Church Office Software

Church office software is labeled with different names. There is church administration software, church management software, and even church attendance software.

I like the term church office software because it shows the general nature of the programs in question.

Not all programs contain the same options. But most offer contact management, group management, attendance, visitors, and provide some sort of church directory. These church directory software options generally come with the ability to include photographs.

There are also some additional options that are offered by a few companies. Some allow you to take donations online. Others will enable you to let people register for special events and even pay the fee right online. Some are formatted so that people can access the software with a mobile device. Still others provide a way to securely check kids in and out of Sunday school classes.

As you can see, there is a great deal of variety when it comes to church office software. You will need to do some research to find the right package for your congregation.

That's why I created this page. I tried to do some of the research for you.

To get the information I needed to evaluate the software programs, I scoured each company's web site. And where possible, I tested out their software via a free trial. Here are a few general thoughts about what I found. You can find my reviews by clicking the links toward the bottom of the page.

• I'm surprised at how few programs provide a calendar feature. This is especially true of the church directory programs. If you have a place where people can be sorted by groups, then those group activities should be posted on a calendar.
• All accounting packages are not the same. A number of church office software programs offer a basic accounting package. These basic packages are generally devoted to tracking donations of individuals. That information can then be sorted by name so that church leaders can see how much people are giving. I don't think that anyone other than the accountant or treasurer should see this information. And this is not really helpful at all. That's because you still have to have a separate fund accounting program. Churches need fund accounting software. Visit my page on church financial software for a list of fund accounting packages.
• There are a few all-in-one church office software packages. Read more here.
• There are a LOT of church management software programs on the market. However, there are some that consistently rank among the best. I tried to include the main contenders below.
• There are one or two programs that offer one-button background checks. I would definitely use this feature. However, I don't think I would stop there. A church should still do more thorough background checks on every person who will work with children.
• Many of the programs offer a church directory feature. I think this is essential. Some even go so far as to integrate the church directory with an online maps program. When you look at a family's profile, you will be given a map with the location of their home.
• I would favor the church office software programs that allow you to take donations online. I would also lean toward programs that let you take registrations for church events.
• I think you definitely want a church management software program that allows you to send emails. In some packages, you can create automated emails so that, for instance, when someone signs up for an event she automatically receives an email confirmation. You should also be able to create emails to send to one person, a group of people, or the entire congregation. And if you need to send out letters, you should be able to print labels directly from the program.

See this page for reviews of Church Pro, Church Windows, Cahaba Creek, and Quickbooks. And there are some free church software programs you will want to consider. You will also want to read about ACS Technologies.

Click any of the links below the form to read reviews of church office software programs.