Best Accounting Software for Churches in 2025

 Best Accounting Software for Churches in 2025

Does your church's financial management feel like a constant struggle? Are you losing sleep over donation tracking, fund accounting, and reporting compliance? You're not alone. Many churches, regardless of size, grapple with the complexities of managing their finances effectively. Fortunately, technology offers a multitude of solutions designed to streamline church accounting. In this article, we'll pit several leading accounting software options against each other to determine the "Best Accounting Software for Churches in 2025."

Best Accounting Software for Churches in 2025

For the past several weeks, we have dived deep into the world of church accounting software, researching and comparing various platforms, and consulting with church finance professionals. This isn't a sponsored review; it's an independent analysis to help you choose the best solution for your church's unique needs.

Before we dive in, let's establish some ground rules:

We will evaluate the software based on crucial features for church accounting.

We will name a clear leader in each category.

This is an independent review, not influenced by software companies.

So, which accounting software will transform your church's financial management from chaos to order? Let's find out!

Fund Accounting Capabilities

Fund accounting is the cornerstone of church financial management. Unlike for-profit businesses, churches must track donations and expenses according to designated funds (e.g., tithes, missions, building fund). The software's ability to accurately manage and report on these funds is paramount.

Aplos: Aplos is specifically designed for churches and nonprofits, and it is known for its robust fund accounting features.

QuickBooks Online (with customizations): While not specifically designed for churches, QuickBooks Online can be customized to handle fund accounting with the help of classes and locations.

ACS Financials: ACS Financials is a comprehensive church management system with strong fund accounting capabilities.

Shelby Financials: Shelby Financials is another popular option among larger churches, offering a wide range of features, including fund accounting, budgeting, and reporting.

Aplos is built from the ground up with fund accounting in mind. It offers an intuitive interface for creating and managing funds, tracking transactions, and generating reports. QuickBooks Online, while versatile, requires significant setup and customization to achieve the same level of fund accounting functionality. ACS Financials and Shelby Financials are powerful, but their complexity can be overwhelming for smaller churches.

Aplos wins this round due to its ease of use and comprehensive fund accounting features specifically tailored for churches.

Aplos: 1, QuickBooks Online: 0, ACS Financials: 0, Shelby Financials: 0

Donation Tracking and Management

Accurate donation tracking is essential for providing contribution statements to donors and ensuring compliance with IRS regulations. The software should seamlessly integrate with online giving platforms and provide tools for managing donor information.

Aplos: Aplos offers integrated donation tracking with online giving and tools for generating contribution statements.

QuickBooks Online (with integrations): QuickBooks Online can integrate with third-party donation management apps like Donorbox or Kindrid.

ChurchTrac: ChurchTrac is a church management software with built-in donation tracking and online giving features.

PowerChurch Plus: PowerChurch Plus offers donation tracking, contribution statements, and basic donor management tools.

Aplos provides a seamless experience for tracking donations, generating contribution statements, and managing donor information. QuickBooks Online requires integration with third-party apps, which can add complexity and cost. ChurchTrac offers a comprehensive solution, but its interface can be clunky. PowerChurch Plus is a budget-friendly option, but its features are limited.

Aplos wins again due to its integrated donation tracking and ease of use.

Aplos: 2, QuickBooks Online: 0, ChurchTrac: 0, PowerChurch Plus: 0

Reporting and Compliance

Churches have specific reporting requirements, including annual financial statements, budget reports, and contribution summaries. The software should generate these reports easily and accurately. It should also comply with relevant accounting standards and IRS regulations.

Aplos: Aplos offers a variety of pre-built reports for fund accounting, budgeting, and donation tracking.

QuickBooks Online (with customizations): QuickBooks Online can generate standard financial reports, but customization is needed for church-specific reports.

ACS Financials: ACS Financials provides a comprehensive suite of reports for managing church finances.

Shelyby Financials: Shelby Financials provides robust reporting for church finances.

Aplos's pre-built reports are specifically designed for church accounting, saving time and effort. QuickBooks Online requires customization to generate church-specific reports. ACS Financials and Shelby Financials provide powerful reporting capabilities, but their complexity can be a barrier for smaller churches.

Aplos continues its winning streak due to its church-specific reporting capabilities and ease of use.

Aplos: 3, QuickBooks Online: 0, ACS Financials: 0, Shelby Financials: 0

Integration and Compatibility

Accounting software should integrate seamlessly with other church management systems (ChMS) for managing membership, events, and communications. It should also be compatible with various devices and operating systems.

Aplos: Aplos integrates with several popular ChMS platforms and is accessible on web browsers and mobile devices.

QuickBooks Online (with integrations): QuickBooks Online integrates with a wide range of third-party apps, including some ChMS platforms.

Church Community Builder (CCB): CCB is a ChMS with integrated accounting features.

Fellowship One: Fellowship One is another popular ChMS with optional accounting modules.

Aplos offers a good balance of integration and accessibility. QuickBooks Online's integration capabilities depend on the availability and quality of third-party apps. CCB and Fellowship One offer integrated solutions, but their accounting features may not be as robust as dedicated accounting software.

Quickbooks wins this round due to it's ability to be more versatile than other options.

QuickBooks Online: 1, Church Community Builder: 0, Fellowship One: 0

Ease of Use and Support

The software should be user-friendly and intuitive, with ample training resources and responsive customer support. Churches often rely on volunteers with varying levels of accounting expertise, so ease of use is crucial.

Aplos: Aplos is known for its user-friendly interface and responsive customer support.

QuickBooks Online: QuickBooks Online is widely used and has a large user base, resulting in extensive online resources and support options.

Denali Church: Denali Church is known for customer support.

MEMBERME: MEMBERME is built with ease of use in mind.

Aplos provides excellent customer support and a user-friendly interface. QuickBooks Online offers extensive resources and support, but its complexity can be overwhelming for some users. Denali Church's customer support has a very high rating amongst it's users, and MEMBERME is designed to be user-friendly.

This is a 3 way tie between Aplos, Denali Church and MEMBERME due to their ease of use.

QuickBooks Online: 1, Denali Church:0, MEMBERME: 0

The Final Verdict

After five rounds of intense competition, Aplos emerges as the winner. Its fund accounting capabilities, donation tracking features, reporting tools, ease of use, make it the best choice for many churches.

Ultimately, the best accounting software for your church depends on your specific needs and budget. I encourage you to explore the free trials and demos offered by these companies to determine which solution is the best fit for your church's unique circumstances. Consider:

The size of your church: Larger churches with complex financial operations may require more robust software like ACS Financials or Shelby Financials.

Your budget: QuickBooks Online is a budget-friendly option, but additional costs may arise from third-party integrations.

Your technical expertise: Aplos is a user-friendly option for churches with limited technical expertise.

By carefully evaluating your church's needs and exploring the available options, you can choose accounting software that streamlines your financial management and helps you fulfill your mission more effectively.