# Page 19 | Planning Center Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Page 19 - Is Planning Center the right Church Management solution for you? Explore 1137 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/76708/Planning-Center/reviews

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Planning Center

4.7 (1137)

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Page 19 - Reviews of Planning Center

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 451-475 of 1137 Reviews

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Most Helpful

Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

MW

Makaela W.  
Sales Development Representative  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Planning Center is great"

May 8, 2023

5.0

Overall, Planning Center is a great and easy software to use.

Pros

One thing I like is how easy it is to donate and use overall.

Cons

I don't have anything I don't like about Planning Center.

Review Source

Christopher W.  
Praise Band Member  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The best way to organize church services"

February 26, 2019

4.0

Overall, I recommend the software to anyone wanting to keep their church more organized.

Pros

I most like the ability to easily organize teams for Sunday worship and schedule people out as far in advance as you want. The ability to store music for the band is also incredible. Each song can have multiple arrangements.

Cons

Sometimes the interface can be a little quirky and some features are excluded in the mobile app, but overall it works as intended.

Review Source

David S.  
Founder  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The Way to Organize Your Church Services"

October 29, 2019

5.0

We use it to plan our Sunday services and special events. It allows everyone involved in several key teams to easily see what everyone else is doing as well.

Pros

Planning Center allows multiple departments to plan and schedule their respective teams for events and regular meetings. The app makes it even easier to use.

Cons

It took several times of using the software to get the hang of it. One of my team leaders walked me through it until I was comfortable using it.

Review Source

Jason N.  
Intelligence SME  
Music  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Nice for worship team"

August 26, 2018

5.0

Overall good. But I would simplify the UI if I was to change anything.

Pros

Planning center is great because it coordinates the worship team well. From adding musicians with specific duties, to selecting songs, to sending reminder emails - planning center really meets the mark in coordination without the confusing back and forth emails. It also allows you to select date time frames when you won't be in town so your worship leader will know not to schedule you .

Cons

Sometimes the transition from mobile to desktop leaves something to be desired. Access to certain things on desktop version are very limited on the mobile version. This can be frustrating because you have to switch between one or the other. Also - song versions are not laid out very well. There are times when multiple song versions get placed in various different pathways and are hard to find. Simplifying the options might help worship leaders to not screw that up

Review Source

DH

Dayton H.  
Lead Pastor  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Planning Center "

September 6, 2018

4.0

We like it. However, given the cumbersome nature of its features and functionality, we regularly reevaluate if it is the right fit for our church. so far, it is!

Pros

This is incredibly useful for managing all the teams that serve our church week-to-week. The portion that serves to schedule our musicians is especially helpful.

Cons

It is not very intuitive. Older users have a difficult time managing the system. Additionally, it lacks some of the features that other companies are beginning to provide.

Review Source

Thomas C.  
Groups Director  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Planning Center is a well designed ChMS that is continually adding new and improved features. "

April 4, 2018

4.0

Pros

I am most familiar with the volunteer scheduling and service planning tool from Planning Center. It's design and user interface is my favorite part of the software. It is incredibly user-friendly and is easy for volunteers to respond via text, in app, or email based on their preferences. Scheduling is pretty clear on the administrative side, although it is most effective for service planning.

Cons

Since the Services software is mainly geared toward service planning, scheduling seems to take a sort of back seat. There is no clear or simple way to create teams, and some of the organizational tools are a little lacking. But, it still does a good job of scheduling clearly, duplicating volunteer assignments, and creating an easy way for volunteers to engage.

Review Source

CM

Christian M.  
Campus Administrator  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Lost without it"

December 30, 2019

5.0

Overall it has been a great experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed using all of the apps they have available. Using the Forms allows me to seamlessly pull off a big event with great communication and acquiring the needed information from volunteers. The workflows portion of the People app has definitely been a game-changer for us as we strive to connect our first-time guests quickly and make them feel welcome. It has helped us make sure few to no people fall through the cracks.

Pros

This makes all of our systems function better with less time from my staff members. The Check-in portion creates a level of safety for our kids that did not exist before. The Services portion allows us to easily schedule all of our 170+ volunteers and track them to ensure they stay connected.

Cons

Please add a text messaging feature to the groups app :). Sometimes I think it has more features than I have the experience to use.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Videographer  
Non-Profit Organization Management  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Planning Center Review"

November 19, 2020

5.0

Pros

All around the best way to plan efficiently and communicate event details. Very easy to use for whatever it is you need to use it for.

Cons

There should be an easier way to connect with users on planning center itself without it also going through each person's email.

Review Source

Response from Planning Center

January 8, 2021

Hey there - Thanks so much for the review. If you still have questions about how to easily connect with your teams, shoot us a message at support@planningcenteronline.com. We're happy to help!

JJ

Josh J.  
Admin Pastor  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Loved this Database!"

October 25, 2019

5.0

Tech support has been very helpful and overall, very pleased with this product.

Pros

As a church plant in a mall, we have a lot of new guests every weekend. I appreciate that I can create workflows to assist with our communications, easily add notes to each person's file and create custom fields based on our needs.

Cons

I wish the software was a little more up to date (it's a little older feel). They seem to update it often, however, it still needs some modern updates.

Review Source

Samuel M.  
Agent  
Insurance  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Great planning software for churches!"

February 24, 2021

5.0

Pros

I have used this software at a couple different churches now and it is such a powerful easy to use system. It makes planning services and organizing volunteers VERY easy!

Cons

There is a little bit of a learning curve between the website and app, but other than that it is amazing!

Review Source

Response from Planning Center

March 5, 2021

Hey Samuel, thanks for the review! If we can ever help with anything, let us know at support@planningcenteronline.com :-)

MM

Mike M.  
Assistant TD  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Really like it"

July 16, 2019

5.0

Pros

I like it's ease of use. Its a very easy way to see info pertaining to the service you are a part of.

Cons

Can be a little tricky figuring out changes after some updates.

Review Source

Response from Planning Center

July 23, 2019

Hey Mike, thanks so much for the feedback. Glad to hear that it is easy to use for you and your Team. If you have any suggestions on how we can continue to improve the software for you and your Team as well as communicate any updates, we are always happy to hear from our users. You can reach us at support@planning.center Blessings to you and your Team.

Benjamin K.  
Senior Pastor  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Planning Center is an essential communication tool for worship teams."

April 3, 2018

5.0

The benefits include an effective communication tool for worship teams. Once the setup and it has been used for a while, the tool becomes even more effective.

Pros

This cloud based solution for worship teams is the best way to communicate everything that your worship team needs to be on the same page.

Cons

Initial setup can be a little tedious and involved. If your worship leader is not organized and efficient, this solution will not be effective.

Review Source

Esmeralda C.  
Worhsip Leader  
Non-Profit Organization Management  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Planning Center is a helpful tool for worship!"

December 1, 2018

3.0

It is helpful and has changed our worship environment in a positive way.

Pros

I like the ability to upload songs according to their ccli number. The invitation feature when building a team with the ability to accept or decline requests.

Cons

Its not very intuitive and there are so many things to explain when training someone how to use it. I also don't like the access needed to add or edit a service. You basically need to be an admin. to add a song.

Review Source

Response from Planning Center

December 3, 2018

We're happy to help set you and your team up for success. We have a nice collection of training materials that your new team members can refer to during on boarding.

KE

Kyland E.  
Worship Director  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Not just for Churches!"

March 3, 2021

5.0

Overall the experience has been great! Our students have learned to use PCO and we’ve never been more connected. This has been a blessing, especially during a pandemic.

Pros

Our student ministries relies on PCO for communication, worship team, event registration, and more! Our ministry has been able to utilize and grow through Planning Center.

Cons

I dislike not being able to easily go back and fourth between different churches and ministries with the Church Center app. This is done (not easily) with the Services app. It would be nice to see this easier to do and applicable across all of their apps.

Review Source

Response from Planning Center

March 5, 2021

Thanks for the review, Kyland! We'd love to hear more about your specific situation when it comes to switching churches in the Church Center app. If you're willing, send some details to support@planningcenteronline.com and we'll take a closer look!

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Law Student  
Higher Education  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Best Communications Tool for Churches!"

April 9, 2019

5.0

We're able to distribute media files (songs, tracks, PDF files, etc.) to team members. We're also able to schedule everybody through the Services App and they are instantly notified of their schedule.

Pros

My favorite feature is the "Services" product that they offer. We have been able to instantaneously communicate with our entire team in several ways. Volunteers can Confirm or Deny their time slots and even send messages to the leader about questions/concerns they have. It's awesome.

Cons

The layout of digital media could be a bit more clean. The playback options of audio files are sometimes finicky.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Director of Multi Media  
Non-Profit Organization Management  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Fantastic Software"

November 3, 2018

5.0

Pros

Planning Center has become a game changer in our worship planning! It has made it very easy to keep everyone on the team in the loop when worship is being planned or something has changed. It also helps in scheduling volunteers and knowing who can't volunteer by the block out option. Highly recommended to any church!

Cons

This software has very little issues in getting new users up to speed. It does not take long to train a new person.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Pastor  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "How to manage serving roles"

September 30, 2019

5.0

We were able to effectively manage a team of over 75 volunteers. Super useful.

Pros

We were able to manage a smalla churchs serving volunteers- ie children's ministry volunteers, music ministry volunteers, greeting team, etc. We were even able to manage our children's check-in system with planning center. We also managed weekly worship service order of service. Very broad and useful software.

Cons

Was always easy to train new folks in managing and leading a team using this software. very rough for the non-tech savvy person to learn and to become well versed in this progam.

Review Source

CB

Chris B.  
Children's Library Associate  
Libraries  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Keeps everybody on the same page! No more guessing"

January 11, 2020

5.0

We have been using it for years to make sure worship team members know who is scheduled for which weeks and on which instruments, as well as what songs we are playing on sunday. Because of this, we're able to just show up on Sunday mornings and run through the songs without having to have lengthy discussions about who is playing what, etc. It's a life saver.

Pros

This product has been a life saver for our church. It keeps all of our files, sheets, arrangements, notes, and tracks all in one place where anyone can access them. It makes scheduling team members a breeze and makes it so intuitive and easy to see what the service will look like and who will be doing what at any given time.

Cons

Honestly, i can think of very little negative feedback. This product does exactly what it is supposed to do and doesn't try to do something else. It works exactly like it should.

Review Source

JB

Jamie B.  
Elementary Vice Principal  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Planning Center takes the guessing out of planning!!"

February 28, 2018

5.0

The benefits of this software far surpass the few little annoyances I have about unavailable features. Planning Center has truly brought several software products into one and organized our church in ways I could have never dreamed possible.

Pros

I truly LOVE the ease of storing information on our families. It links all family members and where they are involved in the church. It is super easy to plan out and schedule volunteers. Reminders are sent automatically and you can select to whom and how often you want them sent. This is vital in keeping track of our weekend services and all the volunteers who make it happen!

Cons

There are some events that do not fit into the features of Planning Center. I would live to see a create an event feature where we can pick and choose what we need it to do rather than the normal template they offer.

Review Source

BW

Bart W.  
Pastor  
Non-Profit Organization Management  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A do-it-all software"

April 22, 2021

4.0

Overall I'm quite pleased. New features have rolled out over the years we've used it. There's maybe one that I'd like to see added. Hopefully it'll come in the near future.

Pros

There is so much to Planning Center. But there is a learning curve. Once understood, it's invaluable to our organization. The online database of our people is what's most valuable to us.

Cons

There's a bit of a learning curve to each add-on. I do wish some of the features were easier to find or figure out.

Review Source

Derek R.  
Technician, Stagehand  
Entertainment  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Great software for church service planning"

January 26, 2019

5.0

Great software, would highly recommend it to anyone to use for various purposes.

Pros

It's very easy to use, you can easily accept or decline invitations to serve on any part of the church you volunteer at (for me it is the video department). My home church and a friends church I attended use it for their planning of services. You can also use the option of adding a profile picture to your account and see who else will be serving with you and what time you have each part of the service flows, from musicians, singers, drummer, etc.

Cons

Nothing, great and easy to use. I would highly recommend it to anyone who needs planning software for anything business, entertainment, or church related with a team of more than 10 people.

Review Source

Rachael B.  
Executive Director  
Non-Profit Organization Management  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Plan Services and Everything Else all in One Spot"

October 20, 2019

5.0

We switched from a different platform (CCB) and have much preferred this one! The app for services is great too.

Pros

Everything is all in one spot, music choices as well as who is serving in kids ministry. The different apps within the program for groups are great as well.

Cons

The groups app could use a lot more features like more streamlined communication, a place for needs lists, etc.

Review Source

Brent D.  
Communications Director  
  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Planning center is everything that my church needed!"

April 14, 2018

4.0

Pros

Planning center has everything my church has needed to more effectively work as an organization. Check-ins for kids, people for a member database, registrations for events. It has made us much more efficient!

Cons

Depending on how many admins you have on your account and which services you use, planning center can get a little pricey but it's well worth it.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Manager-Short Term Disability  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great for Kid Check In"

September 16, 2018

4.0

I love using planning center for kids check in. IT is easy and secure and makes check in a breeze.

Pros

I have been using planning center for about 8 years to check our kids in at church. It's so easy to use even my kids can help check themselves in. I love that it prints out a tag for pick up. It makes check in and pick up so easy and stress free.

Cons

I don't really have any negative thoughts about planning center.

Review Source

KB

Keith B.  
Worship Pastor  
Religious Institutions  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Why would you use anything else?"

July 12, 2019

5.0

I’ve used PCO for between 12-15 years. It simply works. The team there are the most responsive for customer service that I have ever experienced. They are always looking for another way to help churches run more smoothly and simply. And that is just awesome!

Pros

PCO continues to be the simplest service planning tool around. It is built with the end-user in mind and the updates are geared toward the most needed/appreciated parts of the tools.

Cons

I have yet to find anything I don’t like!

Review Source

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