Best Church Accounting Software
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
QuickBooks Online Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Customizable, straightforward accounting solution | $30/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, $90, $200. | 50% off for first three months or free 30-day trial. | Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website |
Zoho Books Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website | 4.5/5 Best for Multilingual churches | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275. | 14-day free trial of the Premium plan. | Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website |
Xero Learn more on Xero's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Easy-to-use software | $15/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $42, $78. | 30-day free trial or monthly discount (terms vary). | Learn more on Xero's secure website |
PowerChurch | Best for Overall church accounting software | $40/month for two users. Additional two users (per month): $25. | N/A | |
Aplos | Best for Relationship management features | $79/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189. | 15-day free trial | |
Realm | Best for Customer service | N/A Quote-based. | N/A | |
Wave Accounting | 3.5/5 Best for Free church accounting software | $0 Free (Wave makes money via paid money management products). | N/A |
Our pick for
Customizable, straightforward accounting solution
QuickBooks Online
on QuickBooks Online's secure website
$30/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, $90, $200.
50% off
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations, including live, in-house bookkeeping.
- Robust feature set includes thorough record-keeping, comprehensive reporting, excellent invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Daily phone support and 24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Limited account users with each plan.
Our pick for
Multilingual churches
Zoho Books
on Zoho Books' secure website
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
14-day free trial
of the Premium plan.
Pros
- Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
- Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
- Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
- Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.
- No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
Our pick for
Easy-to-use software
Xero
on Xero's secure website
$15/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $42, $78.
30-day free trial
or monthly discount (terms vary).
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No phone number for customer support listed.
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Our pick for
Overall church accounting software
PowerChurch
$40/month
for two users. Additional two users (per month): $25.
N/A
Pros
- Both online and desktop versions of the software are available.
- Designed specifically for church accounting and membership management needs.
- Long list of church-specific features.
- Add-on features for attendance and mass mailings are available.
Cons
- PowerChurch Plus only works on Windows PCs.
- User interface is outdated.
- Learning curve may be steep if you have no prior accounting knowledge.
Our pick for
Relationship management features
Aplos
$79/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.
15-day free trial
Pros
- Designed for nonprofits and churches.
- Tools to build and host your website, plus the ability to accept online donations and tithes.
- Donor database collects information like giving history and lets you create groups.
- Fund accounting features for tracking how gifts, grants and donations are used.
Cons
- Accounting features like budgeting and recurring transactions require a plan upgrade.
Our pick for
Customer service
Realm
N/A
Quote-based.
N/A
Pros
- Software is designed specifically for churches.
- Customer support is available by phone, email and chat.
- 24/7 support available (with additional cost).
- Includes a free mobile app (iOS and Android) for church staff and full congregation.
Cons
- Accounting features are considered an add-on to any plan and come at an additional cost.
- Plan pricing is not listed on the website.
Our pick for
Free church accounting software
Wave Accounting
$0
Free (Wave makes money via paid money management products).
N/A
Pros
- Free.
- Unlimited partners, collaborators and accountants.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
Cons
- Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails. There are no additional plans to increase functionality.
- Must subscribe to Wave’s paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human.
- No third-party integrations, mileage tracking feature or ability to accept in-person card payments.
Our picks for best church accounting software
PowerChurch: Best overall church accounting software
- $39.95 per month (for two users) for PowerChurch Online.
- $25.00 per month (for each additional two users) for PowerChurch Online.
- $395.00 one-time fee to download PowerChurch Plus.
QuickBooks Online: Best customizable, straightforward accounting solution
- $30 per month for the Simple Start plan.
- $60 per month for the Essentials plan.
- $90 per month for the Plus plan.
- $200 per month for the Advanced plan.
Aplos: Best for relationship management features
- $79 per month for the Aplos Lite plan.
- $99 per month for the Aplos Core plan.
- $189 and up per month for the Advanced plan.
Realm: Best for customer service
Xero: Best for easy-to-use software
- $15 for the Early plan.
- $42 for the Growing plan.
- $78 for the Established plan.
Zoho Books: Best for multilingual churches
- $0 per month for the Free plan.
- $20 per month for the Standard plan.
- $50 per month for the Professional plan.
- $70 per month for the Premium plan.
- $150 per month for the Elite plan.
- $275 per month for the Ultimate plan.
Wave Accounting: Best free church accounting software
Why your church needs a dedicated bookkeeper
- Your church’s leadership team and administrative staff will be able to focus on the church’s mission instead of the church’s bookkeeping.
- You will be able to reassure your congregants that their tithes and donations are being used as intended. When members know their donations are used wisely, they are more likely to continue to donate.
- Your church will be able to manage the accounting tasks associated with programs like preschools and fundraising, ensuring these programs — and your ministry — are a success.