Congregate vs Instant Church Directory
Congregate
congregateonline.com
Instant Church Directory
instantchurchdirectory.comSide by side
| Figure | Congregate | Instant Church Directory |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $10/mo | $8.32/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 10 | 4 |
| Spec score · Church Directory Software | 8.9 (#6) | 7.8 (#28) |
| Integrations | Congregate supports embedded or linked live-stream and online-giving providers and offers Google Analytics and Google Maps API settings. | The product does not integrate with other church management software, but it supports CSV imports and photo uploads. |
| Pricing limits | All standard service plans carry a one-time $499 setup fee, discounted by $50 for churches with fewer than 50 members. | The pricing page says there are no membership-size price tiers and directory updates have no limits. |
| Purpose | Congregate is a church management platform combining a church website, member management, and leadership tools. | The service lets organizations create and maintain an online photo membership directory and a printable directory PDF. |
| Security | The service supports two-factor authentication for administrators and members. | Member access uses verified email authentication, administrators can revoke access, and optional two-factor authentication is available. |
| Support | Free technical support is included in every service plan, and the company says it responds to support tickets within 24 hours or less. | Support is primarily by email, and the company says it usually responds to help tickets within three business days. |
Plans
Congregate
- Virtual Library$10 a month
- Sermon Transcriptions$15 a month
- Economy$20 a month
- Members Only$20 a month
- Text Messaging$25 a month
- Voice Messaging$25 a month
- Classic$45 a month
- Self-Hosted WordPress$55 a month
- Unlimited$55 a month
- Congregate-Hosted WordPress$70 a month
Instant Church Directory
- Standard Membership$9.99 a month
- Premium Membership$14.99 a month
- Standard Membership$99.80 a year
- Premium Membership$154.88 a year
In their own words
Congregate
Congregate is a church management platform that combines a church website, member management, and leadership tools. Member features include a directory, attendance tracking, visitor registration and follow-up, and a leadership CRM. Communications include email, premium SMS, and premium text-to-speech voice messages. Its worship scheduler assigns positions and volunteer tasks, with support for blockout dates, replacements, confirmations, and reminders.
Churches can upload sermon media in formats such as MP3, PowerPoint, PDF, or YouTube links; the platform can create podcast feeds and support social sharing. The native members app is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android, and includes member modules, a directory, Bible, and sermon audio. Congregate says more than 30 modules are included in each service plan. Plans include a public website and mobile app at $20/mo for Economy, while Members Only is also $20/mo and omits the public website and email accounts. Standard plans carry a one-time $499 setup fee, discounted by $50 for churches with fewer than 50 members. Free technical support is included, with ticket responses stated as within 24 hours or less. The site offers a free test drive but gives no duration. The service runs on web, Android, and iOS.
Instant Church Directory
Instant Church Directory has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.