Best Church Management Software (2026): 10 Compared

Every church I've known runs on volunteers, and most of them are juggling spreadsheets, group chats and a filing cabinet of consent forms. Church management software, often called a ChMS, gives that work a home so the people doing it can spend more time with people.

Here are ten church management software options in no particular order, sorted alphabetically. Two are well-known names and the rest are smaller, including UK and Australian tools and one that's open source. Every description comes from each company's own website, re-checked today. If your church also applies for grants, my guide to AI tools for writing grant applications might save you an evening or two.

Church management software at a glance

In the free plan column, Yes means the company's own site describes a free plan or free version, Trial only means a time-limited free trial, and No means neither is stated on the page I read. Things change, so check each site before you rely on one.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Breeze ChMS	Church management software	Small and mid-size churches wanting ease of use	Trial only
ChMeetings	Church management software	Small churches starting on a free plan	Yes
ChurchSuite	Church management software	UK churches and multi-site churches	Trial only
Churchteams	Church management software	Churches built around small groups	Trial only
ChurchTrac	Church management software	Churches wanting simple modules	Trial only
Elvanto	Church management software	Churches organising services and rosters	No
One Church Software	Church management software	Churches wanting an all-in-one start	Trial only
Planning Center	Church management suite	Churches that want to add apps as they grow	Yes
Realm	Church management software	Larger churches wanting detailed reporting	No
Rock RMS	Open source church management	Churches with in-house tech skills	Yes

Ten church management software options

Breeze ChMS

Best for: Small and mid-size churches that want an easy people database, giving and check-in with a free trial.

ChMeetings

Best for: Small churches that want a free plan for people, groups and basic giving records.

ChurchSuite

Best for: UK churches that want people, rotas, children's check-in and giving in one system.

Churchteams

Best for: Churches with lots of small groups that want group leaders to manage their own groups.

ChurchTrac

Best for: Churches that want to add only the modules they need, such as giving or scheduling.

Elvanto

Best for: Churches that want strong service planning and volunteer rosters alongside people records.

One Church Software

Best for: Churches that want people, events and giving in one system with a trial to start.

Planning Center

Best for: Churches that want separate apps for services, check-ins and groups, starting with free plans.

Realm

Best for: Larger churches and multi-site congregations that want detailed giving and engagement reporting.

Rock RMS

Best for: Churches with technical volunteers or staff who want open source software they can host and extend.

Gift Aid records your church software should keep (UK)

If you're a UK church claiming Gift Aid, record-keeping matters as much as the giving itself. HMRC's guidance says it's important to keep records of declarations and Gift Aid payments, that you must keep records of a verbal declaration, and that if you make a claim without collecting a declaration from the donor, HMRC may ask you to repay the equivalent amount in tax.

So when you compare church management software, check how each one stores Gift Aid declarations, whether it records verbal declarations and confirmation letters, and how easily it produces the data you'll need for a claim. In the US, ask instead how it produces year-end giving statements. This isn't tax advice, so check with HMRC or your accountant.

What a church should check in management software

• People database: households, attendance and pastoral notes with sensible permissions?
• Groups: can leaders take attendance and message their own groups?
• Volunteer rotas: scheduling, swaps and reminders?
• Children's check-in: labels, allergy alerts and secure collection?
• Giving: records, statements and Gift Aid where relevant?
• Communication: email and text to groups or the whole church?
• Data protection: clear permissions for sensitive pastoral information?

Moving your church onto a ChMS

1. Agree who owns the project, ideally a staff member and one volunteer.
2. Clean your people list and remove duplicates before importing.
3. Set permissions so pastoral notes are only visible to the right people.
4. Start with one ministry, such as children's check-in or volunteer rotas.
5. Train group leaders with a short video and a printed guide.
6. Add giving and communication once the people database is settled.

Newsletters still matter to many congregations, and my explainer on why a newsletter is worth having covers the basics.

Common church software mistakes

• Importing every old spreadsheet without cleaning it first. You'll spend months fixing duplicates.
• Giving everyone full access. Pastoral notes and children's information need tight permissions.
• Choosing a system the volunteers won't use. If group leaders find it awkward, the data won't get updated.
• Turning on every module at once. Start with the job that hurts most and add the rest later.

Do you make church management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on church management software

Start with your biggest weekly headache, whether that's volunteer rotas, children's check-in or giving records, and choose the tool that solves it best. The rest can follow.

And involve your volunteers early. They're the ones who'll use it every Sunday, so let two or three of them try the free plans or trials before you decide.

Frequently asked questions

What is church management software?

It's software, often called a ChMS, that keeps a church's people records, groups, volunteers, check-in, giving and communication in one place.

Is there free church management software?

Yes. Some tools offer a free plan for smaller churches, and one is open source. Check the limits on people and features.

What does ChMS stand for?

ChMS stands for church management system, the software churches use to manage people and ministries.

Can church software handle children's check-in?

Many tools include check-in with name labels, allergy alerts and matching collection tags.

Does church management software handle Gift Aid?

Some UK-focused tools store Gift Aid declarations. Check how each one records them before you choose.

How do we protect pastoral notes?

Use permissions so only the right people can see sensitive notes, and review access regularly.

Can small group leaders use it?

Most tools give group leaders access to their own group's attendance and messages.

How long does it take to set up a ChMS?

A small church can start in a few weeks if it begins with one ministry and adds the rest over time.