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Searching for the best church giving and engagement platform? If Tithe.ly caught your eye, you’re probably asking yourself if it’s worth the hype–or, more importantly– if it’s the best fit to align with your organization’s long-term strategic planning.
We’re here to help with genuine Tithe.ly reviews, honest pros and cons, and answers to the big questions on your mind. This guide breaks it down from key features for tithe location to user feedback on the customer experience.
If you're curious, you’ll have everything you need to make an informed decision, including some Tithe.ly alternatives.
So, what do you say? Let’s help you decide if Tithe.ly is the tool your church has been looking for or not.
The full Tith.ely review
For many churches or religious nonprofits seeking fundraising solutions, Tithe.ly is a popular contender. The platform (with a 4.7/5 overall Capterra rating) is known for making giving easy and offering the right features for meaningful engagement that matters so much for religious communities.
Tithe.ly has a ministry-first mindset and builds tools that help churches and nonprofits connect with their communities while streamlining daily tasks. Many organizations appreciate how Tithe.ly can deliver a seamless membership experience without requiring teams to spend much time maintaining it.
Tithe.ly’s acquisition of Breeze Church Management in 2021 enhanced functionality with more giving, engagement tools, and church management features.
So, is Tithe.ly the solution for you? How well does it really deliver against your goals? Let’s explore its features, then dive into some real user feedback to hear from those who’ve used Tithe.ly and can share some more authentic pros and cons.
Tithely pros
Ease of donating
“There is a tremendous ease in donating through Tithe.ly. It gives the admin the ability to customize the options for giving, which in turn helps the donors realize the financial opportunities of giving.” - Cameron B.
Donor communication
“We converted to Breeze/Thithe.ly two years prior to the COVID pandemic. Because we had this system in place we were able to easily communicate with our congregation via email and text during the early days when the pandemic was changing things daily. The fact that our congregation had two years of experience with the software meant we did not experience the slump or delay in giving during the pandemic like many other churches we know.” - Bryan P.
Feature availability
“Fairly simple to use. Even with lots of features, there are natural places to go and look for them. There are several extra features that I probably wouldn't have tried as a stand alone, but are really cool. We just implemented the credit card reader through Tithely Pay and it has been really helpful.” - Nathan C.
Tithely cons
Inconsistent user experience
“The software was frequently not working the way it should. Once they updated to Tithe.ly 2.0, I was unable to print or export PDFs of our monthly giving statements. This forced me to take screenshots of the webpage and then crop the image down, which is very annoying. On top of this, there were several other bugs that we had to work through. Tithe.ly is a very ambitious company that has taken on many new functions and acquired several other smaller companies. The result is what seems like a lot of usability and functionality but is actually dysfunctional, dated, and mismatched UX and UI.” - Nathaniel T.
Lacking donor engagement functionality
“The tithely side still needs a little work when it comes to giving anyone outside of a full admin access to the various areas. I am also looking forward to better stats in the communications area so we can see who is engaging (opening, clicking) and who isn't. I would also like to see the newsletter function from the website integrate into the communications area.” - Cameron B.
Customer experience
“I mostly disliked the constant bombardment of advertisements to upgrade or integrate with some new product they acquired while the ones they had were still running on Tithe.ly 1.0. The lack of support grew worse over time with the little bubble on the bottom right of the screen of Tithe.ly support was anything but helpful just offering up canned responses or links to outdated information or dead pages.” - Jana M.
Pricing
Tithely has a “value for money” rating of 4.7/5 on Capterra and offers a range of plans at various price points depending on what you need. It’s important to note that many features churches need to grow their communities and fully engage their donors will require a paid plan.
Also worth noting is that a transaction fee of 3.5% + $0.30 is automatically applied even with the free plan to budget in as you calculate the fundraising totals that will directly impact your mission. There is a 30-day free trial of the paid plans listed below if you want to test drive Tithe.ly.
- $119/month platform fee
- Up to a 3.5% + $0.30 transaction fee
Giving + Church Management features +
- Text to give
- Websites
- Church apps
- Point of sale system
- Church media
- Worship tools
- Messaging and events management
Tithe.ly has a 4.6/5 customer service rating on Capterra, although several reviews do mention challenging experiences when trying to resolve larger issues. Tithe.ly breaks up its customer support into those already using the tool, those exploring it for their church, and those looking to make a gift to a church.
The main website offers a Help Widget bubble to get quick answers through a chatbot and phone assistance between 5 am and 6 pm PT, Monday through Friday.
Features
Tithe.ly has a features rating of 4.5/5 on Capterra, offering a range of features tailored to churches.
Online and mobile giving: Digital donations through mobile apps, text-to-give, and web forms that support recurring giving
An app for churches: Branded church apps for members to access sermons, events, and giving tools
Communication tools: Email, SMS, and push notification capabilities (integration with external tools may be required)
Event management: Event registrations and ticketing
Website builder: Tools to create a simple church website that integrates with your giving tools
Administrative tools: Donor tracking, reporting, and financial management with simple workflows for admin teams
As with any sound decision-making process, it’s worth comparing alternatives to ensure you’re getting the best fit for your organization’s needs.
Zeffy is the best Tithe.ly alternative and the only 100% free fundraising platform, covering even transaction fees. Built specifically for nonprofits, it offers everything churches need to manage campaigns, engage donors, and grow their mission—without the financial burden. With a 4.8/5 overall and a 4.9/5 “Value for Money” rating on Capterra, Zeffy proves that powerful doesn’t have to mean costly.
Pushpay is a platform for churches needing advanced online giving, donor engagement, and church management tools. Larger congregations enjoy Pushpay and are willing to pay for premium features with higher fees.
Pushpay's platform fees are customized based on your organization's specific needs and size and start at $149/month. For credit card transactions, Pushpay charges a processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.
Pushpay’s features:
Mobile and online giving with customizable donation options
Recurring donation management
Text-to-give functionality
Custom-branded church app for engagement
Donor management and detailed reporting
Event registration and ticketing tools
Communication tools (email, push notifications, and SMS)
Integration with popular church management software
Subsplash helps churches connect with their communities through various online giving and donor management tools. It offers a unified solution for online giving, media streaming, and communication, which makes for a valuable resource that churches can use to enhance their digital presence.
Subsplash has a 4.2 /5 “Value for Money” rating on Capterra, and platform fees start at $99/month, and a processing fee of 2.3% plus $0.30.
Yes, Tithe.ly is a legitimate platform that churches and religious organizations often consider for online giving, event management, and giving engagement. Since 2015, Tithe.ly built a strong reputation and is considered to be a secure solution. The company provides tools tailored to faith-based communities.
Tithe.ly is highly secure and takes the safety of its users' data seriously. The platform employs advanced encryption technologies and complies with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) to ensure the secure processing of financial transactions. It also uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect sensitive information, making it a trusted choice for churches and donors.
Tithe.ly is considered a strong church platform; however, whether it’s the "best" depends on your church's specific needs, budget, and goals. Affordability compared to other church platforms and ease of donations make it a strong contender. Still, there are other options that nonprofits can lean on to save money and see more funding go directly to their cause.
Zeffy is an excellent alternative to Tithe.ly for church fundraising because it’s 100% free—there are no platform or transaction fees, so churches keep every dollar donated. Instead of charging fees, Zeffy allows donors to leave a voluntary tip to support the platform.
Designed specifically for nonprofits, Zeffy includes features like customizable donation forms, recurring giving options, and automated tax receipts, all without extra costs. For churches looking to maximize donations and reduce overhead, Zeffy is a modern, cost-effective solution.
Tithely charges a transaction fee for online giving of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for credit and debit card payments. The cost is typically lower for ACH (bank account) transactions, around 1% + $0.30 per transaction. These fees are competitive within the industry and help cover the cost of processing payments and maintaining secure systems.
