Alternative to Aplos For Churches [2026]

Strengths of ChurchTrac and Aplos.

Aplos excels at being a focused church accounting platform while ChurchTrac offers additional church management features beyond accounting and finance.

Aplos excels if:

• Your main need is accounting.
• Your church needs accounts payable and receivable.
• Your bookkeeper is already accustomed to using a bookkeeping system like Aplos.

ChurchTrac excels if:

• Your church needs an affordable solution.
• You want an all-in-one system with features beyond accounting.
• You value simplicity and the ability to automate bookkeeping reports.

Pros and Cons of each Platform

Both Aplos and ChurchTrac have their pros and cons. Here are the most common pros and cons to each:

 

Platform	Pros	Cons
Aplos	Great for churches wanting a single app to take care of their Accounting needs. If you do not have a bookkeeper, Aplos offers a service where they will manage your books for you.	If your needs are deeper than just Accounting, you will need to supplement with other apps. Multiple apps can be harder for leaders and volunteers to manage.
ChurchTrac	All-In-One approach provides a great value for churches wanting to save money. ChurchTrac Accounting is designed for the average church staffer. No accounting experience necessary.	ChurchTrac's All-In-One approach may include features some churches don't need. Fewer advanced customization options than enterprise-level systems.

 

ChurchTrac & Aplos Features Compared

When comparing features, the key differences between ChurchTrac and Aplos are that ChurchTrac provides a full suite of ministry tools—including fund accounting, member management, donor tracking, worship planning, and a website builder.

While Aplos is powerful, its features are limited to mostly church financials.

 

Feature	ChurchTrac with accounting	Aplos
Donation Tracking	✅ Included	✅ Included
Online Giving	✅ Included	✅ Included
Expense Tracking	✅ Included	✅ Included
Church Budgeting	✅ Included	⚠️ (Additional Cost)
Website & Church App	✅ Included	❌ (Unavailable)
Volunteer Scheduling	✅ Included	❌ (Unavailable)

 

ChurchTrac VS Aplos Pricing

Both ChurchTrac and Aplos can track church funds and create budgets. ChurchTrac starts at around $24/month while Aplos starts at around $129/month for these core features.

It's worth noting that while Aplos lite stats at $79/month, it does not include their budgeting feature. Ministries wanting to create church budgets will need to select the Aplos Core plan, which starts at $129/month.

What These Prices Mean for Small, Mid, and Large Churches.

For most churches, ChurchTrac is often the better value. For larger ministries wanting features like accounts payable and receivable or 1099 management, the cost of Aplos could make more sense.

For small churches (under 200 people):

Small ministries using Aplos often opt for their Core plan at $129/month, as the lite plan does not currently offer budgeting features.

In comparison, ChurchTrac starts around $24/month for it's all-in-one software.

For mid-size churches (200–1,000 people):

Mid-size churches can expect to pay around $129 to $229/month for Aplos. This price is dependent on the budgeting features they need and the number of user accounts they wish to add.

In comparison, ChurchTrac's all-in-one software costs around $69 to $87/month for mid-size churches.

For large churches (1,000+ people):

Depending on needs, a large church can expect to pay around $129 to $229/month for Aplos. This price is dependent on the number of user accounts they wish to add.

In comparison, ChurchTrac's all-in-one software costs around $105/month for large churches. This pricing includes unlimited users with similar budgeting features.

Reviews from churches that switched to ChurchTrac

Churches switching to ChurchTrac from Aplos often cite cost and complexity for making the switch. Here are a few real reviews:

“While Aplos was focused on churches and non-profits, it looked more complicated to use and the cost was more.” — Edward A, Treasurer (Source: Capterra)

“Aplos was too difficult to use, and far too expensive. Also, it was financial accounting only, so we had to have 2-3 different software company subscriptions for what ChurchTrac can do all in one!” — Stephanie F, Church Secretary (Source: Capterra)

“We saved over $2,000 in our first year switching from ACS/Realm. Having accounting and worship planning in one place has streamlined our entire workflow.”
— Mark T., Associate Pastor

ChurchTrac Ranked #1 Church Software

According to Software Advice, ChurchTrac ranked #1 for customer satisfaction and usability.

Disclaimer: Information on this page is based on publicly available data from Aplos and ChurchTrac at the time of publication. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ChurchTrac is not affiliated with or endorsed by Aplos. Pricing and features may change. Last updated: March 2026.