CiviCRM
7.5#6 in nonprofit membership management softwareFrom $15 a monthFree planWebAPIExtensionSelf-hosted
VisitCiviCRM vs Planning Center
Planning Center
8.4#1 in church event management softwareFrom $15 a monthFree planAndroidiOSWebAPI
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | CiviCRM | Planning Center |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 | 2006 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States | Carlsbad, California, United States |
| Integrations | The official integrations showcase lists payment and communication services including Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, Twilio, and QuickBooks, and CMS integrations including Drupal, Backdrop, WordPress, and Joomla. | The integrations directory includes services such as BoxCast, Checkr, Mailchimp, PraiseCharts, SongSelect, Zapier, Clearstream and ProPresenter; most connections are maintained by third parties. |
| Security | CiviCRM publishes security advisories and provides instructions for subscribing to security notices and reporting suspected issues. | Planning Center states it is SOC 2 Type 2 certified and PCI Level One compliant, encrypts data in transit and at rest, and uses a multilayered backup strategy. |
CiviCRM plans
- CiviCRM (self-hosted)Free
- Spark Starter$15 a month
- Spark Essentials$30 a month
- Spark Pro$50 a month
Planning Center plans
- PeopleFree
- ServicesFree
- Services FreeFree
- CalendarFree
- Services 20$15 a month
- Services 50$32 a month
Pick CiviCRM if…
You want what its maker publishes above — check its page for the details.
Pick Planning Center if…
Planning Center suits churches looking for tools spanning membership, worship services, groups, events, and donations. Its products are described as suitable for churches of any size, from small neighborhood congregations to those with multiple campuses.