Every church needs to track donations — for donor statements, fund management, and IRS compliance. But the right tool depends on whether you need just tracking, just online giving, or both. Some churches need a full ChMS. Others just need a way to record what comes in the offering plate on Sunday.

We compared the best donation tracking options for churches on accuracy, statement generation, online giving integration, and price.

Quick Comparison

1. Aplos — Best for Accounting + Donation Tracking

Aplos handles accounting and donations in one system — no syncing between platforms, no double entry. Record a donation and it automatically hits the correct fund in your accounting. Generate contribution statements with one click. This is the most seamless church donation tracking available.

Pros:

• Accounting + donations in one system (no syncing)
• Donations automatically post to the correct fund
• Built-in online giving pages
• Automatic contribution statements
• Donor analytics (giving trends, top donors, fund breakdowns)
• Recurring giving management
• Pledge tracking
• Donor communication tools (receipts, thank-yous)
• Fund balance reporting that’s always accurate
• Good for churches that want one system for finances and giving

Cons:

• $59/month (most expensive option here)
• No membership management (just accounting + donations)
• No attendance tracking
• Payroll requires ADP integration
• Fewer integrations than Tithe.ly or Planning Center

Pricing: Accounting + Donations $59/month; Accounting only $45/month

Best for: Churches that want accounting and donation tracking in one system and are willing to pay for the seamlessness.

Try Aplos →

2. ChurchTrac — Best Value All-in-One

ChurchTrac includes donation tracking, fund accounting, membership, and attendance — all for less than Aplos charges for just accounting and donations. And if your church is under 75 members, it’s free. The donation tracking isn’t as polished as Aplos, but it works.

Pros:

• Free for churches under 75 members
• Donation tracking + accounting + membership + attendance in one system
• True fund accounting
• Contribution statement generation
• Manual entry for cash, check, and online donations
• Fund-level tracking for designated gifts
• Lower cost than any other all-in-one option
• Check-in system included

Cons:

• No built-in online giving pages (use Tithe.ly, Planning Center, etc. separately)
• Manual entry for offline donations (no automatic bank feed for contributions)
• Interface is dated
• Reporting is less customizable than Aplos
• Donor analytics are basic
• No donor communication tools
• No pledge tracking

Pricing: Free (under 75 members); $29-79/month based on size

Best for: Small churches that want donation tracking, accounting, and membership in one affordable system and use a separate platform for online giving.

Get ChurchTrac →

3. Tithe.ly — Best Online Giving + Tracking

Tithe.ly’s strength is online giving — text-to-give, online forms, church apps, and kiosk mode. Donation tracking is built into their giving platform, so every online gift is tracked automatically. For churches where most giving happens online, Tithe.ly handles the full giving + tracking workflow.

Pros:

• Best online giving experience (text, app, web, kiosk)
• Donation tracking built into the giving platform
• Automatic contribution statements
• Fund-specific giving (donors choose the fund)
• Recurring giving management
• Donor dashboard and analytics
• Integrates with most ChMS platforms (Breeze, Planning Center, CCB)
• Text-to-give included
• Church app included
• Good for churches where online giving is the primary channel

Cons:

• No accounting (pair with Aplos, ChurchTrac, or QuickBooks)
• No membership management (just giving + tracking)
• Processing fees on all donations (2.9% + $0.30)
• Offline donation entry is manual
• Reporting is good but not as deep as dedicated accounting tools
• Contribution statements require setup for your church’s format
• Donor data lives in Tithe.ly’s ecosystem

Pricing: Free to use; processing 2.9% + $0.30; Tithe.ly+ reduces fees with monthly subscription

Best for: Churches where online giving is the primary channel and they want tracking built into the giving platform.

Get Tithe.ly →

4. Planning Center Giving — Best for Planning Center Users

If your church uses Planning Center for services, people, or check-ins, the Giving module keeps everything in one ecosystem. Donations sync with People profiles automatically, and you manage everything from the same dashboard.

Pros:

• Seamless integration with Planning Center ecosystem
• Donor profiles sync with People database automatically
• Online giving with fund-specific options
• Offline giving entry for cash and checks
• Automatic contribution statements
• Recurring giving support
• Good for churches already invested in Planning Center
• Free for small churches on basic tier
• No long-term contracts

Cons:

• Only makes sense if you’re already using Planning Center
• No accounting features (pair with ChurchTrac, Aplos, or QuickBooks)
• Giving module is less mature than dedicated giving platforms
• Processing fees are standard (not the lowest)
• Fewer giving features than Tithe.ly or Pushpay
• Limited customization of giving forms
• No text-to-give on the basic plan

Pricing: Free for basic; paid tiers scale with church size; processing 2.9% + $0.30

Best for: Churches already using Planning Center that want giving tracked in the same system.

Get Planning Center Giving →

IRS Compliance: What You Need to Track

Regardless of which tool you choose, your donation tracking system must handle these IRS requirements:

1. Written acknowledgment for donations over $250. The IRS requires donors to have a written receipt for any single contribution of $250 or more. Your software should generate these automatically.

2. Quid pro quo disclosure. If a donor receives something in return for their gift (a dinner, a book, a service), you must disclose the value of what they received vs. the tax-deductible portion.

3. Separate designated and undesignated gifts. Donors who designate a gift for a specific purpose must have it tracked separately. You can’t redirect designated gifts without the donor’s written consent.

4. Year-end statements by January 31. Donors need their giving summary before tax season. Your software should batch-generate these.

5. No goods or services statement. Each contribution receipt must state whether the donor received any goods or services in exchange for the contribution.

All five tools on this list handle these requirements. If you’re using a spreadsheet, you’re probably missing at least one.

How to Choose

1. Do you need accounting too?

Yes, in one system → Aplos or ChurchTrac. No (separate accounting tool) → Tithe.ly or Planning Center Giving.

2. What ChMS do you use?

Planning Center → Planning Center Giving. Breeze/CCB → Tithe.ly (good integration). ChurchTrac → ChurchTrac (built in). None → Aplos or Tithe.ly.

3. What’s your budget?

Free → ChurchTrac (under 75) or Planning Center (basic). Under $30/month → ChurchTrac. $59/month → Aplos.

4. Where do most donations come from?

Online → Tithe.ly or Aplos. In-person (checks, cash) → ChurchTrac or Aplos. Mixed → Aplos or Tithe.ly + manual entry for offline.

Our Top Pick

For churches that want everything in one system, Aplos is the most seamless — accounting and donations, no syncing. For the best value, ChurchTrac gives you more features for less money (free for small churches). For online giving emphasis, Tithe.ly. And for Planning Center churches, Giving keeps your data together.

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.