Planning Center Hidden Costs 2026
What they don't show you on the pricing page
Planning Center costs Free to $239 per month as of June 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/month, Check-Ins at $15/month, Giving at $15/month. The Services plan is churches managing worship services.
Planning Center true cost runs 70% above the listed $0-$239/month price as of June 2026. For a 25-person team, expect ~$7,650 in year-one costs vs the $4,500 base license. Key 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. Verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Example: True Cost for 25 Users
| License (25 × $15 × 12) | $4,500/yr |
| Implementation (one-time) | +$15,000–$50,000 |
| Premium Support (20%) | +$900/yr |
| Training (25 × $500) | +$12,500 |
| Admin (part-time) | +$15,000–$25,000/yr |
| Estimated Year 1 Total | ~$7,650 |