TL;DR: ChurchTrac and Breeze are two of the most budget-friendly church management platforms in 2026, but they take very different approaches. ChurchTrac wins on price with a genuinely free tier and paid plans starting at $7/month. Breeze wins on simplicity with a clean, modern interface and flat $72/month pricing. If budget is everything, go ChurchTrac. If ease of use matters most, go Breeze. If you’re outside North America, neither supports WhatsApp, mobile money, or regional payments.
Two Budget Options, Two Very Different Philosophies
If you’re shopping for affordable church management software, two names keep coming up: ChurchTrac and Breeze.
Both cost significantly less than enterprise platforms like Pushpay or Church Community Builder. But they solve the “affordable church software” problem in opposite ways.
ChurchTrac is the budget king. It starts free for churches under 100 people and scales up from $7/month. It packs in features like worship planning and built-in accounting that competitors charge much more for. The tradeoff? A dated interface that won’t win design awards.
Breeze is the simplicity champion. It charges a flat $72/month for unlimited everything, with an interface so clean your non-technical volunteers can learn it in an afternoon. The tradeoff? Fewer features and a higher price floor.
For deeper dives, see our full ChurchTrac review and Breeze review.
Quick Comparison Table
| Category | ChurchTrac (Standard) | ChurchTrac (Plus) | Breeze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | From $7/mo | From $15/mo | $72/mo flat |
| Free tier | Yes (100 people) | No | No (14-day trial) |
| Pricing model | By database size | By database size | Flat rate, unlimited |
| Member management | Good | Good | Good |
| Online giving | Yes (US only) | Yes (US only) | Yes (US only) |
| Check-ins | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Worship planning | No | Yes (basic) | No |
| Accounting | No | Yes | No |
| SMS texting | Yes ($0.03/msg) | 250 free/mo | Built-in (250 free/mo) |
| Follow-up tools | Basic | Basic | Good |
| Reporting | Basic | Basic | Basic |
| Ease of use | Moderate | Moderate | Excellent |
| Setup time | 2-3 weeks | 2-3 weeks | 1-2 days |
| Integrations | Limited | Twilio (SMS) | Mailchimp, Zapier |
| No | No | No | |
| Mobile money | No | No | No |
Pricing Deep Dive
This is where ChurchTrac and Breeze differ most dramatically.
ChurchTrac Pricing
ChurchTrac uses a tiered model based on database size. More names, higher price.
| 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, online donations, pledges, check-in, attendance, Church Connect |
| Plus | From $15/month | Everything in Standard + worship planning, team scheduling, accounting, SMS (250 free), automations |
Prices increase as your database grows past 75, 150, 250, or 500 members. Annual billing saves 10%.
Breeze Pricing
$72/month. Unlimited members. Unlimited users. All features included. No tiers, no per-member charges, no add-ons.
Cost Comparison by Church Size
| Church Size | ChurchTrac (Standard) | ChurchTrac (Plus) | Breeze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 people | $0 (free tier) | N/A | $72/month |
| 150 members | ~$7/month | ~$15/month | $72/month |
| 250 members | ~$15/month | ~$30/month | $72/month |
| 500 members | ~$25/month | ~$45/month | $72/month |
The bottom line: ChurchTrac is dramatically cheaper for small churches. A church of 150 members saves roughly $70/month compared to Breeze, that’s $840/year. For a church plant watching every dollar, that difference is meaningful.
Breeze’s flat rate becomes more competitive at 500+ members. But for most small churches under 300 members, ChurchTrac costs a fraction of what Breeze charges.
Ease of Use: Breeze Has a Clear Edge
This is Breeze’s defining advantage.
Breeze can be set up in an afternoon. The interface is clean and modern. Navigation is intuitive: People, Giving, Events, Tags, Communication. Your non-technical church secretary can learn it in a day without reading a manual.
ChurchTrac works, and the navigation is logical. But the visual design feels dated. When you’re trying to get volunteers and staff to adopt new software, that first impression matters more than most people expect.
ChurchTrac’s learning curve isn’t steep once you start clicking around. But Breeze’s learning curve is essentially zero. That difference determines whether your team actually uses the software or quietly goes back to spreadsheets.
Winner: Breeze. If your team’s willingness to adopt software is a concern, this category alone might make your decision.
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
Members, Giving, and Groups
Both platforms cover the member management essentials: profiles, family grouping, custom fields, search, and filtering. Breeze’s tag system is more flexible. ChurchTrac’s advantage is that basic member management is free.
For giving, both support US credit/debit cards, ACH, recurring donations, fund management, and giving statements. Breeze adds text-to-give and giving kiosks. Neither supports international payment methods.
Groups and events are comparable on both platforms. Both handle small group management and basic event sign-ups adequately.
Communication
Communication is a weak spot for both, though ChurchTrac has an edge.
ChurchTrac’s Plus plan includes built-in SMS through Twilio (250 free messages/month). Breeze also includes 250 free texts/month in its flat rate, so both platforms cover basic texting needs. ChurchTrac Standard users can still send SMS at $0.03/message, giving smaller churches a low-cost option.
Neither platform offers email scheduling, email analytics, or WhatsApp integration.
Worship Planning
This is where ChurchTrac delivers a genuine surprise. The Plus plan ($15/month) includes service order building, worship team scheduling, song libraries with chord charts, and service plan notifications. That’s remarkable when Planning Center Services alone costs $14-199/month.
Breeze now has basic service planning built-in, but it’s not as comprehensive as ChurchTrac’s Plus tools for worship team scheduling. For churches with even basic worship team coordination needs, ChurchTrac has a clear advantage here.
Reporting and Check-Ins
Neither platform excels at reporting. Both provide standard reports for attendance, giving, and membership, but neither offers custom report builders, engagement scoring, or visual dashboards.
Both include children’s check-in with security codes, name tags, and allergy alerts. Breeze’s check-in experience is slightly more polished, but ChurchTrac covers the essentials at a fraction of the price.
Where ChurchTrac Stands Out
- Price. The most affordable church management software available. A free tier plus $7/month plans make it accessible to the tightest budgets.
- Free tier. Genuinely useful for churches under 100 people, not a trial or demo.
- Feature depth for the cost. Worship planning and built-in accounting at $15/month is a value no competitor matches.
- Built-in SMS. 250 free text messages/month on the Plus plan gives it a communication edge.
- Accounting. Chart of accounts, income/expense tracking, and fund management included. Most competitors send you to QuickBooks.
Where Breeze Stands Out
- Ease of use. The easiest church management software on the market. Setup takes hours, not weeks.
- Modern design. The interface is clean, intuitive, and visually appealing. Your team will actually want to use it.
- Flat-rate pricing. $72/month, no surprises, no scaling penalties.
- Follow-up tools. Built-in visitor follow-up tracking is well-designed and simple.
- Better giving features. Text-to-give and giving kiosks add convenience for donors.
- Faster onboarding. Most churches are fully operational within a week versus 2-3 weeks for ChurchTrac.
Who Should Pick Which
Pick ChurchTrac if:
- You’re a small US church under 250 members and every dollar counts
- You’re a church plant that needs to start free and upgrade as you grow
- You want worship planning and accounting without paying $100+/month
- You’re comfortable with a functional but dated interface in exchange for significant savings
- Your church is currently on spreadsheets and wants a big step up at minimal cost
Pick Breeze if:
- Ease of use is non-negotiable and your team won’t adopt complex software
- You’re a small-to-medium US church (100-500 members) that can afford $72/month
- You want to be up and running in days, not weeks
- You don’t need worship planning, accounting, or built-in SMS
- Predictable flat-rate pricing is more important than the absolute lowest cost
For more comparisons, see Planning Center vs Breeze and our guide to the best free church management software.
The Global Perspective
Here’s what both platforms’ marketing pages won’t tell you: ChurchTrac and Breeze are built for US churches.
| Need | ChurchTrac | Breeze |
|---|---|---|
| M-Pesa giving | No | No |
| MTN Mobile Money | No | No |
| Paystack/Flutterwave | No | No |
| WhatsApp messaging | No | No |
| Multi-currency support | No | No |
| Multilingual interface | No | No |
| Offline/low-bandwidth | No | No |
For churches in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, or South Africa, neither platform can process your members’ mobile money gifts. For congregations that communicate through WhatsApp (most of the world outside the US), neither platform can reach them on their primary channel. Both interfaces are English-only.
They serve US churches well. But if you’re pastoring in Lagos, Nairobi, London, or Manila, these tools weren’t designed for your context. Read more in our piece on why US church software doesn’t work for African churches.
Our Verdict
This comparison comes down to one question: what matters more to your church, saving money or saving time?
Choose ChurchTrac if budget is your primary concern. No other platform offers a genuinely free tier, $7/month plans with giving and check-ins, and worship planning at $15/month. For small US churches under 250 members, the savings are substantial. You’ll trade polish for value, and for many churches, that’s the right trade.
Choose Breeze if ease of use and team adoption matter most. The modern interface, zero learning curve, and flat-rate pricing make Breeze the easiest church management software to get running. You’ll pay more, but you’ll actually use it. Software your team doesn’t use is worthless at any price.
Choose neither if you’re outside North America. Both platforms are US-centric, with no mobile money, no WhatsApp, no multi-currency support, and no regional pricing.
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.
How much does Breeze cost?
$72/month, flat rate. Unlimited members, unlimited admin users, all features included. No contracts, cancel anytime. Free 14-day trial with no credit card required.
Which is easier to set up?
Breeze, by a significant margin. Most churches are fully operational within a week. ChurchTrac typically takes 2-3 weeks for full onboarding.
Can I switch from one to the other later?
Yes. Both platforms support CSV export for member data, giving history, and attendance records. Think about where your church will be in 2-3 years to avoid switching later.
Does either platform support churches outside the US?
The member management features work from anywhere. But the giving systems only support US payment methods. Neither supports M-Pesa, mobile money, WhatsApp, multi-currency, or multilingual interfaces.
Which has better customer support?
Both offer responsive support. ChurchTrac provides email and phone support on all plans, including the free tier. Breeze offers live chat, email, and phone support.