Everyone loves free stuff.
No matter what it is,—Slurpees, pancakes, or software—those four letters make you happy. However, sometimes free isn’t even worth the money you paid for it, and those four letters inevitably morph into other four–lettered words. So how do you find software that is actually functional and worthwhile to help you manage your church without spending any money?
Well, look no further—below I’ve come up with a list of free and open source church management solutions that will have all the functionality that you need. For some of the software options, the free version is only for very small churches with less than 50 members, but there are others as well that are free for any size church. The software options are listed in alphabetical order.
- Manage your whole church from one system. Church Accounting. Accounting software designed for churches. Collect payments with a huge number of options. Church Mobile App. Connect your members with the info they need. Church Websites. Custom sites or easy to use theme builders. See Real Savings with the Total.
- Free Church Accounting Software The free basic church accounting and nonprofit accounting that I have discovered are these spreadsheets at FreeChurchAccounting.com. If you need a way to track your church business revenue and expenses and you can't afford to buy a church accounting software package these spreadsheets are wonderful to use.
(138 reviews) Save. Aplos makes good stewardship easy with its all. Free Presentation Software for Mac v.1.2.0 Focusky free presentation software for Mac provides a new way for Mac users to make beautiful presentation with animation, multimedia, zooming and pan effect.Presentation is a good way to present a topic, to deliver speech or lecture, to teach or educate.
1. CahabaWorks
A member profile page in CahabaWorks
CahabaWorks is installed church management software for managing members, groups, contributions, financials, and child check-in. Their standard edition, for small and midsize churches, is free and has no limits on people or total assets tracked, although there is no support offered. It is $350 for the standard edition with support, and there are also different pricing options for their premier version.
Pros: Based on user testimonials, the system has responsive tech support (though only for the first 60 days with the free version), and is a great system for small churches. There are many options and it is very intuitive for managing and tracking finances, as well as being easy to download and install.
Cons: According to users, there is a bit of a learning curve at the beginning. Customer support is responsive, and could solve the learning curve problem, but it does cost an extra fee. There is no Mac version.
Have you tried CahabaWorks? Leave a review!
2. Church Admin for WordPress
An attendance graph in Church Admin for WordPress
Free Accounting Programs For Mac
Church Admin is a free and open-source WordPress plug-in that includes a full church database with membership directory, email management, bulk SMS, attendance tracking, calendar, facility management, and more.
They also offer a smartphone app for iPhones and Androids, for an extra £7.50/month (about $10) for the church. The app is free for members of the church who are using it, so only the church foots the bill.
Pros: If your church already uses WordPress, this plug-in seems like a no brainer. It has lots of features, is free (except for the smartphone app), and integrates with your WordPress powered website.
Cons: If you don’t use WordPress, or don’t plan to, this plug-in won’t do you any good.
3. ChurchInfo
Adding a new family in ChurchInfo
ChurchInfo is a free, open source database that helps your church manage and track members, groups, donations, and payments. It is supported by an open source community of people who volunteer to help in order to make the software accessible to churches. It is a web-based solution, and the system is completely free. It is most useful for small congregations.
Pros: According to user reviews, ChurchInfo is a highly useful tool with a lot of the functionality that more expensive software has, so it is great for churches on a budget.
Cons: The installation process is easy and the system is fairly intuitive, according to reviews, although it may require a bit of technical knowledge at the outset to get set up.
Have you tried ChurchInfo? Leave a review!
3a. ChurchCRM
The ChurchCRM home screen
ChurchCRM is 3a because it is a fork built off of the ChurchInfo open source framework. Because it runs on LAMP, you can use it on any device. ChurchCRM has been in development for less than two years, and already has membership management, calendar, finances, fundraisers, Sunday School, and volunteer management features. An active developer community is constantly working on new features, and is available for support via chat.
Pros: ChurchCRM has the stability of ChurchInfo but with more features and a responsive user interface, meaning you can run it on desktop or mobile.
Cons: Like ChurchInfo, you’ll need some technical know how to install and operate ChurchCRM. Unless you have a dedicated techie on site, you’ll probably be better off with a more user-friendly church management tool.
4. Church.io (Apostello and OneBody)
Updating a contact in Apostello
From the makers of OneBody (a free church directory and social network), Apostello is an open source SMS (text messaging) platform with some of the functionality of a church management solution. Church.io is also working ona beta version ofCedar, a presentation software for churches, but in the meantime,Church.io is a great solution for small churches that just need a free and simple way to manage members and groups. The software can also be used for event signups and even provides usage statistics.
Pros:Church.io’s tools are great for small churches, which can probably get by with free event management software and Microsoft Excel while they’re saving up for a more expensive end-to-end solution. It’s also worth mentioning that the Keywords feature, which allows users to respond to texts with just one word and use that to sort responses, is a brilliant addition to open source church software.
Cons:Apostello isn’t quite a church management solution, and even combined with OneBody as a directory solution, it lacks basic event management features like a calendar.
Have you tried Church.io? Leave a review!
5. Excellerate
The Excellerate member information screen
Excellerate is a customizable church management system that helps churches of all sizes manage and track members and visitors, manage donations, send bulk emails, schedule volunteers, and more. The pricing goes up the more members that you have, but they offer a free version for up to 50 members. When you get to 100 members it is a one-time payment of $145 and continues scaling up to extremely large congregation sizes.
Pros: According to user reports, Excellerate is very responsive to their customers’ needs. They added a cloud-based version of the software, and it is now available for Mac. They are also always improving and updating, and the system is not complicated to use.
Cons: One downside is that the installed version of the software is not available for Mac, and must be accessed through an app or website.
Have you tried Excellerate? Leave a review!
6. Rock RMS
Adding a prayer request in Rock RMS
Rock RMS is a robust open source church management solution earning tons of positive reviews from its users and providing all the features a small to midsize church needs to get started. In addition to membership, family, and donation management features, Rock RMS boasts a content management system and check-in features. Churches that have contributed to Rock RMS include Lakepointe Church and Willow Creek Community Church, two large churches with internet campuses, suggesting that this software could even be a starting point for larger organizations looking to build more complex software solutions.
To keep the platform going, Rock RMS does ask for a donation of $1.50 per average weekly attendee, per year. So, for example, if you have an average weekly attendance of about 100 people, you are asked to donate about $150/year.
Pros:According to reviewers, Rock RMS has lots of advanced features and a great support community, crucial for open source software.
Cons: Hosting the software does have its costs, and can be difficult for small churches that lack an IT expert. As with any open source software, it’s good to check into the logistics of using Rock RMS before signing up.
Have you tried Rock RMS? Leave a review!
7. Working Church
Working Church is church membership management software to help you keep track of your members, attendance, events, and donations. It is downloadable software that is installed on your computer, and it is free for up to 25 members, though you’ll need to re-register every few months. After that it is a one-time payment of $47 for the “Lite” version for up to 100 members. They also offer a cloud version that starts at $17/month.
Pros: According to user reviews, customer service is attentive to all needs, it is easy to use, and is designed to help with church accounting, growth, and management.
Cons:Some downsides are that the free version is not accessible from home, as it is not web-based, and that it is only free for a small number of members.
Have you tried Working Church? Leave a review!
What free church management tools do you use?
Know of any more free church management solutions? Add them in the comments below!
Free Church Accounting Software For Mac
Also, if you’re still hungry for more free church stuff, check out these articles:
Looking for Church Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Church Management software solutions.
Church accounting software plays an important role in the infrastructure of your church, ensuring you have clear records of all your finances, and that your staff gets paid. Churches have different financial needs and responsibilities than businesses, which is where this specialized software is most helpful.
We’ve prepared a list of the best church accounting software programs to help you choose the one that’s right for you. Since the cost of most church accounting software is based on the specific needs of your church, pricing isn’t always available online—but where it was possible, we’ve included it.
1. Aplos Church Accounting
Price: Not listed
Free trial: 15 days
“‘Aplos’ means simple in Greek and we believe that by creating a software made for the unique needs of churches, we can make it simple for you to do accounting the right way. Tim Goetz, a former executive pastor, founded Aplos Accounting to empower churches to see the exact financial data you need across your organization. Whether that is the expenses applied to your grant across multiple programs or managing the budgets of separate projects, now you can go as high level or as granular as you need.” —from the website
What sets Aplos apart?
Aplos claims to be the #1 church accounting software, and it’s used by more than 20,000 organizations. Here’s what else you should know:
New and small nonprofit discount. Churches and nonprofits formed in the past year can apply to receive six free months. Organizations with less than $50,000 can qualify for a 30% discount.
2. ShelbyNext Financials
Price: Starting at $79 per month
Free trial: No
“Being responsible financial stewards is a vital part of a ministry’s call to serve His Church well. ShelbyNext Financials is a state-of-the-art, cloud-based software specifically designed to meet the needs of churches, ministries, non-profits and denominational headquarters. Available features include general ledger, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable and more. Fulfills your financial requirements for governing boards, financial committees, internal staff, and outside agencies. Your auditors will find it easy to complete their tasks because it is FASB 117 and GAAP compliant.” —from the website
3. Elexio Financials
Price: Not listed
Free trial: No
“Created specifically for the needs of churches, ELEXIO Church Accounting Software was designed to manage church accounting simply and powerfully. Fulfilling the needs of your financial committee is easy with this cloud-based software solution.” —from the website
4. FellowshipOne Financials
Price: Not listed
Free trial: No
FellowshipOne Financials is actually powered by Shelby Systems. It’s essentially a FellowshipOne version of ShelbyNext Financials. It has all the same features, but it’s integrated with FellowshipOne’s other church software solutions.
5. ACS Technologies
Price: Not listed
Free trial: No
“Every day tens of thousands of churches rely on ACS church management software and church accounting software to run their church. ACS can either be accessed online via our cloud-based OnDemand service or it can be installed locally throughout your networked church office.” —from the website
6. Quickbooks nonprofit
Price: Starting at $20 per month or $199.95 for desktop software
Free trial: 30 days
“Track donors and programs, maintain budgets and create financial reports for your board and taxes.” —from the website
What sets QuickBooks apart?
QuickBooks specializes in accounting software for all types of organizations. They have over 1.5 million customers. Here’s what else you should know:
Test drive. You can try QuickBooks right now with an instant demo.
7. Church360 Ledger
Price: Starting at $15 per month
Free trial: 37 days
“Church360° Ledger is web-based finance software designed exclusively for churches. It streamlines the accounting process so balancing budgets and managing accounts is simple and intuitive.” —from the website
8. ACTS
Price: Free
Free trial: N/A
“Church accounting and financial management is in fact a complicated and professional work. It usually scare off church workers. When the in/out payments and accounts of the church becomes complex, complete financial statements to auditors will not be easy job. Therefore a good church accounting software is essential. The ACTS church management software comes with an accounting module which is well designed compare with those accounting software in the market and is completely free of charge. It includes church finance and accounting management functions designed properly to handle accounts and year-end financial statements.” —from the website
What sets ACTS apart?
ACTS is a church software program used around the world. Here’s what you should know about it:
Free. ACTS is free forever.
Open source. If you or someone at your church has the expertise, you can directly modify ACTS’s code.
9. Logos Fund Accounting
Price: Not listed
Free trial: No
“You don’t have to be an accountant to manage your organization’s finances; we’ll just make you look like one. LOGOS Fund Accounting is designed for the special needs of churches, schools, and non-profit organizations, giving you the power and flexibility of a high-end fund accounting system with the ease of a check-writing program. Train your staff with one of our certified technicians for best practices, tip and tricks of the trade, software mastery, and more. We are here to support you!” —from the website
What sets LOGOS Fund Accounting apart?
LOGOS has been around for almost 40 years and offers a wide variety of church software products. Here’s what you should know about LOGOS Fund Accounting:
Add-on features. LOGOS Fund Accounting has optional add-on features including accounts receivable, asset manager, and order checks and forms. If you don’t need these features, you don’t have to pay for them.
Know any other good church accounting programs?
If you’ve had a good experience with another software, tell us about it in the comments.
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