Online Giving for Small Churches

Top 10 Best Giving Platforms for Small Churches in 2024

Small churches know the phrase ‘shoe-string budget’ all too well. Pastors and church staff alike are accustomed to doing more with less, especially when it comes to resources. However, you also know that you need tithes to keep your ministry alive and functioning.

This means finding the right tools and solutions to grow your giving and fundraising efforts. That might never expand you past the label of ‘small church,’ but your goal is to be a healthy and thriving congregation that has an impact on your community.

Table of Contents

<a href="#list-1" class="toc-link">1. Tithely</a>

<a href="#list-2" class="toc-link">2. Breeze ChMS</a>

<a href="#list-3" class="toc-link">3. Continue to Give</a>

<a href="#list-4" class="toc-link">4. PayPal</a>

<a href="#list-5" class="toc-link">5. Donorbox</a>

<a href="#list-6" class="toc-link">6. RebelGive</a>

<a href="#list-7" class="toc-link">7. Pushpay</a>

<a href="#list-8" class="toc-link">8. Givelify</a>

<a href="#list-9" class="toc-link">9. EasyTithe</a>

<a href="#list-10" class="toc-link">10. Subsplash</a>

What are Online Giving Platforms for Small Churches?

Small churches know the phrase ‘shoe-string budget’ all too well. Pastors and church staff alike are accustomed to doing more with less, especially when it comes to resources. However, you also know that you need tithes to keep your ministry alive and functioning.

This means finding the right tools and solutions to grow your giving and fundraising efforts. That might never expand you past the label of ‘small church,’ but your goal is to be a healthy and thriving congregation that has an impact on your community.

The right online giving platform can make that a reality. Think of it like your digital offering plate.

Why Do You Need an Online Giving Platform for Your Small Church?

Even smaller churches need to seek out church donation software because it increases how many donation options you’re able to accept. Your ministries have different needs from larger churches, but you all require money to function.

Accepting online gifts opens your church to new possibilities and the ability to engage your community. You’re no longer limited to accepting cash and checks or having to process deposits manually. Now, these tasks can be automated and tithing is easier for visitors and members alike.

Offering more giving opportunities expands the culture of generosity within your church.

Benefits of Online Giving for Small Churches

There’s a long possible list of benefits for all church-giving platforms. But here are just a few ideas to show you why this is worth pursuing within your small church.

  • Automation: One of the biggest services an online platform offers is easy processing of payment options like debit cards and credit cards. Not only that, but givers can automate their tithe so that it automatically processes each week or month.
  • Communication: Giving software makes it easy for you to provide updates to your community of givers, whether that’s through emails or social media. You’ve got everyone’s contact information in one place.
  • Data and Reports: They provide gift tracking with ease and simplify the process of sharing donation statements with your staff, especially for fundraising and accounting.
  • Integrations: Many of church donation platforms work directly with your other tools, including church management systems like Planning Center or Church Community Builder. You’re also able to link directly to this giving option from your app or website.

How to Choose a Good Online Giving Platform for Your Small Church

Given your limited time and budget, it makes sense that a small church staff would be hesitant about picking a church-giving software. Here are a few ideas for what to look for when choosing.

  • Easy of use: How easy is the platform to use? Not just for your church staff, but for your givers, too. Make sure the interface is simple and easily understood by everyone.
  • Security: People care about the privacy of their information. Pick a tool with the right level of security to protect personal financial data.
  • Giving options: How are people able to give? Credit and debit cards are assumed, but what about texting, peer-to-peer campaigns, or donating at events?
  • Support: How helpful is their customer support team? How responsive are they when you ask questions? This is a big indication of how easy they’ll be to work with moving forward. 
  • Processing fees: How much will the software cost? Most of these giving companies earn their revenue from processing fees from each donation. Make sure you understand the amount of fees being taken so you avoid issues down the road.

How We Evaluated The Best Online Giving Platforms for Small Churches

Choices for church-giving systems are plentiful because online giving is so popular. We’ve selected the following list based on how effective they were in helping small churches to get started and maintain healthy fundraising efforts. This is not a comprehensive list, but it’s a good start for any small church pastor looking for a place to begin. 

Top 10 Best Online Giving Platforms for Small Churches In 2024

Here Are Some of the Best Online Giving Platforms for Small Churches:

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

Tith.ly’s QuickGive option allows your church members to give with a single tap. The goal is to remove complexity for supporters.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • Offline cash and check recording
  • In-depth reporting to manage financials
  • Automated giving made easy

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

Tithe.ly giving integrates directly with the suite of tools, which also includes Church Management Software (ChMS), website builder, mobile app, and worship planning.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

Tithe.ly’s giving platform has no monthly payment or setup cost. The price is covered in the transaction fees per donation.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of Tithe.ly

  • Plenty of giving options
  • Integrates with a wide suite of tools

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of Tithe.ly

  • The more robust system might not be preferred for all churches
  • You must use their giving tools in order to use there other software products
Sign Up Free with Tithely

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

Breeze was created to be one of the simplest Church Management Software with built-in giving. This makes it ideal for smaller churches.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • Leverage people records within the built-in ChMS
  • Transition to their software included in the price
  • Free phone and email support

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

Breeze is now a part of the Tithe.ly family, making it easier to connect to the rest of their tools. Breeze also has one simple monthly cost that includes all features.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

Breeze costs $72 per month.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of Breeze ChMS

  • A simple user experience that’s perfect for small churches
  • One low monthly cost that includes all features

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of Breeze ChMS

  • A more limited customization functionality
  • No options to add new features

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

Continue to Give has a less modern user experience compared to some of the other platforms, but it’s a solid option for small churches looking to start somewhere.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • Giving via texting, app, website, kiosk, QR code, and Facebook
  • Includes free coaching and free setup
  • Offers a crowdfunding option

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

Continue to Give was created for all nonprofits, not just churches. They offer additional reporting and fundraising features beyond just church-giving platforms.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

There are two pricing options depending on your church size. Silver has no monthly cost, but higher transaction fees, while Gold costs $29/mo with a lower transaction fee structure.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of Continue to Give

  • Build for nonprofits, churches, and missionaries
  • No startup costs and training included

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of Continue to Give

  • No integration with a ChMS
  • Outdated user experience

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

As one of the largest online giving platforms, PayPal is easy for people to use in many settings.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • Widely known and trusted by people
  • Accept online donations with a landing page or donation button
  • Quick to get setup with donation forms

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

PayPal is a large technology company that most people will recognize. They offer a quick and easy solution for smaller churches looking to get started fast.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

There is no monthly cost for an account, but they do charge higher transaction fees.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of PayPal

  • Easy to add a donation button to your webpage
  • Quick to get started, especially for small churches
  • A recognizable brand that people trust

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of PayPal

  • Not specifically built for churches or nonprofits in mind
  • Very little customization or embed options
  • Links out to a separate giving landing page
Sign Up Free with Tithely

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

Donorbox features a customizable and modern giving form that can be integrated into your church website. This makes adding new forms easier on a wide variety of platforms.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Donor management platform
  • Event fundraising
  • Crowdfunding

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

Donorbox is one of the more prominent nonprofit fundraising tools. They’re used by more than 50,000 organizations across 96 countries.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

Donorbox offers three tiers: standard, pro, and premium. Standard has no monthly cost, but multiple fees. Pro has reduced fees but costs $139 per month. The premium account is for enterprise-level clients with custom pricing.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of Donorbox

  • Modern platform with nonprofit fundraising tools
  • Customizable pages where you can add your church logo
  • High level of customization and integrations

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of Donorbox

  • More expensive pricing
  • Not built specifically for the church

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

RebelGive uses Giving Flows to create a seamless user experience to make donations without a mobile app. These are the next generation of online giving forms.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • Members can view their history of giving from a personal Control Center.
  • Churches can customize Giving Flows to their brand
  • It works great on mobile devices without an app

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

RebelGive is based on a flat monthly cost and does not take transaction fees. The benefit is that churches keep 100% of their donations rather than paying for transactions.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

RebelGive costs $29/month.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of RebelGive

  • Retain all of your church donations without fees for each transaction
  • High level of customization within forms and donation center

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of RebelGive

  • Limited to only churches in the US and Canada
  • No free trial period to try it out
  • Does not integrate with external ChMS

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

Pushpay’s online giving platform is considered relatively easy to use for churchgoers. 

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • Integrates with their ChMS and mobile apps
  • Intuitive giving experience for English and Spanish-speaking donors

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

Pushpay is built around its giving platform, so more focus is placed on the donations side of the technology.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

Pushpay offers three pricing tiers for their ChMS—core, advanced, and complete—based on what features you need.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of Pushpay

  • Integration to their custom ChMS

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of Pushpay

  • Higher potential costs
  • Fewer other features without integrating to other tools
Sign Up Free with Tithely

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

Givelify has a very modern branding that is created to be easy to use. Donors can even give directly from Givelify’s website, offering another source of donations.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • Donor management platform
  • Donor engagement tools
  • Lots of integrations with several ChMS tools

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

Similar to Donorbox, Givelify is a general nonprofit donor platform that serves more than 60,000 organizations globally. People can also find your organization and give from their website.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

No monthly fees, just based on transaction fees.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of Givelify

  • No contracts or monthly fees.
  • A wide range of third-party integrations, including some ChMS

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of Givelify

  • Fewer features on how to give compared to other platforms

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

It’s right in the name—the goal of easyTithe is to make giving to any size church simple. 

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • A fast customer support response time
  • They offer integrations with physical giving kiosks
  • Offers giving through a website, texting, or mobile app

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

EasyTithe also offers a pro option that connects your giving platform to a ChMS and mobile app. They also offer a wide range of external ChMS integrations.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

The pricing is based on church size with $19/month for small churches and $49/month for mid-sized churches. The Pro option starts at $75/month for new customers.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of EasyTithe

  • No contracts or startup costs
  • Integrates with a wide range of third-party ChMS

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of EasyTithe

  • More limited giving options
  • Higher transaction fees per donation

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lnLS6">Usability and Experience

Subsplash began as a church apps company, so their giving platform is built around an easy-to-use mobile experience.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/dKOXZ">Features

  • Insights on donors and donations
  • Integration with other Subsplash digital tools
  • Custom branding for the donation pages

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/lmyOW">Benefits

Similar to Tithe.ly, Subsplash offers a wide range of other products, including ChMS, live streaming, websites, and messaging. All of these work together within Subsplash One.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/gmvAU">Pricing

Subsplash has no monthly cost for giving. The platform is covered by transaction fees.

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/mvyJ6">Pros of Subsplash

  • Built around a strong mobile platform
  • No monthly costs and low transaction fees

<img class="icon-listicle" src="https://shorturl.at/qwHK9">Cons of Subsplash

  • More of their focus is on the apps, rather than the giving platform
  • Their decreasing rates for growing churches aren’t ideal for smaller churches
Sign Up Free with Tithely

Final Thoughts

In summary, online giving is no longer an optional feature for small churches—it’s an expectation that all churches should adopt to remain relevant. This makes both communications and fundraising easier and allows your members to give from anywhere in the world. Online giving can help to fuel your growth, even when operating on a limited budget.

Online Giving for Small Churches FAQs

Does Online Giving Increase Church Donations?

The simple answer is that it gives people more options to give. Contributions are no longer limited to within the church building or needing to mail in a check. This expands your potential fundraising audience and it allows people to schedule ongoing donations, which increases giving.

How Can I Collect Free Donations Online?

Nothing is really free, even if it doesn’t directly cost money. Collecting donations digitally requires a system to process payments and the effort to set up an account with this platform. Not to mention the effort of promoting online offerings. So there are more cost-effective solutions, but you should still expect to invest some time and money.

How Do I Ask for Donations to My Church?

It’s not enough just to have a place to donate, you must also ask your community to donate. The best way is to include a reason why giving is valuable. Let them know the impact of their gift. Tell a story about how giving has benefited your community in the past. Help them understand how this connects to your church and why the need is urgent.