A Worthy QuickBooks Alternative For Small Church Accounting Software
Managing church finances doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. For small churches, finding the right accounting software is crucial for stewardship, transparency, and effective ministry. Whether you’re a volunteer treasurer or part of a small finance team, the right tools can simplify your work and help you focus on what truly matters – serving your congregation.
In this guide, we’ll explore why ChMeetings is one of the best small church accounting software for your ministry. Let’s get started!
Why ChMeetings Is a Top Choice For Small Church Accounting Software?
96% Of Capterra Users Recommend ChMeetings
Capterra’s Church Accounting Shortlist includes ChMeetings, which is overall recommended by 96% of Capterra users, at the time of writing. This means that churches enjoy working with ChMeetings and find it beneficial for their missions.
Here’s what church leaders say:
2. Affordable Pricing for Small Churches
Small churches often operate on tight budgets, and ChMeetings understands this. With pricing plans designed to be accessible, ChMeetings offers a comprehensive suite of features without breaking the bank. Whether you’re tracking donations, managing expenses, or generating financial reports, ChMeetings provides exceptional value for its cost. ChMeetings offers tiered pricing to suit churches of all sizes, ensuring you only pay for what you need. Accounting is available with our Small Plan, starting at $25/month or $250/year.
3. Easy to Use
ChMeetings is built with user-friendliness in mind. Its intuitive interface ensures that even volunteers or staff with no accounting background can easily navigate the software. From setting up your account to generating reports, ChMeetings simplified every step of the process. If you do manage to get stuck, our help center is well organized and easy to navigate, so you can get back on track towards working on your mission instead of struggling with software.
4. Powerful Automation Features
Automation is a game-changer for busy church staff, and ChMeetings delivers. Key automation features include:
- Rule-Based Transaction Imports: Set up the rules that imported transactions should follow and you’ll have automated record-filling done in seconds, no matter whether you are importing from a spreadsheet or from your bank account.
- Bank Sync: Easily import transactions from your bank by linking your account to Chmeetings. Rule-based imports ensure that your transactions are correctly assigned to categories, funds, payees, etc.
- Financial Reporting: Generate detailed reports with just a few clicks, saving time and ensuring accuracy. From income statements to detailed fund reports, you can get the insight you need without having to juggle numbers.
5. Designed Specifically for Churches
Unlike more general accounting software, such as QuickBooks, ChMeetings is tailored to meet the unique needs of churches. It includes features like fund accounting, contribution tracking or compliance tools to ensure your church stays on top of its financial responsibilities.
- Fund Accounting: Manage multiple funds (e.g., general fund, building fund, missions fund) with ease.
- Donation Management: Track tithes, offerings, and pledges in one centralized system.
- Compliance Tools: Stay compliant with regulations with year-end contribution statements and accounting reports.
6. Excellent and Free Customer Support
ChMeetings is known for its responsive and helpful customer support team. Whether you need help setting up the software or troubleshooting an issue, their team is there to assist you every step of the way.
- Free Expert Support: Get in touch with our support specialists to tackle any challenge you may be having. Our team is highly dedicated and always ready to be of assistance.
- Training Resources: ChMeetings offers a comprehensive knowledge base to help you maximize the software’s potential.
- Free Data Migration: If you’re moving from another accounting solution, such as Quickbooks; or from any system, for that matter, we are here to support you. Choose any ChMeetings paid plan and we’ll move your data for free. Here is how it works.
How ChMeetings Compares to QuickBooks
While QuickBooks is a popular accounting software, it’s not specifically designed for churches. Here’s why ChMeetings is a better choice for small churches:
Feature |
ChMeetings | QuickBooks |
Church-Specific Tools | Fund accounting, donation tracking | Lacks church-specific features |
Ease of Use | Intuitive, designed for non-accountants | Steeper learning curve, made for specialists |
Pricing | Affordable, church-focused plans | More expensive for small churches |
Automation | Automation tailored for churches | Automation for nonprofits |
For a detailed comparison, check out our ChMeetings vs. QuickBooks guide or explore Alternatives to QuickBooks for Churches..
Beyond Accounting
ChMeetings is not just a church accounting software – it’s a fully-fledged Church Management System (ChMS). By choosing ChMeetings, you get access to features that help you care for your congregation and make room for growth. Manage members, organize events and track attendance, gather data with forms, make appointments, automate tasks, collect donations, create reports, bring your members together using the free mobile app, and more – ChMeetings has the features you need to thrive. And if we’re missing something, we take your feedback to heart and implement the features you require. We release updates every two weeks on average and you can see our most recent work by visiting our
Final thoughts
When it comes to small church accounting software, ChMeetings stands out through its affordability, ease of use, and church-specific features that make it a suitable solution for small congregations. Whether you’re tracking donations, managing expenses, or generating financial reports, ChMeetings simplifies the process so you can focus on what truly matters- your ministry.
Ready to get started? Try ChMeetings today and see why it’s the top small church accounting software!
Frequently Asked Questions About ChMeetings for Small Church Accounting
1- What is the best accounting software for small churches?
ChMeetings is our top recommendation due to its affordability, ease of use, and church-specific features. Explore it yourself and see how it works for your church!
2- Does ChMeetings offer a free trial?
Yes, ChMeetings offers a free 14-day trial so you can explore its features before committing. Just click here to sign up.
3- Is ChMeetings easy to set up?
Absolutely! ChMeetings is designed to be user-friendly, with step-by-step guides and excellent customer support to help you get started.
4- How does ChMeetings compare to QuickBooks?
ChMeetings is specifically designed for churches, offering features like donation tracking and fund accounting that QuickBooks lacks. It’s also more affordable and easier to use for church staff. However, at its core, ChMeetings is not a specialized accounting software, but a Church Management System.
5- Can ChMeetings handle fund accounting?
Yes, ChMeetings includes fund accounting features to help churches manage designated funds and stay compliant.
6- Can ChMeetings generate year-end contribution statements?
Yes, ChMeetings simplifies the process of generating year-end contribution statements, ensuring compliance with regulations.
7- Is ChMeetings cloud-based?
Yes, ChMeetings is a cloud-based solution, allowing you to access your financial data from anywhere, at any time. Access it from your computer or use our free mobile app to stay connected to your church and manage finances on the go.
8- Can ChMeetings handle payroll for church staff?
While ChMeetings excels in accounting and donation management, it does not currently include built-in payroll features. We have our reasons, and you can read more about it here.
9- Is ChMeetings suitable for churches with multiple campuses?
Yes, ChMeetings is an excellent choice for multi-campus churches. It allows you to manage finances for each campus separately while providing a consolidated view of your overall financial health. This makes it easy to track donations, expenses, and budgets across all locations. Our best offering is the Diocese plan, which also comes with custom Power BI reports, which we build for a one-time fee, if you need them.
10- How secure is ChMeetings for storing sensitive financial data?
ChMeetings takes data security seriously. It uses industry-standard encryption and secure cloud storage to protect your church’s financial information. Additionally, role-based access controls ensure that only authorized users can view or edit sensitive data. Learn more about our security measures.