Is Your Church Throwing Money Away?

In today’s digital age, churches are increasingly reliant on software to manage their operations—tracking members, organizing services, managing donations, scheduling volunteers, and distributing educational materials. While these tools bring undeniable benefits, there's a growing question many church leaders should be asking: Are we spending too much on software and curriculum when more affordable—and even free—alternatives exist?

The High Cost of Commercial Church Software

Church management software (ChMS) and curriculum packages are often marketed as essential tools for ministry. And while many of them offer excellent features, the price tags can be staggering—especially for small or mid-sized churches operating on tight budgets. All the features are great but many times are overkill for small to mid sized churches. For most churches basic functions are enough. Many don’t even use half of the features they are paying for.

A typical subscription-based ChMS might cost anywhere from $50 to $300 per month, depending on the number of members or modules included. Add to that the cost of children’s ministry curriculum, digital worship planning platforms, media libraries, and presentation tools, and a church could easily be spending $5,000 to $15,000 per year just to keep their digital ministry infrastructure running.

What Is Open Source Software—and Why Should Churches Care?

Open source software is software that is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. Instead of locking features behind paywalls, the open source model emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and community-driven development. This plays directly into the Biblical model of cooperation in the book of Acts.

For churches, this can translate into powerful ministry tools without expensive fees. Open source ChMS platforms like ChurchApps, ChurchCRM and Rock RMS offer many of the same core features as commercial systems—membership tracking, donations, events, communications—at zero cost.

Beyond management tools, there is also open source software for curriculum resources, worship planning tools, website design, mobile apps and presentation software for churches looking to reduce their overhead without sacrificing quality.

The Hidden Benefits of Open Source

While the price tag is the most obvious advantage, there are other reasons churches should seriously consider open source solutions:

• Customizability: Churches can modify open source tools to meet their unique needs rather than being boxed into a one-size-fits-all model.
• Community Support: Many open source projects are backed by vibrant communities of developers and users who share advice, code, and best practices.
• Data Ownership: Open source systems often give you full control over your data, avoiding vendor lock-in and offering greater transparency.
• Mission Alignment: Instead of directing funds to commercial vendors, churches can redirect savings toward direct ministry work—local outreach, missions, benevolence, or staff support.

When “Free” Isn’t Actually Free

Of course, open source solutions aren’t a magic bullet. They often require a bit more technical knowledge to implement and maintain, especially in the beginning. But for many churches, the trade-off is worth it. Partnering with a tech-savvy volunteer, an affordable IT consultant, or another church that has already implemented the same solution can ease the transition.

And let’s be honest: nothing is really free. Open source software requires hours of volunteer developers time and effort. Donations are also solicited from users and interested parties. 

A Stewardship Question, Not Just a Tech One

Ultimately, the question isn’t “Should we use software?”—it’s “Are we stewarding our resources wisely?” Every dollar spent on a subscription fee is a dollar that could be going toward serving the community, discipling believers, or advancing the gospel.

Before renewing your next software contract or purchasing another curriculum package, ask yourself: Are we throwing money away? Or could we achieve the same—maybe even more—by exploring open source tools designed by and for the Church?