TL;DR: ChurchTrac is the most affordable church management software in 2026, with a genuinely free tier for churches under 100 people and paid plans starting at just $7/month. It covers the basics well: member management, giving, attendance, check-ins, and even worship planning on the top tier. For small US churches on tight budgets, it’s hard to beat. But the low price comes with real tradeoffs: the interface feels dated, communication tools are limited, and there’s zero support for churches outside North America. Here’s our full review.
What Is ChurchTrac?
ChurchTrac is a church management platform that’s been around since the early 2000s, making it one of the longest-running options in the space. Originally a desktop application, it transitioned to a cloud-based platform and has built a loyal following among small, budget-conscious churches.
The pitch is straightforward: get the church management features you need without spending $72+/month that platforms like Breeze (now Tithely Church Management) or Planning Center charge. With a free tier and paid plans that start at $7/month, ChurchTrac delivers on that promise.
It’s not the flashiest tool on the market. But for churches that need to get organized without stretching the budget, ChurchTrac has quietly earned its reputation as the best value in church management software.
ChurchTrac Pricing in 2026
This is where ChurchTrac really stands out. The pricing is not only low, it’s transparent and scales gently.
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | People/family management, user accounts, security roles, email, tech support |
| Standard | From $7/month | Everything in Free + giving tracking, online donations, pledges, check-in, attendance, event sign-ups, Church Connect (website/app builder) |
| Plus | From $15/month | Everything in Standard + worship planning, team scheduling, accounting, built-in SMS (250 free messages), automations |
The “from” pricing is important because ChurchTrac scales by database size, not a flat rate. Tiers go from 100 people up to unlimited, with prices increasing at each step. Annual billing saves you 10%.
The bottom line: A small church of 100 people can use ChurchTrac completely free. A church of 250 members on the Standard plan pays significantly less than the $72/month that Breeze (now Tithely Church Management) or Tithely ChMS charges. Even the Plus plan with all features is a fraction of what most competitors cost.
For a broader look at free and budget options, see our guide to the best free church management software.
What ChurchTrac Gets Right
1. The Free Tier Is Genuinely Useful
Unlike some “free” plans that are basically demos, ChurchTrac’s free tier is a real product. You get full people and family management, user accounts with security roles, email communication, and tech support. For a church under 100 people, that covers a lot of ground.
The 100-person cap is the natural upgrade trigger. Compare this to Planning Center, which offers free tiers across all apps but with tight usage limits (10 donations/month on Giving, 15 group members on Groups). ChurchTrac’s approach is simpler: everything on your plan is fully unlocked up to your database size.
2. The Price-to-Feature Ratio Is Excellent
At $7/month on the Standard plan, you get online donations with pledge management, a children’s check-in system with security codes, attendance tracking, event sign-ups, and Church Connect (a website and app builder) all included at no extra cost.
In our testing, these features aren’t as polished as what you’d find in Breeze or Planning Center. But they work. For a church that needs functional tools rather than beautiful ones, the value is undeniable.
3. Worship Planning on the Plus Tier
This is a genuine surprise at the price point. For $15/month, the Plus plan includes service order building, worship team scheduling, song libraries with chord charts, and service plan notifications.
Planning Center Services is the most established tool for worship planning, and ChurchTrac isn’t at that level. But having any worship planning at $15/month is remarkable when Planning Center Services alone costs $14-199/month depending on your team size. For small churches with simple worship workflows, ChurchTrac’s tools are more than adequate.
4. Built-in Accounting
The Plus plan also includes accounting tools, which is unusual for church management software at any price. Most platforms send you to QuickBooks or a similar external tool.
ChurchTrac’s accounting module handles chart of accounts, income and expense tracking, fund management, basic financial reporting, and giving statement generation.
It’s not a QuickBooks replacement for large churches. But for a small church that wants one platform for both member management and finances, this consolidation saves money and reduces complexity.
5. The 30-Day Trial Is No-Pressure
ChurchTrac offers a 30-day trial of paid features with no credit card required. When the trial ends, you drop to the free tier rather than getting locked out. You keep your data and a functional platform. No urgency tactics, no surprise charges.
6. SMS Messaging on Plus
The Plus plan includes 250 free SMS messages per month, with additional messages at $0.03 per recipient. Voice messages are available at $0.06 per recipient. The SMS system uses Twilio under the hood for automations, keeping costs low while providing reliable delivery.
Where ChurchTrac Falls Short
1. The Interface Feels Dated
Let’s be honest: ChurchTrac looks like it was designed ten years ago. The layout works and the navigation is logical, but the visual design lacks the modern polish of Breeze, Planning Center, or Tithely.
This matters more than it sounds. When you’re trying to get volunteers and church staff to adopt new software, a dated interface creates friction. In our experience, the learning curve isn’t steep once you start clicking around. But first impressions count, and ChurchTrac doesn’t win on first impressions.
2. Communication Tools Are Limited
Email is included on all plans, and SMS is available on Plus. But the communication toolset is basic compared to what churches increasingly need.
What’s missing:
- No WhatsApp integration (critical for churches in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and diaspora communities)
- No email templates or design tools (plain text or basic formatting only)
- No email analytics (no open rates, click tracking, or engagement data)
- No email scheduling (send now or don’t)
- Limited automation triggers (automations require the Plus plan and Twilio setup)
For churches whose primary digital touchpoint with members is a weekly email or text, the basic tools might be sufficient. But if communication is central to your ministry strategy, you’ll likely need a separate tool like Mailchimp alongside ChurchTrac.
3. Reporting Is Basic
ChurchTrac provides standard reports for attendance, giving, and membership. But the reporting engine is surface-level.
You won’t find:
- Custom report builders
- Engagement scoring across touchpoints
- Visual dashboards with charts and trends
- Predictive giving analytics
- Export flexibility for board presentations
For a small church where the pastor reviews a simple attendance trend and the treasurer checks giving totals, the built-in reports are fine. For churches that want data-driven ministry decisions, ChurchTrac’s reporting will leave you wanting.
4. The Database Size Pricing Model Has a Catch
Scaling by database size sounds fair, but as your church grows, costs increase. A growing church of 500+ members pays significantly more than the entry-level prices that attracted them. ChurchTrac is the clear winner at 100-250 members. At 1,000+ members, compare the actual cost against Breeze’s flat $72/month or Tithely’s $72/month and decide whether the feature gap is worth the remaining price difference.
5. No International Payment Support
ChurchTrac’s online giving supports US credit/debit cards and ACH bank transfers. That’s it. No M-Pesa, no Paystack, no Flutterwave, no mobile money, no multi-currency support.
For the millions of churches in Africa, Latin America, and Asia where mobile money is the primary way people transact, ChurchTrac’s giving feature simply doesn’t work. Since giving is a core reason churches invest in management software, this limitation effectively excludes a huge portion of the global church.
6. No Multi-Language Support and Limited Integrations
ChurchTrac is English-only, with no option to switch the interface language. For multilingual congregations or churches in non-English-speaking countries, that’s a blocker.
The integration ecosystem is also small. There’s no extensive app marketplace like Planning Center offers. If you rely on ProPresenter, CCLI SongSelect, Mailchimp, or other popular church tools, verify compatibility before committing. The Twilio integration for SMS is a bright spot, but overall connectivity with other tools is limited.
ChurchTrac vs. the Competition
Here’s how ChurchTrac stacks up against the platforms churches commonly compare it to:
| Category | ChurchTrac (Standard) | ChurchTrac (Plus) | Breeze | Planning Center | Tithely ChMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $7/mo | $15/mo | $72/mo flat | $0 (People free) | $72/mo |
| Free tier | Yes (100 people) | No | No | Yes (limited) | Yes (Giving only) |
| Member management | Good | Good | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Online giving | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Check-ins | Yes | Yes | Yes | Best in class | Yes |
| Worship planning | No | Yes (basic) | Yes (basic) | Best in class | Yes |
| Accounting | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| SMS | Yes ($0.03/msg) | 250 free/mo | Yes (250 free/mo) | $0.02/credit | 250 free/mo |
| Basic | Basic | Basic | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Reporting | Basic | Basic | Basic | Moderate | Moderate |
| Ease of use | Moderate | Moderate | Excellent | Complex (8 apps) | Good |
| No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mobile money | No | No | No | No | No |
| Global payments | No | No | No | No | No |
The pattern is clear: ChurchTrac wins on price for small churches under 250 members. It loses on polish, communication tools, and global support. And like every US-built competitor in this table, it has zero answer for churches that need WhatsApp or mobile money.
For a full comparison, check our best church management software for 2026 roundup.
Who Should Use ChurchTrac?
ChurchTrac is ideal for:
- Small US churches (under 250 members) on tight budgets who need functional tools at minimal cost
- Church plants that can start free and upgrade gradually as they grow
- Rural or bi-vocational churches where the pastor handles admin and needs one affordable tool
- Churches migrating from spreadsheets who want a big step up without a big monthly bill
- Budget-conscious churches that need giving, check-ins, and attendance without paying $80+/month
- Small worship teams that want basic planning tools without adding Planning Center Services
ChurchTrac is not ideal for:
- Growing churches (500+ members) that need advanced automation, reporting, and scalable communication
- Churches that prioritize modern design and want staff to adopt software enthusiastically
- Churches outside North America with no US-based payment infrastructure
- African, Latin American, or Asian churches that need M-Pesa, mobile money, or WhatsApp
- Diaspora churches in the UK or Europe that need multi-currency giving and localized tools
- Data-driven leadership teams that want custom dashboards and engagement analytics
- Churches with complex production workflows that need Planning Center-level worship tools
For tips on managing a small church without enterprise-level software, check out our small church management tips.
Getting Started with ChurchTrac
Setup is straightforward. Sign up at churchtrac.com with no credit card, import your member data via CSV, configure giving funds and check-in stations, and train your team. Most churches are fully onboarded in 2-3 weeks.
ChurchTrac provides email and phone tech support on all plans (even the free tier), plus knowledge base articles and video tutorials. It’s not as instant as Breeze’s “set up in an afternoon” experience, but it’s far less involved than configuring Planning Center’s eight separate apps.
What Real Users Say
From reviews across Capterra, G2, and church tech forums:
What they love:
- “We’re a church of 60 members. ChurchTrac does everything we need and costs us nothing.”
- “We switched from a $100/month platform and got 90% of the features for $9.”
- “Having accounting built in saves us from paying for a separate tool.”
- “Worship planning at this price is a pleasant surprise. It’s not Planning Center, but it works.”
What they wish was better:
- “The interface looks like it’s from 2015. My team wasn’t excited to use it at first.”
- “Reporting is too basic. We export to Excel for any real analysis.”
- “We outgrew it around 400 members and moved to Planning Center.”
The consensus is consistent: ChurchTrac delivers exceptional value at the low end, but churches eventually outgrow it when they need more sophisticated tools.
The Verdict
ChurchTrac is the best budget church management software in 2026. No other platform offers a genuinely free tier, a $7/month plan with giving and check-ins, and worship planning at $15/month. For small US churches that need to get organized without financial strain, the value is hard to beat.
But “budget” comes with tradeoffs. The dated interface slows adoption. The communication tools are basic. The reporting won’t satisfy data-driven leaders. And past 500 members, the value advantage narrows significantly.
Our recommendation:
- If you’re a small US church under 250 members and budget is your top concern, ChurchTrac is an excellent choice. Start with the free tier, grow into Standard, and you’ll save thousands of dollars over three years compared to pricier alternatives.
- If you’re a growing US church that values modern design, robust communication, and advanced workflows, spend more on Breeze or Planning Center. You’ll get a better experience and avoid migrating later.
- If you’re a church outside North America, ChurchTrac’s US-only giving and English-only interface mean critical features don’t work for you. If you’re outside North America, see our guide to choosing church management software for region-specific recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ChurchTrac really free?
Yes, for churches with 100 people or fewer. The free plan includes people management, family grouping, user accounts, security roles, email, and tech support. No time limit, no credit card required. You only pay when you need giving, check-ins, or when your database exceeds 100 people.
How does ChurchTrac compare to Breeze?
ChurchTrac is significantly cheaper ($7/month vs. Breeze’s $72/month) but less polished. Breeze wins on ease of use and modern design. ChurchTrac wins on price and includes features Breeze lacks, like worship planning and built-in accounting. For a detailed breakdown, see our Breeze review.
Does ChurchTrac have a mobile app?
ChurchTrac offers Church Connect, which functions as both a website builder and a member-facing app. It’s included on the Standard plan and above. The admin experience is primarily web-based, so most management tasks require a desktop or laptop browser.
Can ChurchTrac handle online giving?
Yes, on the Standard plan and above. ChurchTrac supports credit/debit card and ACH payments for US churches. Transaction fees apply. Giving statements, pledge tracking, and fund management are all included.
Does ChurchTrac have SMS texting?
SMS is available on the Plus plan ($15/month). You get 250 free text messages per month, with additional messages at $0.03 per recipient. Voice messaging is also available at $0.06 per recipient. Automations that use SMS require Twilio integration.
Is ChurchTrac good for large churches?
ChurchTrac works best for churches under 500 members. Larger churches typically need more advanced reporting, automation, and communication tools. The database-size pricing also means costs increase as you grow, narrowing the price advantage over flat-rate competitors.
Can I migrate from ChurchTrac to another platform later?
Yes. ChurchTrac supports CSV export for member data, giving history, and attendance records. Most competing platforms accept CSV imports. It takes some data mapping work, but it’s doable.
Does ChurchTrac work for churches outside the US?
The member management and communication features work from anywhere. But the giving system only supports US payment methods (no M-Pesa, no mobile money, no international cards), the interface is English-only, and there’s no multi-currency support. For churches in Africa, Latin America, Asia, or the UK diaspora, the platform’s most valuable features don’t apply.