--- title: "ACS Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about ACS Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Membership Management products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/2668/ACS/" page_type: "product" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-10-19" --- # ACS Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on October 19, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) ACS ## What is ACS? ACS enables churches to manage groups, events, finances, donor relationships, volunteers, staff, child care, schedules, mailings, reporting, websites, growth strategies, and so much more. Whether online, offline, desktop, or wireless, the tools you need to help you connect your community are totally integrated under one roof! No matter the size of your church or organization, ACS has the tools to help extend your ministry. ## What is ACS used for? [Membership Management](https://www.capterra.com/membership-management-software/)[Church Accounting](https://www.capterra.com/church-accounting-software/)[Church Management](https://www.capterra.com/church-management-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 126 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 68% Neutral 22% Negative 10% Starting price $279.95 Per Feature, Per Month Free trial not available Free version not included Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for ACS?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/acs/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### ACS 3.9 (126) VS. [4.8 (709)](https://www.capterra.com/p/158103/Clearstream/reviews/) Starting Price $279.95 Per Feature, Per Month Starting Price $35 Flat Rate, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 3.5 (126) Ease Of Use 4.7 (709) Value For Money 3.6 (87) Value For Money 4.6 (639) Customer Service 4.5 (111) Customer Service 4.8 (612) ## ACS alternatives [4.7 (1,139)](https://www.capterra.com/p/76708/Planning-Center/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars Highest Rated [4.9 (168)](https://www.capterra.com/p/184192/Chmeetings/reviews/) Starting price $12.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 99% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.8 (23)](https://www.capterra.com/p/10008520/Gracely/#reviews) Starting price $19.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 100% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.4 (190)](https://www.capterra.com/p/118759/Aplos-Accounting/reviews/) Starting price $79.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 88% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/2668/ACS/alternatives/) ## FAQs about ACS Overview ### What problems does ACS solve? ACS solves fragmented church administration by centralizing member and visitor records, family profiles, attendance, child check-in, giving, pledges, and general-ledger data. Church administrators, finance teams, children's ministry staff, pastors, and volunteer coordinators use it to produce budget and contribution reports, track involvement, manage permissions, and maintain accurate directories. Answer based on 67 reviews Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from ACS? ACS is most used by church administrators, office managers, and administrative assistants who maintain member records, coordinate communications, and manage daily office tasks. Pastors and ministry leaders use it to track congregational engagement, organize ministry groups, and support pastoral care. Finance and IT teams manage giving data, reporting, access, and system administration. Answer based on 117 reviews Overview ### What company size and specific industries is ACS built for? ACS is designed for churches of all sizes, from congregations with about 50 average weekly attendees to larger ministries with 5,000 or more, and it also serves denominations. It is built for faith-based organizations that need software suited to church administration and related ministry operations. Features and Usability ### What are the key features of ACS? ACS includes core church management features for member databases, attendance tracking, child check-in, and online event registration. Its financial tools cover fund accounting, general ledger, accounts payable, payroll, donations, and pledges. Reviewers also frequently discuss customizable reporting, role-based user access, volunteer management, and communication management. Answer based on 67 reviews Getting Started and Support ### How easy is it to onboard and train a team on ACS? ACS offers in-person training, live online sessions, and webinars to help teams learn its broad feature set. First-time users handling everyday membership or administrative tasks often learn quickly with minimal guidance. New accounting staff, administrators, and users building reports typically need more time, structured training, and support to master detailed workflows. Answer based on 32 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does ACS offer, and how do users rate the experience? ACS offers email/help desk, FAQ/forum, a knowledge base, phone support, 24/7 live representatives, and chat. Users generally describe support staff as knowledgeable, patient, and quick to resolve questions, particularly by phone. Some users report longer waits during busy periods and rely on support because the software can be difficult to learn. Answer based on 47 reviews Security ### How does ACS handle data security and access control? ACS uses administrator-configured, role-specific user permissions to limit users to the functions they need, and supports multiple user accounts with customized access. Reviewers note limitations in administrator access choices and raise concern that some volunteers may receive more access than appropriate. Remote support sessions can temporarily control local computers. Answer based on 17 reviews Features and Usability ### How easy is ACS to use for church staff? ACS handles church data management and financial tasks well, but its interface can be difficult to learn. Experienced administrators value the broad feature set, while pastors, lay leaders, and occasional users often find navigation, report setup, and module connections unintuitive. Training and support help, though the dated design remains a common concern. Answer based on 49 reviews Performance and speed ### How fast and reliable is ACS? ACS provides dependable day-to-day church management for many teams, but speed can vary with workload and access method. Some administrators describe fast data entry and reliable availability, while others experience slow logins, report generation delays, freezes, or remote and mobile access issues. Larger databases and complex reports receive the most performance concerns. Answer based on 25 reviews ## Features AI summary Based on 4,125 Membership Management reviews Capterra reviewers point to these as the top features buyers look for in membership management software: - **Registration Management** (**56%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Member Database** (**62%**) - **Payment Processing** (**62%**) ACS supports all three of the features reviewers rate most important: **Registration Management**, **Member Database**, and **Payment Processing**. Together, these capabilities help businesses manage sign-ups, keep member records organized, and handle transactions efficiently, allowing teams to run membership operations with greater accuracy and less manual work. Registration Management 5.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Oversee and coordinate the registration of attendees, visitors, customers, events, activities, etc. Member Database 5.0 (2) 150.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Add, store and access information pertaining to members Payment Processing 5.0 (2) 150.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Accept, record, and reconcile financial transactions Membership Renewals 5.0 (2) 100.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Conveniently automatically renew memberships at the end of subscriptions Electronic Payments 5.0 (2) 100.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Electronically collect payments for goods or services Financial Reporting 4.0 (3) 33.33% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Generate reports to assess the financial performance of an organization ACS 43 features ### All Features - Accounting: Built-in accounting to manage ledger, accounts payable/receivable, financial reports, etc. - Accounts Payable: Track money owed to a company's creditors/suppliers - Accounts Receivable: Track outstanding invoices and the money owed from clients - ACH Payment Processing: Accept electronic bank-to-bank transfers using a network called the Automated Clearing House (ACH) - API: Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases - Application Management: Track, manage and store the applications of potential future members, customers or candidates - Asset Tracking: Monitor the usage of assets, such as equipment, tools, software, etc., throughout their lifecycle - Attendance Management: Manage attendance for classes, shifts, meetings, or events - Attendance Tracking: Track the attendance of specific individuals or groups - Bank Reconciliation: Compare and match accounting/financial records with corresponding bank statements - Budgeting/Forecasting: Create budgets based on historical data and future projections - Built-in Accounting: Accounting functionality within the system, not requiring integration with third-party tools - Child Check-in: Secure process of tracking children during activities - Committee Management: Manage a group of members established for coordinating plans, programs, or other initiatives - Communication Management: Manage and track all internal and external communication conducted via calls, email, text, or chat - Donation Management: Track/record financial donations made by members, along with the issuance of tax receipts/documents - Dues Management: Track and collect membership dues - Electronic Payments: Electronically collect payments for goods or services - Event Management: Schedule and manage the logistics of activities and other gatherings - Event Scheduling: Plan an event's time and location - Financial Management: Plan, manage, and track the financial activities of an individual or organization - Financial Reporting: Generate reports to assess the financial performance of an organization - Fund Accounting: Manage revenue acquired through grants, donations, and other sources (accountability vs. profitability) - General Ledger: Centralized accounting record which tracks all financial transactions - Member Database: Add, store and access information pertaining to members - Member Directory: Comprehensive list that contains information and details of all the members associated with a particular organization or group - Member Portal: Online gateway through which members can access/update personal information - Member Types: Handle various types of membership based on groupings - Membership Management: Database of members to track personal information of individuals and families - Membership Renewals: Conveniently automatically renew memberships at the end of subscriptions - Mobile Access: Access software remotely via mobile devices - Mobile App: Access the system via a mobile application - Multi-Location: Manage and support multiple locations - Online Calendar: Online calendar of upcoming events/activities viewable to members and visitors - Online Giving: Outlet for members and visitors to submit donations electronically - Payment Processing: Accept, record, and reconcile financial transactions - Payroll Management: Manage employee salary processes, data, taxes, and records administration efficiently - Pledge Management: Track commitments to donate in the future - Registration Management: Oversee and coordinate the registration of attendees, visitors, customers, events, activities, etc. - Small Group Management: Organize members and schedule recurring small group meetings - Third-Party Integrations: Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes - Volunteer Management: Manage volunteer information and direct volunteer resources - Website Management: Built-in website builder or integration with third-party site --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 3.8 (103) 3.8 Based on 103 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 3.6 (87) Basic $279.95 Per Feature,Per Month Value for money 3.6 (87) 3.6 Based on 87 reviews Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.5 (111) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.5 (111) 4.5 Based on 111 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 3.9 Based on 126 reviews Filter by rating Counts reflect reviews available in this feed. 5(48) 4(37) 3(29) 2(7) 1(5) Mentioned topic Recent reviews first, then most helpful SU Supervisor Supervisor Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Very good tool to manage churches even small" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 April 5, 2018 Good application for the administrative management of churches Pros The customer service is very friendly and efficient. The application is quite robust for the administrative management of churches. Cons It is not a very intuitive application, which is compensated with the efficient support it has. Also the interface is a bit simple IB IBO IBO Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "ACS" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 December 7, 2018 Whereas I can work seamlessly with ACS a lot of my coworkers have difficulties and I'm constantly showing them how to do things they don't do on a regular basis. It has solved the issues of church body data management. Everyone has been trained on how to enter the information into the database. It's just difficult for those, who don't work in the details very often, to get information out of it. Pros I love that once you understand the logic behind the software it's very user friendly. Cons If you don't take a training class on the logic behind the software it's difficult to understand the more detailed inner workings of the software. FM Finance Mgr Finance Mgr Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "What happened to the wonderful ACS of past?" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 2.0 2.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 June 19, 2020 Back with the awesomely designed old ACS On Demand I was a huge fan of everything about this company - great support - robust trouble-free (rarely had a file corruption issue) modules with tremendous flexibility. The new Realm products - For the price they are charging - we would be as well served with Quickbooks. Don't get me wrong - I'm all about paying for quality but this Realm product falls short on too many important features. Pros ACS had fantastic software until they created Realm Giving and Realm Accounting and decided to care more about form than function, and "dumbed" down the flexibility of the accounting module. Their outstanding reputation is based on the old versions I believe. I am currently looking to overhaul our entire system at tremendous expense because the new accounting interface does not work the way I need it - we are locked out of any contra-accounting interface due to the product management team's decision to "appeal to non-accounting people" - If you are serious about your job then that should say it all. Cons There are absolutely no drill-downs in the new system - no calculation features and it is over-engineered so that nearly every entry field has a drop down box - really, really, really slows you down if you have a large JE to process - and if you just fill in the box and don't go through all the steps, half the time it loses that entry. I also can no longer run event and other income smoothly and directly to a contra-expense. The product management people have decided that they understand accounting better than professional users. SM Student Ministries Director Student Ministries Director Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "ACS is overall okay. " 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 September 18, 2018 Pros I like how it stores a lot of information and that the customer service is always very prompt. Cons I do not like the ​interface, it is outdated and can be confusing. IC IT coordinator IT coordinator Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "ACS " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 January 25, 2019 Pros ACS is a software that just has worked for us. I have been here for 7 years now and the finance department has loved it the entire time I've been here. Cons We just switched from on-prem to on-demand and while we love the ability to use windows or Mac machines, we had to downgrade the number of people who could access it to stay within budget. The 5 usernames is a nice starting point but it was not deemed cost effective to add more users. MA Mediator and Consultant Mediator and Consultant Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Not the best software compared to others that are comparable." 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 February 20, 2018 I was able to do snail mailings from this software but only if it was a mass communication and not a more narrow piece. Pros I like the fact that it is easy to use at first glance. It is easy to log on and view information and to use the database entry pieces Cons I do not like the fact that you cannot sort out your database to a great degree. For example, you can add fields, but it is not easy to do and to then sort according to your added fields is not easy. FM Founder, Managing Director Founder, Managing Director Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Old and outdated" 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 3/10 December 13, 2019 I would have never picked it and would have switched away from it if I could. Pros I worked at a church that had used this software for a long time. It was very old and clunky compared to newer competitors. ACS was working on a more modern version, but it wasn't available for churches of our size at the time. Cons It was archaic. Was cumbersome, ugly and not intuitive. The church paid a surprisingly high amount for the software. DO Director of Family Ministries Director of Family Ministries Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Showing Its Age" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 3/10 August 24, 2022 ACS was once state of the art software--it is no longer. The company itself is working to move customers to newer products (Realm in particular) and current ACS users should get themselves into the cloud ASAP. Pros ACS does everything I need a ChMS to do--keeps track of members, church finances, volunteers, communications, etc. ACTS is a trusted name in this space, and their products are solid and reliable. Cons ACS may do everything I want a ChMS to do...but not without a lot of frustration. Sorting out workflow and finding the relevant settings takes far too long and is not at all intuitive. While all the modules technically work together, in practice their integration is flimsy and difficult to understand. DO Director of Children and Family Ministry Director of Children and Family Ministry Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "ACS Review" 3.0 April 29, 2019 Pros What I liked most about ACS is that it can be simple to just grab someone's contact info or address from a list. Cons What I like least about ACS is that it seems very large and clunky. Could use updating. PA Profesor Asociado Profesor Asociado ### "It is really an option to maintain a conection between members of different churchs" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 6/10 March 22, 2018 As member of a catholical community I would have actual information about my churh Pros It is an important tool to communicate information , independent of the church size, with total access to information anytme and anywhere Cons This software only is supported in english, then it is exclusive to use only in english spoken countries [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/2668/ACS/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. 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