Choosing church management software is one of the most consequential decisions a church admin will make. The right platform saves hours every week and keeps your congregation connected. The wrong one creates more admin than it removes. This guide compares the four most relevant options for UK churches in 2026.
What UK churches actually need
Before comparing platforms, it helps to name what UK churches specifically require — things that US-built tools often handle poorly or not at all. These include GDPR compliance with ICO-ready data handling, Gift Aid declaration collection and HMRC reporting, GBP pricing without currency conversion surprises, and UK data residency or at least EU-adequate hosting.
ChurchSuite
ChurchSuite is the incumbent for UK churches, and deservedly so — it is UK-built, GDPR-compliant, and its CRM depth across contacts, groups, rotas and giving is the benchmark everyone else is measured against. It ships native iOS and Android apps for both members and administrators. Where it stops is scope: it is a church management system rather than a whole platform, so there is no live streaming, no website builder, no worship or music tooling, and no design tools. Churches that want those buy them separately.
Pricing is by contact band and includes all ten modules at a single price — £32.50 a month up to 99 contacts, £60.50 at 200–499, £77.50 at 500–999, and £122 at 1,500–2,499, VAT included. That works out at well under a pound per person per month, and the per-person cost falls as the church grows. For a church that wants a deep CRM and nothing else, it is very hard to beat on price.
ChurchDesk
ChurchDesk is a Danish-built platform with a UK presence, strongest on church websites, calendars and event booking, and it is GDPR-compliant. It does include rota and volunteer scheduling, with self sign-up, bulk assignment across recurring events and automatic reminders. Its pricing is quote-based rather than published, so a like-for-like comparison is hard to make without talking to them. It suits churches whose first problem is their website.
Tithe.ly
Tithe.ly is US-built and giving-first, and the giving product is genuinely polished. It has expanded into a broader suite with apps, websites and ChMS features. The gap for UK churches is Gift Aid: Tithe.ly shows UK donors a Gift Aid checkbox and lets you export which donations were marked, but it does not generate or submit the HMRC claim — their own documentation is explicit that it does not pay out Gift Aid. Somebody at the church still has to build and file the claim. Pricing is also in USD, so what you pay moves with the exchange rate.
If your primary need is online giving and you are a US church, Tithe.ly is excellent. For UK churches that need Gift Aid, GDPR compliance, and GBP pricing, it requires workarounds.
Aurnet
Aurnet is a UK-built, all-in-one church platform designed from the ground up for UK churches. It combines member management, scoped chat, events, rotas, giving with Gift Aid declarations, sermons, Bible plans, pastoral care, training, and a website builder — all in one subscription. It ships as a native iOS and Android app for members and a web dashboard for admins.
Where Aurnet differs from the competition is scope and simplicity. Instead of buying separate tools for chat, giving, rotas, and websites, everything is built into one platform. The mobile app is native (not a web wrapper), which means push notifications, offline access, and the speed members expect from a modern app. GDPR compliance and Gift Aid are not bolted on — they are core to how the product works.
Pricing comparison
ChurchSuite prices by contact band with all ten modules included. Tithe.ly bundles into tiers priced in USD. ChurchDesk quotes individually. Aurnet is flat GBP — Free up to 30 members, Starter £49, Growth £99 and Pro £179 a month, VAT included.
Flat pricing cuts both ways, and it is worth being straight about it. A small church paying £49 for Starter is paying more than the £32.50 ChurchSuite would charge it for a full suite, and if all that church needs is a CRM, ChurchSuite is the better buy. The flat price starts working in your favour as the church grows, because it does not rise with your contact count — and it covers streaming, a website, design tools and the worship module, which would otherwise be separate subscriptions.
The bottom line
If what you want is the deepest church CRM in the UK at the lowest price, buy ChurchSuite — it is the incumbent for good reason. If your first problem is your website, look at ChurchDesk. If you are a US church, Tithe.ly is excellent. Aurnet is the right answer when you want one platform instead of four, when having Gift Aid declared as people give, ready to claim, actually matters, and when a growing church would rather its software bill stayed still as it grows.
Aurnet is free to start with no credit card required. Set up your church in 15 minutes and see how it compares for yourself.