church tech

Planning Center vs Tithe.ly: the 2026 comparison

By Michael Tribett · July 3, 2026 · 9 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.

What Tithe.ly actually is

Tithe.ly is a giving-first platform that has expanded into a broader church software ecosystem. The parent company owns Breeze (flat-rate all-in-one ChMS) and Elvanto (legacy all-in-one ChMS), and sells bundled packages that combine online giving, websites, mobile apps, and church management under one brand relationship.

Pricing model. Tithe.ly giving products carry platform and transaction fees; bundled packages that include Breeze or Elvanto are quoted based on church size and selected features. Breeze's flat monthly rate, commonly cited around $72 a month, is the predictable option inside the family for small to mid-size churches. Confirm current bundle pricing and giving fees with Tithe.ly directly.

Best for. Church plants and small to mid-size congregations that want one vendor for digital giving, a website, and member records without assembling separate tools. Tithe.ly's pitch is consolidation: fewer invoices, one support relationship, and a giving UX the company has refined for years.

What Planning Center actually is

Planning Center is a modular suite priced per product: People (free on its own), Services, Giving, Check-Ins, Groups, and Calendar. Churches activate only what they need and add modules as complexity grows.

Pricing model. Per product, starting at $0 for People. Most mid-size churches running People, Services, Giving, and Check-Ins land between $150 and $300 a month. Confirm current per-product pricing with Planning Center.

Best for. Churches with an active worship team, growing attendance, or a need for best-in-class Services scheduling. Planning Center wins when modular depth and integration ecosystem matter more than a single bundled bill from one parent company.

Breeze versus Planning Center: the real fork inside Tithe.ly

Many churches that say they are "evaluating Tithe.ly" are actually deciding between Breeze and Planning Center for the ChMS layer. Tithe.ly giving and digital products can sit alongside either choice.

Breeze fits below roughly 400 to 600 members when the church wants one flat predictable monthly bill, unlimited people and admins, and a system a volunteer office manager can learn quickly. Planning Center fits above that range, or at any size when Services scheduling depth matters, because Breeze's volunteer tools were not built for an active worship band rotation.

Tithe.ly's bundle pitch is strongest when the church wants giving, website, app, and Breeze ChMS together. Planning Center's pitch is strongest when worship operations and third-party integrations are the long-term bet. See Planning Center vs Breeze for the tipping-point math in detail.

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.

Tithe.ly also wins on digital presence for churches that do not want to hire a web developer. Website and app products inside the ecosystem give a church a credible online front door without a separate Squarespace or custom build.

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.

Planning Center also wins when a church plans to connect multiple specialized tools over time. Documented APIs and FlockConnect's native sync are examples of integrations that exist because Planning Center invested in an open partner ecosystem, not only a closed bundle.

Elvanto inside the Tithe.ly family: a caution for evaluators

Churches still on Elvanto should know that Tithe.ly has prioritized Breeze and giving products in recent years. Elvanto may remain adequate for stable congregations with modest worship complexity, but roadmap confidence is a real factor. Evaluators comparing Tithe.ly to Planning Center should ask whether they mean Breeze (actively marketed), Elvanto (legacy), or giving-only products. Each path has different long-term implications. See Planning Center vs Elvanto for the migration read.

Honest limitations

Tithe.ly limitations. The ecosystem bundles convenience, but "one vendor" does not always mean "one unified data model." Breeze, Elvanto, and Tithe.ly giving remain distinct products with distinct interfaces. Churches that outgrow Breeze on worship scheduling still face a migration decision, bundle or not. Transaction fees and bundle terms also change; confirm current rates rather than assuming last year's quote still applies.

Planning Center limitations. Modular pricing can exceed Breeze's flat rate for smaller churches that only need basic records and giving. Planning Center's website and app story is thinner than Tithe.ly's bundled digital presence pitch, so churches that want one partner for sermon media, apps, and giving may still add Subsplash or a similar engagement platform alongside Planning Center.

Who should choose which

Choose Tithe.ly (especially Breeze inside the bundle) when the church is small to mid-size, wants one predictable vendor relationship for giving plus ChMS, and does not need Services-level worship scheduling depth.

Choose Planning Center when worship-team scheduling, modular scaling, or a broad integration ecosystem matter more than a single bundled invoice, especially above the Breeze tipping point.

Choose Tithe.ly giving plus Planning Center ChMS when leadership wants Tithe.ly's giving UX on the front end and Planning Center's operational backbone on the back end, and when staff can maintain sync between the two.

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.

How this fits a full stack decision

Churches rarely choose only between these two vendors. They pick an operational backbone first, then layer giving, apps, and relational care on top. For the full landscape, start with the ultimate church management software comparison (2026). FlockConnect adds relational visibility on top of whichever ChMS you already run through native Planning Center sync or CSV import everywhere else.

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

Is Tithe.ly cheaper than Planning Center?

Should a church use Tithe.ly or Planning Center?

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.