Best Church Accounting Software of 2024

Best Church Accounting Software

Product	Best for	NerdWallet rating	Starting at	Promotion	Learn more
PowerChurch	Overall church accounting software		$40/month for two users. Additional two users (per month): $25.	N/A
Xero Learn more on Xero's secure website	Easy-to-use software	5.0 /5	$20/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.	90% off for 6 months.	Learn more on Xero's secure website
QuickBooks Online Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website	Customizable, straightforward accounting solution	5.0 /5	$38/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.	90% 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	Multilingual churches	5.0 /5	$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
Aplos	Relationship management features		$79/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.	15-day free trial
Realm	Customer service		N/A	30-day free trial of Inform plan.

Product	Best for	NerdWallet rating	Starting at	Promotion	Learn more
PowerChurch	Overall church accounting software		$40/month for two users. Additional two users (per month): $25.	N/A
Xero Learn more on Xero's secure website	Easy-to-use software	5.0 /5	$20/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.	90% off for 6 months.	Learn more on Xero's secure website
QuickBooks Online Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website	Customizable, straightforward accounting solution	5.0 /5	$38/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.	90% 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	Multilingual churches	5.0 /5	$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
Aplos	Relationship management features		$79/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.	15-day free trial
Realm	Customer service		N/A	30-day free trial of Inform plan.

Best Church Accounting Software

PowerChurch

Best for Overall church accounting software

Starting at

$40/month

for two users. Additional two users (per month): $25.

Promotion

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.

PowerChurch

Best for Overall church accounting software

Starting at

$40/month

for two users. Additional two users (per month): $25.

Promotion

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 simple accounting software

Xero

5.0

Best for Easy-to-use software

Starting at

$20/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.

Promotion

90% off

for 6 months.

Learn more

on Xero's website

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 inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.

Our pick for simple accounting software

Xero

Best for Easy-to-use software

5.0

Starting at

$20/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.

Promotion

90% off

for 6 months.

Learn more

on Xero's website

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 inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.

QuickBooks Online

5.0

Best for Customizable, straightforward accounting solution

Starting at

$38/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.

Promotion

90% off

for first three months or free 30-day trial.

Learn more

on QuickBooks' website

Pros

Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
More than 750 app integrations.
Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.

Cons

Expensive compared with the competition.
Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
Limited account users with each plan.

QuickBooks Online

Best for Customizable, straightforward accounting solution

5.0

Starting at

$38/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.

Promotion

90% off

for first three months or free 30-day trial.

Learn more

on QuickBooks' website

Pros

Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
More than 750 app integrations.
Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.

Cons

Expensive compared with the competition.
Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
Limited account users with each plan.

Zoho Books

5.0

Best for Multilingual churches

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

Promotion

14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

Learn more

on Zoho Books' website

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).

Zoho Books

Best for Multilingual churches

5.0

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

Promotion

14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

Learn more

on Zoho Books' website

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).

Aplos

Best for Relationship management features

Starting at

$79/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.

Promotion

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.

Aplos

Best for Relationship management features

Starting at

$79/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.

Promotion

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.

Realm

Best for Customer service

Promotion

30-day free trial

of Inform plan.

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.

Realm

Best for Customer service

Promotion

30-day free trial

of Inform plan.

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.

How to choose church accounting software

To find the best accounting software for your church, consider the following factors:

Cost: As a tax-exempt organization, churches are especially accountable for every dollar they spend. That includes how much gets put toward accounting software. If you’re using more generalized accounting software, don’t forget to add in the cost of church-specific integrations (if you need them). You might also factor in credit card processing fees if you accept donations online.
Core bookkeeping tools: These include detailed transaction tracking, reporting, online bank connections for importing transactions and the ability to loop in your accountant. We also recommend having your bookkeeper or accountant look over your chart of accounts setup before getting started.
Industry-specific features: Any church can benefit from software that provides basic support for tax-exempt organizations, like Form 990 filing assistance. But as your ministry grows, you may want access to additional church management tools, such as donor databases, member directories, online event registration, marketing features and fundraising programs.
User interface: Church accounting software should be relatively easy to use, and this is especially true if more than one or two people are going to be working with it. Some industry-specific software products, like PowerChurch, have dated user interfaces that might feel clunky. Universal accounting software is less tailored to churches, but often more streamlined and simpler to navigate. Overall, one type isn’t better than the other, but it’s definitely a tradeoff.

Does your church need a dedicated bookkeeper?

The short answer is yes. Nonprofit accounting differs from general business accounting, because you need to track how tithes and donations are being used. Ideally, your bookkeeper has experience working with churches or nonprofits. That way, they can also assist with accounting tasks associated with other church-led programs, like preschools and fundraising.

Billie Anne Grigg contributed to an earlier version of this article, which was first published on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

Last updated on October 30, 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Information is gathered on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy.

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Meet the editorial team

Karrin Sehmbi

Editor & Content Strategist | Small business

Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has more than fifteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and tutor.