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Planning Center costs Free to $239 per month as of March 2026, with 5 plans available including a free tier. Plans: People (Free) (free), Services at $15/month, Check-Ins at $15/month, Giving at $15/month, and Calendar at $15/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: Yes

Planning Center offers 5 pricing tiers: People (Free), Services, Check-Ins, Giving, Calendar. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Services at $15/undefined, Check-Ins at $15/undefined, Giving at $15/undefined. The Services plan is churches managing worship services.

Compared to other church management software, Planning Center is positioned at the budget-friendly price point.

  • Median contract: $180/yr from 0 purchases
  • Average negotiated discount: 92%
  • 4 documented hidden costs beyond list price

How much does Planning Center cost?

Planning Center offers a free plan with 4 paid tiers from $15 to $239/month. Plans include People (Free) (free), Services at $15/month, Check-Ins at $15/month, Giving at $15/month, Calendar at $15/month.

Planning Center Pricing Overview

Planning Center has 5 pricing plans, including a free tier. Paid plans range from $0 to $239/month. The People (Free) plan is free and is best for all churches for member management. The Services plan costs $15/month, best for churches managing worship services. The Check-Ins plan costs $15/month, best for churches with children's ministry. The Giving plan costs $15/month, best for churches processing donations. The Calendar plan costs $15/month, best for churches managing facilities.

The median Planning Center customer pays $180/year, with an average 92% discount available through negotiation.

There are at least 4 documented hidden costs beyond Planning Center's list price, including implementation, training, and add-on fees.

This pricing was last verified in February 4, 2026 from 1 independent sources.

Planning Center pricing uses a modular approach with a free People (Free) app for church member management and paid apps at $15/month each. The Services app ($15/month) handles worship planning and volunteer scheduling, while Check-Ins ($15/month), Giving ($15/month), and Calendar ($15/month) add event management, online donations, and shared calendaring. Churches can start with the free tier and add only the modules they need.

How Planning Center Pricing Compares

Compare Planning Center pricing against top alternatives in Church Management.

All Planning Center Plans & Pricing

Plan Monthly Annual Best For
People (Free) Free Free All churches for member management
Services $15 / $15 /year Churches managing worship services
Check-Ins $15 / $15 /year Churches with children's ministry
Giving $15 / $15 /year Churches processing donations
Calendar $15 / $15 /year Churches managing facilities
View all features by plan

People (Free)

  • Unlimited contacts and profiles
  • Custom reporting
  • Online forms
  • Workflows
  • Communication tools

Services

  • Volunteer scheduling
  • Service planning
  • Song arrangements
  • Team communication

Check-Ins

  • Child check-in
  • Attendance tracking
  • Security labels
  • Multiple locations

Giving

  • Online donations
  • Recurring giving
  • Financial reporting
  • Tax statements

Calendar

  • Room reservations
  • Event scheduling
  • Resource management
  • Conflict detection

Compare Planning Center vs Alternatives

Before committing to Planning Center, compare pricing with these 3 alternatives in the same category.

All Planning Center alternatives & migration guides

What Companies Actually Pay for Planning Center

The median Planning Center buyer pays $180/year based on 0 verified purchase transactions, with an average 92% savings through negotiation.

What companies actually pay $180/yr Median across 0 purchases
92% avg. savings
with negotiation
Review scores
TrustRadius 9.3/10 (35)
Top pricing complaints
Limited customization options (cannot upload logos for events)Groups communication tool needs improvementMissing CCLI song-reporting integrationFile management within playlists can be confusing to locate
Source: Vendr buyer database — median calculated from 0 real purchase transactions. Savings figure reflects negotiated discounts reported by buyers.

How Planning Center Pricing Compares

Software Starting Price Top Price
Planning Center Free $239/month
Breeze ChMS Free $119/month
Pushpay $99/month $600/month
Realm (ACS Technologies) $46/month $350/month
Tithely Free $119/month

4 Planning Center Hidden Costs Beyond the List Price

Beyond the listed price, Planning Center has at least 4 documented hidden costs that can significantly increase total cost of ownership.

Watch for 4 hidden costs
  • Payment processing fees (2.15% + $0.30 for cards, $0.30 for ACH)
  • Costs add up when combining multiple products
  • Calendar pricing increases with room count
  • Check-Ins pricing scales with attendance
Tip

Ask your Planning Center sales rep about these costs upfront. Getting them in writing before signing can save you from surprise charges later.

Full hidden costs breakdown →

Intelligence sourced from 2 independent sources
Vendr Verified buyer transactions TrustRadius Enterprise reviews
Key claims include inline source attribution. Data verified against multiple independent sources. 1 source citations total.

Planning Center Pricing FAQ

01 How much does Planning Center cost?

Pricing varies by plan. Check the official pricing page for current rates.

02 Does Planning Center have a free tier?

Check the pricing section above for free tier availability.

03 What are the main features of Planning Center?

Key features include the items listed in the pricing tiers above.

04 Is Planning Center worth the price?

Value depends on your specific needs and use case. Compare features across plans.

05 What integrations does Planning Center offer?

Planning Center integrates with ProPresenter for worship presentation setup, making Sunday service preparation easier. It also integrates with church management software like Breeze, FellowshipOne, and Church Community Builder for people management. However, reviewers note it currently lacks direct CCLI song-reporting integration.

06 Can volunteers manage their own schedules in Planning Center?

Yes, volunteers can block out dates when they're unavailable, and they can confirm or decline assigned positions through the app. The matrix view allows scheduling months in advance with automated reminders. However, one limitation reviewers mention is that volunteers cannot swap positions with each other without admin involvement.

07 How does Planning Center compare to other church management software?

Reviewers who evaluated alternatives like FellowshipOne, Church Community Builder, and Pushpay report that Planning Center provides more integrated people management at a better monthly price. For worship planning and volunteer scheduling specifically, reviewers describe Planning Center Services as the industry standard. However, they note using other products like Pushpay or Realm for functions where those are stronger.

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