ACTS

ACTS is a church administration system built around member records, attendance, bookings and accounting. It is a stronger fit for churches that can handle software setup and ongoing upkeep than for teams seeking vendor-led support or a mobile app. Its range is unusually broad for a free package, but making its web tools available takes technical work.

Overview

ACTS consolidates several administrative jobs: churches can maintain member records and groups, track gatherings, manage venue and item requests, and prepare financial reports in one system. That breadth can suit organizations seeking to avoid separate tools for these core tasks. The trade-off is operational: the Webtool needs technical setup, and volunteer developers generally provide email assistance rather than full-time support.

Key features

Membership and attendance

Administrators can record and group members, print church documents and member cards, and manage attendance at gatherings. Attendance reports can be exported to Excel, useful for teams that want to work with the figures outside ACTS. Membership data can also be imported from Excel, easing one part of a migration. Activity and accounting data cannot be imported, however, so churches moving those histories should plan for manual work or another process.

Bookings and member self-service

Members can apply online to reserve church venues or borrow items, and applicants can receive email about approval. The Webtool also gives members access to their personal information and attendance records, which they can view or update, and lets them make bookings. These options can reduce routine requests to administrators, but they depend on technical setup rather than working as a turnkey web service.

Accounting

The accounting module handles vouchers and templates, and produces trial balances, income statements and balance sheets. Excel exports make those reports usable in other workflows. This is a meaningful advantage for churches looking to keep administration and basic financial reporting together, though the accounting-data import gap may complicate switching from an existing system.

Multi-user and deployment

ACTS supports multiple users and network access; its web module can run on a Windows or Linux server. The download page names Java as a requirement and Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8 as supported operating systems. The web and server options offer flexibility for organizations with technical capacity, while the stated desktop operating systems are dated and may be a poor fit for churches expecting a modern, mobile-first product.

Pricing

ACTS is free and open source under the GNU General Public License. Its Free plan costs nothing and includes attendance and activity management, membership management, accounting and financial reports. The ACTS plan is also free and is described as free and open source under the GNU General Public License. There is no free trial because there is no paid plan to trial. No seat or usage caps are attached to these plans, making the zero-price offer compelling for churches that can take responsibility for setup and support themselves.

Platforms

ACTS is offered for Linux, Windows and the web. Its web module can provide member access through a Windows or Linux server, but requires technical setup. The platform list does not include Android or iOS, so churches that need phone apps should consider another option.

Who it's for

ACTS suits churches that want membership, attendance, bookings and accounting in one free package and have someone able to handle installation, web configuration and ongoing maintenance. Its Excel membership import helps with one part of adoption, but the lack of activity and accounting imports makes it less suitable for a church that needs to transfer a complete historical record. Teams that depend on full-time support or mobile access should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Membership, attendance, room booking and accounting sit together without a software charge, covering a wide range of routine church administration.
• Pros: Excel imports for membership and exports for attendance and accounting reports support migration and further reporting.
• Pros: Multiple users, network access and a configurable web module allow more than one administrator and member self-service.
• Cons: Enabling web access requires technical setup, adding work for churches without IT capacity.
• Cons: Activities and accounting data cannot be imported, making a full move from another system more demanding.

Alternatives

Church Central Cloud is worth considering for churches that prefer a cloud service across web and mobile: its free plan caps usage at 10 members, one branch, 500 one-time emails and 2 GB of storage. Planning Center may fit organizations that want distinct tools for calendar, people and services, with free plans including one room for Calendar and an unlimited database and reporting for People. RollCall is a more focused alternative for check-in: its free plan covers up to 30 members and one group, with check-in and kiosk mode.

TimelyChurch offers a different free-plan fit for churches with up to 100 people and 500 MB of storage. Trellis is oriented toward small-group management, with its paid plan starting at $35 a month and unlimited members, groups and staff. Arbor is a mobile alternative for individuals and groups, with its free plan including daily walk, Bible, prayer journal, challenges and invited group participation.

ChurchCMS may suit churches seeking a self-hosted option with six core modules, an Android app and no usage limits on its free plan. ChurchSoftware.com Groups is another church-management alternative with a free plan for eligible 501(c)(3) organizations. For narrower needs, compare small group management software or church check-in software; text editors are a separate category.

Verdict

Choose ACTS if your church wants membership, attendance, bookings and financial reporting at no software cost and has the technical capacity to run it. Its integrated scope and open-source license are the case for it; setup demands, limited developer support, migration gaps and lack of mobile platforms are the reasons to choose another system.