Side by side
Planning Center vs VolunteerBadge
Both stand on church background check software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Planning Center covers several church operations, with separate free product plans and tools for worship planning and people management. Churches should check the Services access-based pricing and mobile device compatibility against their needs.
Visit Planning CenterVolunteerBadge brings volunteer administration and screening workflows together, with management tools available free and checks priced separately. Organizations should account for consent requirements and confirm whether a fingerprint check is required for their use case.
Visit VolunteerBadgeThe facts
| Planning Center | VolunteerBadge | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
| Runs on | Android, API, iPhone, Mac, Web, Windows | Android, API, iPhone, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Services 20: $15 a month | Best Bulk Value: $3.75, paid once |
| Plans published | 11 | 5 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | planningcenter.com | volunteerbadge.com |
| On church background check software | #7 of 35 | #11 of 35 |
Planning Center: what it does well
- Free plans are listed for Calendar, People and Services.
- People includes an unlimited database and reporting.
- Services supports volunteer scheduling and rehearsals.
- Support is free for customers and noncustomers.
- An open API and listed integrations are available.
What to know first
- Services free plan includes five team members.
- Services mobile app is not compatible with Windows devices.
- Services pricing depends on system accessors.
- Paid access starts at $5/mo.
VolunteerBadge: what it does well
- Free management tools include hour tracking and rosters.
- Checks include human review of high-confidence records.
- Includes FCRA authorization and adverse-action workflows.
- REST API and webhooks have no monthly fee.
- Lists integrations including Planning Center and Zapier.
What to know first
- Background checks cost extra on the free plan.
- A database check does not replace a required fingerprint check.
- Each check requires signed authorization.
Alternatives to Planning Center Alternatives to VolunteerBadge The whole list

