Top Free Church Management Software Tools in 2026: 9 Tools Compared

Planning Center is the best free starting point because its People database is free with no cap on records. You can store member details, groups, and contact info at no cost, then add Services, Giving, Check-Ins, Groups, and other products only when you need them. The Church Center app connects congregants to giving, groups, events, and check-in from one place.

The free caps on other products are the limit. Services is free for a small team, Giving for a small number of donations per month, and Check-Ins for a small number of daily check-ins, so growing churches move to paid plans for those modules, starting at $15 per month each in recent listings. For a church that needs a solid free database first, Planning Center is unmatched.

ChMeetings is the best all-in-one free tier for a small church. The free plan covers up to 50 people with member management, groups, events, follow-ups, reports, and online giving tools in one hosted system. That breadth suits a church plant or small congregation that wants one tool rather than several separate apps.

Paid plans start at $12 per month for 100 people in recent listings, with higher tiers for larger churches. Feature limits apply on the free plan, and messaging and payment processing can add costs. If your church is under 50 people, ChMeetings gives you the most complete free system here.

ChurchTrac is a budget all-in-one option for small churches that want accounting alongside people management. Plans start at $29 per month for up to 75 tracked people in recent listings, rising with the number of people tracked. Fund accounting, worship planning, attendance, and a church website and app sit in one subscription, which simplifies the admin workload for a part-time administrator.

The pricing model needs care, since it counts tracked people rather than Sunday attendance, so a church with a large historic database pays more than its weekly crowd suggests. Enhanced messaging and payment processing cost extra. For churches that need fund accounting in the same tool as people records, ChurchTrac is a strong value pick.

Tithe.ly is the best free entry point for digital giving. Its Giving plan has no monthly fee, with only per-transaction processing rates, which lets a small church accept online gifts without a subscription. Church management, formerly Breeze, is available as a flat $72 per month plan or inside the $119 per month All Access bundle, which adds a custom app and website.

The free giving plan is not the full management system, so churches that need people, groups, and check-in should budget for the paid bundle. If giving is your first need and management comes later, Tithe.ly lets you start free and grow in one vendor.

Gracely suits small churches that want a simple, free member tool without a complex setup. Its free plan covers unlimited people with up to two admins and a small monthly email limit in recent listings, which is enough for a small congregation to store contacts and send basic updates. Paid plans start at a low monthly rate for more admins and messages.

The free plan is intentionally limited, so larger teams and frequent email users will need a paid tier. We list pricing as See website because Gracely plan details vary by billing period. For a very small church that wants simplicity over depth, Gracely is a clean free start.

Rock RMS is the only fully free, open source platform in this list, with no license fee for the complete system. It covers people, groups, giving, check-in, workflows, and communications, and it suits larger and multi-site churches that want deep customization. The community and plugin ecosystem add features that hosted tools charge for.

Free does not mean zero cost. You pay for hosting, often $30 to $80 per month in typical listings, and you need someone who can install updates and troubleshoot. Churches without a technical volunteer should choose a hosted tool such as Planning Center or ChMeetings instead.

Flocknote starts as a communication tool and grows into member management. Churches use it for email and text messages, groups, and member records, with a free tier for small lists in recent listings. The Complete upgrade adds household groupings, attendance and sacrament tracking, giving records, and unlimited smart groups for a flat monthly fee on top of base member pricing.

We list pricing as See website because base pricing depends on member count and the Complete fee sits on top of it. For parishes that already use Flocknote for messages, adding records in the same system is a natural, low friction step.

Givelify is a free giving tool, not a full church management system, but it belongs here because giving is often the first paid feature churches need. There is no monthly fee, only per-transaction processing rates, and donors can give from a simple mobile app without creating a complex account. Setup is fast for a church that wants online gifts this Sunday.

It does not replace people, groups, or check-in tools, so pair it with Planning Center or ChMeetings for a complete free stack. If your church only needs a free way to accept gifts, Givelify is the simplest option in this list.

Subsplash Giving has no monthly fee, with only processing rates, which makes it another free starting point for donations. The wider Subsplash platform adds custom mobile and TV apps, media hosting, and streaming, which suits churches that want a branded app and online services in one place. That combination is why many mid-size churches choose Subsplash as they grow.

Full platform pricing is quote based, so you need to ask for a written price for the complete system. For a church that wants free giving now and a custom app later, Subsplash offers a clear growth path without switching vendors.