--- title: "Parish Data System Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Parish Data System Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Church Management products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/2678/PDS-Church-Office/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- # Parish Data System Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on August 20, 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) Parish Data System ## What is Parish Data System? Trusted by over 9,000 parishes, schools, and dioceses worldwide, Parish Data System is the top choice for Catholic software and services. Our integrated church, school, and diocesan solutions enable accurate data management, increase communications, and empower growth within Catholic organizations. Access to data 24/7 makes it easy for all PDS users to work from home or on the road. PDS is the top choice because it was built by Catholic experts for Catholic organizations. ## What is Parish Data System used for? [Church Management](https://www.capterra.com/church-management-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 15 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive \- Neutral \- Negative \- Starting price $72 Per User, Per Month Free trial 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 Parish Data System?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.acstechnologies.com/&name=Parish Data System) ## Parish Data System Overview Updated August 2026 AI summary Parish Data System provides small organizations with tools for church management, covering membership, donations, attendance, and event coordination. It includes features such as online giving, volunteer management, and a member directory, while also offering built-in accounting, child check-in, and mobile access. The platform is available via web, mobile, and desktop deployment to support daily operations and engagement. ## 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. ### Parish Data System 2.7 (15) VS. [4.7 (1,138)](https://www.capterra.com/p/76708/Planning-Center/reviews/) Starting Price $72 per user, per month Starting Price Contact vendor Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 2.3 (15) Ease Of Use 4.4 (694) Value For Money 2.2 (9) Value For Money 4.5 (624) Customer Service 3.2 (10) Customer Service 4.6 (598) ## Parish Data System alternatives [Clearstream](https://www.capterra.com/p/158103/Clearstream/) [4.8 (694)](https://www.capterra.com/p/158103/Clearstream/reviews/) Starting price $29.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 99% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/158103/Clearstream/) [Tithely Church Management](https://www.capterra.com/p/132513/Breeze-ChMS/) [4.8 (624)](https://www.capterra.com/p/132513/Breeze-ChMS/reviews/) Starting price $72.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 98% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/132513/Breeze-ChMS/) [ChurchTrac](https://www.capterra.com/p/125787/ChurchTrac/) [4.8 (864)](https://www.capterra.com/p/125787/ChurchTrac/reviews/) Starting price $29.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 98% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/125787/ChurchTrac/) Highest Rated [Chmeetings](https://www.capterra.com/p/184192/Chmeetings/) [4.9 (167)](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 [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/184192/Chmeetings/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/2678/PDS-Church-Office/alternatives/) ## FAQs about Parish Data System Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Parish Data System? Parish Data System is most used by parish administrative staff, finance teams, ministry leaders, and communications coordinators who manage member records, donations, and daily office workflows. Receptionists and office managers use it for directory and scheduling tasks, while stewardship, youth, and liturgy teams support engagement, volunteer coordination, and outreach. Answer based on 15 reviews Overview ### What company size and specific industries is Parish Data System built for? Parish Data System is designed for Catholic parishes, schools, and dioceses worldwide. It is built for organizations in the Catholic religious and education sectors, including local parish offices, faith-based schools, and diocesan administrations that need software tailored to church and parish operations. Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Parish Data System? Parish Data System offers attendance tracking, child check-in, membership management, and a member directory for congregational records. It also includes donation management, pledge management, built-in accounting, and online giving, plus event management, volunteer management, worship planning, an online calendar, member portal, mobile access, multi-location support, and website management. ## Features AI summary Based on 1,814 Church Management reviews Capterra reviewers point to these as the top priorities when choosing Church Management software: - **Membership Management** (**47%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Mobile Access** (**43%**) - **Donation Management** (**53%**) Parish Data System supports all three features that matter most to buyers: **Membership Management**, **Mobile Access**, and **Donation Management**. Together, these capabilities help churches keep member records current, access information from anywhere, and track contributions more efficiently, allowing teams to manage daily operations, improve communication, and maintain better visibility into member and giving activity. Membership Management 4.5 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Database of members to track personal information of individuals and families Donation Management 4.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track/record financial donations made by members, along with the issuance of tax receipts/documents Online Giving 5.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Outlet for members and visitors to submit donations electronically Volunteer Management 4.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage volunteer information and direct volunteer resources Attendance Tracking Track the attendance of specific individuals or groups Built-in Accounting Accounting functionality within the system, not requiring integration with third-party tools Parish Data System 17 features ### All Features - Attendance Tracking: Track the attendance of specific individuals or groups - 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 - Donation Management: Track/record financial donations made by members, along with the issuance of tax receipts/documents - Event Management: Schedule and manage the logistics of activities and other gatherings - 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 - Membership Management: Database of members to track personal information of individuals and families - Mobile Access: Access software remotely via mobile devices - 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 - Pledge Management: Track commitments to donate in the future - Small Group Management: Organize members and schedule recurring small group meetings - Volunteer Management: Manage volunteer information and direct volunteer resources - Website Management: Built-in website builder or integration with third-party site - Worship Planning: Coordinate and schedule the flow of services, plan musical selections, and assign team members --- Features 2.6 (15) 2.6 Based on 15 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 2.2 (9) Free Trial Basic $72.00 Value for money 2.2 (9) 2.2 Based on 9 reviews ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 3.2 (10) 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 3.2 (10) 3.2 Based on 10 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 2.7 Based on 15 reviews Filter by rating 5(2) 4(2) 3(4) 2(3) 1(4) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent MM Maxine M. Bookkeeper Religious Institutions ### "Bookkeepers Dream" 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 30, 2024 Absolutely love it - very easy to use and learn. Pros Love the reports and bank reconciliations and the On Demand program. Cons Sometimes it freezes up - not sure if it is the internet or the program since I use On Demand Review source Vendor Referred - Incentive Offered: This reviewer was invited by the software vendor to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive as a thank you. DP Dan P. Marketing Marketing and Advertising ### "I like PDS and would recommend it." 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 July 30, 2021 In the last several months we have been able to gather more data and make it more useful for the parish since we utilize more features. Pros The easy process of weekly donations and parishioner data is very important to our church. Overall this is a good software for a small to medium size parish. Cons Notes tracking is lacking. There is no way to insert a note that will stay without it having the potential of it being deleted. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. MD Matthew D. Director of Ministries Religious Institutions ### "Parish Data Systems needs major overhaul" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 October 5, 2020 We are not happy with this software and are currently looking to change. It seems to have been a solution in at one time, but is built on an older platform that doesn't upgrade well. It needs a major overhaul. There are many other church management systems out that does so much more these days. Pros PDS holds parishioner data and donation contributions. It is uniquely Catholic in design, and holds Sacramental information. It is organized by family, rather than individual (like Catholic churches organize records). If you have questions, someone is available by phone to help solve issues. Cons PDS isn't reliable. We lost cell phones data once and had to use a backup to restore. Another time the user levels permissions just changed, so all employees could see financial giving, and not just the accountant. It is not user friendly and buttons are in odd places. Data is not organized well and not all data can be pulled in reports like we would like them. When we run reports of the whole parish, the report often crashes and takes forever to run. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. MG Mari G. Administrative Assistant Religious Institutions ### "Disatisfactory" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 2.0 2.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 September 16, 2020 Pros I felt like the easiest thing to do, to be really honest was logging into the system. Cons I don't even know where to begin with what types of issues I had with PDS Church Office. It seemed like I had an issue with something everyday. Switched from [Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT](https://www.capterra.com/p/247647/Blackbaud-Raiser-s-Edge-NXT/) Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. VM Vicki M. office manager Non-Profit Organization Management ### "PDS Church Office" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 September 16, 2020 Great experience with recording information but the reports were not easy to use. Pros PDS Software was very reliable. We did not have much down time at all. Cons It wasn't geared toward a Catholic Church. Its excellent software for protestant churches, but it falls short for what we need to record our Sacraments etc. Reasons for choosing Parish Data System We now use ParishSoft. It is a Catholic Based software. Reporting is easier for our church. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AH Angela H. Accounting Assit Religious Institutions ### "Good to record name & phone and make reports." 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 November 19, 2019 Hard to use. Pros Easy to enter information, had many fields to enter info into. Cons Other than a data base this software does not do much more. Pulling a report is hard and sending emails is not easy. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. KN Kevin N. Analyst Financial Services ### "Limited and Awful Database" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 November 10, 2019 I do not recommend PDS for the reasons above. It can get the job done only if you have a very low bar set for what you want the software to accomplish. Pros PDS is most likely one of the worst software programs I have used. I was able to use it for basic (but clumsy) reports, but that is the best thing I can say about it. Cons The data input is clumsy and not intuitive. The reports are absolutely the worst. There is the capability to run reports, but the process of selecting fields, building, and running a report is terrible. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AN Anonymous User Financial & Stewardship Coordinator Religious Institutions ### "Update Parish Data Systems" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 6/10 May 28, 2019 Pros So many features for census software for a catholic church, you can build keyword reports, financial record keeping is simple and customer service is so easy to use when you have on demand. Cons Update reporting so that you can build a pivot table, app does not offer an online directory and the overall look to the program is close to that of an out dated AS400 program. Would love Realm but product is not ready for a diocese. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. EN Elizabeth N. Director of Communications Religious Institutions ### "Clunky, Poor Reporting" 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 2/10 February 5, 2019 There are much better Church/Registration Software Systems out there. We are certainly looking to move to a different system. Pros PDS Church Office efficiently collects and organizes data. Other than that, I can't recommend it. Cons The reports are terrible. There are literally hundred of fields to choose from, many of which are the same field worded differently (i.e. Father name, Father full name, Head name, Member 1 name...). All adults input into the system are either "Mother" or "Father" regardless of marital status or actually having children. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AS Alexander S. Parish Receptionist Religious Institutions ### "PDS Church Office: There's probably something better" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 4/10 December 16, 2018 It works, but it's slow. Pros It does compile all of our members' data and make it searchable. It syncs up via the cloud. Cons It takes forever to start up. It is clunky to navigate and feels like old, dated software. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/2678/PDS-Church-Office/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.