Breeze vs Planning Center 2025 — The Most Thorough Comparison

The two most-asked-about ChMS platforms for churches under 1,000 members. One is beautifully simple with flat pricing; the other is deeply powerful with a free entry point. Here's how to decide.

The Core Difference

Breeze was designed to be used by a church administrator with no tech background. Planning Center was designed to be used by a church that has outgrown simple tools. This fundamental design philosophy shapes everything: Breeze is a joy to use on day one; Planning Center unlocks more power as you invest in learning it.

Detailed Comparison

Category	Breeze	Planning Center	Winner
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Breeze
Features Depth	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Planning Center
Value for Small Churches	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Breeze
Volunteer Scheduling	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Planning Center
Online Giving	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Tie
Onboarding Speed	Hours	Days/weeks	Breeze
Scalability	Up to ~1,000	60,000+ churches	Planning Center
Free Tier	❌ No	✅ Yes	Planning Center
Predictable Pricing	✅ Flat rate	⚠️ Varies by modules	Breeze

Who Should Choose Breeze

Choose Breeze if you answer yes to most of these:

Your church has under 500 members
Your admin team is small and not especially tech-savvy
You want to be up and running in a day, not a week
You want flat, predictable monthly pricing
Your top needs are a member directory, events, and basic giving

Who Should Choose Planning Center

Choose Planning Center if:

You have an active volunteer and worship team that needs structured scheduling
Your church is growing and you want a platform that scales to any size
You want to start free and add paid modules gradually
You have a tech-comfortable staff who will invest in learning the system
Volunteer scheduling and service planning are your biggest administrative challenges

Our Recommendation

For churches under 300 members: Start with Breeze. The simplicity and flat pricing make it the easiest win.

For churches 300–1,000 members with active volunteer programs: Planning Center is worth the learning curve. Start with the free tier and add modules as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I choose Breeze or Planning Center for my church?

If your church has under 300 members and you want the simplest possible system, choose Breeze ($72/month flat). If you have 300+ members and volunteer scheduling or service planning is a priority, Planning Center is more powerful — and its free tier lets you try before buying.

Is Breeze cheaper than Planning Center?

For smaller churches with modest needs, Breeze ($72/month flat) is often cheaper. But Planning Center has a free tier and its paid plans start at $14/month per module — a church using just People + Services might pay $28–$50/month, less than Breeze.

Can I migrate from Breeze to Planning Center?

Yes. Both platforms support data export (CSV). Planning Center has an import tool and migration guides. The process typically takes a few weeks, especially for volunteer data and member profiles.

Breeze vs Planning Center — The 2025 Comparison

Breeze ChMS

Planning Center