Keeping the books straight is an important task, as anyone of us knows who has worked for any length of time in charitable organizations. The careful oversight that is in place for church accounting via a board of deacons or elders creates needed accountability. Openness of how giving is being used, how much is going to missional projects versus brick and mortar, for example, makes a difference. In the end, good accounting builds that delicate bridge of trust between the organization of church and the individual church member. We’ve put together a top 10 list of accounting software and/or services. We do this completely independent from the services listed. Like any of our top lists, we think this one will help review your current situation and maybe give you some ideas for the future. Where there is a story of ministry, we’ve included an excerpt of it below.
Top 10 Church Accounting Software and Accounting Services
PowerChurch
PowerChurch handles accounting and attendance which makes it a great tool overall to see the ebb and flow of your congregation and their habits in one place. They also have a check-in reader that enhances security, especially in your children’s area (or if you have a preschool at your church) They offer training and a what appears to be a more personalized touch for their customers. Here’s their story: “PowerChurch Software was founded in 1984 with a vision of helping churches and ministries help others even more. Over 20 years in the church management software field has taught us much. Early on, we realized that no two churches are exactly alike. As a result, PowerChurch Software develops products that are as flexible and customizable as possible. We also learned that customer loyalty is the true measure of success. That is why we are so proud that over 37,000 organizations have come to rely on PowerChurch Software for their ministry management software needs.”
Cost: $39.95
Aplos
Aplos touts themselves as the top church accounting software serving more than 14,000 organizations. Because Apolos is more specifically orientated to churches, you can avoid workarounds that you may need to do with Quickbooks. Here’s their story: “When Tim Goetz couldn’t find a simple fund accounting software for the nonprofits and churches he worked with, he started Aplos Software to build it. He believed that every church and nonprofit, no matter their size, should have the software they need to easily manage their organization.”
Cost: $25-120 per month
Active Fellowship One
Active Fellowship One offers a specific church accounting platform. They serve 4,000 churches of various sizes and look to customize their approach in several packages. Their lack of standard pricing listed on their website is likely due to this want for service and not a cost prohibitive note. Here’s their story: “In 2004, a group of Kingdom-minded individuals came together to provide technology solutions to the church world. Though church software solutions existed, their desire was to create a completely web based, Enterprise level Church Management Software (ChMS), along with education, training and support for changing the way churches ‘did church.’”
Cost: Call for quote
Breeze
Breeze offers a lot in terms of church accounting plus other organizing tools for volunteers and scheduling. It’s easy pricing and web interface makes this an inviting tool. Their site is so simple, they didn’t include their story, but the video does explain their heart.
Cost: $50 per month
Quickbooks Non-Profit
Many companies and organizations use Quickbooks because it interfaces with many bank services as well as auditing services you might engage.
Cost: $10-24 per month
NetSuite
Like Quickbooks, this is an integrated, cloud-based system. Whereas Quickbooks is more an enhanced place for spreadsheet analysis, NetSuite offers more relational and revenue cycle support so you can identify top donors and account for them within your church community as a whole.
Cost: Call for quote
ACS
ACS offers some efficient ways to keep track of everything from giving, to purchase orders, to payroll. They also offer check-in security for added onsite security.
Cost: Call for quote
Intacct
This is a larger service provider so do your research before you make a determination. For churches that are sized right, maybe with multiple locations, this might be a great solution. Their position is for churches who need to, “leverage the best of technology and management tools to ensure top support for their members and community while strengthening accountability and stewardship.”
Cost: Call for quote
LOGOS Church Management Software
Logos offers an accounting system. Unfortunately, the website is not very easy to use. It looks like they have a ton of modules but it’s not readily clear how you purchase and what you receive (and what you don’t) with your purchase. Nevertheless, the company, founded in 1980, is among the leading providers for church accounting software.
Cost: Call for quote
Shelby Next
Shelby Next provides accounting and other features, similar to several companies on our list, including payroll and purchasing management. Everything is modulated which can be a plus if you’re looking at only one service to join, but the price will increase as you subscribe to more individual items. Here’s their story: “Since 1976, Shelby has been empowering churches with the tools they need to build faithful stewards. Founder Ernie Hamilton developed a strong background in fund accounting while establishing a data processing center at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Feeling a calling to serve the church with the talents and vision God had given him, Ernie began the ground-breaking mission of producing computing tools for ministries with Shelby Systems.”
Cost: Starting at $79 per month