Head-to-head
Planning Center vs Tithely: which one in 2026?
Planning Center is a modular church platform from Ministry Centered Technologies with a free people database, and Tithely is a giving-first platform from Your Giving Inc that bundles management, an app and a website. The difference is pay-per-product growth against one flat bundle.
Verdict
Planning Center suits a church that grows product by product, because the free people database costs nothing and each product has published caps. Tithely suits one that wants giving, an app and a website under one vendor with listed prices, although its page shows USD 72 and USD 119 for church management in different places. Ask Planning Center for the subscription summary before committing, and ask Tithely which Church Management price applies.
Planning Center and Tithely side by side
| Planning Center | Tithely | |
|---|---|---|
| Price entry | $0 per product on the free plans, with usage caps | $0 per month plus processing fees (Free Online Giving) |
| Where a church starts | A free people database with unlimited records and reporting, then separate products for Services, Groups, Giving, Check-ins and Calendar. | Free online giving with unlimited donations, then paid add-ons for management, a mobile app, a website or the full bundle. |
| Published paid prices | Paid prices for People, Services, Groups, Giving and Check-ins are not printed on the pricing page; they sit in a monthly subscription summary. | Page shows USD 72 for Church Management, USD 89 for the app, USD 19 for the website and USD 119 for All-Access. |
| Free allowances | Per product: 1 calendar room, 5 Services team members, 5 registrations attendees, 10 monthly donations, 10 daily check-ins and 15 group members. | Free Online Giving has unlimited donations, but text giving costs an extra USD 19 per month on that plan. |
| Card processing on giving | US cards cost 2.15% plus USD 0.30, and ACH costs 0% plus USD 0.30, per the pricing page. | Standard processing fees apply on the free giving plan; the page names no rate in the text read. |
| AI features named | Ask AI sits in the sidebar of every product and answers account questions, cannot change anything and cannot be turned off. An MCP connects outside AI tools. | No AI feature is named on the vendor pages read, and the plan descriptions list giving, management, app and website tools only. |
| Statement on AI training | The privacy page bars the AI Assistant's model providers by contract from training on customer information. | The privacy policy does not mention training AI models, and allows data use for research to improve services. |
| Retention and hosting | Kept only as long as necessary; hosting region not named, and users outside the US have data processed in the US. | Inactive accounts deleted after 7 months, billing records kept 7 years; processors in Australia, the US, the UK and the EU. |
| Trial terms | No trial wording in the pricing text read; the free tiers serve as the way to start. | Thirty days free on the paid plans, while the Free Online Giving plan has no trial and simply costs USD 0 plus processing. |
Where each one wins
Planning Center wins on
- Free people database with unlimited records and reporting, so a small church pays nothing to organize members
- Published per-product free caps make the step from free to paid predictable
- Written contractual ban on AI providers training on customer data
Tithely wins on
- Giving, kiosk and NFC tap discs, text giving and a mobile app come from one vendor
- Prices are printed for the app, website, management and bundle, so a budget can be set before a demo
- Free giving plan with unlimited donations and QuickBooks Online integration
Which to pick
Pick Planning Center if
Your church wants to start free, add products one at a time, and values a written statement that AI providers may not train on its data.
Pick Tithely if
Your church puts giving first and wants a priced bundle of app, website and management with a 30-day trial.
Each tool in context: Planning Center profile, Tithely profile, and the full Best AI Church Management Software in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Planning Center free for a small church?
Yes, up to caps. The people database with reporting is free and unlimited, and each product has a free tier, such as 5 Services team members or 10 monthly Giving donations. Beyond the caps, paid prices are shown only in a monthly subscription summary, so a church should build that summary before assuming a figure.
Why does Tithely show two prices for Church Management?
The pricing page shows USD 72 per month on the plan selector and USD 119 per month in the FAQ, which cites Giving plus Church Management. The messaging allowance also differs between sections, at 250 and 100 messages per month. Ask the vendor which figure applies to your setup in writing.
Which one says more about AI and customer data?
Planning Center does. Its privacy page says the AI Assistant's model providers are contractually prohibited from using customer information for training. Tithely's privacy policy does not mention AI training and states data may be used for research to improve services, so ask sales for a written answer.
Can I buy only giving without the rest?
Yes on both. Tithely's Free Online Giving plan costs USD 0 per month plus processing and covers unlimited donations. Planning Center sells Giving as a separate product with a free tier of 10 monthly donations, then US card fees of 2.15% plus USD 0.30 per the pricing page.