6 Best Church Accounting Software

Pros

• Includes church management software
• Has a full suite of accounting functions and reports
• Lets you track giving and create statements
• Integrates with Gusto Payroll (separate fee)

Cons

• Includes only two users in base price
• Excludes donations by text in base price
• Could be difficult to find an external accountant who is familiar with the program to assist you
• Doesn’t have customizable invoices

• Aplos Lite: $79 per month for two users
• Aplos Core: $99 per month for two users
• Aplos Advanced Accounting: Starts at $189 per month and scales with the needs of the church or nonprofit entity

You can save 10% if you get an annual subscription, and Aplos offers a 15-day free trial.

Assisted Bookkeeping

• Monthly Bookkeeping: $500 per month
• Weekly Bookkeeping with Bill Pay: $1,020 per month

Payroll

You can add payroll features via Gusto integration (read our review of Gusto):

• Simple: $40 base fee plus $6 per employee
• Plus: $80 base fee plus $12 per employee
• Premium: Custom priced

• Online donations: Aplos features an online donation tool that helps churches organize fundraisers and donation campaigns through online payment systems. Moreover, Aplos has a dedicated secure platform for credit or debit card payments and a recurring donation feature for tithing. With the donation form designer, users can customize the form’s design, donation amounts, wording, and form URL.
• Event registration: If you have church activities or events, you can create an event registration form to facilitate the registration process easily. You can also send the registration link to social media accounts and email or embed it on your website.
• Outstanding accounting design: When we tested Aplos’ accounting functions, we liked how easy and understandable it was to use, even for non-certified public accountants (CPAs). The interfaces of the invoice and bill creation modules are understood easily and very convenient to fill out. Watch our Aplos accounting features video to learn more.

• Churches needing to create websites for events and donation drives: Aplos has a website builder included in the software. It makes it easy for churches to establish online portals and payment gateways for events and donations.
• Small to midsize churches in general: As our top pick, Aplos is suitable for small or midsize churches that have been operating sustainably.
• Churches seeking church accounting software with congregation management features: Apart from accounting, Aplos can also track church-related items like member information and events.

Pros

• Has a payroll add-on that supports unlimited employees
• Offers comprehensive church management features
• Has childcare security add-on
• Is more affordable than other all-in-one church management systems
• Includes unlimited users

Cons

• Doesn’t have a fixed asset management system
• Doesn’t provide a less expensive option for churches needing fewer features or users
• Charges a fee for event registration payments

IconCMO’s pricing scales with the number of families enrolled in the system. However, you can still use IconCMO for zero families at the base price. You may also try IconCMO for free for 30 days.

Add-ons:

• Icon Payroll: $25 per month; $275 per year
• SMS Messaging (250 to 25,000 messages per month): $5 to $500 per month or $60 to $6,000 per year
• Assisted Bookkeeping: $500 per month with free IconCMO subscription for up to 500 households
• Child check-in: $15 per month or $180 annually.

We like IconCMO because it offers church accounting and management features in one software. It has basic accounting features like invoicing and expense tracking and advanced features like fund accounting. IconCMO is FASB-compliant, which is important for making financial statements.

Churches with few families don’t need to pay a fixed monthly fee despite the congregation size. As the congregation grows, the pricing increases as well. Aside from scalability, IconCMO offers more extensive church management features, such as Child Check-in and Allergy Tracking.

• Online donations: IconCMO offers an online solution for receiving donations through Vanco Payment Solutions and Bambora. Donors can use credit cards, debit cards, and automated clearing house (ACH) payments to donate.
• Unlimited payroll: If you get the payroll add-on, you can process the payroll of unlimited employees, compute taxes, and help in filing W-2s for your employees. You should get the payroll feature if you have a lot of employees. The payroll add-on can be a great timesaver when processing payroll.
• Child check-in: If your church has religious activities for children, IconCMO has an add-on for child check-in, an online tracking system for parents who send their children to Sunday school or church activities. Parents can access a portal to see if their children are still within the group. The feature allows you to input basic information and special remarks for things like allergies or conditions.
• Fund accounting: IconCMO allows you to create different types of funds for your church. You can use these funds to monitor fund usage and ensure that all transactions involving the fund are within donor-imposed restrictions.

• Churches handling multiple large funds, grants, and pledges: IconCMO features a more streamlined way of tracking funds, grants, and pledges compared to other options in this guide.
• Churches looking for FASB-compliant reports: You can make FASB-compliant reports, especially if you need to publish reports to stakeholders or for tax compliance.
• Churches that don’t want to pay per user: The pricing structure of IconCMO is based on the number of families. If you want to use IconCMO for accounting only, you can get at least one family to save on cost.

Pros

• Has integrated payroll with no additional fees
• Includes fixed-asset management and tracking
• Has unlimited installations

Cons

• Doesn’t track payroll tax schedules
• Has no budgeting features
• Lacks collaboration features for different users
• Is available only for Windows users

PowerChurch Plus licenses are per church—meaning you only need to purchase one license for your organization. You can also install it on multiple church desktops or laptops.

New Users

• Downloadable: $395
• Physical CD: $415

Existing Users (Upgrades)

• Downloadable: $159
• Physical CD: $179

Churches preferring desktop accounting can go for PowerChurch Plus. As a desktop program, you’ll only pay a one-time fee for the installation—no month-to-month contract. Moreover, PowerChurch Plus doesn’t need an internet connection to run, and you can install it on as many desktops or laptops in your church.

Another notable desktop software on this list is QuickBooks Enterprise. It has a nonprofit-specific edition but lacks the church management features present in PowerChurch Plus. We recommend picking QuickBooks Enterprise if you prioritize accounting features over church features.

PowerChurch Plus scored high in church features because of its fund accounting and congregation management features. It can also print financial statements per fund and track member donations. However, its user interface is complicated; hence, the low ease of use score. Also, the platform is available only for Windows users.

We still recommend PowerChurch Plus if you want desktop accounting and church management at a more affordable price. But if you want to focus on accounting, pick QuickBooks Online instead. It is cloud-based and highly customizable for churches.

• True fund accounting: The platform lets you create different funds to keep track of donations. These funds can help you manage how donations are used in your organization, especially if there are donor-imposed restrictions on the usage of the funds.
• Attendance tracking: Through PowerChurch Plus, you can manage your members’ activities and participation in your congregation. You can track your members’ attendance at worship services, Sunday school, and outreach activities.
• Church calendar: It has an event scheduler that can connect with Google Calendar to remind congregation members of upcoming events. You can also email your members about upcoming church events and activities directly from the app.

• Churches that don’t want a monthly or yearly subscription: PowerChurch Plus features a one-time purchase model that lets you gain control over the software. You don’t need to pay for additional seats or devices. Once you have the installer, you can install it on as many laptops or desktops as required.
• Churches with a centralized accounting system: If your religious organization has multiple smaller groups that operate autonomously, you can consolidate all accounting in PowerChurch Plus. Since the software is not great for collaboration, it’s ideal for a centralized system where only a few people can access and control it.

Pros

• Lets you share books continuously with a QuickBooks ProAdvisor for assistance
• Can be modified for church accounting
• Has multiple built-in reports compatible with churches

Cons

• Is expensive, considering it’s just accounting software
• Requires workarounds to be usable for church accounting
• Limits one organization per subscription

For church accounting, our recommendation for the best QuickBooks Online plan is Plus and Advanced for their class and location tracking features, which are necessary to mimic fund accounting.

• Plus: $90 per month for up to five users
• Advanced: $200 per month for up to 25 users

QuickBooks currently offers a 50% discount for the first three months or a 30-day free trial.

Add-ons:

• QuickBooks Payroll: $45 plus $4 per employee; read our QuickBooks Payroll review
• QuickBooks Live: Monthly bookkeeping starts at $300 per month; read our QuickBooks Live review

As our best small business accounting software, QuickBooks Online proves to be a flexible option for churches. It doesn’t have built-in church management features, but its features can help your church manage funds and assets. By using class and location tracking, users can configure QuickBooks Online for church accounting.

Another of its deciding factors is the vast network of ProAdvisors who can help you set up and maintain the books. It would be a big plus if you could find a ProAdvisor who specializes in church and nonprofit accounting.

As accounting software intended for for-profit businesses, QuickBooks Online won’t disappoint. Its perfect mark in general accounting features reflects its ability to perform all the essential accounting tasks, such as invoicing and billing.

However, it’s not primarily for nonprofits and churches. With proper modifications in the settings, it can be used for churches—but only up to some extent. It lacks congregation management features, so we recommend either Aplos or IconCMO. These are why QuickBooks Online received only above-average marks in church features. Overall, we recommend the platform if you want to focus on accounting and preparing financial statements.

• Class tracking: One of QuickBooks Online’s best features is class tracking. You can use this feature to track funds, contributions, or pledges. Classes can be customized based on your needs, so it’s flexible for church accounting.
• Location tracking: In addition to class tracking, QBO’s location tracking can be used to track church programs and services. Locations can record assets, liabilities, income, and expenses.
• Easy accountant access: If you have a volunteer CPA in your church, you can invite them easily to help you manage your accounts. When you invite an accountant, it doesn’t count toward the user limit. For QuickBooks Plus and up, you can invite up to three accountants.
• Access to bookkeeping assistance: If you need help in bookkeeping, QuickBooks Live is a special QuickBooks service that lets you work with a QuickBooks Advisor. For a starting price of $300 per month, you’ll get an initial cleanup, ongoing bookkeeping, and financial statement preparation. The price may vary depending on your average business expenses.

• Churches looking for easy-to-use accounting software: QuickBooks Online is versatile. It can be modified for church accounting but retains the same workflows that most experienced QuickBooks Online users know already.
• Churches with dedicated church management software: If you have dedicated church management software, it would make sense to pick an accounting-focused software to save on monthly subscription costs.
• Churches that might want to outsource bookkeeping to a QuickBooks ProAdvisor: The ProAdvisor network in the US is so vast that you can find CPAs and bookkeepers in different industries. Since churches have different reporting requirements and accounting practices, looking for a ProAdvisor with church accounting experience is ideal.

Pros

• Has a free version for a single user
• Offers affordable self- and full-service payroll packages
• Is easy to set up and use; ideal for churches without accountants
• Offers assisted bookkeeping (Wave Advisors)

Cons

• Offers only one seat in the free plan
• Lacks church management features
• Has no budgeting features
• Can’t account for multiple funds
• Can’t track income and expenses by program service

Wave, which was previously a completely free accounting and invoicing software, now offers two plans:

• Starter: Free; includes a single user and accounting and invoicing features
• Pro: $16 monthly or $170 yearly; includes unlimited user access and additional features like bank feeds and unlimited receipt capture.

Assisted Bookkeeping

You can get assisted bookkeeping via Wave Advisors.

• Bookkeeping support: $149 per month
• Accounting coaching: $349 one-time fee (one-time account setup and tutorials)

Wave doesn’t have church-specific functionality, which is why it has a low score in church features. But for general accounting, Wave performs decently. Its best feature is ease of use, which makes it easy and simple to use even for non-accountants.

However, it is not a good pick for large churches because it is not sophisticated enough for fund accounting. Also, it can’t provide the details needed for individual program services. If its features are inadequate for your needs, we recommend IconCMO as a cost-effective paid option.

Wave doesn’t have built-in church management features. However, the features below can help your church manage funds and assets.

• Free accounting and invoicing: Wave’s free plan offers free accounting and invoicing without hidden charges or ads. This free version is best for small churches that don’t need complex fund accounting. Wave is also excellent accounting software if your church organizes small fundraisers.
• Bookkeeping assistance: Wave certifies accounting professionals as Wave ProAdvisors. These advisors can help you with bookkeeping, coach you in accounting, and assist in tax preparation.
• Income and expense tracking: Wave has basic income and expense tracking features that can help you manage church expenses and recognize income from church activities. These features are good for small churches and congregations.

• Small churches and congregations that don’t need complex accounting features: Given Wave’s limited features, it’s only good for small churches that don’t have complex accounting requirements. Small churches that only need to track donations, expenses, and cash can use Wave things easier to manage.
• Tracking church invoices and bills: Invoices can be used to issue acknowledgment receipts to donors, and bills are great for documenting purchases of supplies and utility payments.
• Churches looking for free and straightforward accounting software: Wave is the simplest accounting software in this guide. It is easy to use but not as scalable as the other options listed here.

Pros

• Offers advanced accounting features like custom workflows
• Has a nonprofit edition
• Can be hosted in the cloud
• Offers 200 built-in reports, including nonprofit-specific reports

Cons

• Lacks church management features
• Has a steep learning curve for non-accountants
• Makes it hard to share accounting data with an external accountant
• Is costly for churches on a tight budget

QuickBooks Enterprise has a nonprofit edition that you can select after you purchase any of the following plans:

• Silver (no payroll): Starts at $142 per month for one user
• Gold: Starts at $194 per month for one user
• Platinum: Starts at $231 per month for one user
• Diamond: Starts at $389 per month for one user

Additional users can be added for a fee. Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans have a maximum of 20 users, while the Diamond tier has a maximum of 40 users.

You can try QuickBooks Enterprise for 30 days free without a credit card required.

QuickBooks Enterprise is the most advanced accounting software of QuickBooks. It can track member donations and generate reports for fund accounting. Churches can pick the nonprofit-specific edition to make the platform more attuned to the needs of nonprofits and churches.

Once you select the nonprofit edition, QuickBooks Enterprise will also have nonprofit-specific chart accounts and source documents for your needs. Compared to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Enterprise is more comprehensive in terms of features and capabilities.

QuickBooks Enterprise scored well in accounting features. As expected, this version of QuickBooks has both basic and advanced features that can cater to churches. The only reason it didn’t ace our evaluation of accounting features is the difficulty of sharing the company file with an external accountant. We’d rather you pick QuickBooks Online if you want your accountant to quickly hop into your QuickBooks accounts to perform your weekly or monthly bookkeeping.

The platform scored only above average in church features. We don’t consider this a major hit for QuickBooks Enterprise because there are workarounds for church-specific features. For example, QuickBooks Enterprise doesn’t have fund accounting features by default. Instead, you can use the location tracking feature for fund accounting to track funds. Since this is just a workaround, we awarded QuickBooks Enterprise half a point for this.

If you’re uncomfortable with workarounds, we’d rather you pick dedicated accounting software for churches, such as Aplos or IconCMO.

• Nonprofit-specific edition: QuickBooks Enterprise has a nonprofit edition that users can pick after purchasing a plan.
• Access to Priority Circle: Users have 24/7 access to support agents via phone or live chat.
• Bill and purchase order workflow: Churches can manage bills and purchase orders in QuickBooks Enterprise, making it easy to stay on top of all payables.
• Built-in payroll: All plans except Silver include payroll features, W-2 and 1099 filing, and 401(k) tracking.

• Large churches seeking advanced features: Because of QuickBooks Enterprise’s advanced accounting features, large churches can use its features to make specific reports needed for tax compliance.
• Religious organizations with multiple churches: Under the Platinum plan, you can add multiple churches in QuickBooks Enterprise to track all of its books in one place.

10% of Overall Score

20% of Overall Score

20% of Overall Score

30% of Overall Score

20% of Overall Score