Church Management
Planning Center
Service planning, volunteer scheduling, check-ins, groups, events and giving on a free member database. Every app has a free tier for small churches.
- Price
- Free tier in every app; paid tiers from $15/mo per app (Oct 2026)
- Free option
- Yes
- Church discount
- Church plants: free for one year (request on Planning Center's church planters page)
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Learning curve
- Moderate
The short answer: is Planning Center right for your church?
Planning Center is a set of church apps for service planning, volunteer scheduling, kids' check-in, groups, events and giving, built on a free member database. It's best for churches that want to start free and pay only for the apps they outgrow. The catch: each app is billed separately, so costs stack up as several of them grow.
Who Planning Center is for
Great for
- Worship and production teams planning Sunday from one shared plan
- Small churches that can stay within the free tiers for a while
- Churches that want one member database behind scheduling, check-in and giving
Skip it if
- Churches that only need group texting. A dedicated church texting service is simpler.
- Churches that want one flat price. Some church management systems bundle every module for one fee.
How churches use Planning Center
Sunday service plan
Build the order of service in Services so worship, tech and the preacher work from the same plan, then schedule the volunteers from it.
Safe kids' check-in
Check families in with Check-Ins, then match the code on each child's label to the parent's security label at pickup.
VBS and Easter signups
Use Registrations for VBS or the Easter egg hunt, with signups, tickets and payments in one place.
Getting started with Planning Center
- 1
Create a free account. People, the member database, is free with no record limit.
- 2
Set up Services for one team of five or fewer to stay on the free tier.
- 3
Build next Sunday's plan and schedule the volunteers from it.
Pros and watch-outs
What we like
- People database is always free, with unlimited records
- Every app has a free tier to start
- Mobile apps for scheduling, check-ins and Church Center
- Church plants can apply for a free first year
Watch out for
- Each app is billed separately, so costs stack as you grow
- Free tiers are small, like 5 team members in Services
- Texting from People costs $0.02 per text
Planning Center FAQ
Is Planning Center free for churches?
Partly. People is always free, and every other app has a free tier, like 5 team members in Services or 10 daily check-ins. Larger churches pay per app, from $15 a month.
How much does Planning Center Services cost?
It's free for up to 5 team members, then $15 a month for 20, $32 for 50 and $69 for 150, with higher tiers above that.
Can we try a paid plan first?
Yes. Paid subscriptions start with 30 days free, so you can test a bigger tier before you're billed.
Does Planning Center have a discount for church plants?
Yes. Planning Center is free for church plants for one year. You request the free year on its church planters page.
