Grain Ledger

Grain Ledger is web-based accounting software for churches, especially those managing restricted funds alongside day-to-day expenses and giving. Its church-focused accounting and reporting make it a strong fit for congregations that need more than a general ledger; Starter’s limits may push growing teams to a paid plan.

Overview

The product brings fund accounting, banking, payables, financial reporting, and donation workflows together. That breadth is useful when a church wants financial activity organized around its funds, but the plan limits matter: Starter caps monthly expenses at $20,000, permits three users and one bank connection, and allows one active budget.

Key features

Accounting and expense workflows

Double-entry accounting covers restricted and unrestricted funds, with a customizable nonprofit chart of accounts. Plaid bank sync imports transactions for categorization and reconciliation. Bill tracking, approvals, accounts-payable aging, corporate card activity, and 1099 vendor information extend the system into routine expense management. These tools make Grain Ledger relevant to churches seeking fund-aware accounting with payables in the same product; Starter’s single bank connection is a meaningful constraint for organizations using multiple accounts.

Reports and giving

GAAP-compliant balance sheets, statements of activities, and cash-flow statements can be drilled down to journal entries and transactions. Donation imports, donor matching, giving analytics, and annual statements with IRS-compliant disclosures support church giving administration alongside accounting. The combination is a particular strength for churches that need financial reporting and donation workflows to work together.

Integrations, security, and support

Maker-listed integrations include Planning Center, Ramp, Bill.com / Divvy, Pushpay, OnlineGiving.org, Rock RMS, and Subsplash; Tithely is marked as coming soon. The maker says data is encrypted at rest with AES-256 and in transit with TLS 1.2+, and that its cloud infrastructure is SOC 2 Type II compliant in a US region. Personal identifiers are deleted 30 days after account termination, while financial audit trails are retained for up to seven years. Support is by email, with plan-specific priority email or phone support.

Pricing

Starter is free and includes unlimited funds, one bank connection, three users, and one active budget. It is aimed at churches with up to $20k in monthly expenses; the expense ceiling and narrow bank and budget allowances make it a starting point rather than a roomy option for expanding operations.

Growth costs $70/month, billed $70/month. It raises the allowance to up to $1M in annualized revenue or expenses and includes three bank connections, unlimited users, unlimited monthly expenses, and unlimited active budgets. For churches that have outgrown Starter’s user or budget caps, this is the clearest step up.

Scale costs $100/month, billed $100/month, with scale-based pricing. It includes unlimited bank connections and users, plus custom roles and reports. Those provisions suit larger or more complex organizations, though scale-based pricing makes it less straightforward to budget than Growth.

Grain Payroll is an add-on for every accounting plan, priced at $50/month base plus $10 per employee / month. It includes automatic fund allocation, a mobile time clock and approvals, direct deposit, and federal and state tax filings. Churches needing payroll alongside fund accounting can add it without changing accounting plans, but should account for the per-employee charge.

Platforms

Grain Ledger runs on the web, making it a fit for organizations whose finance work is managed through a browser.

Who it's for

Grain Ledger is best suited to churches that need restricted-fund accounting, church giving workflows, and expense controls in one system. Small congregations can start free if they stay within Starter’s expense, bank, user, and budget limits. Churches requiring more than three users or one active budget will need Growth or Scale; organizations outside church finance workflows should compare broader nonprofit accounting options.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Double-entry fund accounting handles restricted and unrestricted funds, which supports church-specific financial organization.
• Pros: Giving imports and annual statements sit alongside accounting, helping churches manage donation records and financial reporting together.
• Pros: Growth removes user, monthly expense, and active-budget caps, providing room beyond Starter’s small-organization limits.
• Cons: Starter allows only one bank connection, three users, and one active budget, limiting its fit for churches with more involved operations.
• Cons: Scale uses scale-based pricing, so organizations needing its expanded connections or custom roles and reports face less predictable costs than Growth.

Alternatives

For churches comparing purpose-built accounting options, browse Church Accounting Software; organizations looking more broadly can compare Nonprofit Accounting Software or Fund Accounting Software.

MoneyMinder is worth considering for groups that want a free plan with budgeting tools, a custom chart of accounts, budget forecasting, and Excel export; it also supports Android, iOS, and web. Churchsoft Assist 2026 is a paid alternative available on Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. ACS Facility Scheduler is a paid web and Windows option without a free plan. CharityFinancials is a paid web option. Clubtreasurer is a paid web option. Fund EZ is a paid Windows option. LineLedger is a free web alternative. NonProfit+ is a paid web option.

Verdict

Choose Grain Ledger if your church needs fund accounting connected to giving, expense work, and financial reports. Starter offers a no-cost way to begin, but its bank, user, budget, and expense limits are substantial; look elsewhere if church-specific workflows are not a priority, or compare plans carefully if your organization needs Scale’s flexibility and wants clearer pricing.