church tech

Planning Center vs Tithe.ly: the 2026 comparison

By Michael Tribett · July 3, 2026 · 3 min read

Tithe.ly and Planning Center answer the same buyer question from opposite directions: Tithe.ly starts with giving and wraps the rest of church software around it; Planning Center starts with people records and lets a church add products as it grows.

Key takeaways

Tithe.ly is a giving-first ecosystem that also owns Breeze (flat-rate ChMS) and Elvanto, selling bundled packages that combine giving, websites, apps, and church management.

Planning Center is modular, with People free at any size and paid products for Services, Giving, Check-Ins, and more; a full mid-size stack commonly runs $150 to $300 a month.

Breeze (inside Tithe.ly) competes with Planning Center below roughly 400 to 600 members on price and simplicity; Planning Center wins above that range or with an active worship team.

Tithe.ly's strength is one vendor for giving + digital presence; Planning Center's strength is worship scheduling depth and a larger third-party integration catalog.

Neither stack shows relational health. FlockConnect adds that layer on top, connecting to Tithe.ly-family systems by CSV import and to Planning Center natively.

Quick answer: Planning Center or Tithe.ly?

Choose Tithe.ly when the church wants giving, a website, and a simple ChMS under one vendor relationship, especially if Breeze's flat-rate model fits the size and complexity of the church. Choose Planning Center when worship-team scheduling depth, modular scaling, or the Planning Center integration ecosystem matters more than a single bundled bill. Many churches evaluating Tithe.ly are really choosing between Breeze and Planning Center for the ChMS piece; see Planning Center vs Breeze for that math. Confirm current pricing with each vendor.

Where Tithe.ly wins

Consolidation and giving UX. Tithe.ly built its reputation on online giving flows, and the bundled ecosystem (giving, websites, apps, plus Breeze or Elvanto for ChMS) reduces the number of vendor relationships a small church staff must manage. For a church plant or small congregation that wants one partner for digital giving and member records, the bundle is the pitch.

Where Planning Center wins

Modular depth and worship operations. Planning Center Services remains the category leader for worship-team scheduling. The modular model lets a church pay only for Check-Ins, Groups, or Calendar when it needs them, and the integration partner catalog is larger than what most Tithe.ly-family bundles emphasize. Churches above the Breeze tipping point, or any church with a serious worship production workflow, usually land here.

Where FlockConnect fits with either

FlockConnect does not replace Tithe.ly or Planning Center. It adds a relational care layer: per-person connection views, pastoral interaction logs, and team care workflows. Tithe.ly-family ChMS tools connect by CSV import; Planning Center connects with a native two-way sync. See what FlockConnect adds to Planning Center People.

About the author

Michael Tribett is the founder of FlockConnect, a Church Relationship Manager built to help pastors see who is connected and who is drifting. He holds a Master of Divinity in Christian Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he focused on missions and discipleship, and he serves as a small group leader at his church in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. FlockConnect is an official Planning Center partner.

Frequently asked questions

Does Tithe.ly own Breeze? Yes. Tithe.ly acquired Breeze in 2021. Breeze remains a distinct ChMS product within the broader Tithe.ly ecosystem rather than a fully merged platform.

Is Tithe.ly the same as Breeze? No. Tithe.ly is the parent company and giving platform; Breeze is the flat-rate all-in-one ChMS product inside that family. Churches can use Tithe.ly giving without Breeze, and Breeze can be evaluated separately from the full bundle.

Which is cheaper for a 200-person church? Often Breeze (via Tithe.ly) below roughly 400 to 600 members, because its flat monthly rate stays predictable while Planning Center's total climbs as a church adds Services and Check-Ins. Confirm current rates with each vendor.

Can FlockConnect connect to Tithe.ly or Breeze? Yes, through CSV import, the same path FlockConnect uses for every church management system other than Planning Center.