Appy Pie Church App Maker

Overview

Appy Pie Church App Maker is a no-code builder for churches and ministries creating a branded app for sermons, giving, events and member communication. It suits congregations that want those tools in a dedicated app without building one from scratch. Its focus is participation and outreach, not church administration.

The setup flow uses a ministry template, church-specific branding and content, with a dashboard for preparing app-store submissions. Paid plans support native Android and iOS publishing, though store fees are separate. Churches needing a full management system, live real-time translation, music licensing within the app or carrier-billed text donations should look elsewhere.

Key features

Sermons and live content

Sermon audio can be distributed through podcast feeds and listened to offline, a useful combination for members who want to catch up without streaming. For live services, churches can use chat or embed YouTube Live and Vimeo streams, and connect to Church Online Platform streams. These options cover common broadcast workflows, but do not add live translation.

Giving and integrations

Giving connects with Stripe, Tithe.ly, Pushpay and Planning Center Giving, but churches need an account with a payment processor. The ability to use an existing provider can make the app a practical member-facing layer rather than a replacement for giving infrastructure. Planning Center Kids and Rock RMS check-in can also be linked.

Member participation

Events with RSVP, small-group directories, group messaging, prayer requests, Bible reading plans and volunteer scheduling give congregations several ways to bring routine activity into one app. This makes the product a stronger fit for churches seeking a communication hub than for those looking to manage every administrative process.

Publishing, support and security

Paid plans support store publishing with signed Android .aab and iOS .ipa builds, but Google Play and Apple App Store fees remain separate. The church app page describes live chat and email support across US, EU and APAC hours. Appy Pie also describes PCI DSS payment processing through Stripe, SOC 2 attestation, ISO 22301:2019 and ISO 27001:2013 certifications, and GDPR compliance.

Pricing

The free plan costs nothing and allows unlimited edits and preview, with a member-only rollout. Store publishing requires a paid plan, so the free tier is best for preparing an app and sharing it privately, not launching it publicly.

The paid church app plan starts at $16 a month. It includes Google Play and Apple App Store publishing, in-app giving at commercial volume, live streaming for full congregations and advanced push segmentation. The displayed monthly rate does not establish a billing term beyond that rate, and store fees are separate. Appy Pie also offers a 7-day trial through its general app-builder pricing page for developing and testing an app for personal, non-commercial use.

Separate app-builder tiers are priced in Australian dollars: Basic is A$18 a month (the pricing page also displays AU $36) and includes Android, 500 push notifications, 500 app downloads/month, Google Play publishing and email support. Gold is A$36 a month (also displayed as AU $72), with 1,000 notifications and downloads/month plus email and chat support. Platinum is A$60 a month (also displayed as AU $120), with Android and Apple platforms, 2,000 notifications and downloads/month, store publishing, and email, chat and call support. These quotas make the lower tiers more suitable for smaller audiences; Platinum raises both monthly caps and platform coverage. Enterprise has custom pricing and includes Platinum features, unlimited app creation and push notifications, a custom number of API calls and a dedicated account manager. The separate tiers do not state church-specific features, so compare them with the paid church app plan by the capabilities each congregation needs.

Platforms

The product supports Android, iOS and web. Native Android and iOS store publishing is tied to paid plans, while the free plan is limited to member-only rollout.

Who it's for

Appy Pie describes use by community churches, youth and college ministries, worship teams, missions and church plants. It is most compelling for organizations that want sermons, giving, events and group communication in a branded app, and can work with an existing payment processor and separate store fees. It is a poor fit for churches that need a complete church management system or the specific capabilities it omits, such as live translation or in-app music licensing.

Pros and cons

• Useful range of member tools: sermons, events, groups, prayer requests and volunteer scheduling support more than one communication need in the same app.
• Multiple giving connections: support for four named providers lets churches connect a processor they may already use, though an account is required.
• Public store launch requires payment: the free plan is limited to member-only rollout, and store fees are extra even on paid publishing plans.
• Not a church administration suite: congregations seeking full management capabilities will need another product or system.
• Several notable gaps: there is no live real-time translation, in-app music licensing or carrier-billed text donation option.

Alternatives

Compare church app builders if you want to assess a broader set of options. ChurchPlan is worth considering when a free-forever option with unlimited members, online giving and automated tax receipts is the priority. Subsplash Church App may suit churches focused on giving, with a $0/mo giving plan and card and ACH processing fees. Choicely Church App is another freemium choice, with a free tier based on daily and monthly credits and public mobile apps.

ChurchSoftware.com Mobile App is another freemium option. Ekko offers a freemium alternative, while Parish Connect is a free option for iOS and Android. MyChurch Cloud Custom Mobile Apps may suit organizations comparing paid monthly plans, including a Foundation tier at $39 a month for up to 500 contacts and three staff users. OnlineGiving.org Church Mobile App is another paid option for branded apps with giving and media.

Verdict

Choose Appy Pie Church App Maker if your church wants a branded Android, iOS and web presence centered on sermons, giving and member participation, and is prepared to pay for public store publishing. Its breadth of church-facing features is the main reason to choose it; the separate store fees and lack of full church-management capabilities are the clearest reasons to look elsewhere.