A simpler, more affordable alternative for churches that want everything in one place.
| Feature | Planning Center | Pews |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $300–500+/mo (pay per module) | $100/mo flat (everything included) |
| Modules | Pay separately for each | All included |
| Setup time | Hours to days | Minutes |
| Giving fees | 2.15% + $0.30 | 3.15% + $0.30 (covers platform) |
| SMS | Extra cost ($0.02/text) | Included |
| Per-seat pricing | Yes (punishes growth) | No (unlimited admins) |
| Self-hosted option | No | Yes (Docker) |
| Data ownership | Theirs | Yours |
| Contract required | Yes | No |
Planning Center has been a staple in the church software world for years, and for good reason — it was one of the first to offer modern, web-based tools for churches. But as churches have grown and budgets have tightened, the cracks in Planning Center's per-module pricing model have become impossible to ignore.
A typical church using Planning Center's People, Giving, Services, Groups, and Check-Ins modules can easily spend $300–500+ per month — and that's before SMS costs, additional admin seats, and premium features. Every new module is another line item, another subscription, another bill to justify to the finance team.
Pews takes the opposite approach: one flat price, everything included. For $100/month, your church gets all 8 modules — people management, giving, service planning, song library, groups, check-ins, calendar, and communication. No per-seat charges, no surprise fees, no contracts. Turn modules on or off as you need them.
Beyond pricing, Pews is built with modern UX principles. The interface is clean, fast, and intuitive — designed so your volunteers and staff can start using it without training. And for churches that care about data sovereignty, Pews offers a self-hosted Docker option so your data stays on your servers.
All of these modules are included in every Pews plan — no add-ons required:
Join the waitlist and be the first to know when Pews launches. Early access members get priority onboarding and a locked-in founding rate.