The Best Tools for Online Giving for Churches

Church Advice

In today’s increasingly digital world, offering an online giving option is no longer just a “nice to have” for churches. It is an essential tool for community building and for funding meaningful projects that make a difference. If you got here, you might be thinking of what to look for in a good tool, researching cost considerations, or wondering how transaction processes and fees typically work. If so, then, please continue reading, because we’ll walk you through all this, and then review some of the leading church online giving platforms including ChMeetings, Tithe.ly, Givelify, Pushpay, EasyTithe, Donorbox and SecureGive.

Key Features to Look for in an Online Giving Tool for Churches

When evaluating an online giving platform, here are some of the features that matter a lot to people and without which they might give less or give it up altogether:

Easy giving, everywhere

Simple user experience (few steps, clear interface)
Mobile friendly (smartphones/tablets),
Various ways to give (via text, on the web, in a mobile app),
Multiple payment methods (card, ACH),
Ability to set up one-time and recurring donations.
Option for donors to designate gifts (e.g., to a fund/project)

Integration with church management, reporting and admin tools:

Syncing with your ChMS (church management software) so donor data and giving data align;
Option to generate reports and analytics;
Administrative features like donor history, receipt attachments, batches, etc;

Security and compliance

Integration with a PCI compliant gateway (for secure card data),
Encryption for donor and payment data,
Minimum access to payment data, unless the online giving platform is also the payment processor.

Flexible cost models & transparency

Clear monthly fees (if any)
Clear transaction/processing fees
Ability for donors to cover or offset fees (if desired)
No hidden fees or long‐term contracts (unless your size justifies that)

Multi-campus / Diocese-level scaling support (if applicable)

If your church has more than one site, or multiple funds, make sure the platform supports your structure.
Ability to reconcile gifts by campus / site or fund.

Cost Considerations

Here are the main cost factors and what to watch out for:

Monthly or annual software fees: Some platforms require a monthly subscription or annual license. Some may have upfront fees, while others rely on transaction fees. In other cases, you may not be paying fees to the online giving platform itself, but to a third party payment processor through which your platform manages transactions.
Transaction processing fees: This is often the biggest cost for your church and will depend on whether donors use credit/debit cards, ACH/bank transfers, etc.
Hidden/add-on fees: Some providers may charge hidden or add-on fees for services like text‐to‐give, the option for the donor to cover the fees, refund fees, etc.
The option for donors to cover fees: Some platforms allow you to ask the donor to cover the cost of processing the gift; helping reduce the cost to your church. Even a small fee matters and impacts your budget.
Scale & contract terms: Larger churches may negotiate lower rates, or use enterprise plans; smaller churches need to watch for minimums or monthly minimum charges required by some providers.

Transaction Process and Fees

Understanding how the giving process works helps you evaluate the platforms that are available for you to choose from. Here’s a quick breakdown:

A donor goes to your church website/app or sends a text-to-give, and selects or enters a gift amount (and potentially chooses a fund to give to or the frequency of payment, if recurring options are available).
The platform processes the payment via the donor’s chosen payment method (card, ACH/bank transfer, etc.).
The payment processor (sometimes integrated into the platform, other times external) deducts the processing fees.
The net amount (after fees) is transferred to the church’s bank account (or to a designated merchant account) within a certain period (often 1-3 business days).
The church’s admin side receives reporting, donor data, transaction records.

FAQs When Comparing Church Online Giving Solutions

When comparing platforms, ask:

What is the transaction fee for card vs ACH?
Is there any monthly or annual software fee?
Are there minimums, hidden or extra fees?
Is the donor able to cover the transaction fee?
What is the payout timing to the church’s bank account?
Are there fees for refunds or failed transactions?
Are gifts deposited per campus/site or fund?
How is donor data managed & exported (especially for accounting/ChMS)?

Top Online Giving Tools

Here’s a review of some of the most popular giving platforms for churches, along with what stands out for each. (Always confirm current pricing and features directly with the vendor, by visiting their website. Changes might happen before we get to update this guide.)

1. ChMeetings

ChMeetings is a church management software (ChMS) that includes an online giving module.

Strengths: No transaction fees; all you pay are your payment processor’s transaction fees. It offers options for recurring giving, fund assignment, and donors can cover the fees. There is multi-campus support, especially with the Diocese plan. Monthly plan costs include the full church management solution and online giving features (but do not include payment processor fees, as just mentioned).
Good for: Churches of all sizes looking for an all-in-one system (membership, giving, events, accounting, reports, member portal & more) and wanting high value for money.
Things to check: The payment processor fees (Stripe/PayPal/Paystack) apply; so ensure you are comfortable with them. The giving features may not be as complex as dedicated giving platforms.

2. Tithe.ly

Tithe/ly is a giving platform for churches that also includes church management features.

Strengths: Transparent processing fees and no setup or monthly fee.
Good for: Churches of small to medium size wanting dedicated giving features.
Things to check: Transaction fee is reasonably standard; you’ll want to consider how that compares to other options (especially if your average gift size is small). Also check text giving fees, as this service costs extra.

3. Givelify

Givelify is a more general app, focused on mobile giving, and that is also serving churches.

Strengths: No monthly fees; simple pricing model, only charging transaction fees.
Good for: Small churches or those who want minimal upfront cost and primarily mobile giving.
Things to check: Features may be more limited compared to full-scale giving platforms, or solutions dedicated to churches. There’s also a higher fee for transactions via AmEx.

4. Pushpay

Pushpay is a comprehensive giving and engagement platform, often used by larger churches.

Strengths: Rich feature set, including mobile giving, analytics, donor management, customisation, multi-campus support.
Good for: Large churches or multi-site churches and dioceses willing to invest a higher budget and take on a potentially steeper learning curve.
Things to check: PushPay works with fixed-term contracts, with less flexibility to make changes. Costs include monthly fees, transaction fees, plus transaction fees.

5. EasyTithe

EasyTitle is a giving solution that offers online, mobile, text, and kiosk giving, plus reporting.

Strengths: Good reporting features; particularly for small to mid-sized churches.
Good for: US-based small churches that are just getting started and want a US-centric tool.
Things to check: There are several types of fees, so a lot of potential for higher expenses as your church grows.

6. Donorbox

Donorbox is a donation platform (not only for churches) but often used by churches for its simple form builder, recurring giving, and embeddable forms.

Strengths: Tools for website integrations, like embedded donation forms; support for multiple currencies, text to give, etc.
Good for: Smaller churches, or ones who already have a website and want to add giving quickly with minimal overhead.
Things to check: Donorbox is not dedicated to churches, so may be missing specific features; plus there are both platform and payment processor fees that you might want to ensure fit your budget.

7. SecureGive

SecureGive is a giving platform dedicated to churches that emphasises security, multi‐channel giving (online, mobile, text, kiosk.

Strengths: Strong in customisation, multi‐campus and multi‐channel giving. SecureGive claims that “Most churches see an effective rate of 2% or less” per transaction.
Good for: Churches with high budgets, willing to pay monthly + processing + add-on fees exclusively for a giving platform.
Things to check: SecureGive offers a wide range of services, but may not be suitable for any church, especially if the budget is tight and seamless integration with church management is a must-have.

Recommendations Based on Your Church Size

When doing your research, it’s useful to consider tools based on your church size, while keeping in mind their ability to scale as your church grows. Here are a few considerations:

If you represent a small church or just starting with digital giving, something like ChMeetings, Donorbox, or Givelify or might give you a solid entry with lower cost and fewer complexities. However, keep in mind that only ChMeetings offers a wide range of church-specific features, while the latter two are more general and limited.
If you are mid-sized and want robust features (mobile + web + recurring + good reporting) at low to reasonable cost, ChMeetings or Tithe.ly are strong options.
If you are a larger church or multi-site church and you want donor analytics, kiosk giving, advanced engagement, then Pushpay or SecureGive may be worth the investment, but make sure you’re comfortable with cost and contract terms. If you don’t need engagement and giving kiosks, or you just don’t want the contracts, then ChMeetings might be a suitable alternative.

No matter your church size, we encourage you to check out ChMeetings to see if it fits your needs. You can start with a 30-day free trial, then choose an affordable plan that scales as you grow, while remaining budget-friendly.

Other Recommendations

Always test how it works for your congregation: give your staff or volunteers time to experiment; set up a pilot if possible; communicate clearly to donors on how to give; provide training if needed (especially for less tech-savvy members).
Never forget that the giving experience matters. If your system is hard for donors to use, you risk losing generosity.
Review your transaction fee exposure and consider whether you want donors to have the option to cover the processing fee (reducing cost to your church) and how that impacts donor satisfaction.

The Bottom Line

It’s important to choose carefully and find what works for you and your congregation. No matter what, keep your community’s needs front-and-center and create meaning for your members. In the end, people give because your mission matters, and your success means you continue making a difference.

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