Affiliate Disclosure Policy

Last updated: February 10, 2025

Our Relationship with Software Companies

ChurchSoftwareGuide ("we," "our," or "us") participates in affiliate marketing programs with several church management software companies, including but not limited to Tithe.ly, Breeze ChMS, Planning Center, Pushpay, and Church Community Builder.

This means: when you click a link on our site and purchase or sign up for a software subscription, we may receive a commission or referral payment from the software company. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.

FTC Compliance

In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on endorsements and testimonials (16 CFR Part 255), we disclose affiliate relationships on all pages where affiliate links appear. You will see an affiliate disclosure banner at the top of review and comparison pages, and an "affiliate link" notation near individual CTA buttons.

How Affiliate Relationships Affect Our Content

We are committed to maintaining editorial independence. Our reviews and ratings are based on our own independent research, testing, and analysis — not on commercial relationships. Specifically:

  • We do not accept payment for positive reviews or guaranteed rankings
  • We do not allow software companies to review or approve our content before publication
  • We will publish negative findings and cons for all platforms, including our primary affiliate partners
  • Our overall ratings are determined by our evaluation rubric, not by commission rates
  • We update reviews when our assessment changes, regardless of affiliate impact

Which Companies We Have Affiliate Relationships With

We currently have active affiliate or referral relationships with:

  • Tithe.ly — Our primary affiliate partner for giving software. We earn a commission when churches sign up for a paid Tithe.ly plan through our links.
  • Breeze ChMS — We earn a referral fee when churches start a paid Breeze subscription through our links.
  • Planning Center — We participate in the Planning Center referral program.
  • Pushpay — We have a referral relationship with Pushpay for qualified demo requests.
  • Church Community Builder (CCB) — We have a referral relationship with CCB.

We also review software that we have no affiliate relationship with. In those cases, we note the absence of an affiliate relationship where relevant.

How We Evaluate Software

All software evaluations follow our standard rubric:

  • Ease of Use (20%): Time to productive use for a non-technical admin
  • Features (25%): Depth and quality of core ChMS features
  • Value for Money (25%): Total cost including platform fees and transaction fees vs. value delivered
  • Customer Support (15%): Quality and accessibility of support resources
  • Giving Tools (15%): Online giving features and mobile experience

We aim to test each platform hands-on when possible, and supplement with user reviews from G2, Capterra, and direct conversations with church administrators.

Pricing and Data Accuracy

We make every effort to maintain accurate pricing information. However, software pricing changes frequently. Always verify current pricing directly with the software company before making a purchasing decision. Prices on this site may not reflect current offers or discounts.

Contact Us

If you have questions about our affiliate relationships, editorial policies, or how we earn money, please reach out. We believe in full transparency.

Questions can be directed to: editorial@churchsoftwareguide.com

Short version: We get paid when you buy software through our links. This doesn't change what we write — we'd rather give you the honest answer and lose the commission than give you bad advice. Our credibility with you is more valuable than any single referral fee.

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