The best church donation tracking software
Tracking donations is more than collecting them — it's recording each gift by donor and by fund, keeping restricted money separate, and handing every giver an IRS-ready statement at year-end. Here's what each tool actually does, and where it stops.
Full disclosure: Vestrybooks is one of the options below. We track gifts inside real fund accounting, so we'll point you to a better fit when your main need is a member database or just a payment page.
What donation tracking software should do
- Records every gift by donor and by fund — not one lump total
- Produces IRS-ready year-end giving statements donors can deduct with
- Keeps restricted gifts (building, missions) separate from general
- Low or $0 platform fee on online giving
- Simple enough for a volunteer, not just a bookkeeper
The tracking is only half of it — the payment side is covered in our guide to church online giving, and the year-end paperwork in church contribution statements.
At a glance
| Software | Online giving | Giving statements | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vestrybooks | Yes ($0 platform fee) | Yes, 1-click | Free, then $25/mo | Tracking gifts + real fund accounting |
| Aplos | Yes | Yes | From $79/mo | Donation tracking + deep fund accounting |
| Breeze ChMS | Yes | Yes | From ~$70/mo | A simple member database + giving |
| Planning Center Giving | Yes | Yes | Free + processing fees | Churches already on Planning Center |
| Tithe.ly | Yes | Basic | Free + processing fees | Low-cost online giving first |
Pricing as of 2026; vendors' prices change — verify on each site. "Giving statements" means year-end contribution statements for donors.
Vestrybooks
Best for tracking gifts and the books togetherVestrybooks records each gift against the donor and the fund it was given to, so year-end giving statements are one click and restricted money never blurs into the general account. Unlike a pure giving app, the donations flow straight into real fund accounting — the same system that runs the church's books — and online giving carries a $0 platform cut.
Strengths
- Gifts tracked by donor and by fund
- One-click IRS-ready giving statements
- $0 platform fee on online giving
- Free plan, then $25/mo; price locked for life
The trade-off
Focused on church finances — a church wanting a full member database (attendance, groups, check-in) will want a ChMS like Breeze alongside it.
Pricing
Free · Core $25/mo · Plus $39/mo
Aplos
Best for tracking plus deep accountingAplos pairs donation and donor management with a mature fund-accounting engine, so a church that wants serious reporting alongside its giving records gets both in one place. It's a strong fit for a larger church or one that also needs grant tracking.
Strengths
- Donor management + real fund accounting
- Strong contribution and financial reports
- Built-in online giving
The trade-off
The $79/mo floor is steep for a small church that only needs to track gifts and print statements.
Pricing
From $79/mo
Breeze ChMS
Best for a simple member databaseBreeze is an easy church management system — members, attendance, groups, and giving in one friendly tool. Its donation tracking is solid and its statements are simple, so a church whose main need is people-plus-giving (not deep accounting) often lands here.
Strengths
- Very easy to use
- Members, giving, and attendance together
- Flat, predictable pricing
The trade-off
It's a ChMS, not accounting software — no true fund accounting or financial statements, so many churches pair it with a bookkeeping tool.
Pricing
From ~$70/mo (verify current pricing)
Planning Center Giving
Best if you already use Planning CenterPlanning Center Giving tracks donations and issues statements, and it shines for churches already living in the Planning Center suite (services, people, check-ins). Giving itself has no monthly fee — you pay the payment processor per gift.
Strengths
- Deep integration with Planning Center
- No monthly fee for Giving itself
- Reliable donor records and statements
The trade-off
It tracks giving, not the church's full books — you still need accounting for funds, budgets, and statements.
Pricing
Free module + per-gift processing fees
Tithe.ly
Best for low-cost online giving firstTithe.ly leads with cheap, easy online and text giving, with donor records and basic statements attached. For a church whose first priority is simply collecting gifts online affordably, it's a common starting point.
Strengths
- Low-cost online + text giving
- Quick to set up
- Basic donor tracking and statements
The trade-off
Giving-first, not accounting — the tracking is lighter, and it doesn't do fund accounting for the church's books.
Pricing
Free app + per-gift processing fees
How to choose
- What is church donation tracking software?
- Software that records each gift against the donor who gave it and the fund it was for, then produces the year-end statements donors need — so a church can prove where restricted money went and give accurate receipts.
- Isn't tracking donations the same as online giving?
- No — a giving app collects the money; tracking software records and reports it. The best setups do both, but a payment-only tool still leaves you to keep the books. See the difference in our guide to church online giving, or an honest Tithe.ly comparison.
- Can I track church donations in QuickBooks or a spreadsheet?
- You can, but neither is built for it — a spreadsheet breaks on restricted funds, and QuickBooks has no native donor statements. Church tools track gifts by fund and print statements automatically. See QuickBooks for churches.
- Where do the tracked gifts end up?
- In the church's books — ideally through fund accounting, so a restricted gift lands in its own fund and the year-end totals reconcile to the bank.
Track every gift, print every statement
Vestrybooks records donations by donor and fund, with one-click year-end statements and $0-platform-fee giving.