Brandwave

ChurchTrac vs Planning Center:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Planning Center had more branded searches than ChurchTrac among church management software worldwide. Planning Center had about 201,000 branded searches, while ChurchTrac had 12,100. Planning Center made up 56.1% of all church management software searches we track, and ChurchTrac accounted for 3.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about church management software, ChurchTrac and Planning Center each appeared in four of the five answers. Planning Center was mentioned before ChurchTrac in four out of five answers.

Among church management software worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Planning Center, about 17 searches for every 1 for ChurchTrac

Planning Center 201K searchesChurchTrac 12.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 4 of 5 answers.

ChurchTrac in 4 of 5Planning Center in 4 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Planning Center, named ahead of ChurchTrac in 4 of 5 answers

Planning Center first in 4ChurchTrac first in 1

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Top church management software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, ChurchTrac was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Planning Center was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Planning Center was listed before ChurchTrac in four out of five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Planning Center1st
  2. ChurchTrac2nd
  3. Tithe.ly3rd
  4. Breeze ChMS4th
  5. Church Community Builder–
  6. Servant Keeper–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Breeze ChMS5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Planning Center4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Tithe.ly4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • ChurchTrac4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Church Community Builder0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Servant Keeper0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about church management software

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Is ChurchTrac or Planning Center more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for ChurchTrac and Planning Center by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six church management software we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

ChurchTrac and Planning Center among church management software worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Planning Center, ChurchTrac. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthPlanning CenterTithe.lyChurchTracBreeze ChMSChurch Community BuilderServant Keeper
Oct 202556.7%39.3%2.3%0.67%0.55%0.44%
Nov 202551.9%44%2.6%0.62%0.49%0.41%
Dec 202551.5%43.9%3.1%0.61%0.49%0.41%
Jan 202655.6%39.2%3.3%0.66%0.66%0.54%
Feb 202651.3%43.8%3.1%0.74%0.61%0.48%
Mar 202656.3%39.3%2.8%0.66%0.55%0.37%
Apr 202651.6%43.8%3.1%0.62%0.49%0.41%
May 202651.6%43.8%3.1%0.62%0.49%0.41%
Jun 202656.3%39.3%2.8%0.67%0.53%0.36%
Jul 202651.4%43.8%3.1%0.75%0.59%0.41%
Aug 202656%39.1%3.4%0.67%0.53%0.36%
Sep 202656.1%38.9%3.4%0.67%0.67%0.36%

How has the ChurchTrac and Planning Center comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for church management software worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. ChurchTrac’s share of searches among church management software worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 2.8% to 3.4% in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Planning Center worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 246K to 201K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using ChurchTrac’s and Planning Center’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

ChurchTrac

1 branded search term

  • churchtrac

Planning Center

1 branded search term

  • planning center

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among church management software

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