TL;DR: Subsplash makes the best custom church apps on the market, but the quote-based pricing, US-only focus, and bundled feature model push many churches to explore alternatives. Tithe.ly is the best all-in-one value. Planning Center wins for modular flexibility. Pushpay is the pick for large churches.
Why Churches Look for Subsplash Alternatives
We gave Subsplash a solid review. Their custom apps, media hosting, and Pulpit AI are genuinely excellent. But “excellent at some things” doesn’t mean “right for every church.”
Quote-Based Pricing Makes It Hard to Budget
Subsplash does not publish pricing for most of its products. App packages start around $99/month with a $499 setup fee, but the full Subsplash One bundle requires booking a demo and getting a custom quote.
For a church administrator preparing a budget proposal for the board, “book a sales call to find out” is a non-starter. Compare that to Tithe.ly’s $119/month All-Access plan, Breeze’s flat $72/month, or Planning Center’s published per-module pricing.
Bundled Features You May Not Need
Subsplash’s strength is the all-in-one approach: apps, giving, media, streaming, websites, ChMS, groups, events, and AI tools. But what if you only need giving? Or just a ChMS?
Bundled platforms charge you for the bundle, even when you only need two or three pieces. Churches that want a modular approach often find better value elsewhere.
The Website Builder Is Weak
Subsplash’s website builder (SnapPages) is the weakest link in their lineup. Limited customization, a steep learning curve, and templates that don’t give you room to make them your own. If your web presence matters, you’ll likely need a separate solution anyway.
Limited International Support
Subsplash was built for North American churches. No WhatsApp integration. No mobile money (M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money). No multi-currency giving. No offline functionality.
For churches in Lagos, Nairobi, London, or Kingston, the platform has significant gaps. We’ve covered this pattern in our piece on why US church software doesn’t work for African churches.
The 6 Best Subsplash Alternatives
1. Tithe.ly: Best All-in-One Value
Best for: Churches that want everything Subsplash offers at a predictable, lower price.
Tithe.ly started as a giving platform and has grown into a full church engagement suite. After acquiring Breeze ChMS in 2021, it covers giving, church management, a custom church app, a website builder, and worship planning tools.
| Plan | Cost |
|---|---|
| Free Giving | $0/month (transaction fees only) |
| Church Management + Giving | $72/month |
| All-Access (everything) | $119/month |
Better than Subsplash: Transparent pricing, 80% cheaper for the full suite, no setup fees or annual contracts, and built-in worship planning (which Subsplash lacks entirely).
Worse than Subsplash: The church app is good but not premium-tier. No AI content tools like Pulpit AI. Media hosting and streaming are functional, not among the strongest.
The bottom line: For most churches leaving Subsplash, Tithe.ly is the easiest switch. Comparable features at a fraction of the cost. Read our full Tithe.ly review.
2. Planning Center: Best Modular Approach
Best for: Churches that want to pay only for what they use.
Planning Center offers eight separate apps that work together: People, Services, Giving, Groups, Registrations, Check-Ins, Calendar, and Publishing. Pick what you need, skip the rest.
| App | Starting Price |
|---|---|
| People | Free (up to 100 profiles) |
| Services | Free (basic) |
| Giving | No monthly fee |
| Groups | $20/month |
| Check-Ins | Free (basic) |
A typical mid-size church pays $100-200/month.
Better than Subsplash: Best worship planning tools in the industry. Modular pricing with no forced bundles. Free tiers for small churches. Deeper people management with workflows and automation.
Worse than Subsplash: No custom branded app (Church Center is functional but generic). No live streaming, media hosting, or AI content tools.
The bottom line: The Subsplash alternative for churches that care about operational depth over flashy apps. Read our full Planning Center review.
3. Pushpay: Best for Large Churches
Best for: Large churches that want premium giving analytics and donor engagement.
Pushpay is the enterprise option. It’s not cheaper than Subsplash, but for large churches focused on maximizing digital giving, it offers capabilities no other platform matches.
Pricing: Quote-based. Estimated $199/month for giving-only, $500-1,500+/month for the full Pushpay + CCB bundle.
Better than Subsplash: Best donor analytics in church tech (engagement scoring, giving trend predictions, lapsed donor identification). One-tap Quick Give. Deeper ChMS through CCB.
Worse than Subsplash: More expensive. Annual contracts. No media hosting, live streaming, or AI content tools. The CCB merger created integration friction. Also US-centric.
The bottom line: Only worth it for large US churches where giving optimization is the top priority. Read our full Pushpay review.
4. Church Center: Best Free Church App
Best for: Churches that want a functional app without paying for a custom build.
Church Center is Planning Center’s free member-facing app. Members can update their info, register for events, join groups, give online, and check in their kids.
Pricing: Free with any Planning Center subscription.
Better than Subsplash: Zero additional cost. Self-service for members. Tight integration with Planning Center’s ecosystem.
Worse than Subsplash: Not a custom branded app. No live streaming or media hosting. Limited push notifications. Minimal branding options.
The bottom line: If “good enough” works for your congregation, Church Center saves you hundreds per month. Don’t expect Subsplash-level polish.
5. Custom PWA/Website Approach: Best for Tech-Savvy Churches
Best for: Churches with a technical volunteer who wants full control.
Instead of paying for a custom native app, build a Progressive Web App (PWA) that does what your congregation actually needs. A PWA looks and feels like a native app, installs from the browser, works offline, and sends push notifications.
Pricing: $0-20/month hosting. One-time build cost of $500-3,000 if you hire a developer.
Better than Subsplash: Full control over design. No monthly platform fees. No vendor lock-in. Works globally (pair with Stripe for 135+ currencies, WhatsApp for communication).
Worse than Subsplash: Requires technical skills. No built-in giving, ChMS, or media tools. Ongoing maintenance falls on your team.
The bottom line: Pair a PWA with Stripe for giving, ChurchTrac for management, and WhatsApp for communication. Under $50/month for a complete stack. Not for everyone, but the most flexible option for the right church.
6. Breeze: Best Simple ChMS
Best for: Small churches (under 300 members) that need the basics done well.
Breeze won’t replace Subsplash’s app or media features. But if you were using Subsplash primarily for church management and giving, Breeze handles both at a fraction of the cost.
Pricing: $72/month flat. Unlimited members, unlimited users.
Better than Subsplash: Radical simplicity (setup takes an afternoon). Predictable pricing. Strong core ChMS with member database, giving, attendance, check-ins, groups, and communication.
Worse than Subsplash: No church app. No live streaming or media. No AI content tools. Limited reporting and automation. US-only payment support.
The bottom line: For small churches that need to track members, collect donations, and communicate without complexity. Read our full Breeze review.
Master Comparison Table
| Feature | Subsplash | Tithe.ly | Planning Center | Pushpay | Church Center | Custom PWA | Breeze |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | Quote ($99+) | $119 | $100-200 | $500-1,500+ | Free | $0-20 | $72 |
| Transparent Pricing | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom App | Best-in-class | Included | Church Center | Premium | Functional | Build your own | No |
| Online Giving | Strong | Strong | Good | Best-in-class | Via PC | Via Stripe | Solid |
| ChMS | Basic-Mid | Mid | Deep | Deep (CCB) | Via PC | None | Simple |
| Streaming | Excellent | Good | No | No | No | YouTube | No |
| AI Tools | Pulpit AI | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Worship Planning | No | Basic | Best-in-class | No | Via PC | No | No |
| No | No | No | No | No | Manual | No | |
| Mobile Money | No | No | No | No | No | Via Stripe | No |
Quick Guide: What Do You Actually Need?
If you want the app, Tithe.ly includes a branded app in its $119/month All-Access plan. Pushpay rivals Subsplash on app quality but at premium prices. Church Center is free and functional. A custom PWA gives you total control.
If you want the giving, Subsplash Giving actually works standalone for free. But Tithe.ly Giving and Planning Center Giving are also free (transaction fees only). Stripe offers the lowest ACH fees (0.8%) and supports 135+ currencies.
If you want the media, Subsplash is honestly hard to replace with a single platform. The practical approach: YouTube for streaming, Spotify for Podcasters for audio, and tools like Descript for content repurposing. More work, but far cheaper.
The Global Perspective
All the major US-built church platforms share the same blind spot. They assume credit cards, email, stable broadband, and English-speaking congregations.
For a church in Accra where 90% of communication happens on WhatsApp, a giving platform that only supports credit cards and ACH misses the majority of your donors. For a diaspora church in London serving a multilingual congregation, software designed for single-culture churches falls short.
None of the six alternatives above fully solve this. Tithe.ly, Planning Center, Pushpay, and Breeze are all US-centric. The custom PWA approach can be adapted (pair Stripe with WhatsApp), but requires significant effort.
This is the gap that platforms built for the global church are designed to fill.
Our Verdict
There’s no single platform that replaces everything Subsplash does. Most churches don’t need everything Subsplash offers.
If price is your main concern: Tithe.ly at $119/month. More features than Subsplash in some categories, at a fraction of the cost.
If you want to pay only for what you use: Planning Center. Start free, add only what your church needs.
If the app is non-negotiable: Keep Subsplash for the app but use standalone tools for everything else. Tithe.ly Giving (free), Breeze ($72/month for ChMS), and Planning Center Services (free tier for worship planning).
If simplicity is what you need: Breeze at $72/month. Done.
If your church is outside North America: See our guide to choosing church management software for region-specific recommendations.
FAQ
How much does Subsplash cost?
Subsplash Giving is free ($0/month, transaction fees only). App packages start around $99/month with a $499 setup fee. The full Subsplash One bundle requires a custom quote. Transaction fees: 2.9% + $0.30 (cards), 1.0% (ACH), with lower rates through GrowCurve.
What is the cheapest Subsplash alternative?
Church Center is free with Planning Center. Tithe.ly Giving is free for giving-only. For a full platform, Breeze at $72/month or Tithe.ly All-Access at $119/month are the most affordable.
Can I use Subsplash just for giving and switch everything else?
Yes. Subsplash Giving works standalone with no monthly fee. Keep it for giving while using Planning Center for worship planning, Breeze for church management, and YouTube for streaming.
Does any Subsplash alternative support WhatsApp and mobile money?
Among the major US-built platforms, no. See our guide to WhatsApp as a church communication tool for more on this topic.
How do I migrate from Subsplash?
Export your member data and giving history from Subsplash (CSV format). Most alternatives support CSV imports. Set up the new platform first, redirect your congregation gradually, and run both systems for 1-2 months. Don’t cancel Subsplash until recurring givers have moved over.
Which Subsplash alternative has the best church app?
Pushpay’s app rivals Subsplash in quality but at premium prices. Tithe.ly includes a branded app in its $119/month All-Access plan, which is the best value. Church Center is free and functional.