Planning Center
Planning Center is a comprehensive church management software suite providing modular tools for attendance tracking, donation processing, volunteer scheduling, and worship service coordination to help ministries stay organized.
SongShow Plus
SongShow Plus is a professional church presentation software designed to help you create and manage high-quality worship services with integrated lyrics, scriptures, and multimedia elements for live environments.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Planning Center | SongShow Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Website | planningcenter.com | songshowplus.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | $15/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 30 days free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2006 | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Carlsbad, USA | Goebbert, USA |
Overview
Planning Center
Planning Center is a modular software suite designed to help you manage every aspect of your church's daily operations. Instead of a rigid, all-in-one system, you can choose specific applications for check-ins, giving, registrations, and worship planning. This flexibility allows you to build a custom toolkit that fits your ministry's unique size and specific workflow requirements without paying for features you don't use.
You can track member engagement, coordinate complex volunteer schedules, and process digital donations through a unified interface. The platform simplifies communication with your congregation through automated emails and a dedicated mobile app. Whether you are a small plant or a multi-site campus, you can scale your tools as your community grows while keeping your data synchronized across all departments.
SongShow Plus
SongShow Plus provides you with a comprehensive toolkit for managing live worship environments. You can easily build service sets that include song lyrics, scripture verses, and high-definition video backgrounds. The software handles complex transitions and multi-screen layouts, ensuring your congregation stays engaged while your technical team maintains full control over the visual output.
You can also integrate live video feeds and apply real-time effects to your presentations. Whether you are running a small traditional service or a large-scale modern production, the platform adapts to your specific workflow. It solves the common headache of managing disparate media files by centralizing your entire library into one searchable, organized interface.
Overview
Planning Center Features
- Services & Scheduling Plan your worship sets and schedule volunteers with automated requests so your weekend services run without a hitch.
- People Database Organize your member information in one central hub and track engagement levels to ensure no one falls through the cracks.
- Online Giving Accept donations via credit card, ACH, or text-to-give and automatically generate year-end tax statements for your donors.
- Secure Check-Ins Keep your children's ministry safe with fast label printing and secure pickup codes that give parents peace of mind.
- Event Registrations Create custom sign-up forms for camps or conferences and process payments directly through your church website.
- Church Center App Give your congregation a mobile home where they can join groups, register for events, and manage their own profiles.
SongShow Plus Features
- Song Database Management. Import and organize thousands of song lyrics quickly so you can build your worship sets in minutes rather than hours.
- Scripture Integration. Access multiple Bible translations instantly and drop verses directly into your presentation without manual typing or formatting.
- Dynamic Backgrounds. Layer lyrics over motion backgrounds or live video feeds to create a professional, immersive atmosphere for your congregation.
- Multi-Display Support. Control what your audience sees on the main screen while viewing private stage display notes and clocks on your monitor.
- Slide Builder. Create custom slides with a familiar drag-and-drop editor that supports gradients, shadows, and complex text wrapping.
- Remote Control. Control your entire presentation from anywhere in the sanctuary using the dedicated mobile app for your tablet or smartphone.
Pricing Comparison
Planning Center Pricing
- Free versions of all apps
- Up to 5 Service members
- Up to 15 Check-ins/month
- Up to 10 Registration signups
- Unlimited People profiles
- Community support access
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Up to 25 Service members
- Unlimited service plans
- File storage for charts
- Volunteer scheduling tools
- Rehearsal pack integration
SongShow Plus Pricing
- Core presentation engine
- Song database access
- Scripture integration
- Standard technical support
- Software updates included
- Everything in Basic, plus:
- Advanced video features
- Workstation licenses
- Enhanced media tools
- Priority update access
Pros & Cons
Planning Center
Pros
- Modular approach lets you pay only for needed features
- Highly intuitive interface requires very little staff training
- Excellent mobile app for both staff and congregation
- Seamless data syncing between different ministry modules
- Regular feature updates based on direct user feedback
Cons
- Costs can add up quickly when using multiple modules
- Limited customization for some automated email templates
- Reporting features can be basic for complex data needs
SongShow Plus
Pros
- Extremely stable performance during live high-pressure services
- Excellent customer support with deep product knowledge
- Powerful video handling capabilities for modern productions
- Flexible slide editor allows for high creative control
Cons
- Interface feels dated compared to newer competitors
- Steeper learning curve for non-technical volunteers
- Windows-only deployment limits hardware choices