List of Top Church Accounting Software in 2023 (Free & Paid)

Managing error-free accounts is as much a struggle for churches as it is for any other corporate organization. Whether it is keeping track of donations and funds or adhering to the local accounting laws, there is a whole list of things a church has to tick off. Since handling all these tasks manually is nothing short of a nightmare, it is wise to go the technological way in the form of church accounting software. 

Such systems are designed to speed up and simplify the entire accounting process, saving you time and lowering some of your stress. 

But which accounting software should you choose for your church? Don’t worry. We’ve made a list of the top 5 solutions here to ease your confusion. Let’s explore it. 

Top 5 Accounting Software For Churches

1. Aplos

Aplos, with its range of features, helps over 40,000 churches and nonprofits worldwide perform their accounting duties the right way. From tracking of designated funds to payroll integration, Aplos offers a complete solution to fulfill the distinct accounting needs of any church. 

The software packs in automation for easy recurring giving as well as functions to generate shareable giving statements. It can also help you track your church’s assets for more manageable operations. And if you opt for the advanced accounting features of this online church accounting software, you can take your financial reporting a notch higher through automation and customization. 

Features

• • • Tracking of donations and designated funds, for instance, building funds and missions fund.
    • Imports of your bank transactions.
    • Payroll integrations. 
    • Creation of invoices. 
    • Tracking and payment of bills.
    • Bank reconciliation. 
    • Ability to receive online payments.
    • Generation of church’s financial statements.
    • Report creation of budgets and donations.
    • Giving through text messaging.
    • Creation of customized, responsive donation forms. 
    • Pledge tracking.

Benefits 

• • • It saves your time by automating recurring accounting tasks like transaction entries. 
    • It simplifies the tracking of your income and expenses as well as budgeting.
    • It provides your congregation with secure online giving options which you can easily monitor. 
    • It makes tax payments and payroll for staff and pastors swifter through its integrated payroll.

Pricing 

Aplos suite with text to give option is available at the promotional pricing of $19.75 per month. Its customized solution starts at $159 a month. A basic suite of Aplos software can cost you $14.75 per month (promotional pricing). A free trial of the system is also available. 

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2. ACS Church Accounting Software

When it comes to running a church ministry effectively, ACS church management software and church accounting system come in handy. Developed by ACS Technologies, it is a comprehensive solution that can be tailor-made to your church’s unique needs. 

With ACS, you can perform your duties from anywhere in the world through your connected tablet or a computer. Its range of church accounting applications makes it smoother to monitor your church’s financial standing. The software is easy to use, flexible, and follows a double-entry system of accounting. All of that while complying with the set accounting standards for a nonprofit organization.

Features

• • • General Ledger module for easy setup and system-wide data integration. 
    • Accounts Payable module to write checks, manage vendors, track invoices, and more.
    • Payroll module for seamless, secure, customizable, and integrated payroll procedures.
    • Purchase Orders module for management of your spendings.
    • Fixed Assets module for central management of inventory and assets.
    • Accounts Receivable module to manage incoming payments.
    • Process automation and e-filing of state and federal tax.

Benefits 

• • • It lets you track expenses and budgets by fund, projects, department and committee, taking the confusion out of your way.
    • Its automated processes save you considerable time. 
    • It helps you make and receive payments on time. 
    • It makes the tax filing and payroll process a breeze with its unparalleled accuracy. 
    • From reporting to automated spending plans, it makes all the necessary processes more efficient. 

Pricing 

You need to connect with the ACS Technologies team to obtain pricing details of their church management software. 

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3. QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks for Church is one of the top cloud-based church accounting software that helps you manage expenses and generate reports. The system is available in two variants - QuickBooks Online Advanced and QuickBooks Online Plus. Both of the solutions meet the specific accounting needs of small and large churches equally. 

With QuickBooks’ accounting software, you can streamline your church’s bookkeeping processes and financial reporting tasks. Moreover, the system also makes it easier to add and collaborate with your employees, volunteers, and accountants. The best thing? You can access the system from anywhere, anytime. 

Features

• • • User-friendly interface to move around the system.
    • Easy assignment of money to a fund, program, or committee.
    • Online and in-person payments and collection of funds. 
    • Donation recording and tagging for precise records.
    • Unique user ids for every team member.
    • Seamless collaboration anytime, from anywhere.
    • Efficient bank account syncing for cash flow and expense tracking.
    • Check creation, printing, and online scheduling of payments.
    • Payroll integration, including deductions and taxes. 
    • Generation of customizable, shareable reports and financial statements. The system can also auto-generate reports. 

Benefits 

• • • It simplifies the management of finances, letting you invest more of your time in your community.
    • It enables you to define access levels for every user, ensuring information confidentiality as well as security. 
    • It helps you stay IRS compliant with its accurate accounting operations all around the year. 
    • It helps you be on top of your processes no matter where you are. Also, you can connect the system with a range of your mobile applications for overall efficacy. 

Pricing 

QuickBooks Online Plus is available at the monthly price of $35. The QuickBooks Online Advanced version can cost you about $75 a month. You can try the former for free for 30 days and request a free demo of the latter. 

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4. FlockBase

FlockBase provides affordable church accounting software for big and small churches alike. Its versatile functions are easy to learn and simple to use by all your employees as well as volunteers. 

FlockBase accounting software for church turns your otherwise hectic accounting duties a breeze, from drafting a budget to keeping a trail of all the spendings. Since the system is available as a desktop software solution and a cloud solution, you can choose what best fits the individual requirements of your church.  

Features

• • • Tracking of your finances, income, expenses, and funds.
    • Ability to carry out smoother payroll processes to pay the church staff. 
    • Compliance with IRS rules and laws.
    • Substantial report generation for accurate information for the given input period.
    • Built-in functions to produce and print staff and vendor checks. 
    • Simple budgeting functions which you can also use to compare with your actual spendings.
    • Direct deposits for quick payments to both employees and vendors. 
    • Complete integration with FlockBase Contribution and Membership software. 

Benefits 

• • • It saves your time through its streamlined accounting operations.
    • It helps you offer fair compensation to your staff through its computerized, error-free payroll calculations.  
    • It takes off your burden with its IRS-compliant functionalities, making you tax-ready.
    • It provides correct insights on your financial standing at any given time through its tailored reporting features. 

Pricing 

The basic cloud version of FlockBase church accounting software starts at $16 a month. On the other hand, its desktop accounting system can cost you $149 with support for 12 months.  

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5. Elexio’s Church Accounting software

With Elexio’s church accounting software, it is easier to handle the everyday accounting tasks of your church. Whether it is compliance or payroll responsibilities, the software provides you with a secure cloud-enabled environment for glitch-free finances.  

The church accounting solution by Elexio can not only streamline but also automate your accounting processes. Besides, it makes it possible for you to integrate membership, giving, and accounting solutions seamlessly. Other than that, the system fits the bookkeeping requirements of churches of all sizes - from smaller ones to large churches.  

Features

• • • Digital General Ledger that contains centralized information of all your finances. 
    • Standard and tailored report generation with accurate updates and financial details.
    • Cash flow management for reliable Accounts Payable.
    • Check creation and printing with thorough filter options.
    • Financial statements and invoice generation through Revenue Centers for better Accounts Receivables. 
    • Integrated payroll application, adhering to the federal regulations and reporting needs. 
    • Integration with Elexio’s online giving and community church management software. 

Benefits 

• • • It makes it simple to access any piece of information through its centralized storage. 
    • It is a comprehensive solution that streamlines all your accounting needs, letting you bid adieu to the traditional, time-consuming process of bookkeeping. 
    • It simplifies compliance for you, making you tax-ready for every quarter. 
    • It takes the hassles out of payroll.
    • It boosts the overall quality of operations of your church when integrated with Elexio’s other church management solutions.

Pricing 

You need to contact the Elexio team to request the pricing details of their church accounting software. However, the system is available for a 60-day free trial. 

Curious to know more about church accounting software, its benefits, and factors to keep in mind while choosing the best system? Let’s explore this brief buyer’s guide. 

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What Is Church Accounting Software?

A church accounting software solution is a system specifically designed for churches and other religious organizations for better management of their accounting books. The software helps in planning, organizing, as well as automating, the everyday financial operations of a church. Right from recording journal entries to tracking income and expenses to carrying out payroll activities. 

And that is not all. The system also packs in functions to generate tailor-made, insightful reports of the finances for an accurate understanding of the church’s financial health as and when you need it. Furthermore, the best church accounting systems offer compliance with the local and federal tax laws, relieving your tax burden significantly. 

You can choose from the paid and free church accounting software as per your unique requirements, available in a desktop or cloud variant.  

Now, let’s check out the software’s common features. 

Features Of Church Accounting Software

The characteristics and functionalities of a church accounting system vary from vendor to vendor. However, there are some regular features that almost every solution includes:

1. 1. General Ledger to maintain a thorough record of all your financial transactions and track budgets and expenses. 
   2. Accounts Payable to monitor the outflow of money and the funds you owe. 
   3. Accounts Receivable to manage and oversee incoming payments.
   4. Asset Management to centrally manage inventory and assets of the church.
   5. Payroll Management to make timely, accurate payments to the church staff, including insurance and allowances. 
   6. Donation Management to create an integrated window for easy collection, management, and maintenance of donation records.
   7. Membership Management to have a piece of handy, precise information on all your members, volunteers, and visitors.  
   8. Reporting to gain financial insights whenever you need them. 

But, wait. Are you wondering why you should use church software for accounting? The following benefits would explain why. 

Benefits Of Church Accounting Software

1. 1. Security with the software’s advanced features, such as data encryption and access permissions, to protect private, sensitive information. 
   2. Simplified budgeting. 
   3. Effective tracking of funds and contributions.
   4. Increased transparency and collaboration among your volunteers and employees. 
   5. Increased accuracy of your church’s financial records.
   6. Streamlined church operations, from member management to event details to staff payroll.
   7. The centralized hub of every minor and major accounting detail. 
   8. Seamless anytime, anywhere access.
   9. Tax compliance. 

How To Choose The Best Church Accounting Software? 

Since there are many church accounting systems available out there, it is important to make an informed choice. To do so, you have to first make a list of what you need and expect out of such software. Ask yourself what kind of features are a must-have and which are nice to have? Is the system scalable? Can you use it with the tools you already use? Whether you need an on-premise solution or a cloud-enabled one? What is your budget? How big is your church? Answering these questions would give you a great amount of clarity, helping you make the right choice.  

How Much does the Church Accounting Software Cost? 

When it comes to the pricing of a cloud or on-premise church accounting solution, there is substantial diversity. While some products may cost you as low as $30 a month, others may charge around $100 to $200 per month. In the end, it all depends on the features the software offers, including the support and maintenance services.