If you’re looking for church-specific accounting software, you’ve probably found Aplos and ChurchTrac. Both handle fund accounting correctly. Both track contributions. Both serve small churches. But they’re built for different church profiles.
Here’s the straight comparison.
The Short Version
- Choose Aplos if you want polished, modern church accounting with the best donor experience and you’re willing to pay more for it.
- Choose ChurchTrac if you want the most features for the least money — including membership management and attendance — and you don’t mind a dated interface.
Where They Agree
Both Aplos and ChurchTrac:
- Offer true fund accounting (not workarounds)
- Track contributions and generate statements
- Handle designated and restricted funds
- Support bank reconciliation
- Produce church-specific reports
- Are cloud-based
- Serve churches of all sizes
That’s where the similarities end.
Fund Accounting: Tie (Both Get It Right)
This is the most important feature for churches, and both handle it correctly. Restricted funds stay restricted. Designated funds track separately. Fund balance reports are accurate. No manual journal entries required at year-end.
Aplos presents fund accounting in a cleaner interface. Fund balances are visible on the dashboard. Transfers between funds are clearly documented.
ChurchTrac handles fund accounting correctly but the interface is more utilitarian. It works, but it’s not as visually intuitive.
Verdict: Tie on accuracy. Aplos wins on presentation.
Contribution Tracking: Aplos Wins
Aplos includes full donation tracking with:
- Online giving pages (donors give directly through Aplos)
- Automatic contribution statements
- Giving analytics (trends, top donors, fund breakdowns)
- Recurring giving management
- Donor communication tools (email receipts, thank-yous)
- Pledge tracking
ChurchTrac includes contribution tracking but without the online giving component:
- Manual contribution entry (from checks, cash, and external giving platforms)
- Contribution statements
- Basic giving reports
- No built-in online giving pages (use a separate platform like Tithe.ly)
- No donor analytics dashboard
Verdict: Aplos for churches that want accounting + giving in one system. ChurchTrac for churches using a separate giving platform.
Membership Management: ChurchTrac Wins (By a Lot)
This is ChurchTrac’s biggest advantage. It’s not just accounting — it’s a full church management system.
ChurchTrac includes:
- People database with photos, family links, and custom fields
- Group management
- Attendance tracking
- Background check integration
- Check-in system
- Mass email and text communication
Aplos does NOT include membership management. It’s accounting and donations only. You’d need a separate ChMS (like Breeze, Planning Center, or ChurchTrac’s own management module).
Verdict: ChurchTrac if you want accounting + membership + attendance in one system. Aplos if you have a separate ChMS or only need accounting.
Ease of Use: Aplos Wins
Aplos has the cleaner, more modern interface. It was designed for non-accountants, and it shows. Most church administrators can learn it in an afternoon.
ChurchTrac’s interface is functional but looks like software from 2012. It works fine once you learn where everything is, but the learning curve is steeper and the experience is less pleasant.
Verdict: Aplos for ease of use. ChurchTrac for people who prioritize function over form.
Pricing: ChurchTrac Wins (By a Lot)
| Feature | Aplos | ChurchTrac |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting only | $45/mo | Included |
| Accounting + Donations | $59/mo | Included |
| Membership management | Not included | Included |
| Attendance tracking | Not included | Included |
| Check-in system | Not included | Included |
| Free tier | No (14-day trial) | Yes (under 75 members) |
| Church under 75 members | $59/mo | Free |
| Church 76-150 members | $59/mo | $29/mo |
| Church 151-300 members | $59/mo | $49/mo |
ChurchTrac gives you more features for less money at every church size. If your church is under 75 members, ChurchTrac is free — including accounting, contributions, membership, and attendance.
Verdict: ChurchTrac on price, especially for small churches.
The Decision Matrix
| Your Situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| You want accounting + giving in one system | Aplos |
| You want accounting + membership + attendance in one system | ChurchTrac |
| You already use a ChMS (Breeze, Planning Center, etc.) | Aplos (just accounting) |
| Your church is under 75 members | ChurchTrac (it’s free) |
| You value a polished, modern interface | Aplos |
| You value the most features for the lowest cost | ChurchTrac |
| You need online giving built into your accounting software | Aplos |
| You use a separate giving platform | ChurchTrac |
| Your bookkeeper is a volunteer with no accounting background | Aplos (easier to learn) |
| Your bookkeeper is comfortable with software | ChurchTrac |
Our Recommendation
For most small churches (under 200 members), ChurchTrac is the better value. You get accounting, giving, membership, and attendance for less than Aplos charges for just accounting and donations. And if you’re under 75 members, it’s free.
Choose Aplos when:
- You already have a ChMS and only need accounting
- You want built-in online giving pages
- A polished, modern interface matters to your team
- You want donor communication tools (receipts, thank-yous) built into your accounting software
Both handle church finances correctly. The question is whether you want a complete church management system (ChurchTrac) or focused church accounting with the best donor experience (Aplos).
SoftDecide helps churches, nonprofits, and small organizations find the right software. Our comparisons are independently researched. We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page — at no extra cost to you.