SimpleUpdates vs Tithely Giving
SimpleUpdates
simpleupdates.comTithely Giving
get.tithe.lySide by side
| Figure | SimpleUpdates | Tithely Giving |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $20/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 10 |
| Spec score · Church Website Builders | 8.6 (#8) | 8.6 (#9) |
| Company history | Darryl Hosford founded the business as Hosford Web Service in 1995; the CMS later became SimpleUpdates.com and the company says it has operated online since 2005. | Tithely says its first giving app was developed after an idea in 2012 and that the company began to take off in 2014. |
| Headquarters | The company says it operates remotely around the United States and lists a mailing address in Gentry, Arkansas. | Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Integrations | Documented integrations include Google Analytics, YouTube, Zoom, Facebook oEmbed, iTunes podcasting and social-media widgets. | Listed integrations include QuickBooks Online, RockRMS, Salesforce, MinistryPlatform, Shelby, FellowshipOne, Planning Center, Church Community Builder, Elvanto and Engiven. |
| Security | The terms allow HTTPS certificates for custom domains, while the current plans advertise SSL. | Tithely says payment information is stored by a PCI DSS Level 1 banking partner and transaction services require HTTPS with TLS. |
| Support | Support is offered by email with a stated one-business-day response target, scheduled calls and telephone numbers. | Customer support is available Monday through Friday, with phone support listed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time. |
| What it does | SimpleUpdates builds hosted business, nonprofit, church and school websites from an interview and supplies written draft pages. | Tithely provides online, mobile, text, kiosk and administrative giving tools for churches, alongside church management, apps, websites, messaging and worship products. |
Plans
SimpleUpdates
- STARTERFree
- Basic$24 a month
- PRO$37 a month
- Growth$39 a month
- Premium$59 a month
- Basic$240 a year
- Growth$399 a year
- PRO$399 a year
- Premium$599 a year
Tithely Giving
- Free GivingFree
- Giving + Church Management$72 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
- Free GivingFree
- Custom Church Website$19 a month
- Website$19 a month
- Church Management$72 a month
- Custom Church App$89 a month
- Mobile Church App$89 a month
- All Access$119 a month
In their own words
SimpleUpdates
SimpleUpdates Studio is a hosted website builder and content management system for creating and updating websites without coding. Its visual editor uses drag-and-drop controls and offers more than 36 elements and 200 ready-to-use icons; the company advertises more than 100 templates. Content tools include blogs, galleries, a form builder, collections, and custom HTML and CSS. The free Starter plan is free and includes unlimited pages and storage plus SSL, with limited features. Pro costs $37 a month for one website and includes unlimited pages and storage, SSL, up to two domains and three email addresses, and all Pro layouts, blocks, and elements. Paid website plans include free personal calls and support for technical questions. The pricing page lists contact form app integration, while legacy CMS update notes document Stripe integration for store payments and forms. SimpleUpdates says it does not collect or store end-user payment information; that information is passed to the payment processors customers choose. The service is web-based and serves commercial and nonprofit clients, including businesses and ministries. The company says Darryl Hosford founded it as Hosford Web Service in 1995, before it became SimpleUpdates.com as the CMS was developed.
Tithely Giving
Tithely Giving helps churches accept donations online, through mobile apps, by text, at kiosks, and through administrative giving. Donors can make one-time gifts or start, pause, and update recurring gifts. Payment options include Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH, cards, and regional bank-payment methods. Administrators can view real-time donation reports and generate tax statements. The giving experience is available in English, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Chinese. The Free Giving plan has no monthly fee and allows unlimited donations, though transaction fees apply. Listed U.S. fees are 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction for credit and debit, 1% plus $0.30 for ACH, and 3.5% plus $0.30 for American Express. Other listed plans include Giving + Church Management at $72 a month and All Access at $119 a month; both have 30-day trials. Tithely lists integrations including QuickBooks Online, Rock RMS, Salesforce, Planning Center Online, and Church Community Builder, and states that it meets PCI DSS Level 1 compliance standards.