For church bookkeeping, it can feel like you have only two options:

Option #1: Use Quickbooks

Option #2: Try one of the dozens of church accounting software programs until you find one that sticks

For a small percentage of churches, Quickbooks Online may be a good option. But for churches under 1,000 members (almost 98% of all churches) QBO is over-complicated and over-priced.

Trying several church bookkeeping programs is time-consuming and expensive. So why not choose the church accounting software made by church leaders, for church leaders, and designed with your church's needs in mind?

Need some convincing? Here are the 5 things to look for in the best bookkeeping software for churches and how ChurchTrac shines in each one:

1. Glowing Ratings

The first step is to find the highest rated church bookkeeping software. Reading reviews is like letting others do your research for you! Let their experiences (even the regretful ones) help you decide.

When looking for church accounting software, Capterra offers detailed comparisons that will help you make an informed decision.

How ChurchTrac Accounting stands out

• Reviews from actual users on an independent review site
• A rating of 4.8 out of 5 or higher (Any software rated below 4.8 will fall short of your needs)
• Reviews that mention great support and user-friendliness

Pro Tip: When looking for the best church accounting software for your church, don't read the reviews on the company's website. They only publish reviews that cast their product in the best light. Make sure to read reviews posted on an unbiased site. Google and Capterra are great places to start.

2. Ease of Use

At ChurchTrac, we believe Church accounting software should be easy to use. So easy, that even non-treasurers can use it without any trouble.

You shouldn't need years of accounting experience just to set up the program, much less balance the books. With ChurchTrac Accounting, anyone can set it up and use it in under an hour, no matter their level of experience.

How easy to use is ChurchTrac Accounting?

• The program is simple enough to be understood by non-accountants
• Support is 100% free. We also have extensive support documentation and lots of videos 
• A modern interface (Old UI is clunky and suggests the company doesn't update its software often)

3. Affordable Accounting Software

Finance software should not negatively impact your finances!

We see ministry bookkeeping companies charge hundreds a month to use their tools. That's bananas!

ChurchTrac is the most affordable small church bookkeeping software

• Low subscription cost and FREE support
• A free trial, so you know what you're getting before buying
• No startup or setup costs (those are made-up fees to squeeze more money out of users)

4. Church Management Features You Need

For church bookkeeping software, most churches need one thing: Fund accounting

As I mentioned at the beginning, the vast majority of churches are small and don't need an over-complicated double-entry accounting solution, like Quickbooks. Most just need a single-entry fund-based accounting system to categorize expenses, monitor bank accounts, and manage restricted funds.

Pair that with a church budget tool that allows you to quickly put together an annual budget for your church and you have an app that covers all of your accounting needs!

Also, accounting software for churches works best when it's integrated with your church management system. That's why ChurchTrac combines member management, event planning, donation tracking, and expense tracking, along with other must-have church management features.

Accounting, member management, church app, oh my!

• Fund-based accounting so you can easily manage your restricted funds
• Single-entry accounting. Anything else is more complicated than necessary
• Comprehensive accounting reports to help you understand your nonprofit or church finances
• An all-in-one church management software that includes church accounting so that you can manage your church finances in the same place you manage the rest of your ministry

5. Automated Church Bookkeeping

In addition to being user-friendly, ChurchTrac church bookkeeping software goes above and beyond by allowing you to automate much of the work you do. That way the software takes some of the load off your shoulders! We're all about working smarter, not harder.

And once you set up bank sync, you know you've found the right church accounting software.

ChurchTrac accounting software includes...

• The ability to sync with your bank account
• Import rules that you customize
• Church accounting automations fully included in the account

One More: Great Support

I've mentioned support twice. That's because quality support is crucial!

Even experienced accountants have questions from time to time. If you're not a professionally trained CPA, the software company needs to give you quick and clear assistance when you need it.

We believe reaching out to the support team should be free. It would be best if you got answers to your questions quickly, not days later. Also, free resources like online articles, a Facebook user group, and even a YouTube channel with many videos are a big plus.

Church Bookkeeping FAQs

Do churches need bookkeeping?

Absolutely! We have to be good stewards of the resources and gifts that God has given us.

Church book keeping software makes the work of managing your church funds much easier.

Can QuickBooks be used for churches?

Technically, yes. But it's way more complicated than the average church needs.

A better question to ask is: Should churches use Quickbooks? If your church has an accounts payable and an accounts receivable, QBO is probably the best option. But if your church doesn't (and most churches do not), then you should probably not use Quickbooks.

How much does church accounting software cost?

Ironically, many accounting programs are a financial burden. So what is a small church or church plant to do?

That's where ChurchTrac shines! You can have all the features you need to manage your ministry and balance the church budget in one place, for one low price.

What type of accounting do churches use?

Since most churches support their programs and ministries with restricted funds, most churches only need fund-based accounting. It's also best for that fund-based bookkeeping program to use a single-entry system for entering income and expenses.

How do you record church finances?

You only need three things to record church finances:

• A list of your restricted funds
• A chart of accounts, or income and expense categories to label your transactions
• Access to your bank accounts or bank statements

Recording church finances is simple. Just record your income and expenses with the appropriate categories. If your categories are assigned to a specific restricted fund, it will be easy to monitor where money is coming from and where money is spent at your church.

The Accounting Tool for Your Church

It's time to reconcile (see what I did there?) your time spent balancing the books for your church with the fact that ChurchTrac has an AMAZING accounting feature built by church bookkeeping experts.

It's the most affordable, easy-to-use, powerful church bookkeeping tool you'll find anywhere. Check it out today!

Matt Church Engagement