Best Church Giving Platforms in 2025: A Complete Comparison

Online giving isn't optional anymore — it's how the majority of church donations now happen. Churches with frictionless digital giving see 32% higher total giving than those relying on passing a plate. But choosing the right giving platform is complicated: there are dozens of options, each with different fees, features, and trade-offs.

In this guide, we'll compare the best church giving platforms in 2025 — their fees, features, strengths, and weaknesses — so you can choose the one that fits your church's needs and budget.

The best giving platform isn't the one with the most features — it's the one your members will actually use. Friction kills generosity. Make giving effortless, and giving increases.

Why Online Giving Matters More Than Ever

Before comparing platforms, let's understand why digital giving is non-negotiable:

• Cash and checks are disappearing: 60% of Americans carry little to no cash. Check usage has dropped 50% in five years.
• Recurring giving works: Members on recurring giving plans give 42% more per year than one-time givers
• Impulse giving: After a powerful sermon on generosity, in-app giving captures the moment — website forms or passed plates don't
• Younger givers: Gen Z and millennials give digitally — if your church doesn't offer it, they simply don't give
• Transparency: Digital giving provides automatic receipts, giving history, and tax statements — for giver and church
• 24/7 giving: Members can give anytime, not just Sunday morning — especially important for special campaigns and crisis giving

What to Look For in a Church Giving Platform

Before we compare specific platforms, here are the features that matter most:

• Low processing fees: Every transaction has a fee — 2.5% + $0.30 is standard. Some platforms charge more; some less.
• Apple Pay & Google Pay: One-tap, biometric giving removes all friction — this alone increases completion rates by 25%+
• ACH/bank transfer: Lower fees than cards (often 0.8% vs 2.9%) — ideal for large gifts and recurring giving
• Recurring giving: Weekly, biweekly, monthly, and custom schedules — the #1 driver of giving growth
• Text-to-give: Members text a number with an amount — simple, fast, works on any phone
• Church app integration: Giving built directly into your church app — not a separate website or third-party app
• Fund designation: Let givers choose: tithes, building fund, missions, benevolence, special campaigns
• Guest giving: First-time givers shouldn't need to create an account — friction-free first gifts
• Automatic receipts: Instant email receipts and year-end tax statements
• Admin dashboard: Real-time giving analytics, export tools, and reporting for your finance team
• ACH batch payouts: Fast deposit to your church bank account (1–2 business days, not 5–7)

The Top Church Giving Platforms Compared

Tithe.ly

• Fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction; 0.8% + $0.30 for ACH (bank transfer)
• Features: Web giving, mobile app, text-to-give, recurring, fund designation, child check-in, ChMS
• Strengths: Comprehensive all-in-one platform; strong text-to-give; good international support
• Weaknesses: Separate app from your church app (members must download the Tithe.ly app); monthly subscription fee on top of processing fees ($19–$59/month)
• Best for: Churches wanting an all-in-one ChMS + giving solution

Pushpay

• Fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per card; custom pricing for ACH (often lower for large churches)
• Features: Mobile app, text-to-give, recurring, ChMS (Church Community Builder integration), advanced analytics
• Strengths: Excellent mobile experience; strong enterprise features; deep analytics; good for large churches
• Weaknesses: Expensive — monthly fees start at $99+ and scale up significantly; separate app; not ideal for small churches
• Best for: Large churches (500+ members) with budget for a premium solution

Givelify

• Fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction; no monthly subscription fee
• Features: Mobile app, web giving, recurring, fund designation, analytics
• Strengths: No monthly fee; simple setup; good for churches just starting online giving
• Weaknesses: Separate app; limited ChMS features; no text-to-give on lower tiers; fewer integration options
• Best for: Small churches wanting simple, no-monthly-fee giving

Rebel Give

• Fees: 2.7% + $0.30 per card; 0.5% + $0.30 for ACH — no monthly subscription
• Features: Web giving, text-to-give, recurring, fund designation, Apple Pay/Google Pay, guest giving
• Strengths: Lowest fees in the industry; no monthly subscription; modern, clean interface
• Weaknesses: Newer platform; fewer ChMS integrations; separate from your church app
• Best for: Churches that want the lowest possible fees without monthly subscriptions

Vanco (Vanco Faith)

• Fees: 2.85% + $0.30 per card; monthly subscription varies ($20–$50+)
• Features: Web giving, text-to-give, recurring, event registration, tuition/fee collection
• Strengths: Strong for churches with schools or childcare programs (tuition collection); long-established
• Weaknesses: Older interface; monthly fees; separate from church app
• Best for: Churches with schools or educational programs needing fee collection

Built-In Giving (MyChurch App & Website)

• Fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per card; 0.8% + $0.30 for ACH — no separate subscription
• Features: Giving built directly into your church app and website; Apple Pay/Google Pay; recurring; text-to-give; fund designation
• Strengths: No separate app for members to download — giving is one tap from the home screen; seamless integration with sermons, events, and prayer; no third-party branding
• Weaknesses: Only available as part of the MyChurch platform (not standalone)
• Best for: Churches that want giving integrated into their app and website — not a separate tool

Fee Comparison: What You Actually Pay

Fees are the hidden cost of giving platforms. Here's what a $10,000/month in online giving actually costs across platforms (card transactions):

• Rebel Give: $300/month in fees (2.7% + $0.30 per transaction)
• Built-in (MyChurch): $320/month (2.9% + $0.30)
• Givelify: $320/month (2.9% + $0.30)
• Tithe.ly: $320 + $19–$59 monthly subscription = $339–$379/month
• Vanco: $315 + $20–$50 subscription = $335–$365/month
• Pushpay: $320 + $99+ subscription = $419+/month

For ACH (bank transfer) giving — which you should actively encourage for recurring gifts — fees drop dramatically:

• Rebel Give: 0.5% + $0.30 — $80/month on $10,000
• Built-in / Tithe.ly / Givelify: 0.8% + $0.30 — $110/month on $10,000

Encouraging ACH for recurring giving can save your church $200+/month in fees — money that goes to ministry, not processing.

How to Choose the Right Giving Platform

Ask these questions to narrow your choice:

• Do you have a church app? If yes (or planning one), built-in giving is best — no separate app for members to download. Explore church apps →
• What's your monthly giving volume? If under $5,000/month, avoid platforms with monthly subscriptions. If over $50,000/month, negotiate custom rates.
• Do you need a full ChMS? If you need member management, check-in, and groups alongside giving, Tithe.ly or Pushpay make sense. If you just need giving, standalone is cheaper.
• How tech-savvy is your congregation? If members struggle with apps, text-to-give and web giving matter most. If they're comfortable, in-app giving with Apple Pay drives the best results.
• What's your budget? Factor in both processing fees AND monthly subscriptions. A "cheap" platform with a monthly fee can cost more than a "premium" one without.

Online Giving Best Practices

• Offer Apple Pay & Google Pay: One-tap, biometric giving has 25%+ higher completion rates than card-entry forms
• Promote ACH for recurring: Bank transfer has lower fees and higher retention — encourage recurring givers to use ACH
• Make giving visible: A "Give" button in your website header, app home screen, and during the livestream — don't hide it three clicks deep
• Enable guest giving: First-time givers shouldn't need to create an account — friction-free first gifts matter
• Use fund designation: Let givers choose where their gift goes — tithes, building fund, missions. It increases giving by making it purposeful
• Send receipts immediately: Instant email receipts build trust and serve as tax documentation
• Talk about giving regularly: Don't just mention giving during a building campaign. Teach generosity as a spiritual discipline — and make digital giving the obvious way to respond
• Follow up with new givers: When someone gives for the first time, send a personal thank-you within 48 hours — it turns one-time givers into recurring ones
• Show impact: Share stories of what giving makes possible — "Your generosity funded 50 kids at VBS this summer" — connecting gifts to ministry outcomes

Text-to-Give: The Simplest Giving Method

Text-to-give is one of the most effective giving channels — especially for older members and first-time givers:

• Members text a designated number with an amount (e.g., "100" to 555-555-5555)
• First-time: they receive a link to a simple web form to enter payment info
• Returning: the gift processes instantly — no form, no app, no login
• Works on any phone — smartphone or flip phone
• Perfect for in-service giving moments: "Text 'give' to 555-555-5555 right now"

Text-to-give is included with most platforms (Tithe.ly, Pushpay, Rebel Give, and built-in MyChurch giving all support it). If your platform doesn't offer it, switch.

Common Church Giving Mistakes

• Hiding the give button: If members can't find how to give in 2 seconds, they won't. Make it prominent on every platform.
• Requiring accounts: Forcing first-time givers to create an account kills 40%+ of gifts. Enable guest giving.
• No Apple Pay/Google Pay: Manual card entry is friction. One-tap biometric giving is the standard — don't accept less.
• Only mentioning giving during campaigns: Regular generosity teaching + easy giving = sustained giving growth. Campaigns-only creates giving spikes followed by drops.
• Not promoting recurring: One-time gifts are inconsistent. Recurring giving is predictable and 42% higher annually. Actively invite members to set up recurring giving.
• Ignoring ACH: If every giver uses a card, you're overpaying in fees. Promote ACH for recurring gifts and save thousands per year.
• No follow-up: A first-time gift with no acknowledgment feels transactional. A personal thank-you turns a gift into a relationship.

How Giving Integrates with Your Digital Strategy

Giving works best when it's woven into your entire digital presence, not siloed in a separate tool:

• In your church app: One-tap giving from the home screen — apps drive 32% more giving than websites
• On your website: A "Give" button in the header, accessible from every page
• In your livestream: A "Give Now" button embedded in the stream page — capture in-the-moment generosity
• After sermons on generosity: A push notification or in-app prompt: "Feeling prompted to give? One tap here."
• In your email: A give link in your weekly newsletter and special campaigns
• On social media: A give link for crisis campaigns and special initiatives

Getting Started with Online Giving

If your church doesn't have online giving yet, here's how to start:

• Week 1: Choose a platform based on the criteria above. If you have (or plan to have) a church app, choose one with built-in giving.
• Week 2: Set up your account, connect your church bank account, and configure your giving funds (tithes, building, missions, etc.)
• Week 3: Add giving to your website (a "Give" button in the header) and test the full flow — give a test gift yourself.
• Week 4: Announce it from the pulpit. Show the congregation how to give on their phones. Offer a "giving Sunday" where everyone sets up recurring giving together.
• Ongoing: Teach generosity regularly. Promote ACH for recurring gifts. Thank every new giver personally. Share impact stories.

How MyChurch Handles Giving

At MyChurch, giving is built directly into every church app and website we create — no separate platform, no third-party app for members to download, no extra monthly subscription. Our giving solution includes:

• One-tap giving with Apple Pay and Google Pay — the lowest-friction giving available
• Recurring giving with weekly, biweekly, and monthly schedules
• Text-to-give for members who prefer texting
• ACH/bank transfer with lower fees for recurring gifts
• Fund designation — tithes, building, missions, benevolence, campaigns
• Guest giving — no account required for first-time givers
• Automatic receipts and year-end tax statements
• Admin dashboard with real-time analytics and reporting
• Integration with your website, app, livestream, and email — giving is everywhere your members are

The right giving platform can transform your church's financial health — but only if it's frictionless, integrated, and actively promoted. Let us help you build a giving experience that makes generosity effortless.