The ChurchTrac alternative for churches that want real accounting
ChurchTrac is a genuinely good, affordable all-in-one — church management and basic finances in one place. But if your priority is real fund accounting and statements your board can trust, Vestrybooks is built for that, with free online giving on top.
No credit card · free plan forever · price locked for life
| Vestrybooks | ChurchTrac | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free, then $25/mo | Low base + $15/mo add-on |
| Free plan | free trial | |
| Real fund accounting (double-entry + financial statements) | fund tracking only | |
| $0 platform cut on online giving | ||
| One-click year-end giving statements | ||
| Built-in church management (members, attendance, groups) | ||
| Built for | Small-church accounting & giving | People + finances in one |
ChurchTrac pricing varies by database size; verify current pricing at churchtrac.com. Both tools handle online giving and statements — the core difference is real fund accounting vs. fund tracking, and built-in church management.
Comparing more options? See our best church accounting software guide.
Why churches choose Vestrybooks
Real accounting, not just tracking
ChurchTrac's accounting tracks fund balances but doesn't do full double-entry or produce formal financial statements. Vestrybooks gives you real fund accounting and the statements a board and an auditor expect.
$0 platform cut on giving, free plan
Keep the books free forever, and we take $0 of every online gift. The plan that adds year-end statements and bank matching is $25/mo, with your price locked for life.
Built for a volunteer
Pick a fund from a dropdown; double-entry fund accounting happens behind the scenes. No journal entries to learn, no reconciliation nightmares.
Where ChurchTrac is the better fit
ChurchTrac does something Vestrybooks doesn't: it's a full church management system — membership, attendance, groups, and check-in — bundled with basic finances, often at a lower base price. If you want one low-cost system for both your people and your money, and you don't need formal financial statements or full double-entry accounting, ChurchTrac may be the better all-in-one. Vestrybooks focuses on doing the accounting and giving properly rather than being a people database too.
Thinking about switching?
- Will I lose church-management features?
- Vestrybooks is accounting and giving software, not a full ChMS — if you rely on ChurchTrac for attendance, groups, or check-in, keep those and use Vestrybooks for the books. Many churches run a ChMS for people and dedicated software for money.
- Can I move my financial data over?
- Yes — export your donors, gifts, and ledger and bring them in. Most small churches are set up in an afternoon.
- What does it cost to try?
- Nothing — 30 days of full access, no credit card, then a free plan you're never locked out of.
- Is my church's data safe?
- Encrypted, per-person logins, an unchangeable audit history, and automatic backups — see our security page.
See if Vestrybooks fits your church
Real fund accounting, free giving, and a price locked for life.