A Planning Center Alternative for UK Churches
Planning Center is a strong set of tools, and its People database is free. It’s also built for the US. Its giving tool doesn’t take pounds, text messages only work in the US and there’s no Gift Aid.
Church Member Software puts UK giving and data protection at the centre, in one product with one bill in pounds.
Side by side
| Church Member Software | Planning Center | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | In pounds, including VAT: £12, £22 or £35 a month for up to 75, 200 or 500 adults. Children are free. | In US dollars. People is free, and each other product is priced separately. |
| Gift Aid | Included in every plan, with declarations, claims and the 4-year deadline checked for you | Not covered in its help centre |
| Giving in pounds | Yes, with UK tax years from 6 April | Its giving tool takes US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars |
| Where your data is held | Records stored in the UK | Amazon’s servers in Virginia, US |
| Data protection requests | Requests tracked against their deadlines, a one-click download of everything about someone, and erasure that keeps what HMRC needs | Profiles are deleted one at a time by an administrator. The help centre doesn’t describe a subject access download. |
| Two-step sign-in | Required for administrators, staff and treasurers | Each person can turn it on for themselves |
| Directory | Opt-in: nobody appears until they choose to, and they pick what’s shown | Invite-only and opt-in, with privacy settings on by default |
Planning Center details are from its own website and help centre, checked October 2026. Things change, so check with Planning Center too.
When Planning Center is the better choice
Planning Center has years of polish behind it. Stay with it, or choose it, if you need:
- service planning and children’s check-in
- event registrations and room booking
- a free people database with no limit on size
- automated workflows across several products
Bringing your records across from Planning Center
Export your People database from Planning Center as a spreadsheet and upload it. We match the columns, bring households across and show every change before it’s saved.
Then add Gift Aid declarations for your regular givers. Ones that cover the past 4 years can make older gifts claimable.
Questions churches ask
- Does Planning Center do Gift Aid?
- Not according to its help centre. Its giving tool doesn’t take pounds, and there’s nothing on Gift Aid declarations or claims.
- Can I import from Planning Center?
- Yes. Export People as a spreadsheet and upload it. The app has step-by-step instructions.
- Does Church Member Software do service planning?
- Not yet. We focus on people, groups, attendance, giving and Gift Aid.
See it with your own records
Try everything free for 30 days, with no card needed. Import a spreadsheet from your current system and see how your church looks.
Sources
Planning Center is a trademark of its owner. We’re not connected with Planning Center.