Throughout the pandemic many churches had to embrace the digital space. A clean, concise website is important, not only for keeping your congregation informed on latest events, but also sharing your mission with your local community and spreading the word, thus bringing new members in your doors. Building an online presence is vital, but creating a website from scratch can be daunting, to say the least. Luckily, there are a number of tools out there designed to help you create a stunning website without too much hassle.
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- Tithe.ly Sites – best for online donations
- Sharefaith – best to get up and running quick
- WordPress – best for DIY
- web.com – best for small churches
- Ministry Designs – best for midsize to large congregations
- Gator – best all-in-one tool
- Nucleus – best for tech-forward churches
- Squarespace – best for customization
1. Tithe.ly Sites – best for online donations
PRICING:
$149 setup fee then $19/ mo
Tithe.ly offers a free service to set up digital tithe and offerings for your congregation. In addition, Tithe.ly also offers Sites, a website building tools designed specifically for churches. Tithe.ly provides templates created specifically for modern congregations. Users can utilize the built in sermon media player, while also simulcasting on popular video streaming apps, like YouTube and Facebook. Make it easy for your congregation to stay up to date with Tith.ly’s calendar tool. As a bonus, Tithe.ly is SEO friendly, is auto formatted for desktop and mobile viewing, and has a built-in prayer request form.s
KEY FEATURES:
- Sermon media player
- Events calendar
- Online giving
REASONS TO BUY:
- Get a church website that feels custom designed up and running in minutes
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Tithe.ly offers additional apps and features that can add up and get costly
» MORE: Best WordPress Website Builders (Easy To Use)
2. Sharefaith – best to get up and running quick
PRICING:
Media + Web plan starts at $45/ mo
Sharefaith is another website building solution designed specifically for churches. All of the templates, images, and videos are tailored specifically for congregations meaning you can get your website off the ground in a matter of minutes. All the add-ons are also designed specifically for churches, like their Giving Software. Sharefaith even offers a Kids Min, a library of videos, curriculum, and digital resources created specifically for children’s ministry. If you’re not ready to buy yet, you can pick any of their templates for a free demo.
KEY FEATURES:
- Kids Ministry resources
- Events calendar
- Media hosting
REASONS TO BUY:
- An easy to use tool that covers all congregation needs
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Limited plugins
- All the add-ons can get pricey
» MORE: How Do You Use A Website Builder?
3. WordPress – best for DIY
PRICING:
Website hosting starting at $7.99/ mo
While WordPress is not a church specific tool, it should not be overlooked. WordPress is one of the most popular website builders in the world. WordPress even offers church templates, free and paid. While WordPress may not be church specific, there are a number of plugins that are, like a sermon manager plugin and various donation plugins that make tithes and offerings a breeze. The only catch is that you need to learn how to run and manage these plugins and the site yourself, which may not be a problem for some, but could be a dealbreaker for others.
KEY FEATURES:
- Sermon Manager
- Church specific templates
REASONS TO BUY:
- Highly customizable and affordable tool
REASONS TO AVOID:
- More time consuming and less beginner friendly than other options on this list
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4. web.com – best for small churches
PRICING:
Web hosting starting at $1.95/ mo
Web.com is another option not specifically designed for churches, but also not to be overlooked. Web.com offers a number of templates designed for churches. You can use their search feature to quickly find appropriate stock images and videos for your site. Web.com does not offer a donation feature, but there are ecommerce features that could be set up to act like a donation site. A huge plus of web.com is that every plan comes with security and analytics.
KEY FEATURES:
- 24/7 support
- Security and analytics
REASONS TO BUY:
- Most affordable option on the list, great for small congregations
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Limited options and customizations may not fulfill all need
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5. Ministry Designs – best for midsize to large congregations
PRICING:
$1,000 start-up fee, then $20/ mo
Another great tool designed specifically for churches is Ministry Designs. Ministry Designs walks users through the process of building a website, step-by-step. They help choose the best template for your needs and show you how to take advantage of all of the unique features. Ministry Designs offers church specific features like a sermon manager, calendar, donation center, and an option to manage email lists.
KEY FEATURES:
- Media library with over 12,000 graphics
- One-on-one support
- Templates designed for desktop and mobile
REASONS TO BUY:
- Provides the help needed to build a gorgeous and functional website
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Pricey option where you still have to build the website yourself
» MORE: Top Website Builders for Events
6. Gator – best all-in-one tool
PRICING:
Plans starting at $4.99/ mo
Gator is an all-in-one option that offers website hosting, domains, unlimited pages, space, and bandwidth, and tons of templates to choose from. Gator is not a church specific tool, but all the templates are highly customizable, making it a good option for churches. The plans are affordable and include a domain name, or, if you already own your domain, connect it to Gator free of charge. Gator offers no fuss and not frills, which is exactly what some congregations need.
KEY FEATURES:
- 24/7 Support
REASONS TO BUY:
- Offers hosting, domain, support, and website design all in one place at an affordable price
REASONS TO AVOID:
- No online donation setup and high learning curve for beginners
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7. Nucleus – best for tech-forward churches
PRICING:
Plans start at $99/ mo
Nucleus is an all-in-one tool designed for churches. Nucleus offers handy features like the ability to host your full library of sermons, a calendar for events, and mailing lists. Their giving feature allows you to keep 100% of the money donated, though you do have to pay an additional monthly fee for this feature. If the price tag is too high, Nucleus offers discounts to smaller organizations that might not be able to pay the standard monthly fee.
KEY FEATURES:
- Sermon hosting
- Scholarships for smaller churches
- Online giving
REASONS TO BUY:
- Easy to use all-in-one tools designed specifically for modern congregations
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Have to pay a extra charge for the giving feature
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8. Squarespace – best for customization
PRICING:
Plans start at $18/ mo
Squarespace is a popular and well-known website builder known for the customizability and ease-of-use. Squarespace allows for multiple users, which is helpful for churches where multiple volunteers work on the website. The drag-and-drop feature makes editing a breeze and Squarespace offers a wide-range of different plugin options. Meaning you should be able to find a solution to any need. While none of the templates are specifically designed for churches, their templates are very customizable, so most users can find the right option for them.
KEY FEATURES:
- Multiple users
- Can set up online donations
- All-in-one tool
REASONS TO BUY:
- Customizable tool that create beautiful websites
REASONS TO AVOID:
- All church specific features have to be added through various plugins
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References and Links:
https://get.tithe.ly/church-giving
https://get.tithe.ly/us/pricing
https://www.sharefaith.com/church-websites/
https://www.sharefaith.com/suite-life/
https://www.sharefaith.com/try-sharefaith-suite/
https://wordpress.org/download/
https://wordpress.org/plugins/
https://wordpress.org/plugins/sermon-manager-for-wordpress/
https://www.web.com/websites/build-a-website
https://ministrydesigns.com/about/
https://ministrydesigns.com/church-website-builder/
https://www.hostgator.com/website-builder
https://www.hostgator.com/web-hosting
https://www.nucleus.church/pricing
https://www.nucleus.church/overview
https://www.nucleus.church/web
https://www.squarespace.com/templates