ChurchTools vs Tithely

These two sell church software on opposite pricing logic. ChurchTools charges by head count, in six published sizes from 100 people to unlimited, and keeps a wiki, chat, check-in and calendars in every plan with data hosted in Germany. Tithely sells its database, formerly Breeze, at one flat monthly figure whatever the congregation size, and earns most of its income from card giving fees. A very small church pays less at ChurchTools, a large one pays less at Tithely, and the crossover sits somewhere around the 500-person tier.

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Both are reviewed in full in our church management ranking: ChurchTools and Tithely.

1. 01

   Six head-count steps against one flat rate

   ChurchTools lists XS at $39 for 100 people, S at $59 for 200, M at $99 for 500, L at $159 for 1,000, XL at $249 for 2,500 and XXL at $399 for unlimited, with euro prices of EUR 34 to EUR 369 on the German page. Tithely lists Church Management at $72 a month and states that nothing in it is tiered by growth. Under about 500 people ChurchTools is cheaper, and above that Tithely is.

   Edge: Tithely

2. 02

   What the entry figure actually buys

   Tithely's $72 buys the database alone, while the app costs $89 a month, the website $19 and the Worship Tools add-on $29. Its All Access bundle at $119 folds in giving, people management, messaging, apps, website and service planning. At ChurchTools the plan already contains unlimited groups, calendars, events, wiki sites, chats, check-ins and reports, so the extras are only Finances, storage, sync connections and campuses. ChurchTools therefore bundles more collaboration tools into the base figure.

   Edge: ChurchTools

3. 03

   Where the donations money comes from

   Tithely says online giving has no monthly fee, with cards at 2.9% plus $0.30, ACH at 1% plus $0.30 and AMEX at 3.5% plus $0.30. A church that gives through Tithely therefore pays a share of every gift on top of any subscription. In the pages we read ChurchTools shows no giving processor of its own, only a separate Finances module at EUR 19 to 39 a month, so accounting and online giving are different questions.

   Depends on the buyer

4. 04

   Trial, contracts and leaving

   Both vendors offer a 30-day trial. ChurchTools gives full access to all features during it, bills monthly with no minimum term, allows monthly cancellation and lets you change licence at any time. Tithely states no contracts, says no credit card is needed to start, and its Breeze pricing page lists a free data export and import, plus about 25% off when billed annually. Both are easy to leave, and Tithely adds a documented export promise.

   Depends on the buyer

5. 05

   Limits that bite later

   ChurchTools rations additional campuses by tier: none on XS and S, 2 on M, 3 on L, 5 on XL and unlimited on XXL, with unlimited campuses sold as a EUR 49 add-on. Storage stops at 5 GB, then EUR 10 a month adds 15 GB, and setup or migration costs EUR 99 an hour. Tithely counts no members, but its texting allowance is 250 a month before $10 buys 500 more.

   Edge: Tithely

6. 06

   Home country and who owns the product

   ChurchTools Innovations GmbH is shown in the imprint at Karlsruhe, Germany, and every package includes hosting in Germany. Tithely's terms name Your Giving Group, trading as Tithe.ly, in Nashville, Tennessee, and list Breeze and Elvanto as its websites. The Breeze homepage says the product was rebranded as Tithely Church Management. For a buyer who cares about European jurisdiction, the German company and hosting are the clearer answer.

   Edge: ChurchTools

At what congregation size does the ChurchTools bill pass the Tithely database price?

On the published dollar lists, ChurchTools M at $99 for 500 people already sits above Tithely's $72 Church Management rate, while S at $59 for 200 people sits below it.

The two figures are not like for like, since ChurchTools M includes 2 campuses and Tithely's $72 is the database only. So the crossover falls between the 200 and 500-person tiers.

Which of them keeps member records in the European Union?

ChurchTools states hosting in Germany under GDPR in every package. The Tithely pages we read do not show where its data is stored, and its terms name a company in Nashville. If residency matters, ask Tithely directly before you sign.

Can a church start without paying anything at either vendor?

Neither has a free plan for the database, but both offer a 30-day trial. ChurchTools describes its trial as full access to all features, and Tithely says no credit card is required.

Tithely's giving product alone has no monthly fee, though it carries per-donation processing charges.

• ChurchTools pricing: the six head-count packages in USD and EUR, campus allowances per tier, 30-day trial, monthly cancellation, 5 GB storage, EUR 10 for 15 GB more, EUR 99 hourly setup rate, Finances at EUR 19 to 39, unlimited campuses at EUR 49 and German hosting.
• ChurchTools homepage: the module list and the claim of Protestant, Catholic and free churches in German-speaking regions.
• ChurchTools imprint: the legal entity ChurchTools Innovations GmbH in Karlsruhe, Germany.
• Tithely pricing: the $72 Church Management rate, $89 app, $19 website, $119 All Access bundle, card, ACH and AMEX fee levels and the 25% annual discount.
• Tithely homepage: the 30-day trial with no credit card required.
• Tithely terms of service: Your Giving Group trading as Tithe.ly in Nashville and the listing of Breeze and Elvanto sites.
• Breeze pricing page: no growth tiers, no contracts, free data export and import, 250 texts a month then $10 per 500, and the $29 Worship Tools add-on.
• Breeze homepage: the statement that Breeze ChMS was rebranded as Tithely Church Management.