TL;DR: Planning Center and Pushpay are built for different churches with different priorities. Planning Center is modular, transparent, and the strongest option for worship planning. Pushpay is a premium, giving-first platform with the best donor analytics in the space, now merged with CCB for full church management. Planning Center wins on value, flexibility, and worship tools. Pushpay wins on giving optimization and donor intelligence. If budget matters (and it usually does), Planning Center is the smarter pick for most churches. If maximizing digital giving revenue is your top strategic goal and you have the budget, Pushpay delivers. Neither works well outside North America.
Two Very Different Philosophies
Planning Center vs Pushpay is not a simple apples-to-apples comparison. These platforms were built with fundamentally different ideas about what church software should do and who it should serve.
Planning Center is a modular toolkit. You pick the apps you need, pay only for what you use, and scale at your own pace. It started as a worship planning tool in 2006 and grew into a full church management ecosystem. Pricing is transparent and published on their website.
Pushpay is a premium giving platform. Founded in 2011, its mission was to make digital giving so easy that church members would actually do it. After acquiring Church Community Builder (CCB) in 2019 and going private under Sixth Street Partners and BGH Capital in 2023, it now offers giving, a custom church app, and full church management. Pricing requires a sales call.
These different starting points shape everything about how each platform works, what it costs, and who it serves best.
(For deeper dives, see our full Planning Center review and Pushpay review.)
Quick Comparison Table
| Category | Planning Center | Pushpay (+ CCB) |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 | 2011 (CCB since 1999) |
| Pricing model | Modular, per-app, published | Quote-based, annual contract |
| Monthly cost (typical) | $0-300+/month | $200-1,500+/month |
| Free tier | Yes (People, basic apps) | No |
| Transparent pricing | Yes | No |
| Best at | Worship planning, modular flexibility | Giving optimization, donor analytics |
| Online giving | Good (affordable) | Best in class (premium) |
| Church management | People (free CRM) | CCB (deep, mature ChMS) |
| Worship planning | Best in class (Services) | None |
| Custom church app | Church Center (free) | Premium branded app (add-on) |
| Check-ins | Best in class | Yes (via CCB) |
| Donor analytics | Basic | Best in class |
| Communication | Email + limited SMS | App, email, SMS, push |
| Integrations | 30+ (ProPresenter, CCLI, Zapier) | Moderate |
| Multi-campus | Strong | Good |
| No | No | |
| Mobile money (M-Pesa) | No | No |
| Multi-currency giving | No | No |
Pricing: Planning Center’s Transparency Advantage
This is where the Planning Center vs Pushpay decision usually starts, and the gap is significant.
Planning Center Pricing
Planning Center publishes every price on their website. You pay per app, per tier, based on church size.
| App | Free Tier | Paid Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| People | Up to 100 profiles | $19/month |
| Giving | Basic giving | $0 (transaction fees only) |
| Services | 1 service type | $14/month |
| Groups | None | $20/month |
| Check-Ins | Basic | $14/month |
| Registrations | None | $10/month |
| Calendar | None | $10/month |
| Publishing | Basic | $0 |
Realistic total cost by church size:
| Church Size | Planning Center (typical) | Pushpay (estimated) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 members | $0-50/month | ~$200-400/month |
| 300 members | $100-175/month | ~$400-800/month |
| 500 members | $150-250/month | ~$500-1,000/month |
| 1,000 members | $250-400/month | ~$800-1,500+/month |
Pushpay Pricing
Pushpay does not publish pricing. You need to contact their sales team for a custom quote. Based on community reports and user reviews:
| Package | Estimated Monthly Cost | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Pushpay Giving | ~$199-399/month | Digital giving, donor management, reporting |
| Pushpay + App | ~$399-799/month | Giving + branded mobile app |
| Pushpay + CCB | ~$500-1,500+/month | Full suite: giving, app, ChMS, analytics |
| Enterprise | Custom | Volume discounts, dedicated support |
Pushpay typically requires annual contracts. Setup fees may apply.
The bottom line: A church spending $150/month on Planning Center (People, Services, Giving, Check-Ins) could be looking at $600-1,000/month for a comparable Pushpay + CCB setup. That’s $5,400-10,200/year in savings with Planning Center. For a full breakdown of every tier, see our Planning Center pricing guide.
Winner: Planning Center. Transparent pricing, a genuine free tier, and modular flexibility make it the better value for the vast majority of churches.
Online Giving: Pushpay’s Quality vs. Planning Center’s Affordability
Both platforms handle online giving well, but they approach it differently.
| Feature | Planning Center Giving | Pushpay |
|---|---|---|
| Credit/debit cards | Yes | Yes |
| ACH bank transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Text-to-give | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring giving | Yes | Yes (higher adoption rates) |
| Giving kiosk | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Give (one-tap) | No | Yes (best in class) |
| Donor engagement scoring | No | Yes |
| Lapsed giver alerts | No | Yes |
| Fund management | Good | Advanced |
| Campaign tracking | Basic | Advanced |
| Giving statements | Yes | Yes |
| Card fees | 2.1% + $0.30 | ~2.9% + $0.30 |
| ACH fees | 0.8% (capped at $5) | ~1% + $0.30 |
| Monthly platform fee | $0 (transaction fees only) | $199-399+/month |
Where Pushpay Pulls Ahead
Pushpay’s giving UX is the most polished in church tech. The “Quick Give” feature saves payment details so returning donors can complete a gift with a single tap. Every friction point in the giving flow has been optimized. According to Pushpay’s published case studies, churches using their platform report higher recurring giving rates and digital giving increases of 30-60% in the first year, though results vary by congregation size, prior digital giving adoption, and how the transition was communicated.
Donor analytics are a major strength. Engagement scoring identifies at-risk givers before they lapse. Year-over-year trends, campaign performance tracking, and custom board reports give leadership a data-driven view of generosity.
Where Planning Center Holds Its Own
Planning Center Giving has no monthly fee. You pay transaction fees only. For a church receiving $10,000/month in online giving, the processing fees run roughly $230/month. That’s far less than Pushpay’s platform fee alone.
Lower transaction rates. Planning Center’s card fees (2.1% + $0.30) and ACH fees (0.8%, capped at $5) are lower than Pushpay’s estimates. Over a year of giving, these savings add up.
Winner: Depends on your priority. If maximizing every dollar of digital giving is your top strategic goal and you have the budget, Pushpay’s giving tools are the best in the industry. If you want solid, affordable giving without a premium price tag, Planning Center Giving delivers excellent value.
Church Management: Planning Center People vs. Pushpay CCB
Both platforms offer member management, but CCB is a full-featured ChMS while Planning Center People is a powerful but leaner CRM.
| Feature | Planning Center People | CCB (Pushpay) |
|---|---|---|
| People management | Excellent | Deep |
| Household grouping | Yes | Yes |
| Custom fields | Yes | Yes |
| Workflows / automations | Yes (strong) | Yes (process queues, best in class) |
| Groups management | Good (separate app, $20/month) | Advanced |
| Volunteer scheduling | Yes (via Services) | Yes (automated reminders) |
| Check-ins | Best in class (separate app) | Yes |
| Event management | Good (Registrations app) | Yes |
| Reporting | Moderate | Customizable dashboards |
| Ease of use | Clean, modern | Moderate (older interface) |
| Learning curve | 1 week | 1-2 weeks |
| Free tier | Yes (100 profiles) | No |
CCB’s Advantage: Depth and Process Queues
CCB has been around since 1999, making it one of the most mature church management systems available. Its standout feature is process queues, which let you build step-by-step follow-up workflows. When a visitor is added, you can trigger an automated sequence: welcome call on day one, follow-up email on day three, membership class invitation after two weeks. Each step gets assigned to a specific person with due dates.
For churches that want structured, automated pastoral care, CCB’s process queues are genuinely powerful.
Planning Center People’s Advantage: Simplicity and Value
Planning Center People is free for up to 100 profiles and starts at $19/month for larger churches. The interface is modern and clean. Workflows are flexible and cover most follow-up automation needs. And because People connects seamlessly to every other Planning Center app, your member data flows naturally into Services, Check-Ins, Giving, and Groups.
The key difference: CCB is a standalone, full-featured ChMS. Planning Center People is the hub of a modular ecosystem. If you want everything in one tightly integrated product, CCB has more depth. If you want to pick and choose your tools, Planning Center’s approach is more flexible.
Winner: CCB for raw depth and pastoral workflows. Planning Center for value, modern design, and ecosystem flexibility.
Worship and Services Planning: Planning Center’s Defining Category
This is Planning Center’s defining advantage, and the gap is significant.
Planning Center Services is the most established worship planning tool available. No other platform in the church tech space competes at this level.
- Build detailed service plans with timing, songs, media cues, and notes
- Schedule musicians and volunteers with conflict detection
- Attach chord charts, lyrics, and audio recordings to songs
- CCLI reporting built in
- Rehearsal mode for musicians to practice from home
- Integration with ProPresenter, EasyWorship, and other presentation software
- Song arrangement management (different versions for different services)
- Multi-service planning (8am acoustic vs 11am full band)
Pushpay has no worship planning tools. Zero. No service builder, no song database, no musician scheduling, no integration with presentation software.
For churches with a worship team, a production crew, or multiple service styles, Planning Center Services alone might justify the entire platform subscription. This is the single biggest feature gap between the two platforms.
Winner: Planning Center. Pushpay does not compete here.
Church Apps: Different Approaches, Both Solid
Both platforms offer member-facing apps, but they work differently.
| Feature | Church Center (Planning Center) | Pushpay App |
|---|---|---|
| Custom branding | Limited (Church Center branded) | Full (your name in app stores) |
| In-app giving | Yes | Yes (one-tap Quick Give) |
| Event registration | Yes | Yes |
| Group directory | Yes | Yes |
| Sermon/media library | Limited | Yes |
| Push notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Live streaming | No | Yes |
| Prayer wall | No | Yes |
| Monthly cost | Free (included with Publishing) | ~$200-400+ (part of bundle) |
Pushpay’s Advantage
Pushpay’s app is a fully branded, custom app published under your church’s name in the App Store and Google Play. The design quality is premium. In-app giving with Quick Give is seamless. Media and sermon libraries are well-organized. It’s one of the most polished church apps available, comparable to Subsplash.
Planning Center’s Advantage
Church Center is free. It’s included with Planning Center Publishing at no extra cost. While it carries the “Church Center” branding (not your church name), it connects directly to your Planning Center data: events, groups, giving, and check-in. For churches that want a functional member app without paying hundreds per month, it’s a solid option.
Winner: Pushpay on polish and branding. Planning Center on value. If a premium branded app is a priority for your church, Pushpay delivers. If you need a functional member app without additional cost, Church Center does the job.
Check-In: Planning Center Is More Feature-Rich
Both platforms offer children’s check-in with security features, but Planning Center’s is more mature and feature-rich.
| Feature | Planning Center Check-Ins | CCB Check-In (Pushpay) |
|---|---|---|
| Name tag printing | Yes (customizable) | Yes |
| Security codes | Yes | Yes |
| Allergy/medical alerts | Yes (detailed, on labels) | Yes |
| Room/capacity management | Advanced | Basic |
| Self-service kiosk | Yes (polished) | Yes |
| Headcount tracking | Detailed (by room, service, date) | Basic |
| First-time visitor workflows | Yes | Yes |
Planning Center Check-Ins is the industry leader for children’s ministry security and attendance tracking. The label customization, room management, and reporting depth are a step above what CCB offers.
Winner: Planning Center. The gap is most noticeable for large churches with complex children’s ministry operations.
Who Should Choose Planning Center
Planning Center is the right choice if:
- Worship planning is important. If you have a worship team, Planning Center Services is the most established tool in this category. No other platform offers comparable depth.
- Budget matters. Transparent, modular pricing lets you start free and scale gradually. A mid-size church can run a full setup for $100-200/month.
- You want modular flexibility. Pick the apps you need, skip the ones you don’t. Only pay for what you actually use.
- Check-in quality matters. Planning Center Check-Ins is best in class for children’s ministry security.
- You value transparent pricing. Every price is published. No sales calls, no surprises.
- You’re a small-to-mid-size church. The free tier and low starting costs make it accessible for churches of any size.
Who Should Choose Pushpay
Pushpay is the right choice if:
- Maximizing digital giving is your top priority. Pushpay’s giving UX, donor analytics, and adoption support are the best in the space. If increasing giving revenue is a strategic goal, the ROI can justify the premium.
- You’re a large US church (500+) with a strong budget. Pushpay’s pricing makes the most sense for churches with significant giving volume where the optimization tools can deliver measurable returns.
- Donor analytics matter to your leadership. Engagement scoring, lapsed giver alerts, and campaign tracking give leadership a data-driven view of generosity.
- You want a premium branded app. Pushpay’s app is one of the most polished available, published under your church’s name.
- You need structured pastoral workflows. CCB’s process queues are among the best in the industry for automated follow-up.
- You want giving + ChMS in one vendor. The Pushpay + CCB combination covers giving, apps, and church management under one umbrella.
The Global Church Perspective
Here’s the honest truth that both companies rarely address in their marketing. Both Planning Center and Pushpay were built for US churches.
| Global Need | Planning Center | Pushpay |
|---|---|---|
| M-Pesa giving | No | No |
| MTN Mobile Money | No | No |
| Paystack / Flutterwave | No | No |
| WhatsApp messaging | No | No |
| Multi-currency giving | No | No |
| Regional pricing | No | No |
| Offline capability | No | No |
| Multilingual admin | No | No |
For churches in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, or anywhere that relies on mobile money for transactions, neither platform can process the giving methods your members actually use. For UK diaspora churches with members sending offerings from abroad, the lack of international payment support creates unnecessary friction.
Planning Center’s giving works in the US only. Pushpay supports the US, Australia, and New Zealand, giving it a slight edge internationally, but still nothing for Africa, Latin America, or most of Asia.
This isn’t a flaw in either product. They were built for the markets they serve. But if your church operates outside North America, you’re choosing between two tools that weren’t designed for your reality. For more on this, read our piece on why US church software doesn’t work for African churches.
Our Verdict
The Planning Center vs Pushpay decision comes down to two questions: What does your church need most? and What can you afford?
For most churches, Planning Center is the better choice. The modular pricing is fair and transparent. The worship planning tools are the most established in the space. The free tier gives small churches a real starting point. And the total cost of ownership is a fraction of what Pushpay charges. A church paying $150/month for Planning Center would spend $600-1,000/month for comparable Pushpay + CCB coverage.
Pushpay makes sense for a specific type of church. If you’re a large US church with a significant giving volume, a dedicated tech budget, and a strategic focus on maximizing digital generosity, Pushpay’s giving optimization and donor analytics can deliver real ROI. The premium pricing is justified when the tools help you raise meaningfully more than you would otherwise.
Our recommendation:
- Budget-conscious churches of any size: Start with Planning Center. Use the free tier to get started. Add apps as you grow. You get the best worship planning in the industry plus solid giving, check-in, and member management.
- Large US churches focused on giving growth: Request a Pushpay demo. Negotiate pricing. Ask about ROI guarantees. If the math works at your giving volume, the tools are genuinely strong.
- Churches that want both: Some churches use Planning Center Services for worship planning alongside Pushpay for giving. There’s no direct integration, but the combination gives you the best of both worlds if your budget allows it.
- Churches outside North America: Neither platform was built for you. Look at tools designed for the global church from the ground up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Planning Center and Pushpay together?
Yes, and some churches do. The most common setup is Planning Center Services for worship planning alongside Pushpay for giving and the church app. There’s no direct integration between the platforms, so you’ll manage two logins and two bills. But if worship planning and premium giving are both priorities, this combination covers both.
Which has better customer support?
Both offer solid support. Planning Center provides email, phone support for paying customers, and an extensive knowledge base. Pushpay offers dedicated customer success managers for onboarding and ongoing support. For large churches, Pushpay’s dedicated account management can be a meaningful advantage.
Is Planning Center really free?
Partially. Planning Center People is free for up to 100 profiles. Several other apps (Services, Check-Ins, Giving, Publishing) have free basic tiers. A small church can genuinely operate on $0/month. However, as your church grows and you need more features, costs scale up. See our Planning Center pricing guide for every tier.
Does Pushpay have a free plan?
No. All Pushpay plans require a paid subscription with an annual contract. There is no free tier and no self-service signup. You need to go through the sales process to get started.
Which is better for a church plant?
Planning Center, in most cases. The free tier lets you start with zero cost. You can add apps and tiers as your church grows. Pushpay’s pricing and annual contracts are designed for established churches with existing budgets. The exception is if your church plant is backed by a large sending church that’s already using Pushpay and wants consistency across campuses.
Which handles online giving better?
Pushpay has the more polished giving experience with better donor analytics, one-tap Quick Give, and dedicated adoption support. Planning Center Giving has no monthly fee, lower transaction rates, and still covers all the essentials (cards, ACH, text-to-give, recurring giving, statements). Pushpay wins on quality and optimization. Planning Center wins on affordability.
Can I switch between the two later?
Yes, but plan for transition work. Member data and giving history can be exported via CSV. The main friction points are rebuilding workflows (CCB process queues or Planning Center workflows don’t transfer), re-enrolling recurring givers, and retraining staff. If you switch away from Planning Center Services, your song library and service plan history don’t have an equivalent destination in Pushpay. Plan for 2-4 weeks of transition time.
Do either work for churches outside the US?
Planning Center’s giving is US-only. Pushpay supports the US, Australia, and New Zealand, which gives it a slight edge. But neither platform supports mobile money, WhatsApp, multi-currency giving, or regional pricing. Churches in Africa, Latin America, or the UK diaspora will find critical gaps with both platforms. See our guide on church management software for churches outside the US.