churches?
Gift Aid lets UK churches reclaim 25p for every £1 donated by a UK taxpayer. The donor signs a Gift Aid declaration, the church submits claims to HMRC, and HMRC pays the reclaimed tax into the church’s bank account. Good church management software automates the declaration tracking and claim submission.
What about GDPR for churches?
UK churches must comply with GDPR. Church membership implies religious affiliation, classified as “special category data” requiring extra protection. Your software needs encryption, access controls, consent management, audit trails, and the ability to export or delete member data on request.
Are there church management tools with WhatsApp?
Most UK church management tools don’t include WhatsApp integration. Gathrik (launching March 2026) is building native WhatsApp support alongside traditional email and SMS, particularly important for diaspora churches where WhatsApp is the primary communication channel.
This article is part of our series on church management software for churches worldwide. See our guides for Nigeria, Kenya, and our global overview.