The Aplos alternative built for small churches
Aplos is a capable, well-established platform with genuine fund accounting. But if you're a small church with a volunteer treasurer, Vestrybooks gives you real fund accounting and free online giving at a fraction of the price — without the learning curve.
No credit card · free plan forever · price locked for life
| Vestrybooks | Aplos | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free, then $25/mo | $79/mo (Lite) |
| Free plan (not just a trial) | ||
| Real fund accounting | ||
| $0 platform cut on online giving | ||
| One-click year-end giving statements | ||
| Built for | Small churches & volunteers | Small–midsize nonprofits |
| Plain language, no accounting jargon | more features to learn | |
| Price locked for life |
Aplos pricing as of 2026 (Lite plan); check aplos.com for current pricing. Both tools offer genuine fund accounting — the differences are price, a free plan, giving fees, and simplicity.
Comparing more options? See our best church accounting software guide.
Why small churches choose Vestrybooks
We keep $0 of every gift
Online giving has no platform cut from us — gifts go straight to your church. On $50k of giving that's roughly $1,700 a year that stays in your ministry.
A real free plan, and a lower price
Keep the books free forever; year-end statements and bank matching are $25/mo — well under Aplos's $79/mo floor — and your price is locked for life.
Built for a volunteer, not an accountant
Pick a fund from a dropdown; real double-entry fund accounting happens behind the scenes. No debits, no journal entries to learn.
Where Aplos is the better fit
We'd rather you pick the right tool than the wrong one. Aplos has the deeper, more mature accounting engine. If your church runs complex restricted funds or grants, needs an auditor-grade reporting suite, or has a bookkeeper who wants more advanced accounts-payable and budgeting tools, Aplos earns its higher price. Vestrybooks is built for the small church that wants real fund accounting and free giving without that complexity — so if you're a larger or more complex organization, Aplos may serve you better.
Thinking about switching?
- Can I move my data over?
- Yes. You can export your donors, gifts, and ledger from Aplos and bring them in, and we'll help you get set up. Most small churches are running in an afternoon.
- Is there a learning curve?
- Less than you'd expect — Vestrybooks hides the accounting machinery. You pick a fund and record money in or out in plain language; the double-entry happens for you.
- What does it cost to try?
- Nothing. Start with 30 days of full access, no credit card. When the trial ends you move to the free plan — you're never locked out of your books.
- Is my church's financial data safe?
- Yes — encrypted in transit and at rest, per-person logins, an unchangeable audit history, and automatic backups. Your data is yours to export anytime. See our security page.
See if Vestrybooks fits your church
Real fund accounting, free giving, and a price locked for life.