MyFundCenter vs. Planning Center — One unified, AI-native platform vs. managing separate module subscriptions.
Planning Center offers well-regarded à la carte church apps with free starter tiers and usage-based paid ladders ($15–$239/mo per product). MyFundCenter unifies 20+ modules, prorated program dues, multi-step approval workflows, and Aria AI in one workspace starting at $49/month.
When to Choose MyFundCenter
- You want predictable flat tiers ($49/mo Basic, $99/mo Advanced, $300/mo Premium with Website) instead of tracking separate usage-tier bills across 5–7 modules as attendance grows.
- Volunteer treasurers, deacons, and ministry leaders want one unified workspace rather than switching between separate module interfaces.
- You run recurring membership dues, mutual-aid/benevolence cycles, multi-year pledges, or multi-step approval workflows.
- You want Aria AI to draft forms, fundraisers, events, and announcements with deterministic Zero-Exposure PII redaction.
When Planning Center May Fit
- Your top requirement is chord-chart transposition, band rehearsal audio routing, and Sunday stage production cues (Planning Center Services).
- You are a micro church plant (<10–15 monthly donations or check-ins) staying entirely inside Planning Center’s free starter limits.
- Note: Many congregations keep Planning Center Services strictly for their Sunday worship band while running giving, people, events, programs, facilities, workflows, and websites on MyFundCenter.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison: MyFundCenter vs. Planning Center
| Capability | MyFundCenter | Planning Center |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing structure | Flat all-in-one tiers ($49 / $99 / $300/mo) | Modular per-app usage tiers ($0 People; $15–$239/mo per paid app) |
| Free trial & contracts | 30-day free trial ($0 today), month-to-month, $0 setup | 30-day trial / free starter tiers, month-to-month, $0 setup |
| Online giving & autopay | Card, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay (unlimited volume) | Card, ACH, Apple Pay (priced by monthly donation count) |
| Direct payment processors | Stripe, Clover & Square (100% direct to bank) | Planning Center Giving (built on Stripe) |
| Fundraisers & multi-year pledges | Branded thermometers, member-gated drives & pledge installments | Pledge campaigns in Giving; limited public thermometer pages |
| Programs, dues & prorated cycles | Automated cycle billing, headcount proration & autopay | One-off event registrations (no prorated membership cycles) |
| Events & QR family check-in | Included on every plan (RSVPs, tickets, waitlists, QR check-in) | Separate Registrations + Check-Ins module tiers |
| Facility & room scheduling | Included bookable resources, conflict rules & approvals | Free basic event list; paid Calendar tiers by room count |
| Multi-step approval workflows | Configurable multi-stage routing, tasks & claims (Advanced+) | Sequential step assignments in People Workflows |
| Private pastoral Care Teams | Strictly scoped care threads & governance included | Pastoral care notes & workflows inside People |
| AI assistant & PII redaction | Aria AI + deterministic Zero-Exposure Privacy Shield + MCP | Not advertised as a built-in AI assistant |
| Hosted church website | AI-drafted custom-domain website included with Premium ($300/mo) | Church Center web/app (free base; paid Publishing tiers for custom pages) |
| Sunday worship chord charts & sheet music | Not included today (pair alongside dedicated worship-band apps) | Dedicated Planning Center Services app |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can our worship team keep Planning Center Services while our church moves to MyFundCenter?
Yes — that is a very common setup. Congregations frequently keep a free or low-cost Planning Center Services tier strictly for Sunday band chord charts while consolidating online giving, fundraisers, people, households, events, programs, facility bookings, workflows, and their church website onto MyFundCenter.
When is Planning Center cheaper vs. when is MyFundCenter cheaper?
A tiny church plant using only free People and fewer than 10 donations/check-ins a month can pay $0 on Planning Center. Once an active midsize congregation turns on paid tiers across Giving, Check-Ins, Registrations, Groups, Room Calendar, and Publishing, combined monthly bills often reach $150–$450+/month — whereas MyFundCenter starts at $49/month on Basic or $99/month on Advanced.
Can we import our donor history and households from Planning Center?
Yes. You can export CSVs from Planning Center and import people, households, and contact records into MyFundCenter, where Smart Directory Reconciliation helps merge duplicate profiles cleanly.