How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Tithely, Givelify, and Subsplash offer giving with no monthly fee; you pay only per-transaction processing rates.
- Planning Center Giving has the lowest card processing rate at 2.15% plus $0.30, with ACH at just $0.30 flat.
- ChurchTrac starts at $29 per month and bundles giving with full church management for one price.
- Breeze, now part of Tithely, charges a flat $72 per month for simple all-in-one church management.
- Donorbox works well for churches that also run fundraisers and events, starting free with a 2.95% platform fee.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Tithely | Free giving with room to grow | $0 per month (Giving plan) | Yes |
 Planning Center Giving | Lowest processing fees | $0 (free up to 10 donations/month) | Yes |
 Givelify | Simple mobile giving | $0 (no monthly fee) | Yes |
 Subsplash Giving | Giving inside a church app | $0 per month (Giving) | Yes |
 Donorbox | Fundraising plus church giving | $0 per month (Standard, 2.95% platform fee) | Yes |
 ChurchTrac | All-in-one management on a budget | $29 per month | Yes |
 Breeze | Simple flat-rate church management | $72 per month | Free trial (30 days) |
 Pushpay | Growing churches wanting one platform | See website | No |
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Starting price$0 per month (Giving plan)
Free planYes
Tithely is the most popular free starting point for church giving, used by over 53,000 churches. The Giving plan costs nothing per month: online, mobile, text, and kiosk giving with recurring gifts, pledge campaigns, and end-of-year tax statements. You pay only processing: 2.9% plus $0.30 per card transaction, 1% plus $0.30 for bank transfers.
The Cover the Fees feature lets donors add the processing cost to their gift, which many churches find meaningfully increases net giving. When the church outgrows giving-only, Tithely All Access at $119 per month adds church management, a custom app, a website builder, and messaging.
The honest catch is the fee math. At 2.9% plus $0.30, small gifts lose a noticeable share, and the free tier covers giving only. For a small church starting online giving, though, zero monthly cost with no contract is the easiest yes in this category.
What we like- Giving is genuinely free with no monthly fee
- Donor-covered fees option
- Scales to full church management
Watch out for- Card processing at 2.9% plus $0.30
- Advanced tools need the $119 All Access plan
Starting price$0 (free up to 10 donations/month)
Free planYes
Planning Center Giving wins on fee math. Card gifts cost 2.15% plus $0.30, well below the industry-standard 2.9%, and bank transfers cost a flat $0.30 with no percentage. The company states it makes nothing from processing fees. Giving is free up to 10 donations a month, then priced by monthly donation volume.
The modular system is the broader appeal. People, the member database, and the Church Center app are free, and you add only the modules you need: Services for worship planning, Check-Ins for kids, Groups, and more. Everything shares one database, so a giver's record follows them everywhere.
The tradeoff is stacking costs. Each module has its own price, and a church using several can reach $100-plus per month. But for giving alone, the low processing rates save real money as donation volume grows.
What we like- Lowest card rate at 2.15% plus $0.30
- ACH costs just $0.30 flat
- Free People database and Church Center app
Watch out for- Priced by donation count after the free tier
- Other modules cost extra
Starting price$0 (no monthly fee)
Free planYes
Givelify is the simplest path to mobile giving. There is no monthly fee, no signup fee, and no contract: the church pays a flat 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation, and money lands the next business day. Over 80,000 organizations use it, and the app holds 4.9 stars across more than 135,000 reviews.
Donors love the experience. Giving takes seconds in the app, and the free Analytics Studio gives churches donor insights and engagement tools without an upsell. For congregations with many older members, the straightforward app design matters.
The honest catch is scope. Givelify is a giving app, not church management: no member database, no check-in, no service planning. When the church needs those, it either runs a second system or migrates givers elsewhere. For pure giving simplicity, it is excellent.
What we like- No signup fee, monthly fee, or contract
- Beloved mobile app with 4.9-star ratings
- Next-day deposits
Watch out for- Giving-focused, not full church management
- Flat 2.9% plus $0.30 on every gift
Starting price$0 per month (Giving)
Free planYes
Subsplash Giving is available at $0 per month with no setup costs, which makes it an easy add for churches already in the Subsplash world. Donors can cover processing fees with one tap, and giving integrates with the church's Subsplash app, website, media, and events.
The platform story is the draw. Subsplash builds custom church apps, websites, live streaming, and media libraries, and giving lives inside all of it. A member can watch the sermon, join a group, and give without leaving the app. The company serves over 20,000 churches and ministries.
The tradeoff is that everything beyond Giving is quote-based, and the real value comes from the full platform. A church that only wants standalone giving may find simpler tools cheaper in practice. For app-centered ministries, the integration is compelling.
What we like- Giving is free at $0 per month
- Donor-covered fees
- Integrates with Subsplash apps, media, and websites
Watch out for- Full platform pricing is quote-based
- Best value requires the broader Subsplash ecosystem
Starting price$0 per month (Standard, 2.95% platform fee)
Free planYes
Donorbox is a general nonprofit fundraising platform that many churches use for giving. The Standard plan has no monthly fee and no setup cost, with a 2.95% platform fee plus standard Stripe or PayPal processing. Donors can cover the fees, and the UltraSwift checkout is genuinely fast.
The breadth suits churches that fundraise beyond the offering plate: building campaigns, missions trips, and events all run on the same system, with crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, memberships, and a Live Kiosk app for in-person giving. Native integrations with Planning Center and Rock RMS help on the admin side.
The honest catch is the layered cost. The 2.95% platform fee sits on top of processing, making it pricier per gift than church-specific tools, and features like donor discipleship tracking are thinner. For churches with active fundraising campaigns, the versatility justifies it.
What we like- Free to start with no monthly fee
- Fast mobile checkout
- Text-to-give and kiosk options
Watch out for- 2.95% platform fee on top of processing
- Church-specific features are thinner than rivals
Starting price$29 per month
Free planYes
ChurchTrac is the budget all-in-one: people, giving, accounting, worship planning, check-in, events, messaging, and a website in one platform starting at $29 per month. Pricing scales with the number of people tracked, so small churches pay small prices, and a free plan covers the basics.
For a small church replacing several tools, the value is clear. Online and text giving, contribution statements, fund accounting, and volunteer scheduling live together, and the company claims churches save an average of $877 a year consolidating. Support includes real humans and free data import.
The tradeoff is polish. The interface looks dated next to Tithely or Subsplash, and giving is a solid feature rather than the star. For churches that want one affordable system doing everything adequately, ChurchTrac is hard to beat.
What we like- Everything in one affordable platform
- Pricing scales with church size
- 900+ five-star reviews
Watch out for- Interface looks dated
- Online giving is one feature among many, not the specialty
Starting price$72 per month
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Breeze calls itself the world's easiest church management system, and small churches agree. One plan at $72 per month covers unlimited people and unlimited users: member database, contributions, groups, events, check-in, forms, email, and texting. No tiers, no per-person math, no contract, with a 30-day free trial.
The simplicity is the product. Volunteers can learn it in an afternoon, phone and email support are included free, and the import team moves your data for nothing. Contribution tracking and giving statements handle the treasurer's core job well.
The honest catch is ownership. Breeze joined Tithely in 2021 and is now branded as Tithely Church Management, so its long-term standalone future is unclear. Churches choosing Breeze today should be comfortable with the Tithely ecosystem. For ease of use at a flat price, it remains excellent.
What we like- One flat price with unlimited people and users
- Famously easy to learn
- Free data import
Watch out for- Now part of Tithely, with an uncertain standalone future
- Thinner on volunteer and app features
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Pushpay is the enterprise-grade option, built for growing and multi-site churches that want giving, church management, and a mobile app on one platform. Its Everygift technology works to prevent failed transactions and recover missed gifts, and the analytics show giving trends and at-risk donors. Over 14,000 churches use it.
The platform depth is real: donor journeys, pledge campaigns, kids check-in, volunteer scheduling, and AI-assisted people search, with stock and crypto giving through a partnership. Churches that outgrow free tools often land here.
The honest catch is cost and commitment. Pricing is quote-based, starting around $149 per month and scaling with church size, and contracts are common. For a small church, Pushpay is more platform and more bill than needed. For a growing church planning its next five years, it is worth the conversation.
What we like- Unified giving, management, and app
- Technology that recovers failed gifts
- Strong donor analytics
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing
- Contracts common
- Overkill and overpriced for small churches
How we chose
We focused on giving platforms a small church can actually adopt: accessible pricing, no enterprise sales process, and features built for congregations rather than generic nonprofits. We checked vendor pricing pages for current fees, read documentation for giving methods like text and recurring gifts, and weighed public reviews from G2, Capterra, and Reddit.
Do the fee math on your real giving. A 2.9% plus $0.30 fee on a $25 gift takes $1.03; on 200 gifts a month, that is over $200. Multiply your average gift and monthly count against each platform's rates, and check whether donors can cover the fees.
Confirm the giving methods your congregation will use. Older members may prefer text-to-give or kiosk giving; younger ones expect Apple Pay and Google Pay. Recurring giving matters most of all: it smooths the summer dip and keeps revenue predictable.
Check the treasurer's workflow. Contribution statements, fund designations, and QuickBooks or accounting exports save your volunteer hours every month. Ask how year-end statements work before you commit, not in January.
Ask about contracts and migration. Some platforms lock you into multi-year contracts; others are month-to-month. And if you ever leave, find out whether recurring givers transfer or must re-enroll, because that friction keeps churches stuck.
Free giving vs paid church management: what is the difference
Free giving platforms like Tithely Giving, Givelify, and Subsplash Giving handle donations at no monthly cost. They are the right starting point when the budget is tight and the need is simple: take gifts online and by phone.
Paid church management adds the database behind the giving: member records, contribution statements, check-in, groups, and communication. ChurchTrac, Breeze, and Planning Center's modules cover this ground at various prices.
Many churches start free and upgrade when admin pain exceeds the subscription cost. The trigger is usually the treasurer's workload or the lack of contribution statements. There is no shame in starting simple; the migration path matters more than the starting point.
Frequently asked questions
How much do online giving platforms charge churches?
Most charge per-transaction processing of around 2.9% plus $0.30 for card gifts, with bank transfers cheaper. Several platforms, including Tithely, Givelify, and Subsplash, charge no monthly fee. Planning Center's 2.15% plus $0.30 card rate is the lowest here.
Can donors cover the processing fees?
Yes, on most platforms. Tithely, Subsplash, Donorbox, and others let donors add the fee to their gift with one tap or checkbox. Many churches find most donors opt in, which significantly increases net giving.
Is online giving safe for churches?
Yes. Reputable platforms use PCI-compliant payment processing with encryption, and church-specific vendors add SOC 2 compliance and fraud monitoring. The bigger risk is phishing emails pretending to be your church, so always link to giving from your official website.
Do we need a church app for online giving?
No. Every platform here accepts gifts through a web link you can share by email, text, or social media. An app helps engagement but is not required. Start with web and text giving, and add an app when the congregation asks for it.
How do recurring gifts work?
Donors set an amount and frequency once, and the platform charges them automatically. Recurring giving is the single biggest stabilizer of church revenue, smoothing seasonal dips. Make sure your platform lets donors manage their own recurring gifts without calling the office.
Can a small church really use these for free?
Yes. Tithely Giving, Givelify, Subsplash Giving, and Donorbox all offer free plans with no monthly fee; you pay only per-transaction processing. Planning Center Giving is free up to 10 donations a month. Free plans work well until giving volume or admin needs grow.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://get.tithe.ly/
- https://pushpay.com/
- https://www.planningcenter.com/
- https://breezechms.com/
- https://donorbox.org/
- https://www.givelify.com/
- https://www.subsplash.com/
- https://www.churchtrac.com/
- https://pushpay.com/blog/church-giving-platforms-church-plants/
- https://pushpay.com/blog/best-church-management-software-for-2026/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.