Two church management platforms. One gives you everything in a single subscription. The other asks you to buy each piece separately. Here is how they compare — honestly and feature by feature.
14 modules, one platform, one price
Modular pricing, strong in North America
DaChurchMan delivers significantly more capability in a single platform at a fraction of the cost. Planning Center has an excellent interface and a strong ecosystem in North America, but it requires purchasing multiple separate modules — and still lacks full accounting, video conferencing, chat, payroll, and asset management. For churches in Africa, DaChurchMan is the clear choice with mobile money support and local-currency pricing. For churches anywhere who want one complete platform instead of piecing together modules, DaChurchMan wins on value.
Every feature that matters, side by side. No marketing spin — just what each platform can and cannot do today.
| Feature | DaChurchMan | Planning Center |
|---|---|---|
| Membership & People | ||
| Member database | ✓ Full profiles, families, groups | ✓ Strong (People module) |
| Visitor follow-up | ✓ Built-in workflows | ✓ Via People |
| Attendance tracking | ✓ Included | ✓ Via Check-Ins module |
| Small groups | ✓ Included | ✓ Via Groups module |
| Financial Management | ||
| Donation & giving tracking | ✓ Included | ✓ Via Giving module |
| Full double-entry accounting | ✓ Cash AND accrual basis | ✕ Not available |
| Chart of accounts | ✓ Customizable | ✕ Not available |
| Bank reconciliation | ✓ Included | ✕ Not available |
| Financial reports | ✓ 14+ report types | ✕ Giving reports only |
| AI statement processing | ✓ Included | ✕ Not available |
| Budgeting | ✓ Multiple methods | ✕ Not available |
| Communication | ||
| SMS messaging | ✓ Bulk & individual | ✕ Not built in |
| Email messaging | ✓ Included | ✓ Via integrations |
| Push notifications | ✓ Via church mobile app | ✓ Via Church Center app |
| Built-in chat (group & private) | ✓ Included | ✕ Not available |
| Video conferencing | ✓ 5 meeting types | ✕ Not available |
| Mobile App | ||
| Custom-branded church app | ✓ Own name & logo on app stores | ✕ Shared "Church Center" app |
| Available on iOS & Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Events & Scheduling | ||
| Event management | ✓ Included | ✓ Via Calendar & Registrations |
| Digital elections & voting | ✓ Included | ✕ Not available |
| Worship & Streaming | ||
| Service planning | ✓ Via Worship Console | ✓ Via Services module |
| Worship presentation (5,400+ hymns) | ✓ Worship Console | ✕ Not available |
| Live streaming & recording | ✓ Worship Studio | ✕ Not available |
| AI voice detection for content | ✓ Worship Console | ✕ Not available |
| Operations & Administration | ||
| Payroll & HR management | ✓ Included | ✕ Not available |
| Asset management & depreciation | ✓ Included | ✕ Not available |
| Church store & inventory | ✓ Included | ✕ Not available |
| Organizational Structure | ||
| Denominational hierarchy management | ✓ Church, District, Region, National | ✕ Not available |
| Independent organization portals | ✓ Youth, Men's, Women's groups | ✕ Not available |
| Pricing Model | ||
| All features included in one price | ✓ Everything in one subscription | ✕ Per-module pricing adds up |
| Free trial | ✓ 30-day proof of concept | ✓ Limited free tier (People only) |
| Africa & Global Readiness | ||
| Mobile money support | ✓ Included | ✕ Not available |
| Local-currency pricing (GHS) | ✓ Ghana Cedis | ✕ USD only |
| Third-party integrations | ✓ Growing ecosystem | ✓ Extensive (Mailchimp, Stripe, etc.) |
DaChurchMan includes everything in one subscription. With Planning Center, costs multiply as you add modules — and many features DaChurchMan includes simply do not exist.
Membership, full accounting, chat, video conferencing, SMS, email, push notifications, payroll, HR, asset management, store, elections, custom mobile app, and denominational management — all included. Plus optional Worship Console (GHS 50-100/month) and Worship Studio (GHS 50-100/month) for presentation and streaming. 30-day proof of concept to try the full platform.
People is free with limits. Each additional module (Giving, Groups, Check-Ins, Services, Publishing, Registrations, Calendar) ranges from $0 to $199/month depending on church size. A mid-size church using 4-5 modules can easily spend $300-500+/month — and still will not have accounting, video conferencing, chat, payroll, or asset management.
You want one platform that handles everything — membership, full accounting, payroll, chat, video conferencing, a custom mobile app with your church's name, and worship tools. Especially if you are a church in Africa, part of a denomination with a hierarchical structure, or simply want to stop paying for five different tools that still leave gaps. DaChurchMan was built for where you are going, not just where you are.
You are a church in the United States that only needs basic people management and donation tracking, you value a polished interface above all else, and you are comfortable paying separately for each module. Planning Center has an excellent user experience and a mature ecosystem of third-party integrations — but you will need separate tools for accounting, video meetings, staff payroll, and asset tracking.
Stop paying for separate modules that still leave you with gaps. DaChurchMan gives you 14 modules in one platform — membership, full accounting, chat, video conferencing, a custom mobile app, and more. Start your 30-day proof of concept today.